I recently broke out my rusty Spanish to talk to Yolanda Mosquera, illustrator of The Silence of Water, written by José Saramago and translated by Margaret Jull Costa. We caught up on this powerful book, as well as finding a unique voice and the power of believing in your own creativity. Check out our chat below!
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September 26, 2023
September 25, 2023
September 23, 2023
Crushes of the Week: September 17-23, 2023
This week's crushes:
- Bees Are Our Friends by Toni D'Alia and Alice Lindstrom (Hardie Grant Books, September 2023)
- A Bird Day by Eva Lindström (Gecko Press, September 2023)
- Merlina and the Magical Mishap by Daniela Drescher (Floris Books, September 2023)
- The Ogre in the Hall by Céline Sorin and Pascal Lemaître (Hippo Park, August 2023)
- Kaia's Big Felines by Aura Lewis (Beaming Books, August 2023)
- Have You Seen My Sock? by Colombe Linotte and Claudia Bielinsky (Twirl, August 2023)
- In the Dark by Kate Hoefler and Corinna Luyken (Alfred A. Knopf, August 2023)
- Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini's Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer by Reem Faruqi and Asma Enayeh (Page Street Kids, September 2023)
- Penguin and Ollie by Salina Yoon (Bloomsbury Publishing, September 2023)
- The Tiny Tailors by Kat MacLeod (Thames & Hudson, September 2023)
September 22, 2023
September 19, 2023
Let's Talk Illustrators #261: Ana Matsusaki
As someone who essentially collects illustrator interviews (and literally collects illustrated children's books), it's only natural that I'd want to talk to debut author-illustrator Ana Matsusaki about her book The Collector of Heads, translated by Bruna Dantas Lobato! Enjoy a peek behind the curtain of this gorgeous picture book debut!
In this post we talk about
-Let's Talk Illustrators-,
custom stamps,
digital media,
graphite pencils,
inks
September 18, 2023
September 15, 2023
September 12, 2023
Let's Talk Illustrators #260: Nic Yulo
I am so excited today to present my interview with Nic Yulo! I absolutely adored her 2022 debut, Patch of Sky, and I feel lucky I got a chance to catch her and talk about her sophomore picture book Out of the Blue. I hope you enjoy this beautiful and unexpected journey through feelings, friendship, and the deep blue sea.
September 11, 2023
September 9, 2023
Crushes of the Week: September 3-9, 2023
This week's crushes:
- More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean by Roz MacLean (Henry Holt & Company, September 2023)
- Later, When I'm Big by Bette Westera and Mattias de Leeuw, translated by Laura Watkinson (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, September 2023)
- We Share This School: A Community Book by Dan Saks and Brooke Smart (Rise X Penguin Workshop, June 2023)
- Ghosts Are People Too by Peter Ricq (Eye of Newt Books, August 2023)
- Veo, Veo, I See You by Lulu Delacre (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, September 2023)
- The Shade Tree by Suzy Lee, translated by Helen Mixter (Greystone Kids, August 2023)
- Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling and Kaylani Juanita (Chronicle Books, August 2023)
- The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze and Claudine Crangle (Groundwood Books, August 2023)
September 8, 2023
September 5, 2023
Let's Talk Illustrators #259: Oleksandr Shatokhin
I feel lucky that I got to talk to author-illustrator Oleksandr Shatokhin about his wordless picture book Yellow Butterfly: A Story from Ukraine. This touching story follows a young girl who is trying to find hope and safety amongst the backdrop of the current conflict in Ukraine. Take a closer look at this girl's tale with creator Oleksandr below.
September 4, 2023
September 2, 2023
Crushes of the Week: August 27-September 2, 2023
This week's crushes:
- How to Speak in Spanglish by Mónica Mancillas and Olivia de Castro (Penguin Workshop, August 2023)
- The Biggest Mistake by Camilla Pintonato (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, August 2023)
- Zebra in the Mirror by Tina Arnus Pupis and Marta Bartolj (Crocodile Books, August 2023)
- Sometimes Shy by Julie Bliven and Dang Khoa Tran (Beaming Books, May 2023)
- Two New Years by Richard Ho and Lynn Scurfield (Chronicle Books, August 2023)
- What Lurks in the Dark? by Kelly Ward-Wills and Steven James (Eye of Newt Books, June 2023)
- There's Always Room for One More Robyn McGrath and Ishaa Lobo (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, August 2023)
- Our Underwater World: A First Dive Into Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers by Sue Lowell Gallion and Lisk Feng (Phaidon Press, August 2023)
September 1, 2023
August 28, 2023
August 26, 2023
Crushes of the Week: August 20-26, 2023
This week's crushes:
- May's Brave Day by Lucy Morris (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, August 2023)
- Rosie Runs by Marika Maijala and translated by Mia Spangenberg (Elsewhere Editions, August 2023)
- Our Cat's Day by Radek Maly and Iku Dekune (Albatros Media, August 2023)
- Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush by Patrice Lawrence and Camilla Sucre (Nosy Crow, May 2023)
- A Dive Into the Blue by Ellie Huynh and Bao Luu (Beaming Books, May 2023)
- Yenebi's Drive to School by Sendy Santamaria (Chronicle Books, June 2023)
- My Brain Is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration by Prasha Sooful and Geeta Ladi (Soaring Kite Books, April 2023)
- Tree Whispers by Mandy Ross and Juliana Oakley (Child's Play International, May 2023)
August 25, 2023
August 22, 2023
Let's Talk Illustrators #258: Shahrzad Maydani
I recently had a chance to interview Shahrzad Maydani, illustrator of Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love, written by Saira Mir. Shahrzad always finds powerful and meaningful projects to work on, and it was such a pleasure delving into her process for this book.
I do want to issue a light trigger warning for this interview, as the book deals heavily with topics related to neonatal death and grief.
August 21, 2023
August 19, 2023
Crushes of the Week: August 13-19, 2023
This week's crushes:
- Fodo Dodo Goes Fishing by Édouard Manceau (Gecko Press, August 2023)
- Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull, Sally Rippin, and Daniel Gray-Barnett (Hardie Grant Books, August 2023)
- How Plants Talk by Helena Harastova and Linh Dao (Albatros Media, April 2023)
- The Hidden World of Gnomes by Lauren Soloy (Tundra Books, June 2023)
- Folktales for a Better World: Stories of Peace and Kindness by Elizabeth Laird and Mehrdokht Amini (Crocodile Books, February 2023)
- Duck, Duck, Tiger by Brittany R. Jacobs (Beaming Books, May 2023)
- Is This the Bus for Us? by Harriet Ziefert and Richard Brown (Red Comet Press, June 2023)
- A Year of Good News by Martin Smatana (Boxer Books, April 2023)
- Yenebi's Drive to School by Sendy Santamaria (Chronicle Books, June 2023)