June 29, 2021

Let's Talk Illustrators #184: Derek Desierto

Derek Desierto's Oddbird is a special book for a few reasons, one of which is that it marks Derek's author-illustrator debut, and another being that the story itself is very personal for Derek. Needless to say, our conversation was truly a treat, and I hope you enjoy learning about this delightful and liberating book!


June 26, 2021

Crushes of the Week: June 20-26, 2021

This week's crushes:
  1. Comparrotives by Janik Coat (Abrams Appleseed, June 2021)
  2. Lala's Words: A Story of Planting Kindness by Gracey Zhang (Scholastic Inc., July 2021)
  3. Out to Sea by Helen Kellock (Thames & Hudson, June 2021)
  4. The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison and Kate Cosgrove (Holiday House, June 2021)
  5. Constellation of the Deep by Benjamin Flouw (Tundra Books, June 2021)
  6. How to Be Cooler Than Cool by Sean Taylor and Jean Jullien (Candlewick Press, July 2021)
   
 

June 24, 2021

SAM CAN'T SLEEP

In Sam Can't Sleep by Davide Cali and Anna Aparicio CatalĂ , Sam can't sleep. But why?


June 22, 2021

Let's Talk Illustrators #183: Peter Brown

My long-time dream (eight years in the making, since I experienced the absolutely perfect Mr. Tiger Goes Wild) of talking to Peter Brown has come true! Not only that, but I got to talk to him about Fred Gets Dressed, which might rival Mr. Tiger for "best Peter Brown book ever." It's a close call! I am delighted to share with you my conversation with Peter about this fantastic, fun, and freeing book!


June 19, 2021

Crushes of the Week: June 13-19, 2021

This week's crushes:
  1. All We Need by Kathy Wolff and Margaux Meganck (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, June 2021)
  2. What Does Little Crocodile Say? by Eva Montanari (Tundra Books, June 2021)
  3. Danny Dodo's Detective Diary: Learn All about Extinct and Endangered Animals by Rob Hodgson and Nick Crumpton (Thames & Hudson, June 2021)
  4. The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Round by Wendy Wan-Long Shang and Lorian Tu (Orchard Books, June 2021)
  5. I Want Ice Cream! by Elisabetta Pica and Silvia Borando (Rise X Penguin Workshop, June 2021)
    

June 15, 2021

Let's Talk Illustrators #182: Il Sung Na

Il Sung Na and I recently talked about his newest illustrated book My Tree, written by Hope Lim. To say Il Sung's illustrations have evolved over the course of his career is a massive understatement, and it was illuminating to hear about how his process has been shaped and changed by where he is in his life personally! Enjoy the read.


June 12, 2021

Crushes of the Week: June 6-12, 2021

This week's crushes:
  1. Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space by Miranda Paul and Sija Hong (Millbrook Press, April 2021)
  2. Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Brie Spangler, Joyce Scott, and Melissa Sweet (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, June 2021)
  3. The Problem with Pierre by Ck Smouha and Suzanna Hubbard (Cicada Books, June 2021)
  4. The Secret Life of Whales by Rena Ortega (Thames & Hudson, June 2021)
  5. Jenny Mei Is Sad by Tracy Subisak (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, June 2021)
    

June 10, 2021

THE STORY OF BODRI

The Story of Bodri by HĂ©di Fried and Stina WirsĂ©n is the story of a faithful family dog who waits for his family to return after they are put in concentration camps during the Holocaust.


June 9, 2021

Annual LTPB Diversity Audit: June 2020 - May 2021

Last June, in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the subsequent protests, I did an audit of Let's Talk Picture Books for representation of BIPOC creators and illustrators across the site. When all is said and done, this blog focuses on books intended for children, so diversity and inclusion are key -- today's kids are tomorrow's leaders and policy makers, and everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the books they consume and ultimately internalize. I promised to do the audit again this year, and I thought I would share the results:


June 8, 2021

Let's Talk Illustrators #181: Gonçalo Viana

It's easy to tell from the cover alone that True Colors is going to be a surreal story full of color (of course) and peculiarities that will have you scratching your head long after the book is closed. True Colors marks Gonçalo Viana author debut, and I was so grateful to talk to him about how he made this funny, clever, and boundlessly colorful book! Enjoy our conversation below!


June 5, 2021

Crushes of the Week: May 30-June 5, 2021

This week's crushes:
  1. Is Was by Deborah Freedman (Atheneum Books, May 2021)
  2. Pangolina by Jane Goodall and Daishu Ma (Mineditionus, June 2021)
  3. Walking for Water: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality by Susan Hughes and Nicole Miles (Kids Can Press, June 2021)
  4. The Little Blue Bridge by Brenda Maier and Sonia Sánchez (Scholastic Press, June 2021)
  5. Roar: A Book of Animal Sounds by Katerina Kerouli (Bloomsbury Publishing, June 2021)
  6. Pop-Up Moon by Annabelle Buxton, Olivier Charbonnel, and Anne Jankeliowitch (Thames & Hudson, June 2021)
     

June 3, 2021

THE NIGHT WALK

The Night Walk by Marie DorlĂ©ans celebrates the wonder of nature and embracing the unknown.


June 1, 2021

Let's Talk Illustrators #180: Motomitsu Maehara

Words of the World by Motomitsu Maehara is a unique set of eco-friendly primer board books that explores sustainable subjects for babies. So far Motomitsu has published Birds and Ocean Animals, with Plants and Animals coming later this year, and each book features not one but six languages, taking a new generation of readers one step closer to inclusion and representation in the books they consume. I hope you enjoy my chat with Motomitsu Maehara about this stunning new series!