I don't post here often, because my schedule is filled with more than children's book illustration, however, my latest project was for a Christmas early reader, and now that the publisher has sent the files to the printer, now I can share.
This was my first kid's book illustrated purely digitally, so it was quite an experience. I normally only paint digitally for novels and some older kid's genres, like MG or YA (which are only sometimes illustrated).
If you're interested in seeing the original cover I created for this book, and read why
The Creative Director of Abrams Books, Chad Beckerman, has a terrific blog where he sometimes discusses the evolution of book covers that he's worked on. I've always loved those posts--and now there's one for LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE! Please check it out: http://cwdesigner.blogspot.com/2010/11/evolution-of-like-pickle-juice-on.html. Pay special attention to the list of titles that were considered; some of them really made me laugh.
I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems
Review by Chris Singer
About the author:
Mo Willems’ work in children’s books, animation, television, theater, and bubble gum card painting have garnered 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, a Geisel Honor, 2 Carnegie Medals, 6 Emmys, and multiple bubble gum cards. Upcoming non-bubble gum card projects include “Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator,” a portrait of the relationship between a girl and her stuffed alligator told in 6-1/2 stories
About the book:
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In I Broke My Trunk! Gerald tells Piggie the long, crazy story about breaking his trunk. Will Piggie end up with a long, crazy story of her own?
My take on the book:
Another Elephant and Piggie book review? If you’ve been following Book Dads for awhile you, of course, are not surprised. I’m not sure if there’s an official, or unofficial fan club, but if there isn’t we should either start one or join one…(paging @the1stdaughter, @birthdayauthor, @linkstoliteracy…).
I can’t help it though. I love these books so much I just have to, no I MUST, share them with you so you can share them with your little ones and receive the same gift I do when I see that huge smile on my little listener’s face while I read these books aloud to her.
I Broke My Trunk is in one word, fantastic. You can substitute this word for others if you wish. Incredible. Delightful. Amazing. Hilarious. Pick one of those adjectives and you’ll be correct in your assessment. It’s the case over and over with every book of Mo Willems we’ve picked up and brought home from the library. The Elephant and Piggie series seems to get better with each new release and Mo Willems continues to find new ways to keep us interested, laughing and yearning for more!
This is going to be an extra special book as well because it is one of the few things we’re giving my daughter for her birthday in just over a week. It will also be the first Mo Willems book she will call her own. That is special indeed!
You see, we’re moving and it’s a big move too. From Lansing, Michigan to Corvallis, Oregon. 2400 plus miles. We’re also downsizing from a house to an apartment and we’re not taking a lot of “stuff” with us. So this year we have to keep it a little light on the birthday gifts because we just don’t have the space or finances to take everything with us. We’ll make it up to her when we get settled. However, I don’t think she is going to mind. I’m almost pos
Julie: Here it is! The final version of the cover for my very first book, which is coming out in March. I have to confess that I was nervous about the cover before I saw any drafts. After pouring so much into a book, it would have been very, very sad to dislike the cover. But I don't dislike it! Far from it! I love it! Many thanks to everyone at Abrams who helped with the design, and to the very talented illustrator, Matthew Cordell. More updates to come!
Since I abandoned this blog to the cold winds of internet neglect, I've started officiating some book clubs for kids. One of them is a group of 2nd grade boys who vary wildly in reading level, so aside from the fact that planning a discussion for a handful of 8 year old boys is kind of like trying to choreograph cat herding, we also struggle to find books that every one can relate to. Below, are the books we've read so far.
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my preferred cover |
I started us off with
The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes. It was originally titled
The Iron Man: A Story in 5 Nights, but the title was changed when the superhero superceded Hughes' novel in popularity. Now there's a
movie, which is AMAZING and every one should watch it, but is totally different than the book. And even if you've seen the movie (which I agree, is awesome) you should still read the book and hopefully you'll like it even a fraction as much as this group of boys did. I started off the discussion simply, by asking what their favorite parts were. The boys then clamored with their answers, revisions to their answers and dramatic readings of their scenes of choosing. It was the perfect book to get us started. Fun, simple, full of startling and direct symbolic imagery,
The Iron Giant is a great book for reluctant readers obsessed with Star Wars and the kids who can already read Harry Potter (with a parent). I decided NOT to bring up the fact that Hughes wrote it to comfort his children after his wife,
Sylvia Plath, had a run in with her oven.
