Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

 
Over at Tennessee’s wonderful Chapter 16, I have a piece up about Thirteen, the 1975 picture book collaboration between Remy Charlip and Jerry Joyner, which the New York Review Children’s Collection has released this month in a new edition. Jerry currently lives here in middle Tennessee and has so for many decades now.

I’m sharing the wonderful photo above with Jerry’s permission. It’s an old photo of Jerry (far right) with Remy (third from the left) and their friends Jacques and Sylvia on a trip to Greece. The photo was taken by an unknown street photographer.

I’ve also got a few spreads from Thirteen below (if you want to take a peek at the art), as well as a current photo of Jerry.

The Chapter 16 piece is here. (You will read over there that Jerry will speak at Parnassus Books this week, so heads-up, if you happen to live in middle Tennessee.)

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“Every evening, sitting in his armchair, Fox likes to leaf through old botany books,
looking for the next new plant to add to his collection.”

 
I wrote a review for BookPage of a picture book originally published in French last year — Benjamin Flouw’s The Golden Glow (Tundra, May 2018). That review is here.

I’m following up with some art from the book today. . . .

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Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got Seven Pablos (on shelves next month), a thoughtful new picture book, written by Jorge Luján and illustrated by Chiara Carrer. Translated from the Spanish by Mara Lethem, it addresses the lives of seven different boys (all with the same first name), who live in both South America and North America.

That is here. I’ll have art from it here at 7-Imp next week.

Until Sunday . . .

— From Hannah Eliot’s Ramadan

 

From Saffron Ice Cream: “Turns out chocolate crunch is a pretty good flavor too.
I can’t wait to write and tell Azadeh all about it.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Last week over at Kirkus, I chatted here with illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh about her two brand-new books, Hannah Eliot’s Ramadan (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, April 2017) and Saffron Ice Cream (Levine/Scholastic, May 2018). Rashin has published over 60 books in countries all over the world. Saffron Ice Cream is the first book she has both illustrated and written in English.

I’m following up here today with art from each book.

Enjoy!

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(Click to enlarge)

 
I’ve got a review over at BookPage of Jessica Love’s Julián Is a Mermaid (Candlewick, April 2018), a book you’ll want to be sure to read this year. The review is here. Please, do go read all about this spectacular book.

And then come back, because I’m following up here at 7-Imp today with a chat with Jessica, as well as some art from the book (and some preliminary images). That is below.

Enjoy!

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“‘Sun,’ said Big Momma, ‘you take care of this day business for me.'”
(Click to enlarge)

 
I’m featuring one spread today from an older picture book, one of my very favorites of all-time — Phyllis Root’s Big Momma Makes the World, published in 2002 and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. This is in honor of Mother’s Day.

If you’ve never read the book, be sure to click on the image above to see the goodness inside — and be sure to find a copy and experience it. It is spectacular in many directions.

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— From Kate Hosford’s Mama’s Belly,
illustrated by Abigail Halpin
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Mommy’s Khimar,
illustrated by Ebony Glenn

 
Last week, I wrote here at Kirkus, in anticipation of Mother’s Day this Sunday, about Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Mommy’s Khimar (Salaam Reads, April 2018), illustrated by Ebony Glenn, and Kate Hosford’s Mama’s Belly (Abrams, April 2018), illustrated by Abigail Halpin.

I’m following up with some art from each book today.

Enjoy!

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“Having international children’s books by authors and illustrators from different cultures and countries helps boost the energy of young readers, since it’s exciting to get to learn amazing new stories from all over the world.”

* * *

Over at Kirkus today, I talk with illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh, whose newest picture book, Saffron Ice Cream, is one she also wrote, her first book in English as an author-illustrator. She also talks about illustrating a new board book about Ramadan, written by Hannah Eliot.

The Q&A is here. Next week, I’ll follow up here at 7-Imp with a bit more art from each book.

Until tomorrow . . .

 
It’s the first Sunday of the month, dear Imps, which means we look at the art of a student or debut illustrator. Today it’s the latter. Shanda McCloskey’s debut picture book, Doll-E 1.0 (Little, Brown, May 2018), is on shelves now. It’s the story of tech-savvy Charlotte, whose parents (worried she may be “too techy”) give her a doll for her birthday. (“I was thinking you could play house or doctor with it,” her mother tells her.) “How do you use it? Are there instructions?” Charlotte asks. She’s dismayed that the doll just sits there. Charlotte is itchin’ to build something new. Needless to say, Charlotte is pumped when she discovers that the doll (who says “Ma-ma” repeatedly) has a set of two batteries — a power supply!

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“They eat their bedtime snacks and do crossword puzzles. ‘Time for bed, off you go!’
says Bo. ‘I DON’T WANT TO!’ says Koko. ‘Stay here then,’ says Bo.”
(Click to enlarge and see spread in its entirety)

 
Today at Kirkus, I’ve got mamas on the mind.

That is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about a Swedish picture book import, Lisen Adbåge’s Koko and Bo (Enchanted Lion, April 2018).

I’m following up with some art from the book today.

Enjoy!

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