Jamie Michalak's Blog, page 24

Mr. Pig Live with Petal and Poppy!

Greetings! Mr. Pig here with another exciting episode of my hit talk show, Mr. Pig LIVE! Today we have TWO special guests, the stars of the much-loved early reader series by Lisa Clough and Ed Briant. . .



PETAL AND POPPY!
Welcome, you two. So nice to have you in the Cottage. Let's get right to the burning questions our readers want to know.

What are your full names? 
Petal: Petal. I don’t think I was ever given a second name.Poppy: Poppy! (like Madonna, I’ve never used a last name.)

What one word best describes you?  Petal: Oh, dear. This is a hard one. Just one word? Shy? Anxious? Worrywart? Scardey-cat? Elephant?Poppy: Super-Cool-Rhinoceros! (I put the dashes in so it really is one word, not three.)
Do you have a belly button? Petal:  Oh, dear. I do not know. Do elephants have belly buttons?
Poppy: I do! I do have a belly button, but you can’t see it, even in my two-piece bathing suit because the bottoms are too high up. But, trust me, it’s there. (I think). 
If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring? Petal:  Poppy and my tuba. Poppy: Petal.



What is your idea of the perfect day? Petal: Waffles for breakfast with Poppy and Penguin. Penguin is a very good chef. Then practicing my tuba and reading for the rest of the day. Maybe tending my flower garden if the weather cooperates. Poppy: Waffles for breakfast, sailing, and snorkeling all morning. Maybe skydiving or parachuting in the afternoon if the weather is warm. In winter it’d be ice climbing and snowshoeing. Then a fancy spread picnic with Petal and Penguin. Then dancing. Then reading. Then dinner. Then chocolate cake. Then bed.

Chocolate cake then bed sounds good to me. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Petal: Invisibility.
Poppy:  Flying, definitely.

What are you reading right now?  Petal: “Essential Elements of the Tuba- Book 1.” Poppy: “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” by Gertrude Stein.

What is your favorite word?  Petal: GA!
Poppy:  Bonzai!

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be? Petal: George and Martha, and the One and Only Ivan!
Poppy: George and Martha, and Rotten Ralph.

If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for? Petal: There is nothing I really need, except I would ask for one hundred more books about Poppy and me. Poppy: I would like to be a rock star in my own cartoon series! It would be called POPPY ROCKS. Petal could be in it and play her tuba (as long as she gets better), but I’d be the lead.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now? Petal: Today’s To-Do List, a notebook, a pen, and a blue button that I need to sew back on the my dress.Poppy: Swimming goggles, bits of lint, an old melted half-eaten chocolate bar and a Valentine card.

What is your most embarrassing moment? Petal: Um. There are far too many. A better question would be what is your least embarrassing moment? In which case I’d say playing tuba while Penguin honked and Poppy danced the time when Penguin first came over.
Poppy: Oh, getting lost in the haunted house and tripping over the suit of armor.


Ouch! What is your pet peeve? 
Petal: Muddy footprints, fleas, dirty dishes, the sound of nails scratching on the blackboard, etc…Poppy: The only pet we have is Penguin. He’s pretty independent but drops by on occasion, especially when it is storming out or if he’s hungry.


What was it like working with Lisa and Ed? Petal: It is pretty good. I like them. I really like the way I look in my butterfly costume. I could have a few more lines here and there. Hopefully there will be more opportunity to speak my mind. If the genie wish from the earlier question does come true and we do get to be in another one hundred books I’d like to transform into an elegant, self-assured elephant by the final book. Thank you for asking me all these questions—it was very interesting. I hope I answered them okay.

You did great. And what about you, Poppy — what was it like working with Lisa and Ed? 
Poppy: Brilliant! Amazing! Fantas-ti-co! Fabulousity all around! Can’t say enough about them! Everyone should have a chance to work with them. Lisa keeps me smart and active with some good lines and Ed makes sure to capture my best side. Although sometimes I wish Lisa would write me into a rock band and give me a good song to sing, and then Ed could draw me a leather jacket and boots with rhinestones. We definitely need more books, so tell them to get on it, please, and pronto!

