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As we begin a season of reflection and celebration, we are pleased to share some of our favorite books on thankfulness and being grateful that will help young readers on their journey to understanding gratitude.

The other week I had a post about Kristina Swarner who illustrated ZAYDE COMES TO LIVE written by Sheri Sinykin after it was awarded the 2013 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers Award. Her art work is so wonderful, that I thought you would enjoy seeing more of her work.

Kristina Swarner created her first illustrated story using crayon on manila paper, at the age of 5, and has been drawing ever since.

Often described as magical and dreamlike, Kristina draws much of her imagery and inspiration from dreams and from memories of exploring  forests, gardens, and old houses when she was a child.

Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design,  Kristina has illustrated books, greeting cards, magazines, wine labels, CD covers, and theatre posters, and has won numerous awards.

When not painting, Kristina enjoys music, reading, and trying to grow trees on her balcony. She lives in Chicago.

Here is Kristina talking about her process and Journey:

First, I think about the concept, a lot. Sometimes for days. Once I think I have a good idea, I do a lot of really light, really rough pencil sketches on paper until the drawing looks right.

Then I do a tighter sketch, and trace it so that I can transfer it to linoleum or a vinyl block. I carve out the areas that will be light colored in the final piece, ink up the block, and make a black and white print on heavy paper.

Once that’s dry, I work over it with watercolors and colored pencils. (Above is a picture of my desk.)

Final piece done for Cricket Magazine Cover.

Kristina has published 19 books.  Below are a few of the covers.

How did you come involved with Zayde Comes to Live?

As I heard it, Jane Yolen recommended me to Sheri Sinykin as a possible illustrator.  Luckily for me Peachtree Publishing agreed with the choice.

This is the cover of the book that sparked the 2013 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers Award.

How long have you been involved in art?

When I was three, I told my parents that I wanted to be an artist. I’ve made illustrated books since I was very young. I still have one of my first drawings, of a girl named Alice who looks a lot like a daddy longlegs.

Did you go to college to study art?

I graduated from RISD.

Can you tell us some of the art classes you took?

I took as many different classes as I could–besides a lot of drawing and painting, I took graphic design, photography, animation, poster design, and different types of printmaking.

Do you think those classes influenced your artistic style?

Definitely. The style I use is a distillation of a lot of the techniques I learned.

I noticed that a piece of your art has been chosen for Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition.  That is a big honor.  How did that come about?

I’d been looking at a long genealogy chart and wondering about the people on it, and had the idea to paint a series called Imaginary Ancestors. I started with a painting of a queen, and was really happy with it, so I entered it in the the Uncommissioned category. I was completely blown away that it was selected. I went to the opening in New York just so I could see it at the Society.

What was your first paid art assignment?

I think it was a tiny painting of a horse for a story in the Providence Journal-Bulletin.

Do you think your style has changed since you first started?

I started out doing mostly watercolor. It was a little frustrating for me to achieve the contrast and texture I wanted with watercolor, and I got tired of standing around waiting for it to dry. I rely much more now on the black and white linoleum print under the watercolor–it’s faster, and gives great depth and contrast and texture.

Was Zayde Comes to Live your first illustrated book?

My first illustrated book was Yiddish Wisdom, for Chronicle Books, in 1996(?).

How many books have you illustrated?

I’ve done 18, not counting textbooks.

What publishers have you worked with?

Some of them are Chronicle, Roaring Brook, Penguin, Dutton, Scholastic, Oxford University Press, Knopf, Random House, and National Geographic.

Do you know how books get considered for the Sydney Taylor Book Award? 

So far it’s been a mysterious process to me, because my publishers submit the books without telling me, and then I’ll suddenly get a phone call that I’ve won.

Have your illustrations been published in magazines?

Yes, I love working for magazines. I’ve done many illustrations for Cricket, among others.

When did you decide you wanted to illustrate for children?

When I was about five and could read children’s books on my own. Ferdinand,  A Birthday For Frances, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble– I wanted to make something as magical.

Do you have any desire to write and illustrate your own book?

It’s a goal of mine. I have a notebook full of more or less fragmented stories. I’ve been too chicken to submit them–I’m working on feeling braver.

Do you have any favorite materials?  Such as paper, paints, pens, etc.?

I like Rives BK paper, Prismacolor pencils, Winsor Newton watercolors and brushes, and Conte pastels.

Do you take research pictures before you start a project?

I hardly ever work from photos–it always seems to show in the finished art, somehow.  When possible, I sketch from life, or even from my memory, instead. I had to draw an old-fashioned biplane for one project, so I built a biplane out of cardboard and drew that.

How do you get art directors to notice your artwork?

