Crushes of the Week: August 23-29, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. Heads and Tails: Insects by John Canty (Candlewick Press, June 2020)
2. V Is for Voting by Kate Farrell and Caitlin Kuhwald (Henry Holt & Company, July 2020)
3. You Are a Beautiful Beginning by Nina Laden and Kelsey Garrity-Riley (Roaring Brooks Press, August 2020)
4. The Little Witch's Book of Spells by Ariel Kusby and Olga Baumert (Chronicle Books, August 2020)
5. The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore and Zoe Persico (Little Bee Books, August 2020)
6. She Wanted to Be Haunted by Marcus Ewert and Susie Ghahremani (Bloomsbury Publishing, July 2020)

     

Endpapers for the end of your week!

THE THING ABOUT BEES

The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin is a poetic ode to familial love and bees.

 

Let's Talk Illustrators #154: Linda Schwalbe

I am so excited to share my interview with debut Geman picture book creator Linda Schwalbe today! Linda talks about the inspiration for Ida and the World Beyond Mount Kaiserzipf and why she chose to explore the contributions of lesser-known female adventurer Ida Pfieffer. I hope you enjoy our conversation and the stunning process photos she includes!

Crushes of the Week: August 16-22, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. A Thousand Glass Flowers: Marietta Barovier and the Invention of the Rosetta Bead by Evan Turk (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 2020)
2. My Favorite Memories by Sepideh Sarihi and Julie Völk (Blue Dot Kids Press, August 2020)
3. No Ordinary Jacket by Sue-Ellen Pashley and Thea Baker (Candlewick Press, August 2020)
4. Catastrophe by the Sea by Brenda Peterson and Ed Young (West Margin Press, October 2019)
5. The Unicorn Came to Dinner by Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall (Roaring Brook Press, August 2020)
6. Mummy, What's in Your Tummy? by Bernardita Romero (Barefoot Books, March 2020)
7. Catching Thoughts by Bonnie Clark and Summer Macon (Beaming Books, August 2020)
8. Little Muir's Night by John Muir and Susie Ghahremani (Yosemite Conservancy, August 2020)

       

Endpapers for the end of your week!

YOUR NAME IS A SONG

Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Luisa Uribe celebrates the musicality and history of names.

Let's Talk Illustrators #153: Vita Murrow & Ethan Murrow

Today is an exciting day! I am sharing my interview with award-winning duo Vita Murrow and Ethan Murrow. We talk about their latest collaboration Zero Local: Next Stop: Kindness, including the kind story that inspired the book and the highly-unique process work that went into creating the illustrations. Enjoy the read!

Crushes of the Week: August 9-15, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. Underground: Subway Systems Around the World by Uijung Kim (Cicada Books, August 2020)
2. Natsumi's Song of Summer by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi (Tundra Books, May 2020)
3. Saturdays Are for Stella by Candy Wellins and Charlie Eve Ryan (Page Street Kids, August 2020)
4. Wild Week by Teresa Porcella and Carmen Queralt (Barefoot Books, March 2020)
5. Witchy Things by Mariasole Brusa and Marta Sevilla (Nubeocho, August 2020)

     

Endpapers for the end of your week!

LIFT AS YOU CLIMB

Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell and R. Gregory Christie tells the story of civil rights activist Ella Baker and her lifelong fight against racial injustice. 

Let's Talk Illustrators #152: Jess X Snow

Today I am thrilled to share my conversation with Asian-American filmmaker, muralist, and poet Jess X Snow, illustrator of The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho. It was fascinating to learn about how Jess' cinematography and muralist experiences bled over into creating the illustrations in the book, and even more interesting to hear about how Jess employed a whole team of researchers and assistants to aid in ensuring the visual accuracy the lesser known Haenyeo culture. Enjoy the conversation!

Crushes of the Week: August 2-8, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi and Ashley Lukashevsky (Kokila, June 2020)
2. When Emily Was Small by Lauren Soloy (Tundra Books, June 2020)
3. Nola's Scribbles Save the Day by Cristina Lalli (Page Street Kids, June 2020)
4. Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse by TL McBeth (Henry Holt & Company, August 2020)
5. The Wolf and the Fly by Antje Damm (Gecko Press, August 2020)
6. Pop-Up Volcano! by Fleur Daugey and Tom Vaillant (Thames & Hudson, August 2020)
7. Weekend Dad by Naseem Hrab and Frank Viva (Groundwood Books, August 2020)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

WHAT I LIKE MOST

What I Like Most by Mary Murphy and Zhu Cheng-Liang celebrates the joys of the little things in life, all of which serve to strengthen the bond between mother and child.

Let's Talk Illustrators #151: Natalie Nelson

I have been following Natalie Nelson's career for a few years (I am a collage girl at heart!), but when I saw that she was releasing her author debut, I knew that now was the perfect time to catch her and chat about her process! Natalie's author debut is called Holiday! and it's equal parts funny and beautifully designed. Come take a look at how Natalie made the book and peek at what she has in store for readers next! 

Crushes of the Week: July 26-August 1, 2020

This week's crushes:

1. A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliot and Noa Denmon (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, July 2020)
2. Ray by Marianna Coppo (Tundra Books, May 2020)
3. Catch That Chicken! by Atinuke and Angela Brooksbank (Candlewick Press, July 2020)
4. Dusk Explorers by Lindsay Leslie and Ellen Rooney (Page Street Kids, June 2020)
5. Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali and Rahele Jomepour Bell (Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for You, June 2020)
6. A Little Space for Me by Jennifer Gray Olson (Roaring Brook Press, July 2020)
7. Seagulls Soar by April Pulley Sayre and Kasia Bogdanska (Boyds Mills Press, April 2020)
8. Only the Cat Saw by Ashley Wolff (Beach Lane Books, June 2020)