Let's Talk Illustrators #94: Elise Peterson

In Brontez Purnell's The Nightlife of Jacuzzi Gaskett Jacuzzi balances "normal" childhood issues like not fitting in at school and wondering if people in galaxies far, far away have it easier than he, with watching his younger brother for hours at a time and coming to grips with hating his mother's boyfriend. Although the story is technically fiction, these are real issues experienced by children every day. Add in Elise Peterson's mixed media collage illustrations, and the entire story suddenly feels like a scrapbook: the story becomes even more grounded in reality because not only is the story relatable, but the illustrations themselves are photos pulled from Elise's own life. It was an honor to chat with Elise about her process for bringing this story to life in a visual way.

WHAT IS GIVEN FROM THE HEART

Illustrated by April Harrison, What Is Given From the Heart is Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Award winner Patricia C McKissack's final book. Ms. McKissack passed away in the summer of 2017.

NOT MY IDEA

Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness is the newest book in Anastasia Higginbotham's Ordinary Terrible Things series, and like all of Higginbotham's books, this one hits the nail on the head.

Let's Talk Illustrators #37: Katey Howes and Rebecca Hahn

I am quite the lucky girl today. Today is the day I get to brag about the amazing people I work with! Author Katey Howes and I work together over at All the Wonders, so it was a no-brainer that I was dying to see her debut picture book Grandmother Thorn. What I didn't know at the time, though, was that it would quickly become one of my favorite books of the year (I mean, the story? Those illustrations? Yet another no-brainer for me). So I immediately called up Katey and asked if she would be willing to do a joint interview with Grandmother Thorn illustrator Rebecca Hahn. Just wait until you see these gorgeous process images — they're going to blow you away!