Creature Feature
What child hasn’t tried to emulate their favorite artists’ creations? Now they have the opportunity to color alongside some of today’s most beloved picture-book illustrators. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s American edition of Draw Me! Color Me! Creatures, ($11.99, 120 pages, ages 4-8) includes work by 43 illustrators, from Emily Gravett (The Odd Egg; Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears), Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo) Jan Pienkowski (The Glass Mountain) and others whose lions, aliens, and all sorts of fantastical creatures are in desperate need of color and sparkle. Children (and adults) will revel in this who’s-who of picture-book illustrators, adding their own creative embellishments. Instructions range from simple (Jim Field’s lonely pigeon requires companions), to complex (Sarah McIntyre provides step-by-step instructions on drawing a bird using a real feather). Originally published in the U.K. by Macmillan, the majority of the collaborators are based in Europe–here’s hoping for a version including illustrators from North America.
Put this on pre-order for the budding artists in your life. (Available March 1)
Home Sweet Home
For a pleasant mid-winter mix, we offer two books in the spirit of warmth and love.
Mother Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins; Hyperion Books, $17.99, 48 pages, ages 4-8.
Bruce
is a solitary type of bear–downright grumpy, in fact. His single joy is cooking eggs. Bruce scours the forest for his hard-shelled treats, harvesting them for
complicated recipes he finds on the internet. (Naturally, there’s WIFI
in his den.) One day, a clutch of locally-sourced goose eggs hatches,
and Bruce has to put aside his own concerns in order
to raise the baby chicks. Alongside plenty of edgy adult humor to
keep parent and child entertained, Higgins offers a droll examination of interspecies
families and unconditional love.
Home, by Carson Ellis; Candlewick Press, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 1-4.
Fans of Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead and cover art for the band The Decemberists will quickly recognize the work of Carson Ellis in her debut solo picture book. Here, Ellis employs gouache and ink to showcase all the different fanciful places that may be called home. Whether it’s a Norse god at Valhalla, a Keynan blacksmith at his abode, or an old lady and her shoe, each homebody is united by the fact that their dwellings all provide warmth and protection. (Keep an eye out for Ellis herself, hard at work in her studio.) Whimsical and touching, this is a tender reminder that no matter what you call it, home is where the heart is.
UPDATE: Matt de la Pena was awarded the 2016 Newbery Medal 2016, and Christian Robinson received a Caldecott Honor.
Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peកa, illustrated by Christian Robinson; Putnam Books, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 4-6. (January 2015)
CJ and his grandmother board the Market Street bus after church every Sunday, and spend the afternoon working in the soup kitchen of a homeless shelter. One day, the boy wonders aloud why his family doesn’t have a car or an MP3 player, and his wise and patient grandmother responds with encouragement, gentle humor and love by showing CJ that there is beauty even in the muddy and mundane city streets. Brooklyn-based author Matt de la Peកa (A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis) captures the child’s inquisitive spirit as well as the time-worn perspective of an older generation with short, snappy sentences that convey just enough detail about class inequality without weighing the story down. (When CJ and his grandmother board the bus, Peកa’s ‘They sat right up front" recalls Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement in one simple sentence, and it’s perfect. ) San-Francisco native Christian Robinson (Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade; Josephine) expertly captures the charm and vibrancy of the City by the Bay with illustrations done in bright acrylic paint and collage. This celebration of life’s simple gifts and reminds us that what matters most isn’t the acquisition of stuff, but the time we spend with each other.
10 questions with Jim Arnosky, coming later this week!
Gene Luen Yang Named 5th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, 2016–2017
“
The Children’s Book Council, Every Child
a Reader, and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress announced yesterday that
two-time National Book Award finalist Gene Luen Yang will serve as the National Ambassador for Young
People’s Literature for the 2016-2017 term. Established in 2008, the program’s mission is to raise awareness of the importance of young people’s literature, and how great writing can positively impact a child’s life.
During his tenure, Yang will travel to schools and libraries nationwide promoting “Reading Without Walls,” a program aimed at showing kids, teens, and adults
that reading is vital nourishment, and how to achieve a lifelong love of reading.
Previous ambassadors include authors Jon Scieszka (2008–2009), Katherine Paterson (2010–2011),
Walter Dean Myers (2012–2013), and Kate DiCamillo (2014–2015). (NPR ran a great interview with Yang yesterday–listen here.)
Yang is setting the bar ever higher for new waves of graphic novelists: his graphic novel American Born Chinese was the first-ever to be nominated for the National Book Award, and Yang is the first graphic novelist to be named National Ambassador
for Young People’s Literature.
The inauguration ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 7 at 11
a.m. in room LJ-119 of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building,
10 First St. S.E., Washington D.C. The event is open to the public.
2015 redux
The arrival of another year shepherds myriad award ceremonies for every possible sector, and children’s books are no exception. The Newbery, Caldecott, Carnegie and other award recipients will be announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, being held this upcoming weekend in Boston. These awards recognize the most distinguished contributions to American literature of 2015. (A complete list of last year’s winners can be found here.)
Which new books were your favorites last year? Let’s see if your choices stack up with the judges’ selections!
Winter officially arrives tomorrow, and though, here in the Northeast, the thermostat doesn’t quite reflect the shift in seasons, there are plenty of books that will fill in nicely.
Snow, by Sam Usher; Templar Books, $16.99, 40 pages, ages 2-5.
Who doesn’t love a snow day? In Sam Usher’s charming picture book, a young boy wants to be the very first to step onto the freshly fallen powder, but he can’t seem to get his grandfather out the door in time. Some things are worth waiting for, as Granddad reminds the boy. There’s magic in store, and Usher’s ink and watercolor illustrations (reminiscent of Quentin Blake) capture that wonderful sight of first snow and the adventures that await on a blanket of white.
The Journey of the Penguin, by Emiliano Ponzi; Penguin Hardcover Original, $18.00, 96 pages, all ages.
Penguin Books was founded in 1935 by Allen Lane, and today, the publishing house’s flightless black-and-white mascot is recognized by readers worldwide. In this wordless picture book, a lonely Antarctic penguin leaves his icy home in search of adventure, and after traveling all over the world, ultimately wins a competition to become the face of a new publishing house. I hesitated on whether to include this book–it is nothing if not total self-promotion–but the art is exquisite. The striking compositions of bold color and graceful texture by Milanese artist Emiliano Ponzi make this a worthy gift for the design enthusiast in your life.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Shadow Puppets, The World of Eric Carle; Mudpuppy, $16.99, ages 4 and up.
The first day of winter is also the shortest day of the year, so why not celebrate the dark with these shadow puppets? The kit comes with eight puppets on sticks, tips on storytelling, and a short history on the genre’s Chinese origins. Shadow puppets have the potential to unlock children’s imaginations, but caveat emptor: While the idea is adorable, the construction is delicate. These little sticks are featherlight, and best suited for children over the age of four.
Literary Features Syndicate 