Follow the Path! 24 incredible illustrators and artists have picked their favorite scenes and characters from HARBINGER to give you a taste of Faye’s world. Each week, in the gallery at the Holbrook Academy website, a new illustration will unlock… SWE: Hi Amy, I love this introduction to Kel from Harbinger. Can you tell us [...]
Harbinger Extra: Joan Charles- Interview with the Artist
November 3, 2011 – 1:10 am
Follow the Path! 24 incredible illustrators and artists have created Harbinger-inspired artwork to give you a taste of Faye’s world (and to generally rub it in that they’ve all read Harbinger and you haven’t!) Each week, on the Holbrook Academy website, one picture will unlock, and a new picture will go up under lock and [...]
Harbinger Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
October 27, 2011 – 12:50 am
Today the first Harbinger extras are revealed! 24 incredible illustrators and artists have created Harbinger-inspired artwork to give you a taste of Faye’s world (and to generally rub it in that they’ve all read Harbinger and you haven’t!) Follow the Path! Each week, on the Holbrook Academy website, one picture will unlock, and a new [...]
Covers and Christmas Decorations
December 2, 2010 – 11:55 am
I’ve been thinking a lot about decorations recently. It might have something to do with the fact that stores started decorating for Christmas way back around Halloween. Or maybe it’s cause I’ve been drinking eggnog for 3 weeks already. But yesterday, I took a break from writing and we put up lights and blasted holiday [...]
SCBWI Conference ’09
August 13, 2009 – 8:43 pm
Another SCBWI Summer Conference come and gone! This year, I won’t bother to summarize what happened, since that’s already done so beautifully by the SCBWI ‘Team Blog.’ Thanks you guys! Instead, I’ll give an illustrated version of a few moments that really struck me. I’ve stolen most of the beautiful pictures and illustrations from other [...]
Comic-Con 2009
July 30, 2009 – 2:18 pm
Mid-July always feels like christmas to me. That is, if Santa was a Trekkie who loved kids’ books. July means Comic-Con and right on its heels comes the SCBWI Summer Conference. I can’t imagine any two events more saturated with great minds, creative talent, and genuine inspiration. So it was with a huge grin on [...]
Summer (conference) Reading
July 22, 2009 – 11:37 am
When I was a kid, my library, like many others, had a summer reading program. Every book I read racked up points towards stickers or McDonalds french fries or, my most coveted prize of all, the knotted pencil. How did they even do that?? It was the highlight of my summer and I always read [...]
Field Trip!
July 15, 2009 – 5:57 pm
There’s nothing like a field trip to break out of the routine and make some trouble. Today, a group of illustrator/writer friends of mine packed our lunches, got on the bus, and descended upon the best kids’ book store in LA. And by “the bus,” I mean our gumless, bully-free cars. And by “packed our [...]
Books of the Week: Illustrators
December 17, 2007 – 10:15 am
I’m constantly delighted by the illustrations in the picture books I’ve been reading. Here are a few illustrators that have really captured my imagination. Dan Yaccarino (Every Friday, Trashy Town) Mark Teague (How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, The Secret Shortcut) David Shannon (No, David, Duck on a Bike) Steve Jenkins (Move, Actual Size) David Wiesner [...]
Words VS Pictures
December 10, 2007 – 1:08 pm
My friend, Tonilyn, asked me the other day if I thought illustrations and text were a 50/50 partnership in picture books. Hmmm…. lets find out. Fight! Illustrations can make or break a picture book. You cannot have a great book without great pictures. Mediocre Text + Fantastic Pictures= Good Book Fantastic Text + Mediocre Pictures= [...]
One for my baby and one more (page turn) for the road
November 20, 2007 – 6:04 pm
That last page can make or break a story. At the SCBWI Schmooze the other day, someone asked what I was learning from the Great Picture Book Read of ’07. So here’s the biggest thing. It’s not enough to have a good story. You must have a great ending. A ‘sweet’ last page ends up [...]
Max Dare and the fantabulific picture book
October 11, 2007 – 5:00 am
Adam Rex (aka Max Dare… if you like anagrams) gets a gold star and a gazillionbillion exclamation marks. And maybe, even, a couple of smiley faces. His picture book, Pssst!, is wonderful, fabulous, and so very, very funny. The style of his pictures, the hilarious details, the surprise of the story blow me away. It [...]
Books of the Week: Caldecott Books
October 5, 2007 – 4:30 am
It’s unusual for a book from the 40′s to still be on the bookstore shelves, but Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is an exception. Not just because of its timeless story, but also because of its Caldecott Medal. The Caldecott is given each year “to the artist of the most distinguished American picture [...]
Evil Genius Husband
August 12, 2007 – 8:36 pm
Militant Slugs. Mutant Giraffes. Amoeba Teachers. This is what Today’s Artists are thinking, dreaming, and drawing about. Or at least the unbalanced people at Rhythm and Hues Studios. Tony’s joined a collection of artists from work who look their creative sides straight in the eye and say, ‘Um…hello?’ Each week, ‘The Drawing Board‘ illustrates a [...]