And I’d like to say super THANKS for interviewing us! I loved your questions! Wahooo!! (I’m sure Ed and Lisa thank you, too.)

My pleasure! Speaking of Ed and Lisa, let's tell our readers more about them—and thanks, both of you, for visiting. 
**********
The Petal and Poppy books are the first collaborative work between husband and wife team, Ed Briant and Lisa Clough. There are three titles in the series with a fourth released later in 2015.

Lisa Clough (Jahn-Clough) has been in the field of children’s books for over twenty years as author, illustrator and professor. She has written and illustrated numerous picture books with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt including, Alicia Has a Bad Day, My Friend and I, and Little Dog. She is also the author of three young adult novels. She divides her time between Portland, Maine and southern NJ, where she is a tenured professor at Rowan University.

Ed Briant worked as an editorial illustrator for many years and began illustrating children’s books in 2004. He has published both picture books and novels for Flux-Llewelyn, Roaring Brook, Greenwillow Press, Atheneum, and Houghton. He is the author/illustrator of the weekly comic "Tales from the Slushpile," published online with Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf. He currently teaches at Rowan University and the Maryland Institute College of Art.

.
Petal and Poppy
978-0544133303

Petal and Poppy and the Penguin
978-0544113800
by Lisa Clough and Ed Briant(HMH Books for Young Readers)


"Bright colors enhance the digital and whimsical illustrations. The use of panels and text bubbles works well for visual cues and decoding skills of new readers." —School Library Journal

"The vibrant, graphic illustrations in comics-style panels and text aimed skillfully at newly emergent readers combine to tell a heartwarming story of how unexpected courage, kindness, and compromise can strengthen friendships. New readers will look forward to more adventures from Petal and Poppy." —Booklist

Petal and Poppy And The Spooky Halloween

"Simple text combines with short, but not stilted, sentences, and colorful, humorous illustrations with just enough dark to retain the Halloween feel."—Booklist Online
"Angular, digital animal cartoon characters keep the tone upbeat, while large panels emphasize each detailed scene with cheerful colors. A howling good addition that celebrates a favorite holiday"
—School Library Journal

"Clough is able to inject the story with light doses of humor and suspense, even within the vocabulary limitations typical of the format."—Publishers Weekly

The Little Crooked Bookshelf

Richard Scarry’s BEST LOWLY WORM BOOK EVER!
This week's pick is from Cottager Kara LaReau

What it's all about...
The irreverent invertebrate is back, along with all our Busy World favorites (including Goldbug!) in this collection of delightful episodes.

Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf...
We’re big fans of Richard Scarry and his Busy World, so we couldn’t wait to get our hands on this recently-discovered treasure, which was lovingly completed by Scarry’s son, Huck.

Our favorite line(s)...
“I get up in the morning and wash my face and foot.”

Our favorite illustration…


Why kids will love it...
Who doesn’t love Lowly and his cheerful energy, especially when he invites us to join him on his exciting adventures!

Why grown-ups will love it...
Something new to discover with every read, as (both) Scarrys’ work is filled with so much wonderful detail. Also, Lowly teaches us about manners, counting, modes of transportation, and morning and evening routines. He’s bound to worm his way into your heart.

Quote of the Week

Who needs tea anyway? Wishing you many wondrous adventures in 2015! Happy New Year from our Cottage to yours!                                 
xoxo The Little Crooked Cottagers,Anika Denise, Jamie Michalak, Kara LaReau, Kristen Tracy, & Mr. Pig

Mr. Pig Visits . . . Lizi Boyd

Hello! Thanks for joining me here in Vermont! 

I'm all bundled up because I'm on my way to visit the talented author-illustrator Lizi Boyd! She created the picture books Inside Outside, I Love My Mommy, I Love My Daddy, and most recently, the highly praised Flashlight.

Hmm. . . . where is her studio? Lizi told me it sits on a hill above a field of apple trees with a long view to the mountains. Through her tall windows the inside and outside are one, and oh-- I see it!