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the current edition since changing publishers |
Second, we read
Whales on Stilts by MT Anderson, the first in the
Pals in Peril series (previously called MT Anderson's Thrilling Tales). Anyone who's listened to me blather about books knows that MT Anderson's basically my favorite, and I was really excited to have a chance to force his book on a bunch of kids subjected to my literary whims. Unfortunately, the sense of humor was a little beyond a few of our readers, and while we still managed to have a lively discussion rich with dramatic readings we also spent a lot of time clarifying vocabulary and plot points for some. Jasper Dash's character, particularly, who speaks in a hilariously outdated vernacular, left some of group behind. But I was really pleased to find that the kids who could keep up with Jasper and his chums
loved the book, and took to the absurdity nicely. One of the readers has even continued on with the series on his own, and had already completed the second book by the time we met. And, being the group's only Jew, I was pleased to explain what gefilte fish is to the general disgust of all our members.
Ivy and Bean What’s the Big Idea
written by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Chronicle Books, 2010
early chapter book
In What’s the Big Idea, the school science fair gives second graders, Ivy and Bean, their most scientific adventure yet – their mission: to solve global warming.
Of course, it’s NOT going to go as planned. So, get ready to laugh along with these charming young friends who won’t stop until they find the best way to solve their environmental issue, no matter how many ideas they must try.
What’s the Big Idea, the seventh Ivy and Bean early chapter book, just might be the best Ivy and Bean yet. Young scientists’ brains will be spinning with ideas and inspiration after reading this book which is perfect for most seven year olds.
Want to see for yourself? Read the first chapter for free right now. Click here to read.
I love the Ivy and Bean books for their age-appropriateness, humor, and well written characters and plot lines. It’s is a series you can read in any order; once you like one, you’ll want to read them all. And, you can become a Facebook fan of the series, too!
Book Play: After you read What’s the Big Idea, go to the Activity Guide. Ideas like “What Endangered Animal Am I?” and “Ice Cube Toss” will keep you thinking about the book and the environment.
Cynthia's Attic, and favorite time-traveler, Augusta Lee (Gus), want to welcome a newcomer to the attic scene - Little Bitty Kitty, or LBK for short.
Gus: So, I hear we’re heading to Indiana the first of December. You, Wendel Wordsworth, me and Cynthia. You’ve never been there right?
LBK: Meow.
Gus: Well, you’re gonna love it. Sure you’re just a little kitty, and it’ll be cold there, like really, really cold, but you have a winter coat, right?
LBK: Meow.
Gus: And this Gram person, the one in your story, is she coming along?
LBK: Meow.
Gus: She seems like a nice lady. Your story is cute, too. The way you wiggle through that little…Well, guess I shouldn’t give away the ending.
LBK: Meow.
Gus And your book is interactive? It has coloring pages? That’s great. I love to color...especially outside the lines!
LBK: Meow.
Gus: Well, guess we ought to start packing for the trip. I’m visiting
Corydon Intermediate School on Dec 3. What school are you going to?
LBK: Meow.
Gus: Oh, yeah,
Corydon Elementary School. Those are some great students. Well, so long for now. See you in Indiana!
LBK: Meow!
Whew! Good thing Gus knows "kitty-speak"!
Cynthia's Attic Series on Amazon!
Mary Cunningham Books
Revisions, revisions, revisions! It has been a year since I worked on Ollie And Logger In The Deep Blue Sea, the early reader book that I illustrated (and my mother wrote) for my first semester senior project. I love the story and feel good about the pacing of the sketches as a whole. But as I look back, I was deeply dissatisfied with a couple of things. The characters seemed awkward, stiff and bloated, their faces falling short of the natural cuteness I was going for. And on top of that, all the color work I did wasn’t working either. Try as I might last fall, I was not getting the lightness and fluidity of underwater scenes, and all the pieces look overworked. That’s the hardest part about watercolor – knowing when to stop, because once you go too far there is no going back, just starting over.
Despite my self-criticisms, I am confident that we have something marketable with Ollie And Logger – it’s just a matter of revising. So I spent my three-day weekend reworking the characters and the first color piece . . . and here are the results of the makeover!
