Monday, October 27, 2014

Thanks for the lovely book signing!

Thank you to Alazar Press and Flyleaf Books. And thank you to the parents and kids who attended. You can read about the event and a bookstore tradition that you can start with your children here: Princesses & Art: A Signing with Julie Fortenberry

Help the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression


Dear ABFFE Supporters,
 We have received some beautiful artwork and are now ready to start promoting our holiday children's book art auction. Would you please help us spread the word?  We have some promotional cards: one is a business card (front/back) and the other is a postcard (front/back).   The postcard size works well as a counter display with the business cards beside it for customers to take. Non-booksellers might enjoy the business card size since it fits well into wallets.  Please email me at inessa@abffe.org and let me know how many of each you would like as well as your shipping address.
If you are an artist and would still like to donate, there is still time! Click here for the donation form. 
Thanks so much for your help,
Inessa.


American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression 19 Fulton Street, Suite 407New York, NY 10038 (212) 587-4025 www.abffe.org

The Bed Book

Sylvia Plath's children’s book, illustrated by Quentin Blake: 

http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/04/04/the-bed-book-sylvia-plath-quentin-blake/

Sunday, October 26, 2014

The hour the animals talk




Illustration by Helen Cann from MANGER, jpeg found at eerdword.wordpress.com


MANGER

Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled fifteen poems by thirteen poets about the magical hour on Christmas Eve when all animals can talk. 

After an introductory poem written by Hopkins, thirteen species—including fish and a spider—tell their story about seeing the Baby Jesus for the first time. The horse is so moved he can’t speak, the cow moos a lullaby, the spider weaves a gift of a cobweb crown. The last poem is the second stanza of The Friendly Beasts, a folk song. 

Helen Cann’s lovingly detailed artwork (watercolor and mixed media) add to the warm traditional feel of the collection, and create, with the sound of the poems, a book to carefully relish. Endpapers depicting characters from the text—like so many Eerdmans titles—add something extra to pore over after reading the book. 

MANGER is a picture book that looks, sounds and feels like a Christmas classic.


Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
HARDCOVER; Published: 9/1/2014
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5419-3
34 Pages
Ages 4 to 8
Trim Size, in inches: 8.54 X 10.43

See more of Helen Cann's work here: http://www.helencann.co.uk

Thank you...

...to the folks at Alazar Press, Flyleaf Books, the parents, kids and friends who stopped in. And thank you, Susie Wilde!



“Take a picture of your children with an author and glue it in the book.” —Jody Fickes Shapiro



Thank you...

...to the folks at Alazar Press, Flyleaf Books, the parents, kids and friends who stopped in. And thank you, Susie Wilde!

“Take a picture of your children with an author and glue it in the book.” —Jody Fickes Shapiro

Celebrating the Harvest Season


An equinox occurs when the center of the sun appears directly over the equator and shines equally on both the northern and southern parts of the earth.

We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season

I am a fan of Linda Bleck's warm and colorful illustration. In We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season, Bleck depicts a cozy world reminiscent of that in Little Golden Books and books by Lois Lenski. The book opens with adorable fox pups and a cute black bear. The illustrations of farm workers have a childlike simplicity.

Very young children will be drawn to the pictures. But the amount of information makes this introduction to the fall equinox a picture book for first grade and above. 

We Gather Together is a nice blend of science and culture, with an "Equinox" corn muffin recipe, simple cultural and science activities, and a list of harvest festivals from around the world included.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Maira



I love the easy way Maira Kalman moves from goofy to profound. Her paintings are both childlike and realistic. And she never hedges her bets with color. Some of the landscapes in her picture book biography of Thomas Jefferson remind me of a Candy Land board game—in a good way. Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything channels the curiosity and intelligence of Jefferson himself. 

Her newest books, Ah-ha to Zig Zag  and My Favorite Things are timed to coincide with the December 12th opening of the renovated Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the exhibit Maira Kalman Selects

"Kalman was free to choose any random pieces from the museum’s rich and varied collection, and then paint, draw, and riff on each one from a personal perspective," writes Steven Heller about the upcoming exhibit. See Mr. Heller's article here: www.theatlantic.com/entertainment.


Hardcover40 pages
Published January 7th 2014, Nancy Paulsen Books
  • ISBN-10: 0399240403
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399240409

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

BAD DOG FLASH

Ruth Paul's soft pencil and water-color pictures tell the story of a lovable troublemaker, Flash—a character kids will identify with. Throughout, illustrations show the pointing fingers of unsympathetic adults. It's only in the last few pages that you see a human face—the friendly face of a little girl. 

With simple rhyme and rhythm, BAD DOG FLASH works beautifully as both a beginning reader and a storytime book. And kudos to the designer who came up with the fun endpapers and dust jacket.

To see more of Ruth Paul's charming artwork visit http://ruthpaul.co.nz






  • ISBN-13: 9781492601531
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 10/7/2014
  • Pages: 32
  • Age range: 3 - 8 Years

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Claudia Marie Lenart

I'm a huge fan of dioramas. I love those 3-D illustrations in the Hans Christian Andersen Golden Books with the lenticular covers.

Recently I received a letter from artist Claudia Marie Lenart about her latest book written by Jewel Kats and released to coincide with Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

Claudia's felt sculpture just blew me away.

Below are a couple of her illustrations. Claudia also has an Etsy page full of enchanting felt animals.



Tuesday, October 07, 2014

I'm reading THE ARTIST AND THE KING...


at Flyleaf Books on Oct. 25th at 11am. Publisher and milliner extraordinaire, Rosemarie Gulla will be there also, demonstrating how to create a Maid Marian/Daphne-style hat. Hope to see you there!















I'm reading THE ARTIST AND THE KING...

at Flyleaf Books on Oct. 25th at 11am. Publisher and milliner extraordinaire, Rosemarie Gulla will be there also, demonstrating how to create a Maid Marian/Daphne-style hat. Hope to see you there!