PPBF: Who Wants Broccoli?

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Who Wants Broccoli?, first in a series by Val Jones

Who Wants Broccoli?
Written and Illustrated by Val Jones

 HarperCollins, 2015
Grade K-3


Themes:
Animals, Fitting In

Opening:

"A hodgepodge of pets lived at Beezley's Animal Shelter. There were hamsters and guinea pigs and parrots and bunnies and kittens and turtles and...Broccoli."

Synopsis:
Broccoli is a big, crazy dog with a big, loud bark. He needs a home, but which is right for him? Broccoli thinks he knows. But when his antics become too much for the owner of  Beezley's Animal Shelter, Mrs. Beezley has to remove him from view. It will take all of Broccoli's unique talents to match him with the right owner before it's too late. Kid-pleasing humor and hidden details make this a book to pore over again and again.


What I Love:
Whoopeee! I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Val Jones's first picture book, Who Wants Broccoli? so I could share it with you! Isn't that a great title? Not only is Val's story fun and clever, but it has a dual purpose. She wants everyone to consider rescuing a dog or other pet from a shelter, especially pets like Broccoli whose age or quirks make them a challenge for some families. They might not be the right fit for everyone, but they are the perfect fit for ONE SPECIAL family. Get to know a prospective pet's personality. Take him on a play-date. Rescue pets usually have a unique aura of gratitude about them which makes them irreplaceable.



Bonus: 

Meet the author / illustrator, Val Jones!

1. Join us at the launch party at Towne Book Center & Cafe, Collegeville, NJ, on June 20 at 3pm. Bring pet food for the local shelter and receive 10% off the price of the book!
2. Check out Val's artwork for SCBWI-EPA on my Fresh Talent feature. Remember when?
3. Volunteer at a shelter near you or organize a supply drive.
4. Donate to Hope For Paws, Blue Chip Farm, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue or the SPCA.
5. Happy and Simple features a great recipe for home-made doggie treats.
6. Treat the kids, too with a recipe for puppy chow.
7. My kids adore this easy roasted broccoli recipe from The Amateur Gourmet.
8. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Rhythm

Reviewed by Cathy

Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanna

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Sue

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for June 12, 2015 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

K is for Kelly Murphy

K is for Kelly Murphy*

Oops! "K" should have posted yesterday. So sorry.

I hope you can still enjoy this art spotlight a day late. Thanks for your patience.

I love to browse the library and bookstore shelves for hidden gems. I confess, I still prefer to judge a book by its cover. (I'm pretty good at judging by the spine too!) Anyway, One day about 8 years ago, I spotted this little beauty. Ooooo, how that cover made me grab it from the shelf and dive between the covers.

At the Sign of the Star,
by Katherine Sturtevant.
Cover by Kelly Murphy

I loved this book. Set in England in the late 1600's, this novel follows the bookish life of 12-year old Meg. She may be a bit of a feminist, but the characters, settings, and historical details made this an engaging read.


It turned out the cover was painted by Kelly Murphy. I didn't know her back then, but you'd be hard pressed not to know her now.  Below you'll find a few of her more heralded projects.

The Miniature World of
Marvin & James,
by Elise Broach 

The Mouse With
the Question Mark Tail,
by Richard Peck

Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters,
by Jane Yolen

It is no surprise that Kelly's signature style has been honored by the Society of Illustrators, and that her books have garnered so much attention. Neither should it surprise you that she counts Edward Gorey and Shaun Tan among her heroes. Take a look at these fantastic pen and ink illustrations.

Kelly Murphy from Behind the Bookcase

 

Courtesy Kelly Murphy

You can hear more about Kelly's work on Mark Steensland's Behind the Bookcase.




You can find another interesting interview including her process at EMU's Debuts.

Of course, Kelly has her cuddly side too.

Mother's Day Card, by Kelly Murphy

Visit her at www.kelmurphy.com/

*Follow the A to Z Challenge.

E is for Erwin Madrid

E is for Erwin Madrid*

You may not know his name, but chances are you've read one of his books. I can almost guarantee you've seen his creative handiwork.

Erwin Madrid

Illustrator, designer

Have you read this?

The May Bird series,
by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Or this?

Destiny Rewritten,
by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Or this?

The Prairie Thief,
by Melissa Wiley

How about these?

Goblin Secrets,
by William Alexander

The Wide-Awake Princess,
by E. D. Baker

Judy Moody and Friends,
by Megan McDonald

Have you watched these?