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1 Comments on The Great Turtle Makeover, last added: 10/14/2010
Is it wrong that I
kinda want to marry this
book? Adorable.
I've been slacking off lately, but since last August, I've been putting a "Kids' Classic I Forgot to Read" on our front desk for a month at a time. Previous titles are: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, Egypt Game, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Cricket in Times Square, A Wrinkle in Time and 13 Clocks. In honor of Fathers' Day, I decided to select My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet (illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannet), a fabulously wholesome story perfectly suited for reading aloud with the whole family. Little Elmer Elevator (the father of the faceless narrator) would give anything to fly. Luckily for him, he's made friends with an alley cat who knows where a dragon lives, held captive by a slew of wild animals. It is Elmer's quest to free the dragon, and chase his own dream of flying, and to do so he must use all his cunning, courage and (most of all) kindness to accomplish his goals. Elmer makes for a lovable protagonist, whose most memorable characteristics are that he is kind and he is clever. Though many of the animals want to eat him, he finds ways around them that do no harm to anyone. Win, win.
The illustrations are plentiful, and the type set is large, so the fact that it is 86 pages is a bit misleading. It's a very short story, similar in feel to many of the Japanese fairy tales I grew up reading (only with less tail-cutting-offness and swords). Simple enough for younger kids to follow, with all the adorable a grown-up can handle, I totally recommend this book for full family read alouds, barring the involvement of any snarky teens.Shown above, an illustration of Elmer and his run in with the Rhino on Wild Island.
Brand New Readers: Three Little Bears Play All Day Available now! Published February 2010 • Candlewick Press • Early Readers, Ages 4-8EVERY child can read Brand New Readers! Baby Bear’s antics lead to unexpected results as he returns with Brother Bear and Sister Bear in four simple, funny stories. Story: Whether jumping, juggling, munching, or building with blocks, Baby Bear finds a new way to make mischief while playing with his ever-patient big brother and sister. This Brand New Reader includes the four stories, Three Little Bears Build, Three Little Bears Eat, Three Little Bears Juggle, and Three Little Bears Jump.
Brand New Readers are short, funny stories written by award-winning authors, full of bright, colorful artworkby illustrators kids know and love. Each Brand New Reader has:
- funny stories
- pictures that make words easy to guess
- eight-page stories that can be finished in one sitting, ensuring a satisfying reading experience
- notes for parents and teachers to help them guide beginning readers
Story behind the story: “For me, all my Brand New Reader collections are about mischief,” said author David Martin. “Crashing, kidding, making messes and having fun. Just the kind of stuff my five-year-old self likes. My grown-up self wants to help children become good readers. Fortunately the two selves joined, and that’s the story behind the story, behind these stories.”
Asked which of the three bears he readily identifies with, David replies without hesitation, “Baby Bear, of course. And what do I do? Spin ‘til I’m dizzy. Knock down the blocks. Refuse green food except for mint ice cream, and juggle Boston cream pies – or at least try. Full disclosure: I really like broccoli a lot, and spinning nowadays makes me queasy. But I can juggle. As for block towers, to build them high or knock them down, that is the question. Okay, both. And thanks to three grandkids, I have good models to keep the mischief fresh.”
DAVID MARTIN was a teacher for eighteen years. He began in special education and then went from fourth grade to seventh-grade language arts. But it was his work
Ever
wished you had a list of the top 100 children's books of all time, as voted on
by children's book fanatics? Librarian and blogger extraordinaire Betsy
Bird has conducted the poll, and she's counting them down, day by day, right
here:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1510053351.html.
Check it out--and be prepared for some surprises!
Había una vez
9684395213
Marirosa Mia: Our second guest reviewer! I’m so excited, and we
even went to the same school! Yes, Puerto Rico is very small… so what? I’m also
very excited that she’s reviewing one of my favorite childhood collections. But
I’ll let Salome take it from here.
Salome: For my first review of books in Spanish, I wanted
to go back to the classics, which in my case means the books we were forced to
read in grade school. I looked at a couple of them and found them to be completely
inappropriate or plain boring. And then I remembered Había una vez... - yes, Once Upon a Time....
