Let's Talk Illustrators #88: Taeeun Yoo

I have been gleefully following Taeeun Yoo's career for a few years now, and I've always loved everything she creates. But—and keep in mind I'm a big cat person!—when I picked up Kitten and the Night Watchman, written by John Sullivan, back in September, I knew this was the book I wanted to talk to her about. It's an incredibly sweet and compelling story made even more so by Taeeun's thoughtful and carefully crafted illustrations, and it's my pleasure to share our conversation with you all today!

WATER LAND

Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World by Christy Hale is one of those deceptive books that looks incredible simple but actually uses quite a few intricate design techniques.

Crushes of the Week: October 21-27, 2018

This week's crushes:

1. I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) by Davide Cali and Anna Pirolli (Chronicle Books, October 2018)
2. Fox and Raccoon by Lesley-Anne Green (Tundra Books, June 2018)
3. The Diver by Veronica Carratello (Flying Eye Books, August 2018)
4. Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World by Katherine Halligan and Sarah Walsh (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2018)
5. Autumn Babies by Kathryn O. Galbraith and Adela Pons (Peachtree Publishers, September 2018)
6. Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison (LB Kids, October 2018)
7. Peace and Me by Ali Winter and Mickael El Fathi (Lantana Publishing, September 2018)
8. Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings by Francie LaTour and Ken Daley (Groundwood Books, October 2018)

       

Let's Talk Illustrators #87: Josée Bisaillon

Ten Cents a Pound by Nhung N. Tran-Davies and Josée Bisaillon is one of those rare mirrors and windows books. It's a mirror in the sense that any parent can understand working themselves down to the bone for their child's future, and it's a window, at least for me, into everyday Vietnamese culture and life beyond the glamour shots we see in the movies. With touch points any parent can understand, like wanting your child to get a better education that you did, or wanting them to simply sprout wings and leave the nest, this book kindly and gently reveals a mother-daughter relationship no parent or child will soon forget. I got a chance to talk to Josée about her illustration process, both for this book and in general, and it's an honor to share that conversation here today.

Crushes of the Week: October 14-20, 2018

This week's crushes:

1. Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc (Princeton Architectural Press, October 2018)
2. Two Problems for Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail (Margaret K. McElderry Books, June 2018)
3. Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell and Corinna Luyken (Dial Books, August 2018)
4. Birds from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick and Kwanchai Moriya (Kids Can Press, October 2018)
5. Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings by Naseem Hrab and Josh Holinaty (Owlkids Books Inc., October 2018)
6. Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy by Drew Daywalt and Scott Campbell (Disney-Hyperion, September 2018)

     

PEEK-A-WHO?

Who says books can come in all shapes and sizes? Elsa Mroziewicz, creator of Peek-a-Who?, that's who!

Let's Talk Illustrators #86: Oge Mora

Reading Oge Mora's author debut Thank You, Omu! is like eating a hearty soup while wrapped in a blanket with your family all around you. It makes you feel warm, safe, and loved, and it reminds us that kindness comes in all shapes and sizes, even stew-shaped sizes. And, of course, it reminds us that lifting up a community and bringing people together over a tasty meal can never steer you wrong. It was a blast chatting with Oge about this book and her personal connections to it, and I'm thrilled to share that conversation with you all today.