All in Children's Books
I'm very excited to share my finished book, and the process of creating it. The Birdcage Soprano follows Operetta Violetta on her journey to write the Most Beautiful Song in the World. She learns she can't make progress without having experiences to inspire her art. Befriended by several songbirds, a librarian, and a gardener, Operetta joins a mission to reclaim a stolen book that could help her write the perfect song. I infused it with magic, nature, and the ability of art to change lives.
The Tree Lady is a kid-friendly biography of Katherine Olivia Sessions, the botanist who brought a lush landscape of trees to San Diego, California, and was eventually named "The Mother of Balboa Park." It is the story of a girl who followed her passion for science and the cultivation of plants at a time when girls were not encouraged or expected to do so.
On the billionth birthnight of the moon, a little girl taking away clean laundry leaves her own blue flannel nightgown stitched with stars dancing on the line. It's spotted by the moon, who sullenly complains that though many have praised and adored her, no one has ever really given her what she truly wants: a beautiful nightgown. "But where will you get a nightgown, dear Moon?" asks the sun. "The same place they do," said the moon.
Pablo Neruda Poet of the People tells the story of a man who loved the world and wrote about it in a way that brought beauty and hope in his reader's lives in prose that is simple for children but with a poetry of its own: "He wrote about scissors and thimbles and chairs and rings. He wrote about buttons and feathers and shoes and hats. He wrote about velvet cloth and the color of the sea."
This book of nonsense rhymes written and illustrated in the early 1970s is absolutely delicious - and feels like the antidote to all the stale Mother Goose nursery rhymes that just won't quit. Father Fox is the storyteller spinning silly yarns to his many children as they tumble all over the pages in assorted ridiculous hijinks. The prose is silly, sweet, nostalgic and downright yummy. These little gems paired with the detailed comic illustrations makes for a real treat.
Last Stop On Market Street takes an everyday commute by bus and turns it into a joyful treat. The ordinary becomes magical when seen through an optimistic point of view. CJ and his nana set out on a wet rainy day and he quickly becomes envious of people who have more - their own cars, iphones, freer schedules. His nana smartly meets each gloomy complaint with a positive perspective that uncovers the spirit behind things.
I bought Sonya's Chickens because I love Pheobe Wahl's illustrations and I love chickens. My husband got some biddies for our backyard a couple years ago, and we've been enjoying fresh eggs and clucking antics ever since. Upon reading the story to my daughter we discovered it is about the cycle of life and death told in a way that is simplistic enough for a child to grasp and accept.
Whoever we are, wherever we come from, wherever we wash up - we all belong with each other, all part of the human family.
A New Coat for Anna, by Harriet Ziefert, follows a mother and daughter in post World War II Europe as they barter their last valuable belongings to acquire a new warm coat for Anna. The reader gets to follow the process of creating a product from scratch - from shearing sheep to a tailor's shop. It's fascinating for a child to see how many steps are needed to make a seemingly simple object like a coat. I loved this book as a child, and fond it has even more meaning to offer an adult reader.
This quiet story is lovely for bedtime, especially at Christmas! Astrid Lindgren adapted a poem by Karl-Erik Forssund about a hungry fox who goes looking for food on a cold December night. He encounters a Tomten who looks after the farm. The watercolor illustrations by Harald Wiberg are starry, snowy and hushed, just right for this time of year!
Robert Ingpen's illustrated edition of Wind In the Willows is my favorite version of this classic. The art is a soothing, rich compliment to the tone of the text. The art charmingly blends modern and past sensibilities together in a natural way.
Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima are MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter films. They've created this delightfully illustrated version of J.M Barrie's classic story with plenty of fun interactive features: fold-out maps, paper spinning wheels and pop-up fairy wings. With a beautiful foil embossed cloth cover, I will be gifting this book for Christmas!
I still have my childhood copy of Mercer Mayer's East of the Sun West of the Moon. It's one of my most beloved treasures from that time. When I pick it up it resonates with the same magic it held so many years ago. The story follows a resilient girl's difficult quest to rescue her prince. Overcoming fear and enduring hardship, she encounters magical sprits of the earth who encourage her along the way.
This biographical picture book introduces the reader to the life of Louise Bourgeois, a French-American artist whose work ranged from sculpture, installation, weaving, painting and printmaking. In a narrative crafted for children, it focuses on the childhood of a young girl who grows into an artist. Though appropriate for children I feel this book will resonate more deeply with adults, especially for those with a background in - or appreciation of - visual arts.
Claire A. Nivola's elegant little book Star Child tells the story of the human life cycle through the eyes of a star born on Earth. Star elders tell the story of how he would be born human, grow up, fall in love with the beautiful world, and be swept up in our river of time. It deals with love, change and loss with a very gentle touch.
This is an original story with really imaginative characters, written and illustrated by Ben Hatke. Julia demonstrates leadership, compassion, and creativity by taking in magical, homeless creatures. Also, her house travels on the back of a giant turtle! Enjoy!
Open House For Butterflies makes a great gift to new parents. Sweet, tiny and charming, it takes up hardly any space in the house, but much room in the heart - this is Sendak at his sweetest.
All the pictures in Hoffmann's Sleeping Beauty are unexpected and interesting, but I was sold on the full spread of the sleeping castle overgrown by thorn bushes. There is so much tiny detail to explore and get lost in - it makes you want to sit down right there and start drawing.
At the end of a long day Mother Sky bathes, dresses and feeds Little Night, who only wants to run away and play hide and seek. Little kids will love her sneaky playfulness, and be delighted by the magical images.
