Showing posts with label Simple Machines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simple Machines. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

What’s News with Me . . .

It’s been a busy spring at my drawing board, which explains the silence on this page. Here are a few of the things that I have brewing…

Once again, I’ll be teaching illustration at the School of Visual Arts Summer Residency in June. There’s still time to apply, if you are making summer plans, and would like to study with a great group of industry professionals (led by the venerable Viktor Koen) while exploring New York City. For more information, click here.

Simple Machines received a terrific review from Booklist. Here’s a favorite tidbit: “The charming illustrations, featuring children, adults, and even a cat, enhance the impact of the message by depicting a small community going about their lives and using simple machines to make work easier.” You can order Simple Machines here.
Cue the confetti drop! The final art for A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Harper is done! I’m really excited about this book, due out in spring 2016 from World Rat Day publisher, Candlewick Press. What a pleasure it was working with Charise, art director Ann Stott, and editor Mary Lee Donovan.

Also due out in spring 2016, is The Wrong Side of the Bed, by Lisa M. Bakos, to be published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, with pictures by me. It’s a hilarious story about a thoroughly bad day, with an equally hilarious resolution. When I turn in the art, I’m certain I’ll be doing something like this guy here.

And last, but not least—due out this fall will be Zora’s Zucchini, my second collaboration with Sylvia’s Spinach author Katherine Pryor, to be published by Readers to Eaters. It has been a long, dreary winter in New York City this year, so having some bright summer colors on my desk is kind of nice. Also, a good reminder to eat my veggies.


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

SIMPLE MACHINES is a JLG Selection


I’m very happy to announce that SIMPLE MACHINES has been named a Junior Library Guild Selection. Now if I could just find the other pin I received for THINGS THAT FLOAT… I could fashion myself a fine set of earrings.


Thursday, January 29, 2015

Simple Machines — now available


Did you know that your teeth are wedges? Or that a screw is just an inclined plane wrapped around a straight metal nail? Until I started working on this project, I hadn’t given it much thought. But, wow!

The second collaboration between the prolific David A. Adler and me is now available. SIMPLE MACHINES explains the workings of wedges, wheels, levers, pulleys in our everyday lives, and how they make little tasks easier.

As with our award-winning THINGS THAT FLOAT AND THINGS THAT DON’T, I created a simple visual story that takes place behind the scenes of the main text. Below are a few of my favorite images, and detail of a character who doesn’t play much of a role other than to amuse me.

Thanks again to the lovely folks at Holiday House for creating this fun and rewarding partnership of words and pictures.