Ever Played this?

Then you've seen Erwin Madrid's magic touch. Check out all the fabulous work on his website. You can find more of his cover art, his movie ties, as well as fantasy paintings, fine art, and a graphic novel. Don't forget to stop by and let this unsung hero know you're a fan.


* Follow the A to Z Challenge

Fresh Talent Needs Your Feedback

Courtesy Jo Rioux

It's been months since the last Fresh Talent post, where I highlight an illustrator you may not have heard of before. In 2014, I'd like to spend Saturdays a bit differently.

This year, you'll see

• Fresh Talent - lesser known illustrators, or artists from other art fields who have something to teach us in children's books
• Picture Book Influences - Illustrators of the past whose work informs my own
• Where Are They Now? - interviews with Fresh Talent artists of the past, to see how they've grown and where their careers have taken them

Saturdays are for you, so I'd love to hear your suggestions. Which illustrators would you like me to spotlight? What other subjects would you like to see featured here? In what ways does studying other illustrators' work help you? Send me your ideas. I'd love to link back to you. Maybe I'll even start a pinboard for your Fresh Talent suggestions.


Here is a list of all the Fresh Talent artists we've featured, or you can click the "Fresh Talent" label at the bottom of this post. Thanks for stopping by!

Courtesy Lina Dudaite

Rebecca Evans
Jennifer Meyer
Jo Rioux
Mike Lawrence
Alice Ratterree
Beth Bogert
Elisa Kwon
Lina Dudaite
Neiko Ng
Erin Kelso
Catherine Borodacheva
Amanda Kastner
Julia Sarda

Courtesy Michelle Henninger

Emily Thon
Val Jones
Marcela Staudenmaier
Therese Cilia
Kim Kincaid
Iloria Falorsi
Leen Christens
Elina Ellis
Kei Acedera
Michelle Henninger
Aurelie Neyret
Renne Benoit
Mardi Speth
Kelley McMorris
Joie Brown
Katie Kath
Jane Heinrichs

Courtesy Beth Bogert 

Illustrator, Jane Heinrichs

Oops! This didn't post Saturday. Please forgive my lateness, we were recharging on a camping vacation. NO INTERNET!!!!! It was so refreshing. So without further ado . . .

Courtesy Jane Heinrichs

International illustrator Jane Heinrichs makes her home on three continents. Her work has been published by numerous educational publishers. Her picture book, Magic at the Museum was short-listed for the Manitoba Book Awards "Best Illustrated Book of 2008."

Courtesy Jane Heinrichs

You can buy Jane's prints on Etsy, or follow her blog as she travels the globe.
She uses traditional materials, pen and ink with watercolor, often featuring characters in  historic costume.

Lovely and luminescent, Jane Heinrichs's illustrations glow with color. Her characters charm. Her whimsy makes me smile. She employs pattern like another color on the wheel.

Like many of us, Jane struggled with the validity of her ambition to illustrate. Fortunately for the publishing world, she was in the right place at the right time during the London Book Fair last April. Find out her good news here.

Courtesy Jane Heinrichs

Fresh Talent, Katie Kath

Welcome to the Saturday illustrator spotlight on Bookish Ambition.

Courtesy Katie Kath

Two weeks ago, I featured illustrator, Kelly McMorris, whom I found while schmoozing with the online kidlit community.

In my research, I discovered she had been chosen for the SIS. It seemed only fitting to feature the other recipient of the 2013 summer scholarship, Katie Kath right before the LA conference.

Katie Kath's Mia

Katie is no less deserving of our attention here. Her style is playful and, well, fresh. Her simplicity doesn't seem forced. That is no small feat.

Katie is multi-dimensional, but I think her children's art shines brightest. She interjects emotion and energy into her drawings with minimal line. Her palette is very limited.

Perusal of her blog reveals she struggles with developing style and direction, just like many of us, but what impresses (and inspires) me when I scan her portfolio is the timelessness of her art. When I look at her cavorting kids, I see Marylin Hafner or Quentin Blake. The simple realism is honest, like Aliki with a touch of Jan Ormerod and a dash of Erik Blegvad.

Sketchbook page courtesy Katie Kath

Y'know, this is one of the best parts of my week. I love, love, love finding new artists and exploring their work. I encounter scores of people each month. The hardest part is deciding who to feature next. I try to post a mix of ages, backgrounds, and countries of origin. I can be inspired by style, color palette, technique, creativity, or backstory. I love an underdog. There are just so many artists who inspire me! What about you? Who inspires you? What grabs your attention when you sift through a sea of images?