<<knock, knock>>

Hello, Lizi! It's me, Mr. Pig! But you might have guessed that already.

Well, I don't often get dapper pigs at my door. Good to see you! Come in and get warm.

You are visiting me when I’m working fast and furious towards a tight deadline. All the studio tables are full. It is wintery and quiet inside but noisy with images and thoughts.
I like my studio. It sits above a field of apple trees with long mountain views to the south. Today I’m working on cover sketches and ideas for back cover spots.
Alongside the drawing board is another table filled with illustrations that I’m still working on. Behind me is a third long table with finished illustrations, so I am surrounded! It helps to see the whole book lying about. And when I come downstairs in the morning to work, it’s as if I’m folding myself into all the images and pages of the book. It’s both chaotic and calming.

Fascinating! Thanks for the sneak peek. Hey, there's a copy of Flashlight! It was a Little Crooked Cottage Pick of the Week. These two illustrations are my favorite.

From FLASHLIGHT. Illustration copyright 2014 by Lizi Boyd. From FLASHLIGHT. Illustration copyright 2014 by Lizi Boyd.Thank you, Mr. Pig!

Lizi, who are these characters?

These are old Kokeshi dolls. They were given to me by a second cousin who brought them back from Japan. My favorite one is on the right, this one has a childs’ hands and play in it. It’s slightly worn, its wood color darker, richer, friendlier.

 This is a wall of quick sketches and funny old, wooden architects curls.
 And this is my gazing-out–of-window just above my drawing board.
Oh, I love a good gazing-out-of-window! Now, tell me about him.

He sits just outside the studio windows and works at keeping the calm.
 I have quite a few carved African masks. I love their simplicity and strength.
 This one has such strong, flat colors and design. The masks keep me company.
And these are some characters I made while I was working on an idea for a book. I needed to meet them so I made them. They are still holding back on telling me their whole story but one day when they’re ready they’ll tell me.
They look like they have a lot to share! Lizi, could you please show us what's above your studio?

Sure. Above my studio is our wonderful porch, even in winter it is a good place to take a tea break.
 Lovely! I see some bird tracks down below. Do you?
You're right. About now I feel like both birds crossing paths with myself trying to finish up this book. 
Well, I won't stand in the way of a new Lizi Boyd book. Thanks for giving us a tour of your beautiful studio, Lizi! It's a magical place. 
I didn’t say too much, the noisy me is distracted, But I'm glad you enjoyed the tour of my studio. Thank you, Mr. Pig, for visiting!

About Lizi Boyd Photo: Cary HazlegroveLizi Boyd has written and illustrated many acclaimed children’s books, including Flashlight, Inside Outside, Black Dog Gets Dressed, I Love Grandma, I Love Grandpa, I Love Mommy, and I Love Daddy. 

She also creates papers, ribbons, cards, and other works of delight.  

To learn more about Lizi's work, visit her website.









Praise for Lizi's latest book
FLASHLIGHT
by Lizi Boyd
Chronicle Books, 2014
ISBN 978-1452118949

An NPR Best Book of the Year

* "This elegant book serves to alleviate fear of night noises, instigate talk of nocturnal creatures, or bring calm as a bedtime story." --School Library Journal, starred review


* "A wordless picture book both soothing and gently humorous." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A must-have wordless picture book." --Library Media Connection, starred review
 
"Positively breathtaking. nothing short of brilliant. No book more purely beautiful has appeared this year." --The Boston Globe

"Boyd showcases a child who is fully capable of educating and entertaining himself with only a few simple tools (a camping tent, a flashlight) at his disposal." --Publishers Weekly

"Beneath the sweet, enchanting illustrations . . . lies a deeper reminder about the wonderland that unfolds when one is simply willing to look." --Maria Popova, Brainpickings



Read all of Lizi's books! 




