Sunday, March 11, 2018

Favorite Picture Books of 2017

Out of the hundreds of 2017 picture books my son and I read these ones stood out the most. They are the books that made us laugh so hard Sam snorted milk out his nose. They are the books that spontaneously inspired profound discussions. They are the books with illustrations that took our breath away. So without further ado...here are the best of 2017.



Sam’s Top 5 Favorite
Tyranosaurus Rex vs. Edna – Douglas Rees and Jed Henry
Read the Book Lemmings! – Amy Dykman and Zachariah O-Hora
What the Dinosaurs Did at School –  Refe & Susan Tuma
Through the Window – Taro
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse – Mac Barnett, and Jon Klassen


My Top 5 Favorite
Out of Wonder – Ekua Holmes – Kwame Alexander
Mighty Moby – Ed Young, Barbara Dacosta
The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet – Carmen Agra Deedy and Eugene Yelchin
Letters to a Prisoner – Jacques Goldstyn
The World is Not a Rectangle – Jeanette Winter

Saturday, March 3, 2018

An Anniversary Illustration

When Mae Suramek, entrepreneur and founder of Noodle Nirvana, approached me requesting an illustration for her parent's anniversary I responded with a very enthusiastic"YES"even though the deadline was only two weeks away which can to be tricky as a mother working a full time day job.

The day Mae sent me the photograph of her parents from the 1970's I knew instantly that this was going to be a fantastic illustration. The colors, the motion, the classic white suit and gorgeous flowered dress, and most of all their body language, a clear expression of love, tenderness, and joy, these factors combined provided the best subject material an artist could ask for. I couldn't wait to get started.


I began that very afternoon, bringing loose scraps of paper and a mechanical pencil to the park. As my 6 year old son played on the playground I drew. A young girl looked over my shoulder as I sketched and said, "That's good. Your good. Let me know when you're done so I can see how good it is." And then scampered off to join the others on the playground.


My favorite part of an illustration is when I get to decide on what colors I'm going to use. I spread pieces of scrapbook paper across the floor looking for the ones that jump out at me and beg to be included. I usually tend to go with more earthy and neutral tones, but this piece called for bolder and brighter colors. 


Thank you Mae, for trusting me with this project. They were a gorgeous couple 46 years ago and they are a gorgeous couple now. It has been an honor.