Besides my own website, I have portfolios up on various websites, and still send out mailers every so often. I research places that might use my art and submit work to them, too.

Are you represented by an agent?  If not would you like to be?  If so, who represents you and what have they brought to the table?

I have an agent in London, who’s brought me a lot of work from European clients.

Did you set up a studio in your home?

My current studio takes up half of the dining room.

Excluding the normal things like paper, paint, brushes, pencils, and pastels, is there one piece of equipment in your studio that you really like and would not want to live without?

I have one very favorite discontinued Prismacolor pencil that is only about a centimeter long, so I only use it in extreme emergencies–it’s like the Holy Hand Grenade in Monty Python.

Do you try to spend a certain amount of hours each day illustrating?

I always start at 9:30 and try to work until 5, depending on how much I have to help my kids with homework and things.

Do you use Photoshop?  How and where do you use it?

I use Photoshop for scanning, resizing, and occasionally retouching artwork.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

I do, but I use it mostly for signing things.

What are you working on now?

My 19th book! I’ve just started it, so it’s still at stick figure stage.

What did you do in the beginning to get noticed and what do you do now?

When I first started out, I relied mostly on sending out printed mailers and tear sheets, and occasionally going around with my portfolio. Now it’s much easier to just email samples and put up new work online, but the flip side of that is that there’s a much larger and more visible pool of people competing for the same amount of work. I still get good results sending printed postcards to point people to my website. I haven’t done as much as I probably should with social media–I tried Twitter for about a week, but it kept making me feel like my writing had hiccups.

Do You have any words of wisdom to share with other illustrators?

Work ebbs and flows. When work is slow, it’s easy to feel like everyone has forgotten you and that you’ll never get hired again and have to get a job at Dunkin Donuts. I’m trying to retrain myself into treating slow times like a vacation. When my calendar is looking emptier than usual, it’s a good time to research and approach possible new clients, do some artwork for myself, or go out somewhere I usually don’t go and get some new ideas. In a short time I’m usually back to being busy.

Thank you Kristina for sharing you process and journey with us.  I look forward to following you as  you create more wonderful books and illustrations. If you would like to see more of Kristina’s work, you can visit her at: www.kristinaswarner.com

Please take a minute to leave a comment for Kristina. THANKS!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

All of us have heard of the Newbery Awards, but there is another very prestigious award that is given out every year that you may not be as familiar with.  It is The Sydney Taylor Book Award and it is presented to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.

Gold medals are presented in three categories: Younger Readers, Older Readers, and Teen Readers.

Honor Books are awarded silver medals, and Notable Books are named in each category.

Kristina Swarner illustrated ZAYDE COMES TO LIVE written by Sheri Sinykin.  The book was a 2013 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers Award.  It was published by Peachtree Publishers.

Kristina’s illustrations are often described as magical and dreamlike and she draws much of her imagery and inspiration from dreams and from memories of exploring  forests, gardens, and old houses when she was a child.

Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design,  Kristina has illustrated books, greeting cards, magazines, wine labels, CD covers, and theatre posters, and has won numerous awards.  You will be hearing more about Kristina and her beautiful illustration on a future Illustrator Saturday post.

For now, I want too share with you some of the answers to questions I had for Kristina about this book and the wonderful recognition she has been awarded for this book.

How did you come involved with Zayde Comes to Live?

As I heard it, Jane Yolen recommended me to Sheri Sinykin as a possible illustrator.  Luckily for me Peachtree Publishing agreed with the choice.

Tell use your thought processes when you knew you were chosen to illustrate the book. Did the ideas immediately come to you or did you play around with different ways to approach the book? 

I really didn’t want to make the art too sad or pensive. The ideas evolved as I sketched, and the more I sketched, the more the tenderness and joyfulness of the story came out in the art.

How do books get considered for the Sydney Taylor Book Award? 

So far it’s been a mysterious process to me, because my publishers submit the books without telling me, and then I’ll suddenly get a phone call that I’ve won.

Did you know that the book was under consideration for the award? 

I suspected that it was, and Sheri confirmed it.

How did you find out that the book and your illustrations had won the award? 

The call came on a grey day in early January. First I was asked how I would feel about being recognized again by the Sydney Taylor Committee. Of course I said that I would feel delighted.

What has happened since it won? 

This early, it’s mostly been a lot of congratulations, and interviews.

Congratulation Kristina! We will spend more time with you on Saturday February 23rd.