[Top, from left to right: Flashlight, Inside Outside, Black Dog Gets Dressed; Bottom: I Love Daddy, I Love Mommy, I Love Grandma, I Love Grandpa]

Quote of the Week

"Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

--Roald Dahl 





 

Pin it: 

Jory John's Five Favorite Books

When we say Jory John, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it his brand-new book Goodnight Already! that is getting tons of buzz and is totally hilarious? His irreverent sense of humor? His charm? His jois de vivre? All of the above? Yes, us too. 

Which is why we're tickled pink that Jory has shared his FIVE FAVORITE BOOKS with us. If you're looking for great gift ideas for the readers on your list, look no further. Jory's got you covered.



THE TOKYO-MONTANA EXPRESS by Richard Brautigan 

The Tokyo-Montana Express is an amazing book that I've returned to at various stages in my life, a book that's written in short, beautiful bursts of prose, generally bouncing between Brautigan's days spent living in Japan and his life in rural Montana, with a few exceptions (a story set in the Old West, for instance) scattered throughout. A train icon sits above each chapter, meant to connect Brautigan's life stories, filtering his everyday experiences into meaningful, poetic essays about small things that always represent big things. Brautigan is so skilled at taking the most outwardly mundane event — the purchase and installation of a light-bulb in his home office, say — and infusing it with humor, energy, a narrative arc, and meaning. (P.S. While we're here, and if it's not against The Little Crooked Cottage rulebook — and maybe it is, but I like to live on the edge — I'd like to insert Brautigan's Revenge of the Lawn and also Trout Fishing in America into my favorites list as unnumbered bonus features. Everybody OK with that?)


GEORGE AND MARTHA
by James Marshall

I love so many of James Marshall's picture books, but George and Martha — a series about two hapless hippo friends, written and illustrated by Marshall — are my all-time favorites. The hilarious narration, conversations, and deadpan expressions amongst the hippos make me laugh, every single time I open one of these books. They each consist of five or six chapters that circle back around by the end, chronicling a day or two in the lives of two best friends who are also occasionally dishonest or self-absorbed. Not much is ever completely resolved, but I like it that way. And it's not just about the  absurdist jokes — there's plenty of heart here, too. If I'm feeling low, I look for the nearest George and Martha book. And it helps.

- THE PHARMACIST'S MATE
by Amy Fusselman 
I rarely have a copy of The Pharmacist's Mate in my apartment because I'm always giving it out as a gift or, more specifically, I'm placing it in someone's hands as a litmus test to determine whether they're worth spending more time with. The Pharmacist's Mate is so beautifully written,   hilarious, honest and heartbreaking, and packs so much wallop into its endlessly quotable passages. It concerns Fusselman's recent loss of her father — who worked as a pharmacist's mate on a ship in WWII (he documented his time in a journal, which is occasionally excerpted) — along with her attempts to become pregnant. The author covers so much territory, in a relatively short amount of time, which includes life, death, love, marriage, and more, including this passage, which I bring up anytime a favorite quotation is needed: Call-and-response is my favorite song form on earth. It doesn't matter what the words are. It just has to be one voice calling, and then many voices responding, and then one voice calling again, and many voices responding again. I hear that and I almost always start crying immediately. I am not sure why, except that I feel like I have done the call part so many times, both literally and metaphorically, without hearing any reply, that call-and-response is like an aural fantasy for me, a place where no pleas go unanswered, where no questions go unheard. Call and response is what I wish prayer were. OK? Just read it. Thanks.


KAFKA ON THE SHORE 
by Haruki Murakami 

This is a book about acceptance, time passing and memory. It's a book about the choices we make, and how everybody does something they regret, yet they need to move past it or they'll get stuck in that moment. It's also a book about reading, about books and libraries and solitude, about how a character's personal idea of purgatory is having nothing on hand to read. And then it's combined with a steady stream of pop culture references and unexplained metaphysical elements, a Murakami staple. Kafka On the Shore follows two protagonists, alternating their progress — although sometimes it's not completely apparent what they're progressing towards — seeming to build toward a meetup, then digressing completely. After I finished this book, I wrote to somebody important to me — who had actually recommended the book in the first place — and said, "Wouldn't you love to talk to Murakami for a while and try to figure out how he did that? Sheesh!" This book is like a dream you can sort of remember and you try to tell somebody about the next morning, inevitably failing.


