Let's start with big books. Big books are designed to showcase big ideas. A big book literally gives an illustrator more space on which to show his or her story, so chances are you'll see some extra large characters along the way.
April 26, 2016
Trim Size Matters
What does the size of the book say about the story inside? Trim size is the size of the physical book, and books come in all different shapes and sizes.
Let's start with big books. Big books are designed to showcase big ideas. A big book literally gives an illustrator more space on which to show his or her story, so chances are you'll see some extra large characters along the way.
Let's start with big books. Big books are designed to showcase big ideas. A big book literally gives an illustrator more space on which to show his or her story, so chances are you'll see some extra large characters along the way.
April 19, 2016
This Is Not a Post
Today I want to explore the concept of a "book." The illustrators I'm going to talk about use their own books to challenge the notion of what a book is and what a story means. These books provide creative outlets for children to think about the world around them and their preconceived notions of what it means to open a book and read a story. I think in this case, it's best to just dive right in.
Jean Jullien's 2016 This Is Not a Book is a fun place to start because Jullien uses the design of the book itself to get readers thinking about everyday objects in their lives. This isn't a book, it's a monster.
Jean Jullien's 2016 This Is Not a Book is a fun place to start because Jullien uses the design of the book itself to get readers thinking about everyday objects in their lives. This isn't a book, it's a monster.
April 12, 2016
Stepping out of the Shadows
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today we're talking about shadows in picturebooks. While picturebook illustrations are generally known for being inviting and colorful, shadows make the illustrations more mysterious and serve to show readers the dark side of the world they live in. Shadows are reserved for the nighttime and the unknown, so a picturebook that visually focuses on shadows is a great place for characters to have dark adventures and explore things they wouldn't normally do in the light of day. In these books the shadows becomes their own characters, representing our dark sides, the parts that remain hidden and tucked away.
You can't write about shadows and not talk about Suzy Lee's wordless masterpiece Shadow.
You can't write about shadows and not talk about Suzy Lee's wordless masterpiece Shadow.
April 8, 2016
Mel on All the Wonders
I'm thrilled and honored to announce that I am now a contributor on the amazing children's book site All the Wonders!
All the Wonders is a collective of working writers, podcasters, filmmakers, musicians, and visual artists who feel that great books deserve a life beyond the shelf. We believe that children make a more lasting connection with a story when they can experience it in various forms. Therefore, our goal is to expand the universe of the books we love by offering up podcasts, videos, songs, crafts, and much more, all centered on those great works of literature and the people who make them. This content, we hope, will inspire not just a new generation of bookworms, but a new generation of book creators as well.
Right now we're celebrating All the Wonders of Swap!, a picture book from author/illustrator Steve Light about a broken down ship, a pirate captain overcome with sadness, and how a peg-legged boy saves the day through some inventive swapping. Be sure to stop by to experience the book from every creative angle, and stay tuned for some fun articles coming soon from yours truly!
April 5, 2016
March 29, 2016
Strong Girls
There are so many picturebooks that feature strong, girl characters, and I'm excited to share a few of my favorites with you today. These girls aren't grown up--they don't have the benefit of years of experience, or a skill set developed over years of practice--so when they persevere through hardships and mistakes, it inspires readers to feel like they can do they same. And it never feels didactic, it always feels organic and natural.
The first book I want to talk about is The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. This is one of my favorite picturebooks of the year so far. The main character Princess Pinecone is a willful, strong minded girl who uses creativity to solve the main problem in her life. All Pinecone has ever wanted is a horse, and this year she's determined to get one. She's made it very, VERY clear. So when her birthday arrives, and she winds up with a small, round, googly-eyed pony, she's not thrilled. Oh, and it farts. A LOT. The digital illustrations are funny, diverse, and provide a ton of world-building outside of the text. You will find yourself laughing at the physical comedy of the characters as everyone overcomes and accepts their own inadequacies. And the endpapers are adorable, as is the book case!
The first book I want to talk about is The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. This is one of my favorite picturebooks of the year so far. The main character Princess Pinecone is a willful, strong minded girl who uses creativity to solve the main problem in her life. All Pinecone has ever wanted is a horse, and this year she's determined to get one. She's made it very, VERY clear. So when her birthday arrives, and she winds up with a small, round, googly-eyed pony, she's not thrilled. Oh, and it farts. A LOT. The digital illustrations are funny, diverse, and provide a ton of world-building outside of the text. You will find yourself laughing at the physical comedy of the characters as everyone overcomes and accepts their own inadequacies. And the endpapers are adorable, as is the book case!
March 22, 2016
Illustrator Spotlight: Catherine Rayner
Today, I'm thrilled to spotlight author/illustrator Catherine Rayner. Her picturebooks were some of the first I ever bought, and Augustus and His Smile (her debut book) has always been on my list of favorites. I talked about Augustus a few weeks ago on Instagram, but I'm excited to delve further into her work today to look at some of her strongest pieces of work and the themes that run throughout them.
Rayner has won a cornucopia of awards, from Kate Greenaway awards to the UKLA Children's Book award to (multiple) Best New Illustrator awards.
Rayner has won a cornucopia of awards, from Kate Greenaway awards to the UKLA Children's Book award to (multiple) Best New Illustrator awards.