Fresh Talent Joie Brown

There is a lot to be learned from studying the techniques of artists in the film industry. Background designers know how to keep the focus on the action. Character designers know how to keep their characters both distinctive and consistent. Color stylists use color to tell a story, not as mere decoration. Story boards are essentially book dummies. And animators have long understood the importance of silhouette.

Joie Brown specializes in visual development, but she is also a talented storyteller.  Anyone who can envision the tale of a gummy pig lost in a primeval world of sweets,  threatened by a Candysaur, deserves some attention. I hope she inspires you too.

Confrontation, courtesy Joie Brown

Illustrator, Kelley McMorris

Happy Saturday!! I love finding new and interesting illustration by people I have never heard of. I guess it gives me courage.

Island of the Blue Dolphins,
courtesy Kelley McMorris

Enter Kelley McMorris. Kelley's goal since graduation is to delve into the world of children's books. I don't think it'll take her very long to find an agent, a publisher, and a following. Her style is classic. I love her sense of color and her technique. Kelley's sensibilities seem to shine through each piece. I sense optimism in her illustrations, and I'm feeling rather optimistic this weekend.
You can check her progress on her blog or read an interesting interview on Chaos Magazine.

Don't forget to forward your favorite illustrator finds. I am always on the lookout for the next featured artist.

Wild Swans retelling by Kelley McMorris

Courtesy Kelley McMorris

Artist Mardi Speth

Peet and Buttercup, Courtesy Mardi Speth

Mardi Speth is a talented artist and designer based in California. She posts regularly to Illustration Friday. On her blog, MardiArt, she showcases the adventures of her characters Peet and Buttercup.

I love the finished quality of her watercolors. Watercolor is a challenging medium. It is a balance between what you want to paint and what the paint wants to do. Mardi's work is refreshing because it isn't overworked. She has lovely areas of dark, washy areas, and often adds detail without ink or pencil line. Look carefully, and you'll see she rarely paints areas of flat color. The variety in tone, hue, and texture is the element that takes these whimsical paintings to a more professional level.

I admire the storytelling aspect of each Peet and Buttercup piece. It is easy for me to focus on characterization in my personal work and forget to build in a story aspect which makes the viewer want to linger in the illustration and keeps them thinking about the piece long after they've turned the page.

At El Pollo Del Mar, courtesy Mardi Speth

I hope the depth and variety in Mardi's work inspires you. Let that creative spirit loose!

Cultivate, by Mardi Speth

 










Don't forget to enter my first official picture book giveaway!

Renne Benoit, Illustrator

From Lily and the Paper Man, by Rebecca Upjohn,
illustrations by Renne Benoit

Okay, I've cheated again. Renne Benoit is no new talent on the picture book scene. But most of her books are published by Canadian houses, so I thought it would be a good idea to feature her here.

From Fraser Bear,
by Maggie de Vries,
art by Renne Benoit

The truth is, I found one of her books through Perfect Picture Book Friday, and was so blown away by her striking colors and technique, that I needed an excuse to shout about her work.
In fact, I'm going to let her work speak for itself. Enjoy!

Tea Party, courtesy Renne Benoit

From Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion, by Jane Barclay and Renne Benoit

Illustrator Aurelie Neyret

Aurelie is a well published illustrator, but you probably aren't familiar with her work. Most of her illustrations are published in French, from trading cards to textbooks. Her work in conceptual design is highly regarded.

The Wish Tree, courtesy Aurelie Neyret

Visit her website, Clochette, or her blog, to see the latest of her creations. You used to be able to buy a DVD of her character design process, but I'm not sure it's still available (and it's in French.)
You'll find an excellent interview on TheToolsArtistsUse.com about her digital technique.

Les Carnets de Cerise
 by Joris Chamblain
 and Aurelie Neyret 

I first fell in love with Les Carnets de Cerise (Cherry's Notebooks) when I chanced to see it on Pinterest, though I didn't know much about the artist then.

Her work for Histoire Junior and Toboggan magazine is consistently a treat.

In addition, I highly recommend you look up her ink illustrations for Tristan and Isolde and basically anything else of hers which you can find. You won't be disappointed.

Bedtime is Cancelled, by Cece Meng
 and Aurelie Neyret

Most people now know her from Bedtime is Cancelled, written by Cece Meng and published by Clarion late last year. Hooray!

Farewell Lucille, courtesy Aurelie Neyret