HAPPINESS IS A WARM PUPPY  
by Charles M. Schulz 
I thoroughly adore this book, but I'm also including it as an excuse to talk about my love of Charles Schulz and his legendary comic-strip Peanuts. My first artistic love was cartooning and nobody did it better than Schulz, ever. His characters are so fully realized, his writing is so brilliant, his drawings are effortless; even to this day, nearly fifteen years after he died, he constantly wins the comic page. (And yes, he thought of it as a competition.) Somewhat relatedly: one of my favorite pastimes is heading up the Warm Puppy Cafe, which is located inside the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, which Schulz and his wife built in Santa Rosa, CA. It's a fantastic place to sit and drink a Peppermint Patty hot chocolate with whipped cream and — knowing that I'm sitting in the same place that Schulz sat every morning for years, eating his English muffins and drinking coffee — I love to pull out a pen and notepad and take some notes, write some comics, think about all things creative. Schulz has had as big an influence on me as anybody. Now to the matter at hand, Happiness Is a Warm Puppy was a new type of book that didn't really fit into a specific category in 1962. It was sort of meant for children, and kind of a book for adults, with curious dimensions, all rotating around a specific theme: happiness. It featured the Peanuts characters, although only as actors essentially (they never spoke), helping to present the lines on each page. Truly one of my comfort books.
--------------------------------
Jory John is the co-author of The Terrible Two (a new middle-grade series, starting January 2015) and author of the picture books Goodnight Already! and the forthcoming I Will Chomp You! He is also co-author of the national bestseller All My Friends Are Dead and a sequel, among other humor books. Jory conceptualized and edited Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama, which was published on inauguration day. He spent six years as programs director at 826 Valencia, a nonprofit educational center in San Francisco. He also co-created the webcomic Animals Got Problems. Find Jory at joryjohn.com and/or animalsgotproblems.com and on Twitter @joryjohn.

Read Jory's books!


GOODNIGHT ALREADY!
by Jory John
Illustrated by Benji Davies
HarperCollins, December 2014
ISBN 978-006228602

Meet Bear. He's exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep. Meet Duck, Bear's persistent next-door neighbor. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear. A standout hilarious picture book that will make bedtime memorable.

"Both the repartee and the sight gags display excellent timing, making the most of the classic comic tension between a hulking grouch and a diminutive pest. . . . The one thing readers will not say about this book is 'Enough already!'” — Publishers Weekly


THE TERRIBLE TWO
by Jory John and Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Amulet Books, January 2015
ISBN: 978-1419714917

“A double helping of fun and mischief!”
—Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

“Hilarious.”
—Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series
  
“This book is terrible! Terribly funny, terribly full of pranks, and terribly wonderful.”
—Jon Scieszka, author of The Stinky Cheese Man and the Frank Einstein series


ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD.
by Avery Monsen and Jory John
Chronicle Books, 2010
ISBN: 978-0811874557
 
Darkly comic. Funny." — Pop Candy, USA Today

"What a charming way to introduce wee ones to all the downers in life." — crushable.com

"One of the most reblogged things of all time (of all time!) on Tumblr." — urlesque.com

"Laugh out loud funny, and a tiny bit disturbing. In other words, perfect." — The Huffington Post

"Hilariously morbid." — Laughing Squid

Quote of the Week

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!” 

― Neil Gaiman





Pin it:

A Mr. Pig LIVE Christmas Special -- with a cookie recipe & a GIVEAWAY!

Chomp . . . snuffle . . . chomp-- OH, hello! You've caught me taste-testing my freshly baked sugar cookies. They're ready just in time for my special guest, Stephanie Shaw, author of A COOKIE FOR SANTA. She's at my door now. . . .

Welcome, Stephanie!

Wow! The Cottage is so nice and cozy. What’s that I smell? Cookies? Well, thanks, don’t mind if I do!

