October 30, 2018

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!


October 28, 2018

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.


October 27, 2018

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)
       

October 23, 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.


October 20, 2018

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)
     

October 18, 2018

PEEK-A-WHO?

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


October 16, 2018

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.


October 14, 2018

BOATS ON THE BAY

Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey and Grady McFerrin might be the most beautiful book I've ever seen about boats. Seriously, like ever.


October 13, 2018

Crushes of the Week: October 7-13, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Felix by Giovanna Zoboli and Simona Mulazzani (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, August 2018)
  2. King Alice by Matthew Cordell (Feiwel & Friends, September 2018)
  3. Albert's Very Unordinary Birthday by Daniel Gray-Barnett (Kids Can Press, September 2018)
  4. A Tiger Called Tomás by Charlotte Zolotow (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, August 2018)
  5. Catalina and the King's Wall by Patricia Costello and Diane Cojocaru (Eifrig Publishing, May 2018)
  6. Chomp Goes the Alligator by Matthew Van Fleet (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, September 2018)
  7. Ancient Warriors by Iris Volant and Joe Lillington (Flying Eye Books, August 2018)
  8. 1 Grumpy Bruce: A Counting Board Book by Ryan T. Higgins (Disney-Hyperion, October 2018)
      

October 11, 2018

THE STUFF OF STARS

The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer and Ekua Holmes is a magical book that must be experienced to be fully understood and appreciated.


October 9, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #85: Jon Agee

I will admit that sometimes I wait to interview a book creator. Not because that person is busy––books and books might go by while I wait––but because I'm waiting for the right book, the book I have to talk to them about. Jon Agee is one such creator, and the book I've been waiting for is The Wall in the Middle of the Book. You probably know Jon's work by now (they've won many, many, awards), but I waited for this book because it addresses what a book is: two rectangles connected by a line down the middle. Wall puts forth a hilarious story that uses the gutter (middle of the book) as its crux and opens our minds to the possibilities of what lies outside of the book itself. Enjoy our conversation!


October 6, 2018

Crushes of the Week: September 30-October 6, 2018

This week's crushes:
  1. Polka Dot Parade: A Book About Bill Cunningham by Deborah Blumenthal and Masha D'yans (Little bee books, August 2018)
  2. Good Morning, Neighbor by Davide Cali and Maria Dek (Princeton Architectural Press, September 2018)
  3. Hello, Monster! by Clementine Beauvais and Maisie Paradise Shearring (Thames & Hudson, October 2018)
  4. I'll Root for You by Edward Van De Vendel, Wolf Erlbruch, and David Colmer (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, August 2018)
  5. Rosie's Glasses by Dave Whamond (Kids Can Press, September 2018)
  6. The Artists: Tales from the Hidden Valley Books 1 and 2 by Carles Porta (Flying Eye Books, September 2018)
      

October 5, 2018

First Friday 5: Spooktacular

Happy October, everyone! Hands-down, this is my favorite time of year, and it's a great excuse to share five recent comics with spooktacular themes that will send chills up and down your spine!


October 3, 2018

#kidlitpicks September Round-Up: 10 Picture Books About Courage

Learning to swim, going to school, meeting people for the first time, in the darkness of their bedroom, making good choices, in the face of the news on TV—kids are brave and take courage more often then we recognize. And books are great tools for talking about the times they need to have courage. Books allow us to talk about ideas that might otherwise be hard to grasp or bring up. Books allow kids to watch other kids face similar situations and struggles.

Last month’s @kidlitpicks theme is COURAGE. We wanted every parent and caregiver to feel they were flooded with a HUGE source to turn to when their child struggles to take courage. Theme credit goes to Michelle from The Book Report!



October 2, 2018

Let's Talk Illustrators #84: Chitra Soundar and Poonam Mistry

Given the success of You're Safe With Me in the United States earlier this year, it's hardly a surprise that Chitra Soundar and Poonam Mistry's companion book You're Snug With Me was released so quickly after. You're Snug With Me continues to explore parental love and the bond between mother and baby––not to mention features similar geometric illustrations––but this time we move from India to the frozen north. Chitra and Poonam prove themselves to be a powerful team who can keep their ideas fresh, and I got a chance to sit down with both author and illustrator to talk about their processes.