April 29, 2018

THE GREAT CHICKEN ESCAPE

Nikki McClure continues to showcase her mastery of minimalist children's book illustration and design with her new book The Great Chicken Escape.


April 28, 2018

Crushes of the Week: April 22-28, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Moon by Alison Oliver (Clarion Books, April 2018)
  2. The Fox on the Swing by Evelina Daciūtė and Aušra Kiudulaite (Thames & Hudson, June 2018) 
  3. A Bear Sat on My Porch Today by Jane Yolen and Rilla Alexander (Chronicle Books, March 2018)
  4. Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell and Richard Jones (Schwartz & Wade Books, May 2018)
  5.  Mon Petit Busy Day by Annette Tamarkin (Little Simon, April 2018)
  6. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Jeremy Holmes (Chronicle Books, August 2009)
     

April 26, 2018

THE FUNERAL

Matt James' author debut The Funeral is anything but sad. In fact, one could even say it helps readers focus on the good DURING the bad.


April 24, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #67: Cozbi A Cabrera

Cozbi Cabrera has mastered a lot of skills. She's a doll-maker, clothing designer, and children's book illustrator, and now she gets to add the word "author" to her resume with My Hair Is a Garden. It is a treasure of a book that focuses on cultivating who you are and reminds readers to take the time to get to know themselves. Personally, it took me years to understand my own hair, and this book is a wonderful reminder of the importance of celebrating every part of yourself, no matter how frustrating it can be! Cozbi was a thrill to chat with, and I'm so excited to share our conversation with you all today.


April 21, 2018

Crushes of the Week: April 15-21, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins and Emily Hughes (Chronicle Books, April 2018)
  2. From the Heart of Africa by Eric Walters (Tundra Books, January 2018)
  3. Dad By My Side by Soosh (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, May 2018)
  4. Someone Farted by Bruce Eric Kaplan (Simon & Schuster, April 2018)
  5. Hooray for Books! by Brian Won (Houghton Mifflin, September 2017)
    

April 19, 2018

H IS FOR HAIKU

H Is For Haiku: A Treasury From A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg and Sawsan Chalabi finds fun and poetry in everyday moments.


April 17, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #66: Thao Lam

Thao Lam's second picture book Wallpaper is a gorgeous and mostly wordless interpretation of what it feels like when faced with the universal childhood trial of making friends. Lam instills hope in her readers within a colorful and imaginative world full of fears and anxieties. Readers cannot help but connect with her work, and I'm so glad I got the chance to talk to her about her exquisite paper-collage technique in this book. 


April 15, 2018

OLD MISERY

James Sage and Russell Ayto's Old Misery examines the perpetual existence of misery in the world through a satiric and allegorical lens.


April 14, 2018

Crushes of the Week: April 8-14, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Hazelnut Days by Emmanuel Bourdier and Zaü (Minedition, May 2018)
  2. Poe Won't Go by Kelly DiPucchio and Zachariah OHora (Disney • Hyperion, June 2018, March 2018)
  3. Beyond the Fence by Maria Gulemetova (Child's Play International, April 2018)
  4. Fox & Chick: The Party: And Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier (Chronicle Books, April 2018)
  5. Two Rainbows by Sophie Masson and Michael McMahon (Little Hare Books, June 2018)
  6. Aunt Grizelda's Treasury of Grim and Grisly Rhymes by Anna Best and Natallia Pavaliayeva (Hogs Back Books, May 2018)
  

April 12, 2018

MARWAN'S JOURNEY

Marwan's Journey by Patricia de Arias and Laura Borras sheds a light on displaced peoples and the struggles they endure to find safety in unfamiliar places.


April 10, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #65: Juana Martinez-Neal

Juana Martinez-Neal's semi-autobiographical author debut Alma and How She Got Her Name has the unique ability to encourage readers to learn more about where they come from and how they fit into their families. It begs readers to ask questions like: Why do I have the name I have? How do I, as an individual, fit into the larger picture that is my family tree? And what will be MY contribution for the child down the line who is named after me? These are all wonderful and inspiring questions, and Juana explores them expertly through a young girl named Alma. I'm so glad I got a chance to chat with her and share our conversation here. It sure got me thinking. Enjoy!


April 8, 2018

LLAMAPHONES

Finally, finally, there is a new installment in Janik Coat's oversized board book series! Coat's clever series uses animals to explore familiar concepts: hippos and opposites in Hippopposites and rhinos and rhymes in Rhymoceros, and now llamas and homophones in Llamaphones. And they just keep getting funnier!


April 7, 2018

Crushes of the Week: March 31 - April 7, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Hidden World: Ocean by Libby Walden and Stephanie Fizer Coleman (360 Degrees, March 2018)
  2. Letter Town: A Seek-and-Find Alphabet Adventure by Darren Farrell (Orchard Books, June 26, 2018)
  3. What's Above? by Clive Gifford and Kate McLelland (Kane Miller Books, March 2018)
  4. Hansel & Gretel by Bethan Woollvin (Peachtree Publishers, October 2018)
  5. A Werewolf Named Oliver James by Nicholas John Frith (Arthur A Levine Books, June 2018)

    

April 6, 2018

First Friday 5: Siblings

Siblings: whether you love them or not, they're there. Sometimes they help make situations better, and sometimes they just...exacerbate things. But at the end of the day, your own flesh and blood is what you can count on the most, and these five books show a variety of sibling relationships that range from complicated to loving to downright hilarious.


April 5, 2018

SMALL THINGS

If you or someone you know has ever suffered from anxiety or depression, you know the signs, isolation and anger key among them. In this wordless picture book Small Things from Australian author-illustrator Mel Tregonning, readers get an accessible, first-hand account of the effects of anxiety and depression on a young boy trying to make friends at school.



April 3, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #64: Leo Espinosa

It seems unlikely that, at this point, you haven't seen Junot Díaz and Leo Espinosa's picture book Islandborn. It's a book that feels ubiquitous these days, and for good reason: not only is the message timely, but it's thought-provoking, too, allowing readers who don't necessarily have the same experiences as the character Lola to put themselves in a position of asking where they came from and how their heritage informs who they are today. If you haven't listened to Junot's Keynote Speech from Winter Institute earlier this year you should (and that can be found here), but today we're here to talk about the illustrations in the book because, as amazing as the text is, Islandborn wouldn't be what it is without Leo's visuals. Have a look.


April 2, 2018

#kidlitpicks March Round-Up: 18 Books About Art

Favorite picture books have the power to inspire us; they’re the ones that get our kids itching to create—to get off the couch and into the craft cabinet, digging around and making messes that drive us crazy but make us proud.

This month, the @kidlitpicks book club featured books that inspire ART. Whether it’s a story about an artist or one with illustrations worth imitating, we’ll be looking at picture books that influence the way we create. So what are some of your favorite books about art? Thanks to Anna from KidLitCrafts for the theme!