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You Are (Not) Small

Written by Anna Kang
Illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Two Lions             8/05/2014
978-1-47784772-5
Age 4 to 8           32 pages
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“Two fuzzy creatures can’t agree on who is small and who is big, until a couple of surprise guests show up, settling it once and for all! Size all depends on who’s standing next to you.”

Opening

“You are small.”

Review

Two funny, hairy purple and orange creatures square off and let the other know about their size:  big or small. The orange creature tells the purple creature that he is small. The purple creature responds that he is not small, but the orange creature is big. Orange denies being big, despite towering over the purple, who denies being small, despite barely coming up the orange creature’s waist. STOP! What is going on with these two? Don’t they see the obvious?

Nope, they sure do not. The big guy denies he is big, bringing in others just like him to prove his point.

 “They are just like me.”

Huh? The little creature brings in others just like him and he, too makes the same point. This argument is not logical, but young kids will not care. Honestly, in my first read-through, which is always for fun, I didn’t give much to the faulty logic either. I doubt I even noticed it—laughing excessively, wiping tears from my sparkling eyes, and holding my laugh-cramped stomach. Then the interaction gets a tad intense. Voices get louder.

“You are all small!’
“You are all big!”
“Small!”
“Big!”

Each of the supporting groups has interesting reactions. At first, the purple creatures look on, one wide-eyed (love it), but the orange creature’s are less interested. One even rolls his eyes (love it, more). Ratchet up the tension and voices. Everyone is now involved. This plot, the characters, the twist at the end all make for a charming book no young child should be without.

Five colors and a white background make perfect illustrations for this story. The black outlining brings character and emotions to these hairy big and small creatures. Their rotund figures remind me of polar bears. I love the small dot eyes. The comical noses on these creatures are huge and terrific. Add in the mitten-like hands and these creatures are all thumbs and harmless. Oversized text compliments these terrific illustrations, which children and their parents will love—enough to read many successive times.

 “BOOM”

Whoa! What was that? Two huge feet— each foot half a page in width—and two legs, cut off before the knee, slam down in the middle of the lively argument. The green, hairy creature is humongous! Tiny pink creatures find their way down by way of yellow parachutes. Purple and orange creatures look up with varying interest; including a wide-eyed, purple creature and a glasses wearing orange creature with a content smile (love the small details). Many of the creatures on both sides are smiling. Combatant purple looks to his orange sparring partner, points to one pink creatures and says,

“See? I am not small.”

Misunderstood orange, wearing a big smile, points to the green creature that dropped in only moments before, and says,

“See? I am not big.”

Notice, there are no exclamation points in either statement. The two creatures have come to a conclusion. Both sides smile, one declares something, and off everyone goes, happy as if no argument ever occurred. Lesson: your size is relative to whom you are standing near. You can be both small and big!

You Are (Not) Small has one of the funniest twists/lead-ins to a next book I have read in a while. Aside from the back matter telling us the author/illustrator team of Kang and Weyant are working on a sequel, the final spread gives it away. Kids will grab up the sequel as fast as the books hit the shelves. Pre-order the sequel now, well, if you could, but you cannot. What a shame.

Kids will howl at the twist, never having seen it coming until it hits. All readers, young and old, big and small, will adore this crazy book about size’s relative nature, be it of girth or problem. There is always going to be one bigger and smaller than yours.

Go get You Are (Not) Small right now. Read it every night—you will do this voluntarily. Read it to the kids, if you want. They will love it as much as you will. Laugh every day. Cry every day (from laughing). Then, when the new book is announced, pre-order as fast as your small, uh, big, uh . . . just do it. Wonderful debut from this husband / wife team.  Up next: That is (Not) Mine  2015

YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL. Text copyright © 2014 by Anna Kang. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Christopher Weyant. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Two Lions, New York, NY.
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Buy You Are (Not) Small at Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Two Lions—your favorite bookstore.
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Learn more about You Are (Not) Small HERE.
Meet the author, Anna Kang, at her facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/YouAreNotSmall
Meet the illustrator, Christopher Weyant, at his website:   http://christopherweyant.com/
Find more picture books to laugh at the Two Lions’ website:   http://www.apub.com/imprints

Two Lions is an imprint of Amazon Children’s Publishing

An interview with Anna Kang 

Art: India ink and watercolor
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Also by Anna Kang & Christopher Weyant
That is (Not) Mine  2015
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Copyright © 2014 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews

Nancy Viau is the author of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head (MG 2008), Look What I Can Do!(March 2013), and Storm Song (April 2013), and (Middle-Grade Novel, 2008). She is having a book signing and you are invited. 

