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A group of author/illustrators that are absolutely addicted to picture books and the children's book industry.
This blog serves as an extension to their online group and website.
Statistics for Picture Book Junkies
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 45
I've been playing around with different black & white techniques. I did a few straight gouache pieces, but I'm really enjoying this pencil and digital combo. I like how the simplicity of the process and how the freshness of the sketching comes through.
With Easter fast approaching, I want to recommend this adorable picture book written and illustrated by Theresa Smythe. Chester's Colorful Easter Eggs, is a delightful book that reinforces counting and color recognition skills while we watch Chester happily decorating and hiding rainbow colored eggs for his friends.
I asked Theresa how her book came into being and she explained that it was originally a sequel to her popular Christmas book, Snowbear's Christmas Countdown. The idea was born from her childhood and how elaborate her family's egg decorating was-- an article in a McCalls or Women's day magazine with Alice in Wonderland themed eggs still stands out in her mind.
When she initially developed her dummy book, Snowbear starred in the show but it just wasn't feeling right for her. Next, she approached it with a quirky artistic pig named Maurice living in New York City. Although he was well received by Theresa's editors, Chester the rabbit, ultimately stole the show. "Now it's hard to believe it started out with a bear, went to a pig and ended up a bunny. Because the bunny fits -- just like that!!! Everything is a stepping stone to get you from a to z ; nothing is wasted."(I agree, nothing is wasted. I have my fingers crossed that Maurice will have a book of his own one day.)
I'm captivated by Theresa's richly textured cut paper style that feels as if the pieces can be pulled right off the page. Here is a fun example
of her process, click to enlarge...
Chester's Colorful Easter Eggs is a sweet treat to add to a little one's Easter basket. As well as a fun read aloud, this treasure will keep kids engaged visually as well as motivating a rainbow filled egg coloring activity!
Happy Easter!
© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013
I recently painted these.
I just love fairies.
© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013
Nothing like a fairy to really touch the inner child in all of us, don't you think?
© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013
I have been making paper toys of every variety with my four year old since he was about two and a half. Most of them have been far too complicated for him to do alone, and frustrating for the adult who is helping along. Not only is Delphine's book gorgeously illustrated, inventive, and unique, it is surprisingly doable for a four year old with just a bit of help. The instructions are so helpful, and the addition of the heavy stock street makes this more than just toys to sit on a windowsill. They become, as the title says, My Town.
© copyright Alicia Padron 2013
This is a little sketch I drew this morning for something I made up just for fun: #Twoodle.
The words I chose to create this are Panda and Rain.
If you want to participate too, click here to learn how! :o)
Found these wonderful interviews with Mo Willems, I thought I would share them with you.
"that's the sort of effort that goes into a book.. if you noticed it, you failed."
"While I'm working on a book with one set of characters, I'm thinking and doodling about another set"
A few weeks ago a friend recommended I read I Haiku You, by Betsy Snyder. I haven't been able to procure a copy for a full review yet, but the book trailer really enticed me. The cover alone would make me read this book - but I had to share how beautifully done the book trailer is.
It struck me as just what a good trailer should be - appealing in sound, motion, and image and a tease of the whole book. I want to see more, don't you?
© copyright Alicia Padron 2013
Nothing like wooly sweater and scarves.
I wouldn't mind the itching if I could play in the snow right now! :o)
A quick sketch for this week's Illustration Friday.
As a girl, I loved moose. I read every moose book in my little library, collected stuffed versions, stickers, keychains, figurines. I even named our very large dog, Moose. I was a little obsessed. Luckily, I have lived most of my life in New England where Moose goods are not too hard to come by. Strangely, I have yet to see a real live moose. But I digress... Today's review?
This Moose Belongs to Me, by
Oliver Jeffers. How could I NOT buy this book? I love the washy brown moose, big headed protagonist Wilfred, and the brilliant combination of oil landscapes and painterly, stylized characters.
The story equal parts about assumptions, animal ownerships, wild animals, being a good friend, and the freedom of being a child.
© copyright Alicia Padron 2013
This is a little warm up sketch I did earlier this morning on this week's Illustration Friday's topic wheel.
I'm sure most of you artists out there are familiar with Illustration Friday. If you are not, make sure you check it out. It's a great way to keep your creative juices flowing, helps you come up with wonderful portfolio pieces, connects you with other artists around the world, gives you exposure and can even spark an idea for a book!