Below is the schedule for:

THE 2013 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD BLOG TOUR

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013
Ann Redisch Stampler, author of The Wooden Sword Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Shelf-Employed
Carol Liddiment, illustrator of The Wooden Sword Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Ann Koffsky’s Blog
Doreen Rappaport, author of Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Teen Readers Category At Bildungsroman

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
Linda Glaser, author of Hannah’s Way Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At This Messy Life
Adam Gustavson, illustrator of Hannah’s Way Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger ReadersCategory At Here in HP
Louise Borden, author of His Name was Raoul Wallenberg Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Randomly Reading
Deborah Heiligman, author of Intentions Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At The Fourth Musketeer

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 201
Sheri Sinykin, author of Zayde Comes to Live Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Read, Write, Repeat
Kristina Swarner, illustrator of Zayde Comes to Live Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Writing & Illustrating

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Linda Leopold Strauss, author of The Elijah Door Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Pen and Pros
Alexi Natchev, illustrator of The Elijah Door Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Madelyn Rosenberg’s Virtual Living Room

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013
Blog Tour Wrap-Up at The Whole Megillah

Did you notice that New Jersey Adam Gustavson won the award for his illustrations in Hannah’s Way?  He was featured July 2, 2011 on Illustrator Saturday.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 6, 2012

The Christmas Quiet Book

By Deborah Underwood; Illustrated by Renata Liwska

Reading level: Ages 4 and up

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 16, 2012)

It’s impossible to keep quiet any longer. It just has to be shouted loudly to everyone: We love the winning combination of Deborah Underwood’s sweet and pitch-perfect “quiet” holiday moments and Renata Liwska’s gentle and charming drawings that make you wish you could reach into the pages and give each and every character a warm embrace. Make a little book bundle and include the original The Quiet Book and The Loud Book—three books and a piece of ribbon and you have the perfect gift for any young child—go the extra mile and tie a little stuffy on top, too.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?

By Jane Yolen; Illustrated by Mark teague

Reading level: Ages 0-4

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (September 1, 2012)

Get ready to roar with laughter with your preschooler. The bestselling combo Jane Yolen and Mark Teague are back again with their winning “How Do Dinosaurs” series. The oversized, egocentric, juvenile dinosaurs wreak havoc through the house for the first half of the picture book—they have no regard for the special traditions of Christmas. As per usual, good behavior is highlighted in the second half and a lesson of “how not to act” is delivered brilliantly. This is a must-have Christmas book, especially for fans of prehistoric animals.

Christmas Magic

By Kirsten Hall; Illustrated by Simon Mendez

Reading level: Ages 4 and up

Hardcover: 20 pages

Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books (October 2, 2012)

With lyrical verses that have a nostalgic quality and a unique art form that allows every painted illustration to change with a simple pull of a tab, this is a Christmas book that will hold an audience captivated.

The Nutcracker: A Magic Theatre Book

By Geraldine McCaughrean; Illustrated by Kristina Swarner

Reading level: Ages 2-7

Hardcover: 24 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 3, 2012)

We can’t resist the magical movement of this new take on The Nutcracker. Large die-cut board pages have been made to be handled and allow the cast of characters to literally dance there way through the story. This Nutcracker version gets our vote based on the delightful illustrations and inventive paper-engineering—”A Magic Theatre Book” is definitely the write description.

Stable in Bethlehem: A Countdown to Christmas

By Joy N. Hulme; Illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Reading level: Ages 1-3

Board book: 22 pages

Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books; Brdbk edition (October 1, 2012)

Not just a numbers primer for babies and toddlers, the stunning artwork of Dan Andreasen and Joy N. Hulme’s gentle rhymes also introduce the littlest readers to the religious beginnings of Christmas.

Looking for more suggestions? Try our lists from previous years:

20 of the Best Kids Christmas Books

Christmas Board Books for Babies and Toddlers

Original article: Christmas Books: Five of the Best New Gift Books for Christmas

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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SHOW NOTES:

> Author Amy Meltzer discusses her picture book A Mezuzah on the Door, an Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book and PJ Library selection

> Author Eric Kimmel shares mezuzah memories

> Author Sarah Gershman and illustrator Kristina Swarner talk about their Sydney Taylor Book Award winning picture book, The Bedtime Sh'ma: A Good Night Book. This book was also a National Jewish Book Award Finalist, and is a PJ Library selection.

> Author Maggie Anton shares mezuzah memories

Special background music for this episode is provided by The Bedtime Sh'ma Companion CD and by Cantor Jeff Klepper's "Mezuzah" song on the CD Shiron L'Yeladim. Our regular background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band.

Books and CD's mentioned on the show may be borrowed from the Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel. Browse our online catalog to reserve books, post a review, or just to look around!

Below Paul Collier the author of The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It and a Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University explains why guilt is no solution for poverty.

To date policy towards the bottom billion has been driven predominantly by guilt: America’s guilt about slavery, Europe’s guilt about colonialism. (more…)

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