I brought you some of my Scottish grandmother’s shortbread cookies. These are a big Christmas tradition for my family. They are so coveted that as an adult my mother would hide the ones baked and sent to her by her sister! Apparently, that ‘sharing’ spirit of Christmas did not extend to the shortbread.

Oh, and I also brought along a copy of my new picture book, A COOKIE FOR SANTA and a SIGNED copy to GIVEAWAY to your readers! 



Thanks, Stephanie! Let’s me just the dab the crumbs from my snout, so I can ask you about your adorable book. How did you get the idea for A Cookie for Santa?

It was a warm spring day. . . . No, seriously. I was talking with the illustrator of my first book, Laura Watkins. She was inextricably drawing gingerbread men in the middle of spring. Her agent contacted her and said that Sleeping Bear Press was looking for a Christmas story. Her agent suggested that Laura Skype with me (Laura lives in England) and that we come up with some text and sample art. Then the agent pitched it at BEA.

So, it was an idea that actually came to me via Laura. The publisher eventually went with a different illustrator, and Laura was quite gracious about that.

Did you know from the initial spark of the idea that you wanted to write the piece as an adaptation of the Clement Clarke Moore poem?

Oh no! I wrote two different stories that were in prose. But, they didn’t quite have the spark that I wanted. Then I glanced over at my bookshelf and saw a very old copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I read it thinking I might get all ‘Christmassy’ and WHAM! The first stanza came to me: ‘Twas the night before Christmas// And there on a plate// Was a ginger bread cookie// Awaiting his fate.

After that, everything really came together nicely. You know? It’s like you open the cupboard and waaaaaay in the back is that special canister of cocoa you forget about! Wouldn’t brownies be great?


From A COOKIE FOR SANTA by Stephanie Shaw. Illustration copyright 2014 by Bruno Robert.
Most of your books are written in rhyme. Conventional advice for new writers is always, "Don't submit rhyming manuscripts!" I hear this confounds authors who see rhyming picture books on each new list. What's your take?

I know! “Don’t write rhyme” and “Don’t write holiday books!” Here’s my take on it: Don’t. I mean it. Plot out a really good story first. Because really, that is what the publisher is after.  If you have that and if you are confident you can do rhyme well, then go for it. So, my process is to know where the story is going first.

Of course, there are those doggone rhymes that get a foot in the door and will not go away until you give them a whole story of their own --- I’ve had that happen, too. Rhyming words can be really persistent when they want a story!


From A COOKIE FOR SANTA by Stephanie Shaw. Illustration copyright 2014 by Bruno Robert.
Bruno Robert's illustrations for A Cookie For Santa are lots of fun. Did you have any input into that part of the process after a different illustrator was chosen?

Sleeping Bear Press is an absolute joy to work with. They sent complete sketches to me and asked me about them all the way through. So, even though I didn’t select Bruno (who lives in Normandy, by the way) I felt very included. And, I love so many of the details he added --- like the little gingerbread boy clinging to the tablecloth as the dogs upset the room.

What was your favorite Christmas book to read as a child?

Oh, I’m pretty sure as a child it was a Little Golden Book copy of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.  And, then there was also going to church on Christmas Eve and hearing the Bible story. When I was little, we would go to midnight services. And then (if you as a parent can imagine this) we would hang our stockings, leave out cookies and go to bed. There was not a single other decoration in the house. By morning, Santa had arrived and left a fully decorated tree with gifts! Talk about your Christmas magic!

And you've brought something a bit magical, too! Would you mind giving the Cottagers and our friends at home the recipe for your delicious shortbread cookies?

Of course, Mr. Pig! Thanks for having me. I’d like to wish everyone a very, very Happy Christmas and wildly successful New Year!

[A note from Stephanie: My mother’s family came from Scotland to Canada and then to America. Another Scottish family sponsored them, the Grays who operated a bakery.]