So what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more. :o)
Over the weekend I recieved a big box of books! "Give Up, Gecko!" is a picturebook I illustrated last year for Amazon Picture Books. The author is the prolific Margaret Read MacDonald, who has written over 60 books.
This book is the retelling of a Ugandan folktale about animals searching for water by stomping a big hole. None of the animals are successful until a tiny Gecko takes a turn. He's determine and he's not going to give up!
The book is a fun read for kids to participate in as there is lots of chanting by the animals. Here are some of the illustrations of the Gecko stomping.
The book is available on
Amazon where you can get a sneak peek into more of the interior illustrations.
I've long admired Isabelle Arsenault as an illustrator, so the eye candy of the cover and word of mouth put this on my wish list to read. But the magic that happens between the art and words makes this a book to cherish, revisit, dissect, and just enjoy.
The book is loosely based on the life of Virginia Woolf. Each spread is a marvel. The story, about two sisters (one having a terribly moody and wolfish day) spoke to a very personal and fragile part of myself and my own relationship with my older sisters. It's a beautiful story for children, but particularly relevant for those with older siblings prone to depression or moodiness.
This is a nice interview with the very lovely Lynne Chapman. They discuss mainly how she got started illustrating children's books. I always love to know this, don't you? There's a different story behind every artist. :o)
© copyright Alicia Padron
Hello There!
This is an illustration I worked on at the end of last year. I usually do book work but this project was a little different. They contacted me asking if I wanted to create a logo for a non-profit organization. It was for such a beautiful cause.. I just couldn't say no. :o)
I can't say which organization just yet but I'll post about it once I have green light.
It was important for me to convey warmth, coziness, love and security in this illustration and I wanted it to be appealing to kids at the same time. I love drawing bunnies and they seemed appropriate for this.So bunnies it is!
I've also been working on several different magazine projects which is new to me and I have to say a lot of fun! I love how fast paced they are compared to a book for example. I will share some of that as we get closer to publishing dates.
Also I recently finished a new board book for babies, one of my favorite types of books to illustrate. :o)
For this year I hope to have time to work on one of my dummies and to create new work for my portfolio. Published illustrations work for the portfolio too but I think is important to create new artwork specifically for the portfolio. Sometimes what a particular house wants in a book is great for the book but not enough for a portfolio. You know what I mean? Portfolio images have to have tons of story telling and have to grab you immediately.
Working on dummies is time consuming and hard work. I don't know why but I am always so insecure with my dummies. Maybe is because I have so many alternatives that can change that is hard to make up my mind? I am the writer, illustrator and art director in a sense.. too many people in my head! Haha.. Sometimes I think I have to go ahead with the best idea I can and just go for it.. even though I'm such a scary cat.
How about you? It is hard to work on dummies too or just a breeze? If it's the second one, please share your secret.. I need help. ;o)
I'm departing from picture books this week to spotlight the dynamic duo of Elephant & Piggie, by
Mo Willems. A friend pointed the series out to me years ago, so when my preschooler was looking for something different, I grabbed one. And then another, and another. And now we've read every one. The newest title,
Let's Go for a Drive, was an easy choice for a Christmas gift.
Yes, the language and the art is exceedingly 'simple'. And it's an early reader coming in at 60 pages. Don't be put off if any of those things might lead you to think your child won't love them or that they aren't actually complex, enriching stories. The characters are strong individuals, so like many little ones, and funnier and more empathetic than you or I could hope to be.
Note: The spread above is from
I Am Invited to A Party!
Graphic by Tara Lazar
Here is a
very useful post by the wonderful
Tara Lazar that explains all the possible layouts on a typical 32 pg Picture Book.
Really worth checking it out! :o)
"Go weird or go home" - me
This sketchbook page is one of my recent favorites, and the quote was something I wrote down a few days later. I want to live, draw, and paint by it. Is that wrong? I feel like my best chance at success as an author/illustrator is to channel my inner weirdo as much as possible. Sick Taco? Awkward Hug Series? It wakes me up and keeps me drawing to see what new weirdos will appear. I'm not sure how to translate these little nuggets into actual manuscripts or dummies, but I know there is something there worth treasuring.
Very excited to announce that the Mouse Math series for Kane Press has three new titles being released sometime this month. A great way to start the new year! Albert and his sister Wanda and fellow "Squeak Scouts" have quite an adventure exploring the attic in "
Count Off, Squeak Scouts!" written by Laura Driscoll.