You had a book launch party when your first middle grade book, Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head, debuted. What are your “Send Off” plans for Look What I Can Do!?

There are no local bookstores in my area, but I’ve always been in love with Children’s Book World of Haverford, PA, and visit there as often as possible. So, the second I found out I would (finally) have a picture book published, I called them up and asked if they’d consider hosting my book launch. They said YES! The date/time is set for March 23^rd at 1:00. Visitors will also get a sneak peek at Storm Song (release date, April 16^th), and I have few copies available already! Everybody is welcome. Bring the kids! I’ve got a ton of goodies for them.

Did an agent help sell Look What I Can Do to Abrams?

I was unagented when Abrams made the offer.

What was the idea spark for Look What I Can Do!?

I live next to a forest with a field and stream nearby and one day it hit me:  Those cute little creatures out my window work so hard at every thing they do, and they don’t ever give up. I pictured my own kids working equally as hard at human things—walking, talking, skipping, catching a ball, etc. and that’s when the idea really took off. The refrain says it all:

Friends of forest, field, and stream,

Keep trying on your own.

Be proud today.

Have fun and play.

In time you will be grown.

Can you tell us about the journey that you took to get Look What I Can Do picked up by Abrams?

It’s a really long story that spans almost ten years. Suffice it to say, that an editor at Abrams rejected this piece early on, but gave me personal comments. Many other editors did the same. I let the story slide into oblivion, but in 2008 I brushed it off and began revising it (for the twentieth time). Abrams bought it in 2009.

Did you have any involvement with choosing Anna Vojtech to do the illustrations for Look What I Can Do?

Abrams knew that I wanted real-life animals in the spreads, not cartoon-like ones. For a long while, award-winning illustrator Nancy Tafuri was the frontrunner for illustrator but that fell through. I had sent Abrams a few illustrators I liked and Anna was one of them. Abrams didn’t bite and they sent me others to consider. A year or so went by. Then one day, I got an email that included Anna’s name as a possibility! I guess it was meant to be. I really believe her work is exceptional and perfect for my story.

Since it takes so long to get a picture book published and I see that Robin Benjamin was the editor for Storm Song, I wonder if this book started out with Marshall Cavendish?

Yes, Storm Song was acquired by Marshall Cavendish, and I was thrilled to be associated with that house because their books have always been among my favorites. However, M.C. sold the children’s division to Amazon, and I was one of a couple hundred authors who ended up with a new publisher. At first I was concerned, but Amazon Children’s Publishing/Two Lions Imprint has been awesome. I have a team of seven marketing professionals on my side, and have had conference calls with all of them at once! Their support is incredible and the book is beautiful. What more could I ask for?!

How much interaction did you have with Robin Benjamin?

Robin has been my editor since Marshall Cavendish originally made the offer. I didn’t hear from her a bunch because she felt that only one stanza needed revision. (Whew!) They did ask me what I thought of Gynux, the illustrator (he’s amazing!), and once his sketches were done, I was even able to give feedback on one spread that I felt needed tweaking. Robin always kept me informed about the book’s progress, and it has been a pleasure working with her.

Did an agent sell this book?

It sold a few weeks after my agent and I broke up, but that agent remains the one on record for it.

Are you working with an agent now?

Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary is my wonderful agent. We celebrate a one year anniversary soon!

What things are in the pipeline?

Stay tuned! ; )

Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other children’s writers?

1. Be patient, and 2. Drink lots of wine.

Nancy, best of luck with the books.  I am so sorry your party is on the same weekend as the Writer’s Retreat I am attending.

