YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE Book Trailer!

View fullsize

Acchoooooo!…I mean, Yippee! My book trailer for YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE! just went live! Feel free to watch and share. :^)

Written by Sharon G. Flake and illustrated by me, SNEEZE is the sequel to YOU ARE NOT A CAT! featuring the same kooky duo of Cat and Duck as they navigate the world and the hiccups (sneezes?) that friendship can bring. Written completely in dialogue, it’s perfect as a read aloud, and for kids who are starting to read on their own. YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE! is available for pre-order now, and will be out in February 2024.

If you’d like a sneak peek at some of the interior art, I’ve posted some images in the books section of my site.

View fullsize

Speaking of YOU ARE NOT A CAT!, Astra Publishing House is also releasing a paperback edition to coincide with the publication of SNEEZE. And guess what? It’s also available for pre-order. Many thanks for my editor, Rebecca Davis and art director, Barbara Grzeslo and the whole team at Astra for bringing our book to life. And a special thanks goes to the amazing Sharon Flake for her wonderful, hilarious words!

"Storytelling Through Drawing" at the Highlights Foundation

This October, I’ll be co-leading an intensive workshop for illustrators alongside some superstars of children’s literature at the Highlights Foundation in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. I just about jumped out of my seat when my friend, James Ransome asked me to join him in developing a weekend of drawing, experimentation, demonstrations, and critiques. We will be working with illustrators of all skill levels, helping them with strategies to push their work to the next level.

On top of all that, we’ve got an amazing roster of guest faculty in Sean Qualls, Lucy Ruth Cummins, and Jerry Pinkney. Here’s the description on the Highlights website:

Explore the elements of storytelling through drawing, experimentation, and problem solving with picture making materials. Craft your own artistic style with leading industry professionals illustrators James Ransome, Anna Raff and their special guests during an intensive weekend of one-to-one critique and discovery to expand your illustration practice.

I had an amazing time during my first visit to Highlights a few years ago for an “Unworkshop” with a group of kidlit colleagues. The place is simply gorgeous—perfectly conducive and full of quiet spaces for honing your craft. And did I mention it will be October? With a little luck, the fall colors will be at their peak. There are still a few spots open, if you’d like to join us for "Storytelling Through Drawing: Discovering Your Visual Voice and Style.”

The IF I WERE A KANGAROO Book Trailer

If I were a kangaroo, I'd pick you up and carry you In my pocket, sleepyhead, And hop you gently off to bed. It's time for sleep, and this fun-to-read rhyming tale envisions the bedtime rituals of animals from whales to otters, squirrels to gorillas. So curl up, imagine your favorite animal, and...zzzzzzzzzzz.

It's hard to believe that one month from tomorrow (April 4th) my next picture book, IF I WERE A KANGAROO will be in stores! It seems like yesterday that I was researching sleepy baby animals, such as otters, bats, and wolf spiders.

Earlier this week, generous kidlit ambassador Mr. Schu (Mr. Schu Reads) premiered the trailer I made (also seen above), and shared an interview between author Mylisa Larsen and myself. The two of us have yet to meet in person, but this virtual meeting was a terrific way to start. You can read the interview here. We talk a bit about our creative processes, and I shared my most hilarious bit of art direction, ever.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy of IF I WERE A KANGAROO, click here, or here. It arrives in time for Easter, Passover, and Mothers Day! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

Wrapping Up 2016

2016 is almost a wrap! It was a year full of books, art, festivals, teaching, and my first nErDcamp. It started with the release of A Big Surprise for Little Card, and The Wrong Side of the Bed early in the year, and You Are Not a Cat! in October. Also, I got married(!) and had a BIG birthday……you do the math! 😉

My year is ending with a flurry of super, fun school visits. In kidlit, there are few things more rewarding than sharing a book that you (and your author and publisher) have labored over (usually in solitude) with a group of kids, and experiencing their reactions first hand. As you can see above, I had a pretty good time earlier this week sharing You Are Not a Cat! with a bunch of kindergarteners. During this visit, I also made a funny discovery about the case cover I painted for the book. Yes, this is the same case cover that won an Undies Award last month…yippee! Maybe everyone else realized this right off the bat, but you know…sometimes you are so deep in a project, you can't see what you've done. All I have to say is, DUH! So, it's a costume too!

2017 starts off with the release in late January of Magnets Push, Magnets Pull, my third collaboration with David A. Adler, and the lovely folks at Holiday House. I'm hoping to share a short trailer for the book in a couple of weeks, so stayed tuned. Our previous collaborations were Junior Library Guild Selections, and I think this one is the best yet. And I just turned in first sketches for our fourth book about light waves—the official title and release date, still to be determined. I've learned so much while illustrating this series. Not bad for a kid who had absolutely no interest in science growing up.

April 2017 also brings the release of If I Were a Kangaroo written by Mylisa Larsen and published by Viking Children's Books. Earlier in the year, I'll be sharing a bit of the art, in addition to a trailer. Last but not least, I am about to start sketching a new picture book—my third with the wonderful Candlewick Press.

Speaking of trailers, I love making them (here's a sample) and would be happy to help other illustrator and authors who have no idea how to go about it. But more on that in a few weeks. In the meantime, I wish you and yours Happy Holidays, and a very happy and healthy new year!