Click on Stephanie's recipe to enlarge it.
 .....................................
About A COOKIE FOR SANTA
by Stephanie Shaw
Illustrated by Bruno Robert
Sleeping Bear Press, 2014
ISBN 978-1585368839
 
“The rhyming verses are pitch-perfect in their cadence. . . . A successful mixture of two classic ingredients yields a sweet Christmas treat." ---Kirkus

"A gingerbread cookie is baked especially for Santa’s visit in this spin on The Night before Christmas. . . . Youngsters will anxiously listen to learn the cookie’s fate."  ---Booklist
  About Stephanie Shaw
Stephanie Shaw is the author of Bedtime in the Meadow, illustrated by Laura Watkins, and the forthcoming picture books Under the Sleepy Stars (Tiger Tales) and The Legend of the Beaver's Tail (Sleeping Bear Press).
In addition to her books, She is also a contributor to Highlights for Children, High Five, and Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, and is a member of SCBWI.

Stephanie lives in McMinnville, Oregon, an area that provides her with lots of weather-related excuses to stay inside reading or writing.

To learn more about Stephanie, visit her website.
From an early age, I had it in mind to draw and play with colours, so much so that I naturally went to the National School of Fine Arts in Caen, France, whith I attended from 1991 to 1995 (option: Visual Communication).
Right after a short stay in the multimedia market, I illustrated my first album for the young Qui tire la langue? published by Magnard, in 2002. Some more commissions followed and I have had books published by du Ricochet, Les Editions Hemma, Fleurus, Larousse, Atlas, Hachette Children’s Books, Child’s Play, Wayland, Milan Jeunesse, Magnard Scolaire, Editions Sed…
Moreover, I work for the young children's press: Wakou (Milan Presse), Mille et une Histoires and Arc en Ciel (Fleurus Presse). I also work for publishing agencies and administrations.
While I am illustrating a story, I think up a funny and coloured world with a hint of tenderness. I work with acrylic paint and sometimes on a computer.
I live and work in Normandy (France) where I was born.
- See more at: http://www.childs-play.com/illustrato... an early age, I had it in mind to draw and play with colours, so much so that I naturally went to the National School of Fine Arts in Caen, France, whith I attended from 1991 to 1995 (option: Visual Communication).
Right after a short stay in the multimedia market, I illustrated my first album for the young Qui tire la langue? published by Magnard, in 2002. Some more commissions followed and I have had books published by du Ricochet, Les Editions Hemma, Fleurus, Larousse, Atlas, Hachette Children’s Books, Child’s Play, Wayland, Milan Jeunesse, Magnard Scolaire, Editions Sed…
Moreover, I work for the young children's press: Wakou (Milan Presse), Mille et une Histoires and Arc en Ciel (Fleurus Presse). I also work for publishing agencies and administrations.
While I am illustrating a story, I think up a funny and coloured world with a hint of tenderness. I work with acrylic paint and sometimes on a computer.
I live and work in Normandy (France) where I was born.
- See more at: http://www.childs-play.com/illustrato...
FOR A COPY OF A COOKIE FOR SANTA SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR PLEASE TELL US YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW!
* ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 17th! *

The Little Crooked Bookshelf

This week's pick is by Cottager: Kara LaReau

Little Blue Truck's Christmas
by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
-
What it's all about . . .
Beep! Beep! Beep! Little Blue is back, and he has a big job to do — delivering Christmas trees!

Why it’s on the Crooked Bookshelf . . .
We’re big fans of Little Blue (and his previous adventures, Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, and we’re thrilled he’s on the road again!

Our favorite lines . . .
Five green trees
make one big load.
”Beep!” says Blue. “Lets hit the road!”

Our favorite illustration . . .

From LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS. Copyright 2014 by Jill McEllmurry.
Why kids will love it . . .
Whether or not they’re already “True Blue” fans, kids will be delighted by his latest adventure, which features a lesson in counting AND a twinkling Christmas tree on the final spread!

Why grown-ups will love it . . .
Playful rhyming text, terrific illustrations, and a story infused with holiday spirit and goodwill.

Quote of the Week

"A book can do so much for you if you take it to heart, keep it on your shelves and let it live in your imagination."

—Nina Laden, author of Once Upon A Memory














Pin it!