It is, as one may
expect from the title, a collection of fairy tales. There's La gallinita dorada (it's The Little Red
Hen, but I guess she has a golden tan in the tropics), El Gato con botas (Puss N' Boots), Juanito y Margarita (guess!, yes, Hansel and Gretel) and El pollito
pito (Chicken Little), to name a few. But there are also some awesome Caribbean
classics like La cucarachita Martina (Martina,
the Little Cockroach), which I somehow could recite by heart at age 2 to my parents’
bragging delight. It also has riddles, starting with the traditional Adivina, adivinador (Guess, guesser),
popular songs like ¡Qué llueva! (May
It Rain!), and gives kids a peek at some great Spanish language authors, with
poems by Lope de Vega, Federico García Lorca, Amado Nervo, and Juana de
Ibarbourou.
I had not seen
the book in 35 years, until one of my sisters sent a copy to my
Spanish-language-challenged kids. The book had since lost its hard cover
to a more price-efficient paperback form, but everything else remained the
same. And I remembered every bit of it - its awesome retro illustrations and
selections - as if I had owned it all along.
I believe that
what makes it so special is that the stories are written in plain Spanish -
well, as plain as Spanish can be - and that the writing is the closest thing to
a Pan American Spanish – something like Univision Spanish - that kids in any
Latin American country can understand and follow easily. That is often not the
case with children's books, particularly if they are published in Spain. In
my children's case in particular, I love the fact that they include such
straightforward
By:
Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 12/14/2009
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Recently, we have collaborated with some Minnesota author friends to open a retail store over the holiday season that featured our products. The store was the brain child of our friend, Kelly Lucente, author of “Bye Bye Monster.” We are honored and humbled that Kelly calls us her friends and mentors. The story ran on the front [...]
By:
Paula Becker,
on 10/16/2009
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Whateverings
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Wow. The week is just flying by. I do want to post something before the weekend so I’m putting up the other leveled reader I did for Oxford University Press’ BOLDPRINT Kids Graphic Reader series: Silly Willy! Written by Michelle Shalton (and illustrated my moi), Silly Willy follows the story of a little girl and [...]
By: David Elzey,
on 7/27/2009
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Case #1: The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop written by Nate Evans and Paul Hindman illustrated by Vince Evans and Nate Evans Sourcebooks / Jabberwocky 2008A hardboiled detective series for the chapter book set is a welcome addition to the... wait. Aren't most chapter book series mysteries of one sort or another? Yes, and with good reason. The mystery story has the opportunity to instantly
I found this very short tale of thievery, wrongful accusation and redemption to be an incredibly compelling morality tale. Ok, that probably sounds silly when addressing a story about a goose who is wrongfully accused of a crime actually committed by a well-meaning mouse... but nonetheless I was entirely impressed. In a very accessible way, Steig crafted a very complex moral spectrum. While the mouse (the "real thief") struggles with his inability to right the wrong he has created, Gawain the goose is wracked by the hurt wreaked by his friends who did not stand in defense of his innocence. At fifty-eight pages,
The Real Thief is the perfect length for a two-night read aloud session with parent and child, or even as a single sitting for a child alone. It has all the complexity of a much longer book, in the language and length for a much younger child. Perfect for ages four and five (if being read aloud to) or six (for reading alone) and up, and for kids struggling to cross into chapter books.
& The Librarian and the Robbersby Margaret Mahywith pictures by Quentin BlakeGodine 1986originally published in the UK 1978Two books worth of story crammed into 63 magical pages, full of robbers tricked by librarians and retired pirates who know how to party and revive the joys of boyhood (while paying the bills). No impossibly articulate child protagonists with clearly defined goals or desires,
By:
Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 4/2/2009
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By Paula Huddy, Librarian at Blake School, Wayzata, MN
Is it possible to teach a child to enjoy books and reading in our days of TV, computers, Internet and video games? I think it is, and I know many families that have successfully done it. Obviously, the best way to go is to start early, when [...]
All the fairy-tale
tropes, plus one weird little goblin.
Charming but odd.
The Hinky-Pink by Megan McDonald. Atheneum, 2008, 48 pages.
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Totally proud that you made the list of awesome mash-ups! You rock like always! Now I can’t wait to see my mouse book!