WRITERS TIP: I you live anywhere within driving distance to Children’s Book World in Haverford PA, it would be worth your while to get to know them.  They are very supportive of children’s authors.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Happy Valentine’s Day

Illustration by Maria Bogade Maria was featured last week on Illustrator Saturday.  Here is the link: http://wp.me/pss2W-68h

Amazon Launches Two Lions and Skyscape YA Imprints

Roughly a year after the Amazon Children’s Publishing division launched, it has announced two new imprints. Two Lions will be home to picture books, chapter books and middle-grade fiction, and Skyscape will be devoted to titles for young adults, encompassing works from both established authors and new voices. Margery Cuyler is editorial manager for Two Lions, and Tim Ditlow is editorial manager for Skyscape. Amazon Children’s Publishing’s general manager is Amy Hosford; Larry Kirshbaum, publisher for Amazon Publishing, oversees the editorial leadership for the company’s Seattle and New York adult imprints, as well as Amazon Children’s Publishing.

Amazon wants to take advantage of one of the hottest segments in the publishing world with these two new youth imprints, which is a great thing for all of us. They will publish established and new authors for these books.

In the next four months there will be a number of launch titles being issued. According to Publishers Weekly, Two Lions is slatted to release Gandhi: A March to the Sea by Alice B. McGinty, a biography written in free-verse; and Poco Loco, a debut picture book about a mouse inventor by J.R. Krause. Titles under the Skyscape umbrella include You Know What You Have to Do by Bonnie Shimko, about a 15-year-old girl who hears voices in her head telling her to kill people; and Reason to Breathe, the first book in the Breathing Series trilogy by Rebecca Donovan, an initially self-published title that has already earned a dedicated readership.

These new imprints will play into the new Kindle Freetime Unlimited program that allows parents to subscribe to the new Amazon service, and get as many kids books they want a month. It is very likely that a number of these titles will appear between Freetime and Amazon Prime. Have you taken advantage of this new program? Don’t miss out.

Nobrow Press to Launch Children’s Imprint in 2013

U.K.-based indie graphic novel publisher Nobrow Press is launching Flying Eye Books, a children’s book imprint that will debut in the U.K. in February and in March in the U.S. Flying Eye Books will release 12 titles in the first year including comics, picture books, activity books, fiction, and nonfiction for kids aged 4-11 years old.

Speeding Star is a new trade imprint from Enslow Publishers, Inc., esteemed for its high-quality nonfiction and fiction materials for the educational market.  Beginning in the Fall 2013, Speeding Star will release easy-to-read fiction and informational titles. This content will be suitable for boys and young men from third grade to high school. Each title will be either 48, 64 or 96 pages, on topics ranging from zombie mysteries to profiles of today’s greatest sports stars.  Available in both hardcover trade and paperback bindings, as well as through all major e-book outlets, our titles will keep boys reading!

Capstone Publishing Group, which has been aggressively expanding beyond the school and library markets with the launch six months ago of its Capstone Young Readers trade imprint, is adding picture books to the list this spring. Thirteen picture books in print format will be released initially under the CYR imprint; after the first list, the imprint will release four to six picture books each year.

Capstone Publishing Group has previously published picture books for the educational and trade markets under its Picture Window imprint and will continue to do so; this is the first time the company is publishing picture books under the CYR imprint. Thus far, board books, chapter books, and hobbies and crafts books have been published under the CYR imprint, which is overseen by senior product manager John Rahm and editorial directors Michael Dahl and Nick Healy.

In May Capstone will launch a Web site to promote its new CYR line, www.capstoneyoungreaders.com. CYR titles will be available in digital formats as well as in print. While only select Capstone Publishing titles for the educational market are available in digital formats, beginning in fall 2012, all of Capstone’s trade titles will be available in both print and e-book formats.

Valentine’s Illustration by Barbara Eveleth Barbara was featured on Illustrator Saturday, Nove. 11th, 2010.  Here’s the link: http://wp.me/pss2W-1ZX

This Valentine’s Day illustration was sent in by Michelle Kogan. Michelle is a Chicago illustrator, instructor, painter and writer. She’s working on a picture book called Through A Sunflower. You can view some of the illustrations for this book and read more about Michelle in the article: Journey with an Illustrator, Painter and Writer, in the January 2013 The Prairie Wind, the Newsletter of the Illinois Chapter of the SCBWI, where Michelle is the Illustrator in the Spotlight, http://www.scbwi-illinois.org/pdf/PrairieWind-Winter2013.pdf

View more of Michelle’s work at her website http://www.michellekogan.com

Talk soon,

Kathy

Today we bring you our weekly sampler of cool youth media and marketing gigs. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to join the Ypulse LinkedIn group, if you haven’t yet, and post there for... Read the rest of this post