Recode the Barcode

Flip any book over, and you'll see the barcode, the set of vertical black lines in varying widths with numbers around it, all shoved into a white box. This barcode is tied to book-specific information, including the price, so most modern books (and many items available for purchase in general) have one for easy check-out at the register. 

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HOT DOG

Hot Dog by Doug Salati reminds readers how important it is to take a step back every once in a while and recenter in order to service your own mental health.

Let's Talk Illustrators #211: Dylan Hewitt

I was lucky to catch up-and-coming author-illustrator Dylan Hewitt to talk about his newest book Giant Giant! Dylan has a keen eye for color, especially complementary colors, and this book is no exception. I hope you enjoy our chat and a peek at what's coming up next for Dylan!

WHERE IS BINA BEAR?

Where Is Bina Bear? by Mike Curato is a gentle, yet powerful tale of two friends learning to understand and trust one another.

AWAKE

Awake by Mags DeRoma is full of surprises around every corner.

CAT AND DOG

Cat and Dog: A Tale of Opposites by Tullio Corda explores the primer concept of opposites in a visually fun way.

JOURNEY AROUND THE SUN

Journey Around the Sun: The Story of Halley's Comet by James Gladstone and Ya'ara Eshet takes readers through time and space from the point of view of Halley's Comet.

THE LAST TIGER

The Last Tiger by Petr Horáček is a cautionary tale about a fearless tiger who pays a heavy price to learn the value of freedom.

LETTERS FROM BEAR

Letters From Bear by partners Gauthier David and Marie Caudry is their English-language debut about a bear traveling to find a friend.

Let's Talk Illustrators #136: Elizabet Vukovic

It was such a pleasure to chat with Elizabet Vukovic about her newly illustrated picture book An Ordinary Day, written by Elana K Arnold. We talked about some of my favorite topics, including the mechanics of portraying death in picture books and the joys of using only complementary colors to convey tone. Enjoy the read!

Favorite Leporellos

LEPORELLOS

Books that have accordion-style, or zig-zagged, pages are called leporellos (or concertinas). These books can be experienced in a few ways: readers can keep the book folded and turn the "pages," flipping the book at the end to experience the other side of the book; or they can completely unfold and expand the book to create one giant, linear narrative. Some leporellos are printed on the front and back, while others are one-sided.

                                          

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Let's Talk Illustrators #49: Kathryn Otoshi

For as long as I can remember, I've been infatuated with Kathryn Otoshi's books. Her book One was probably one of the first books I ever studied for its illustrative merit, and all of Kathryn's books have a gentle simplicity about them that makes them relatable, timeless, and, of course, absolutely beautiful. I was so excited to chat with her about her new book Draw the Line for so many reasons (It's wordless! Look at those complementary colors! The underlying message!), and I'm thrilled to share our conversation with you today!  

MAURICE THE UNBEASTLY

This month at kidlitpicks we're talking about Halloween! And Halloween means scary beasts, ghoulish hijinks, and . . . strange eating habits? At least, that's what you get in Amy Dixon and Karl James Mountford's Maurice the Unbeastly!

Favorite Rapunzel Picture Books

       

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Let's Talk Illustrators #39: Molly Idle

A little while back I was putting together a post on complementary colors (which you all know is my jam), and I sent out a tweet about purple-and-yellow picture books. And thus my conversation with Molly Idle about her new board book Flora and the Ostrich: An Opposites Book was born! Molly is a Caldecott Honor winner for her first book in the Flora series Flora and the Flamingo, and I cannot believe my timing that I was able to interview Molly about this book in particular because it's my favorite one in the series so far (yes, yes, because of those yellows and purples). Enjoy the awesomeness that is Molly Idle!

ANIMALS HIDE AND SNEAK

Remember when I did all those posts recently about books showcasing complementary colors and I lamented the fact that there aren't more books with yellows and purples? I can lament no more!

Yellow & Purple (#kidartlit)

Last up on the #kidartlit list for complementary color pairings is yellow and purple, and boy are they hard to find -- I could only find two. If you have some to add, now is the time!

Blue & Orange (#kidartlit)

This week I'm a guest judge for #kidartlit, on the theme of “complementary colors,” so today I’m showing off blue and orange picture books.

Red & Green (#kidartlit)

In celebration of my stint as guest judge for #kidartlit, I'm spending the week talking about complementary colors in picture books, starting with red and green! Enjoy, and be sure to add any additions in the comments below — I'm always looking for more!