Sean Qualls's Blog, page 3

Much has happened in the past few months...

A NEW book,

*starred reviewsQualls's primitive-style collage illustrations strongly convey the depth of Brown's emotions.-School Library Journal,

 a SCBWI Conference talk with Selina and the Book Maker's Dozen(here's an interesting and fun summary of our talk),

  holiday craft fairs,

The Broadway Lullaby Project,

a preview of Selina's forthcoming Brooklyn ABC book and interview for the Daily News,


and a NEW web site.
MORE to come!

Another *Starred Review (BCCB) for Freedom Song

 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Freedom Song: The Story of Henry "Box" Brown; illus. by Sean Qualls. Harper/HarperCollins, 2012 32p ISBN 978-0-06-058310-1 $17.99 R* 5-8yrs Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson's Henry's Freedom Box (BCCB 4/07) sets the bar high for picture books about the Virginia slave who endured pummeling confinement in a crate as he had himself shipped to New York and freedom. Walker, inspired by the discovery that Henry Brown sang for many years in a church choir, takes a more poetic but equally successful tack, imagining that rhythm and song sustained Brown throughout his years of enslaved labor and inspired him to seek his freedom when his wife and children were sold away from Virginia. Walker infuses her text and Brown's thoughts with patterned phrasing, from the "twist, snap, pick-a-pea" work songs he sang in the fields, to the "freedom-land, family, stay-together words" that comforted him as a child, to the "stay-still, don't move, wait-to-be-sure words" that kept him silent as he waited for release from his shipping crate. Qualls' mixed-media illustrations, far more dreamy and stylized than Nelson's near-photorealistic renderings, are nonetheless an excellent match for Walker's text. Even his signature aquas and pinks, embellished with free-floating bubbles, are tempered with more sober grays, browns, and deep blues, and weighted with heavily textured brushwork. An author's note touches on Walker's research and what little is known of Brown's subsequent history; also appended is the fascinating text of a letter from Brown's accomplice in 1849, detailing Brown's escape and cautioning the recipient, "for Heaven's sake don't publish this affai or allow it to be published. It would . . . prevent all others from escaping in the same way." EB

Code Magazine Interview - Blacks in the Age of Obama

 Photographers Tribble & Mancenido photographed nine artists for CODE Magazine. Check out the other eight artists here. Many thanks to Tracey and James for including me and Peter Duhon for the interview.

Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life

 Recently, I had the privelege in joining 11 other artists to help Scholastic launch a month long global literacy campaign, "Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life." All 12 of us created art that is being used for posters to promote the campaign. And now for the month of May, the original art is being auctioned online. The auction benefits two great organizations, Reading is Fundamental and Reach Out and Read. I'm not saying you should bid on my piece, after all there are 11 other artists who's work I'm sure you would love to win. A bid for anyone's art would be a fantastic thing! Here's my art . And who are the other 11 artists? Check out the picture below. On Thursday, Scholastic invited us all to their headquarters for a day long launch party. It was an honor to meet all of the illustrators, especially Norman Bridwell (the creator of Clifford the Big Red Dog) who was there with his lovely wife, Norma.The picture up top is of me with Stephen Savage and Jon J. Muth.  L to R: Jon J. Muth (Zen Shorts), Mary GranPré (Harry Potter), Norman Bridwell (Clifford the Big Red Dog), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Bruce Degan (The Magic School Bus), Barbara McClintock (Our Abe Lincoln), Ed Fotheringham (Tony Baloney), David Shannon (No, David), Jeff Smith (Bone), Sean Qualls (Dizzy), Mark Teague (LaRue) and (gulp) me. Photo credit: Stuart Ramson.

An Earth Day Book Celebration!

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY!
.
SUNDAY APRIL 17TH, 2011 1-3Pm @ Books of wonder.

I'll be signing copies of GIANT STEPS TO CHANGE THE WORLD at Books of Wonder this Sunday. Joining will be friends Peter Brown and Monica Wellington signing their books as well as authors/illustrators Patrick McDonnell and Brian Yanish . Come join!


Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

http://www.booksofwonder.com/events04...

Opening Reception! THE ART OF THE PICTURE BOOK

Art and wine always make for a good combination! Original art this time. Details below.

Featuring work by
Selina Alko
Sean Qualls
Brian Floca
Brett Helquist
Peter Brown

Aileen Leijten
Dan Yaccarino
Boris Kulikov

John Rocco
David Gordon
Sophie Blackall
John Bemelmans Marciano
Sergio Ruzzier

Friday, March 4th6 - 8 PMPowerhouse Arena37 Main Street, DUMBO

Marian Anderson

Day 28 of Black History Month.

Lauryn Hill

Day 25 of Black History Month.

Charles Mingus

Day 24 of Black History Month.

W.E.B Dubois

Day 23 of Black History Month and Dubois' birthday.