I had such a great time illustrating this story because the attic was full of clutter! The tiny mice scurry all over the attic, while their troop leader, Agnes, keeps track of them by asking them to count off the numbers on their vests. Great for teaching young ones how to count to five.
This book, plus
"Mice on Ice" and
"Albert's Big Idea" are available on Amazon for pre-order.
I have an almost 4yo little craft monster in my house. He's also obsessed with Christmas. So we turn to OwlKids
My Beastly book of Tangled Tinsel for creative, chaotic, fun. It's certainly geared at slightly older kids, but there is still plenty for him (and I) to do. I also plan on pulling this out for visiting cousins.
As an artist, it was really interesting to see him try and draw the expressions on the faces. I highly recommend picking up this
book. The illustrations by
Christine Roussey are so fun and creative. Visit her website for more of her amazing work.
Another great speed video of Will Terry in action...
http://www.willterry.com/
http://folioacademy.com/
It's that time of year for me. When I need to put the brakes on hard with work and switch gears to family. Sometimes it's a tough transition. To help, I've been sketching just a page a day of whatever pops into my head (or whatever nice twitter friends suggest!). Sketching just for fun can be tough to make time for if you're too busy with deadline or life, but it's SO worth it, right? You can see more pages are over at my
blog or on my instagram -
@ginapineapple.
I've been making ornaments!
I joined the
Blu Penny ornament exchange this year and I've been getting crafty. Sometimes, you need an excuse to get messy. Well, I gave myself one this year by joining in the fun, and I'm so glad I did.
Happy Holidays!
I'm wishing for you all get a little R & R like Jolly Old Santa. I'll be putting my feet up shortly. I hope you all had the Merriest of Merries and a Happy New Year to come.
I just discovered this book for the first time. I spied it in my local B & N while Christmas shopping. I read the book right there and - wow - it was so familiar to me! I loved it and I instantly wished I'd come up with the concept of creating something deliberate from your 'mistakes'. It's especially important to get this concept through successfully to kids. They are so receptive to trying new ideas, and any self-defeating bad habits that they may have picked up really haven't had enough time to make tracks yet.
Hey, look—I have absolutely ZERO against erasers (or the Undo tool, or the History palette, for that matter!). In fact, I embrace all of the above! But, when I was a young kid and I would draw, I developed an interesting compulsion to refrain from using my eraser. I did it to force myself to see what I could create from my 'mistakes'. To this day, I have absolutely no idea where I got the idea to torture myself this way. but wow, wherever I got the idea, I'm so glad that I did.
It's a practice that teaches the philosophy of being an artist or creator and how important it is to be able to switch gears when the unexpected happens. It helps to illustrate turning a problem into an opportunity, brainstorming imaginative solutions and then (important:) executing it. The usefulness of this practice can really change the how we see limitations. (Maybe it can help erase them?)
I will remember this one and we definitely will be buying it for future birthdays. I honestly think every kid should have a copy of this book! (In my guesstimation the right age is right around 4.) Happy shopping!
A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas is a boatload of fun for any pint-sized buccaneer. My son received this book for Christmas, and I squealed a bit in excitement myself. I had already drooled over the artwork by
Sebastia Serra in the bookstore a few weeks earlier. It's fun and well written (by Philip Yates) but definitely a long, repetitive read. Anything involving a take on the
Twelve Days is going to be, right? Good thing the action-packed illustrations and surprise twist make it all worthwhile for the parent reading this picture book. It is actually a follow-up to
A Pirate's Night Before Christmas which I'll need to check out soon.
I'm going to continue geeking out over
Sebastia Serra's illustrations. Check out his
blog for more examples. The simplicity of form, vibrant yet sophisticated color palettes and stylized characters place him firmly on that list of 'artists I am influenced by' that we all like to keep close to heart.
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By: Gina Perry,
on 3/21/2013
Love the new style!
Thanks, Nancy! :)
This is wonderful, Gina. Great style.
This looks really great!
Thank you, Jenn and Becca!
She looks so serene! I have to agree with the other comments - great style! This piece doesn't need color!
I love the fresh feel of this. The black and white really works well.
Great work!
Wonderful style :)
I love it :)
Very sweet illustration.
This is AWESOME! you have a very cool style.
Thank you, everyone! :)