Let's Talk Illustrators #138: Reza Dalvand

I was so pleased to catch up with Reza Dalvand about What Could That Be?. Reza has published over fifteen picture books in Iran, Europe, and Asia, and I'm so thrilled to see them making their way to the States (and quickly, too!). I hope you enjoy our conversation about his career so far and what he's working on now!

Crushes of the Week: March 22-28, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. A Bear Named Bjorn by Delphine Perret (Gecko Press, March 2020)
2. Malo and the Merry-Go-Round by Maria Dek (Princeton Architectural Press, March 2020)
3. You Be Mommy by Karla Clark and Zoe Persico (Feiwel & Friends, March 2020)
4. Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics by Laurie Wallmark and Yevgenia Nayberg (Creston Books, March 2020)
5. Where Teddy Bears Come From by Mark Burgess and Russell Ayto (Peachtree Publishing Company, August 2009)
6. Hello, Door by Alastair Heim and Alisa Coburn (little bee books, January 2018)
7. To the Moon and Back for You by Emilia Bechrakis Serhant and EG Keller (Random House Books for Young Readers, March 2020)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

I AM HUA MULAN

I Am Hua Mulan by Qin Wenjun and Yu Rong is the tale of a brave and selfless woman named Mulan who saves her family from the devastation of war by offering to serve in her father's place.

Let's Talk Illustrators #137: Clotilde Perrin

It was a total dream come true to talk to author, illustrator, and paper engineering ingenue Clotilde Perrin. The tone of Clotilde's work varies depending on the book she's illustrating, but my favorites tend to be her oversized books full of sinister characters with lots of places to hide their secrets. In today's interview we discussed The House of Madame M, another in a long line of Clotilde's mesmerizing and interactive books now available in English. Enjoy!

Crushes of the Week: March 15-21, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. If I Had a Sleepy Sloth by Alex Barrow and Gabby Dawnay (Thames & Hudson, March 2020)
2. Alba and the Ocean Cleanup by Lara Hawthorne (Big Picture Press, March 2020)
3. Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham, Charles Waters, and Mehrdokht Amini (Carolrhoda Books, February 2020)
4. Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis and Kenard Pak (Neal Porter Books, February 2020)
5. What Are Shadows? by Seong-Eun Kim and Chan-Joo Hong (Big & Small, January 2020)
6. Equality's Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen and Magdalena Mora (Beach Lane Books, February 2020)
7. Double Trouble by Sarah Dyer (Tate Publishing, March 2020)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

PAPER PLANES

Paper Planes by Jim Helmore and Richard Jones reveals how much love and imagination can go into keeping long-distance friendships alive.

Let's Talk Illustrators #136: Elizabet Vukovic

It was such a pleasure to chat with Elizabet Vukovic about her newly illustrated picture book An Ordinary Day, written by Elana K Arnold. We talked about some of my favorite topics, including the mechanics of portraying death in picture books and the joys of using only complementary colors to convey tone. Enjoy the read!

Crushes of the Week: March 8-14, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. Bake a Rainbow Cake! by Amirah Kassem (Abrams Appleseed, February 2020)
2. My Ocean Is Blue by Darren Lebeuf and Ashley Barron (Kids Can Press, March 2020)
3. Who's Who in the Woods? by Eryl Norris and Andy Mansfield (little bee books, October 2015)
4. In a Garden by Tim McCanna and Aimée Sicuro (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, February 2020)
5. The Wooden Fish by Wenxuan Cao and Yanling Gong (Starfish Bay Publishing, December 2019)
6. Story Boat by Kyo Maclear and Rashin Kheiriyeh (Tundra Books, February 2020)

     

Endpapers for the end of your week!

AT THE POND

At the Pond by Geraldo Valério is a wordless masterpiece about the intersection of empathy and nature.

Let's Talk Illustrators #135: Michaela Goade

I was so pleased to get a chance to talk to illustrator Michaela Goade about We Are Water Protectors, written by Carole Lindstrom. Among many other topics, we talk about her research process for representing a wide array of Indigenous peoples, as well as historical and modern traditions, in her work. Enjoy the conversation!

Crushes of the Week: March 1-7, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. I Am Brown by Ashok Banker and Sandhya Prabhat (Lantana Publishing, March 2020)
2. A Portrait in Poems: The Storied Life of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas by Evie Robillard and Rachel Katstaller (Kids Can Press, March 2020)
3. Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino and Carmen Mok (Groundwood Books, March 2020)
4. Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan and Saffa Khan (Chronicle Books, March 2020)
5. Animals Are Delicious by Sarah Hutt, Dave Ladd, and Stephanie Anderson (Phaidon Press, May 2016)
6. What If... by Thierry Lenain and Olivier Tallec (Enchanted Lion Books, April 2019)
7. Scratchie: A Touch-and-Feel Cat-Venture by Maria Putri (Little Simon, May 2019)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

THE KEEPER OF WILD WORDS

The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith and Madeline Kloepper is the sweet story of a grandmother and granddaughter exploring nature and sharing a special day together.

Let's Talk Illustrators #134: Akem

Brown Sugar Babe, written by Charlotte Watson Sherman and illustrated by Akem, captures the message of self-love and acceptance with sincerity, beauty, and a lasting sense that everyone deserves to see themselves reflected around them. I talked to illustrator Akem about her connection to this story and her process for bringing Sherman's words to life. I hope you enjoy!