I love being a picture book author. And, I love talking to other people about what I do. Family. Friends. Students. Teachers. Librarians. Aspiring writers. Bloggers. Journalists. As I talk to these people, there is one question that I get asked in practically every conversation. It is: “Do you get …
Whenever I speak about writing picture books to aspiring authors, I leave time for questions at the end. Almost always, the first question I get is: “Do you get to choose who your illustrator is?” And, when I answer that, no, I do not, there’s an immediate follow-up: “But … …
A few weeks back, I was fortunate to interview Katherine Roy, author and illustrator of the Sibert Honor Book Neighborhood Sharks and her title from this past spring, How To Be An Elephant. And also (lucky me!) my partner as illustrator of our upcoming picture book Otis & Will Discover the …
Last month I posted about Elise Gravel’s I Want a Monster, and I loved her work so much I had to visit her website (which, by the way, is available in both English and French. Cool, eh?) to see what other books she had in the pipeline. When I saw that …
“My Two Blankets”, written by Irena Kobald and illustrated by Freya Blackwood is a rewarding blend of a lovely story and brilliant illustrations. I picked this book to chat about because I wanted to point out Freya Blackwood’s super smart illustration decisions. In this book, published in this country by Houghton …
Spring is right around the corner, and I can’t wait to watch my flowerbeds unfold, leaf by leaf. The weeding that soon follows? Meh. But that dirty work is rewarded when I come upon a toad hiding in a shady spot. Good to know they’re in there, eating the slugs …
I’m so excited to have author/illustrator Rebecca Bond here today to talk about her gorgeous book, Out of the Woods – A True Story of an Unforgettable Event (FSG, 2015). What a treat! When I read that Out of the Woods was based on a family story passed down from Rebecca’s …
Stars, by Mary Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee. What a beautiful, beautiful book. No names are on the front cover. None. Which made me really want to explore this book and look for the answer to ‘why’ that decision was made? The jacket features just the word, “Stars” brighter at the …
A few weeks ago my family came home to a very grumpy me. Over the next several days my mood worsened. As I explained the magnitude of my situation to my compassionate loved ones, I became aware that most people don’t know the importance of something which is absolutely critical to an illustrator’s vocation— paper. My …
Charlesbridge Publishing contacted me in June, of 2013 to ask if I would illustrate a non-fiction picture book written by our very own, spectacular, Suzanne Slade. The book is titled, THE INVENTOR’S SECRET, WHAT THOMAS EDISON TOLD HENRY FORD. In this 48 page non-fiction picture book, Suzanne shares the story of Thomas Edison’s successes and Henry …