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.

Rizzoli, Rats and Raffs

On the heels of the big World Rat Day event at Rizzoli, I did a little traveling, so this post is over a week late. Still, I wanted to share a few photos—it was a fantastic turnout! Thanks to everyone who was there, bought books, and helped celebrate Poetry Month. And special thanks to the great people at Rizzoli—especially publicist Meg Parsont—and Candlewick for providing the bubbly and the big poster for the store window! Boy was my hand tired by the end, but in a really good way.

"I love your book muc."

About a week ago I received what may be the best thank you card ever. In an earlier post, I wrote about my visit to a kindergarten class in Brooklyn late last year for some coloring and a presentation of Sylvia’s Spinach. It’s such a delight to have this gorgeous, oversized card full of creative portraits of me and scenes from the book, now prominently displayed in my living room. I wish I could share all the drawings here—see below for a selection. 

Some kids chose to draw me in the middle of my opening anecdote. I told them about how much I loved to draw at their age, but had a hard time remembering where mustaches should be placed on a face—above the nose, below the mouth? Interpretations of my confusion can be seen in their drawings.

A reciprocal thank you goes out to my buddy Cooper’s teachers, and to his parents Matthew and Lori for organizing the event with this great group of kids, and for buying each of them a copy of the book!

k-1, p.s. 372 – brooklyn

I had a great time last week, taking Sylvia’s Spinach on the road to the K-1 class at P.S. 372 in Brooklyn. This being my first appearance at a kindergarten since the Nixon administration, I was a little bit nervous. The kids were terrific and very enthusiastic, sharing their thoughts on favorite vegetables, gardening and showing off some creative coloring.

I want to extend a huge thanks to Lori and Matthew Richmond for organizing the visit and for buying every student in the class a copy of the book! Also a very special thanks to their son Cooper, who introduced me and showed great restraint in not giving away the end of the book—which he’d already read a few times. 

(photos by Matthew Richmond :^)

a review and a school visit preview

The Sylvia’s Spinach road show has thus far been concentrated on the West Coast featuring its author, the wonderful Katherine Pryor. Next week, I head to Brooklyn for my very first school visit to a  kindergarten class, armed with markers, coloring pages and a lot of nerves. But more on that in a future post.

In the meantime, today I received one of the best reviews I think I’ll ever see in my career. Here’s what Cooper, age 5 3/4 had to say after a first reading:

“Mommy, I want another Anna Raff book now!”

With a little luck, he’s got a future at Kirkus. Thanks Coop and Lori!

Sylvia’s Spinach - developing character

With the publication of Sylvia’s Spinach this month, I thought it might be fun to share some thoughts on the main character’s development.

When I first started sketching Sylvia, three words came to mind: spunk, attitude, and sweetness. Author Katherine Pryor created a feisty girl with serious opinions. And I didn’t want her to be too girly—she needed to be hip, to appeal to a range of kids around her age.

Clothing adds lots of solutions to convey character. At first, Sylvia’s clothes were a bit too fussy and dated. Once I decided she’d wear some Ugg-like boots throughout, things began to come together.

I also wanted to be sure the color of her clothing reflected her attitude toward spinach. At the beginning of the story, her outfits are decidedly not green. As she warms up to the vegetable, touches of green are slowly introduced into her wardrobe.

One of the last decisions I made was about her hair. I have curly hair, and perhaps that’s why I enjoy drawing it so much, but it became distracting. In the end, I went with straight hair to give Sylvia a more serious attitude.

And here she is, in all her glory. If you haven’t seen the book trailer yet, you can view it here. And if you want a copy of the book, you can buy it here. Now, go eat your vegetables!

the official Sylvia’s Spinach book trailer!

Here she is, in all her glory! As I mentioned in my previous post, the pub date for Sylvia’s Spinach has been moved up a few weeks. In anticipation, I made a book trailer. 

Written by Katherine Pryor and published by Seattle-based Readers to Eaters, Sylvia tells the story of a picky eater who learns to try something new through the experience of her school garden. 

Despite a steep learning curve with Adobe After Effects, I had a great time making the trailer and hope it captures Sylvia’s spirit. Speaking of which, in my next post, I’ll share a little bit about the evolution of the main character.

sylvia’s spinach...almost here!

Hey! It turns out Sylvia’s Spinach will arrive in bookstores a little earlier than expected! In fact, books will be available in time for Food Day on October 24th. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “But Anna, everyday is food day!” Anyways......

In social media news, author Katharine Pryor has set up a Facebook page which may be to your liking. There you’ll learn about events scheduled around the publication of the book by publisher Readers to Eaters, as well as see a few things I’ll be sharing, such as my first, ever book trailer! Coming soon, to a screen near you. 

late summer book update

It’s been a while since I posted an update on my ongoing book projects, so here goes...

In July, I signed with Holiday House to illustrate a non-fiction picture book by the prolific David A. Adler, and I’m having a great time with the water-related theme. It has also been a welcome distraction from the dreadful, hot weather in NYC this summer.

Sylvia’s Spinach is due in stores this November, but if you want to get a jump on your shopping, it’s available for pre-order here.

The lovely folks at Candlewick sent me proofs of World Rat Day the other day, which was a thrill. I’m really loving how the book has turned out, and can’t wait to share some images when the time is right. The same holds true about pre-ordering this book—that is, if you really want to get a jump on your shopping for 2013. Here’s where to go. The official pub date for World Rat Day is March 12th, so you’ll have to wait a while longer to see what this gang of rat butchers is running from.

In other news, the “Cooking with Kids” section of the current issue of Kiwi Magazine teaches kids how to flour a cookie cutter! Surely, a vital life skill, if there ever was one. Next issue’s lesson is bit more challenging, but more on that later. One step at a time...

taking it on the Rhode - see you @ ICON7

It’s been a very busy spring. What with my scant bird posts since the end of April (aka Chicken Month), and my infrequent updates to this page one might think it more of a silent spring. Far from it...

I’ve been at work finishing up the art for J. Patrick Lewis’s World Rat Day, (due to be released by Candlewick in March 2013), and preparing for this year’s ICON7, the big illustration conference in Providence, RI later this month. Also I’m participating in ICON’s Rhode Show Bazaar on the evening of Friday, June 15th. The show is open to the public, so come on out if you’re in the area. A great group of illustrators will be displaying portfolios and selling their wares.

My table (lucky #23 - for all you Michael Jordan fans out there) will feature a first glimpse at Sylvia’s Spinach by Katherine Pryor, a picture book I had the pleasure of illustrating. My publisher, Philip Lee, has generously granted me permission to show it off, even though it won’t be published until later this fall.

In addition, I’ll be hawking hand-painted kid’s shirts, books, and some Ornithoblogical products including—by popular demand—a magnet featuring “Mixer,” last seen in American Illustration 30. I know what you’re thinking...your refrigerator is naked without one.

See you in Providence!

a long overdue web update

Yes, it’s been a while, but I finally updated my website. Look for lots of new work in ‘children’s’ and a few pieces in ‘grown-ups’ (formally known as editorial). Why the new name? Well, it seems that in 2011, I became primarily a children’s book illustrator, so the distinction seemed appropriate. Because—let’s face it—my grown-up stuff looks like it’s for kids too.

And my lovely publisher, Philip Lee of Readers to Eaters, has given me the go-ahead to provide a few more sneak peeks at Sylvia’s Spinach, due out this November.

Hey, and were you aware that Chicken Month starts in just a few days?