Let's Talk Illustrators #307: Santiago Solís Montes de Oca

I am very pleased to showcase my interview with the incredibly talented Santiago Solís Montes de Oca, the illustrator of Montezuma's Tantrum, written by Nuria Gómez Benet and translated by Elisa Amado. This book is graphically stunning and it was such a treat to learn more about how the bold imagery came together. Enjoy learning more!

Case(wrap) of the Mondays

We've got a case(wrap) of the Mondays!

Crushes of the Week: October 13-19, 2024

This week's crushes:

1. The Hawk Shadow by Jan Bourdeau Waboose and Karlene Harvey (Kids Can Press, September 2024)
2. A Pinecone! by Helen Yoon (Candlewick Press, September 2024)
3. Hank Goes Honk by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie (Tiger Tales, September 2024)
4. Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems of Animal Opposites by Bette Westera and Mies Van Hout, and translated by David Colmer (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, September 2024)
5. I Like Your Chutzpah: And Other Yiddish Words You'll Like by Suzy Ultman (Rise X Penguin Workshop, September 2024)
6. The Mango Monster by Derek Mascarenhas and Meneka Repka (Owlkids, September 2024)
7. Rafa and the Wrong Legs by Ana Sanfelippo (Marble Press, September 2024)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

Let's Talk Illustrators #306: Cristina Sitja Rubio

The cover of The Most Beautiful Winter really draws you in, so it's no surprise that I found myself having to askVenezuelan author-illustrator Cristina Sitja Rubio about her process for the whole book. Please enjoy this most beautiful peek at the process for creating a most beautiful book!

Case(wrap) of the Mondays

We've got a case(wrap) of the Mondays!

Crushes of the Week: October 6-12, 2024

This week's crushes:

1. Red Pop: A Pop-Up Board Book by Aurore Petit (Abrams Appleseed, September 2024)
2. Pascal the Very Hungry Penguin by Nishani Reed and Junissa Bianda (Nosy Crow, September 2024)
3. Is This a Tiger? by Elina Ellis (Kids Can Press, September 2024)
4. Wacky Witches and Their Peculiar Familiars by April Suddendorf (NorthSouth Books, September 2024)
5. The Language of Flowers by Shyala Smith and Aaron Asis (Lantana Publishing, September 2024)
6. Dad, I Miss You: A Residential School Story by Nadia Sammurtok and Simji Park (Inhabit Media, September 2024)
7. Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai by Alison Goldberg and Jesse White (Red Comet Press, September 2024)
8. Miro / I Look by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press, August 2024)

       

Endpapers for the end of your week!

Let's Talk Illustrators #305: Sara Lundberg

Meow, meow [clears throat] today we're doing it the cat way with The Cat Way by Swedish author-illustrator Sara Lundberg and translated by B.J. Woodstein. My entire life has pretty much been done the cat way, so this interview felt quite natural to me! I hope you enjoy a peek at how this book and our main character came together.

Case(wrap) of the Mondays

We've got a case(wrap) of the Mondays!

Crushes of the Week: September 29-October 5, 2024

This week's crushes:

1. Genius Ears: A Curious Animal Compendium by Lena Anlauf and Vitali Konstantinov and translated by Marshall Yarbrough (NorthSouth Books, September 2024)
2. Doña Fela's Dream: The Story of Puerto Rico's First Female Mayor by Monica Brown and Rosa Ibarra (Little, Brown Young Readers, September 2024)
3. Challah for Shabbat Tonight by Sara Holly Ackerman and Alona Millgram (Algonquin Young Readers, September 2024)
4. Brown Bears by Nick Crumpton and Colleen Larmour (Candlewick Press, September 2024)
5. Popi's All Souls Song by C. K. Malone and Shelly Swann (Beaming Books, September 2024)
6. The Smell of Wet Dog: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings by Barney Saltzberg (Neal Porter Books, September 2024
7. Emilia's Corte by Juleesa Espinoza and Veronica Castillo (Soaring Kite Books, August 2024)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

Down to the Last Detail: D IS FOR DOG

This book is So. Much. Fun. How inviting is the die-cut cover, with three pups peeking out from behind a spot-glossed D? And the barcode is designed and integrated into the book's design, too?! Dream book!

Let's Talk Illustrators #304: Melissa Sweet

Today's interview is a little unconventional because normally I try to time interviews with book publication dates (give or take a few months). This time, though, we're turning back the clock to celebrate a book that turned ten this month. I'm talking to Melissa Sweet about the highly-praised, award-winning 2014 picture book The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, written by Jen Bryant, and it's such a blast from the past that I'll let Melissa take it from here!

Case(wrap) of the Mondays

We've got a case(wrap) of the Mondays!

Crushes of the Week: September 22-28, 2024

This week's crushes:

1. Number Train by Jonathan Emmett and Ingela P. Arrhenius (Nosy Crow, September 2024)
2. Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair by Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press, September 2024)
3. Pirate & Penguin 2 Few Crew by Mike Allegra and Jenn Harney (Page Street Kids, September 2024)
4. Veena and the Red Roti: A Story of Hope During Partition by Namita Moolani Mehra and Beena Mistry (Kids Can Press, September 2024)
5. Once Upon a Diwali by Anita Mishra and Diah Chakraborty (Soaring Kite Books, August 2024)
6. A Rainy Dragon Day by Julie Völk (Gecko Press, August 2024)
7. What about an Octopus?: A Fact-Filled Underwater Adventure by Deborah Kerbel and Dawn Lo (Owlkids, August 2024)

      

Endpapers for the end of your week!

Down to the Last Detail: BOOKIE & COOKIE

You know I adore a clever barcode design, and this is one well-incorporated barcode! 

PS: If you haven't already, check out some of my other favorite barcode designs here, the creativity will astound and delight!

Let's Talk Illustrators #303: Joaquín Camp

I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat with famed Argentinian author-illustrator Joaquín Camp about Aldo: Ghost Dog. Chances are you've encountered one of Joaquín's books this year (I've covered several on this site!) so it's fun timing that our chat about his process surrounds a ghostly furry friend! Enjoy!!

Case(wrap) of the Mondays

We've got a case(wrap) of the Mondays!

Crushes of the Week: September 15-21, 2024

This week's crushes:

1. World of Rot: Learn All about the Wriggly, Slimy, Super-Cool Decomposers We Couldn't Live Without by Britt Crow-Miller and Bruno Valasse (Storey Publishing, September 2024)
2. A World of Dogs: A Celebration of Fascinating Facts and Amazing Real-Life Stories for Dog Lovers by Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe (Nosy Crow, September 2024)
3. Finnegan Fox by Katie Gilstrap and Lori Nichols (Nancy Paulsen, September 2024)
4. Are Wolves Afraid of the Dark? by Huw Lewis Jones and Sam Caldwell (Thames & Hudson, September 2024)
5. Autumn (Petite Poems): A Picture Book by Alexander Posey and Paige Pettibon (Abrams Appleseed, August 2024)
6. The Weedflower by Elizabeth Davaze and Marianne Ferrer (Owlkids, August 2024)

 

 

   

Endpapers for the end of your week!