Category Archives: layout

The Enduring Ark

6 May 2013

9 Comments

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by Joydeb Chitakrar and Gita Wolf

{published 2013, by Tara Books}

Get ready. You may never have seen anything like this before. Have you ever read something that you feel like should be in a museum and not in your hands? And then you realize that’s the whole point of the perfection and portability of picture books, but still your mouth hangs open in awe?

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This is one of those books.

The Enduring Ark is a retelling of the flood story from Genesis, and this line from the first page enveloped me in its storytelling.

You may have heard this story before, but great tales deserve to be repeated – and so let me tell it here again, in my way.

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And so it goes, this age old story with a breath of new words. Spare text, stunning imagery. The strong lines hold bold saturated color. And I’m dearly smitten with the two crabs!

They found all forms of creatures: large and small, fierce and tame, with feet, and fins, wearing fur, scales and feathers. 

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The book itself can be read page by page, left to right, as you are quite familiar with. But it also extends out like an accordion, the story literally unfolding before you.

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Tara Books, of Chennai, South India, calls themselves a ‘collective of dedicated writers, designers and artists who strive for a union of fine form with rich content.’ This accordion-style scroll painting is the Bengali Patua style, which historically has been used to visualize mythological stories and aid the narration of a storyteller. What a sublime medium for their mission to unite fine form with rich content, right?

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Also interesting? On the cover, the artist is named before the writer. Perhaps it’s because the words are a retelling? Or because the design of the book is what makes it extra special? I’m not sure, but I found that really lovely.

The Enduring Ark releases on May 14, 2013. If you are a fan of book design, fantastic story, and clever engineering, don’t miss this innovative book!

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Big thank to the publisher, Tara Books, for providing a copy of this book for review. Why not connect with them on Twitter or Facebook if you think their work is magical, too?!

Take Me Out to the Yakyu

4 April 2013

14 Comments

byAaron Meshon

{published 2013, by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and imprint of Simon & Schuster}

When I first heard of this book at SCBWI LA last summer, it was some art on a slide at the front of the room. I was in the back row, and I was hooked. I’ve been waiting for it ever since, and I love that its release was in eager anticipation of baseball’s opening days.

{Sidenote: Cano + Jay-Z? Interesting collaboration. I’ll always be a Chipper Jones girl myself. Middle school scrapbooks and everything. Really.}

But this book. It’s a visual juxtaposition of baseball traditions in America and Japan. A global pastime.

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On the left, a kiddo goes to the park with his Pop Pop, and on the right, he hangs out with his ji ji.

{Sidenote again: I had the world’s greatest Pop Pop – no offense to our bright eyed young’n in this book. He always called that Chipper Jones fella Skipper.}

The sweet story arc socked me in the gut a little, because of my own fondness for family trips to the baseball stadium. Aaron Meshon’s saturated colors that are full of life vibrate with the energy of a game. The American blues and the Japanese reds contrast beautifully on each spread, too.

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One of the reasons I love baseball so much is its balance of sheer intensity and quiet, and the roar of a rallied-up crowd. The composition of the illustrations echo that rise and fall – some are fully rendered to the edge, color spilling off the page. Some are contained in a quieter space, bordered by white.

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And I love this – a subtle repetition of a circle, the stitched up sphere of a baseball. It even shows up on the back of the title page. I’m blanking on my librarian vocabulary – the verso, is it? That part where all the important cataloging information lives.

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It’s here, too. Those cheeks!

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And this – baseball is exhausting.

So get this book. It’s a home run. (And a slam dunk, too – even though that’s the wrong sport.)

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Andrew Drew And Drew

15 November 2012

10 Comments

Are you a sketcher? A doodler? A drawer?

(As in draw-er, not dresser!)

If so, you just may see yourself in this crafty, clever book.

This is a fairly new release from my fairly new friend, Barney Saltzberg.

Whether you have a tiny imagination that needs some calisthenics, or a huge-mongous, uncontrollable one, meet Andrew.

He draws. And draws.

And his lines become, well — anything at all!

Or even nothing.

And sometimes nothing is the best something.

Andrew.

He (and my new friend Barney!) have crafted a wonderfully animated book. You can’t just sit back and read it. You have to guess! And wonder! And unfold all of the pages!

And? Andrew (and Barney!) have left you enough white space to fill in the story with things from your own brain. What do you see? Where does your line take you?

It’s a delight. A brain tickler. An interactive treat.

A book.

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Backseat A-B-See

Featured

by Maria van Lieshout

What you can’t see from this picture is the texture of the spine. It feels like canvas, maybe? And the front and back cover are offset from it a bit? So many question marks. So not familiar with the intricacies of bookmaking!

Point is…it’s a nice touch. (BAD PUN ALERT!)

But really, it is! This book is so striking before you even open the cover, and that danger zone spine is just one of the reasons.

This is the inside cover, and Maria van Lieshout’s homage to the designers of street signs. LOVE IT. And she’s right, saying, “We don’t usually give thought to the story behind the signs.”

Did you know these symbol signs received the Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1984?

ME NEITHER!

So, like she says: Please DO ENTER!

We look at these signs every single day, and rely on them to communicate the rules of the road. Wouldn’t it be harder to read and harder to keep safety first if they were fancy and less bold?

Bet you didn’t count on a trip to the DMV when you stumbled across this blog today, but the shapes matter! Pay attention.

Did you know?

Octagons = Stop

Upside Down Triangle = Yield

Circle = Almost always a railway crossing. Choo chop!

The Long Rectangle Created By Opening This Book = The shape of a road, directing your reading road trip

Oh, the 101. I drive this road every. Single. Day. As tedious as that sounds, (and IS in rush hour!) this page gave me a little extra grin.

Alice In Wonderland

1 November 2012

12 Comments

by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver

If you’re nursing a Halloween hangover, try this eye candy instead. (Too easy?!)

Still.

Confectionary colors, a delight on the eyes.

So obviously then, a beautiful celebration of hue. And all wrapped around the familiar story of Alice In Wonderland.

Ha! Bitty black patent leathers sticking out of the rabbit hole!

Such a powerful combination of shapes, patters, and texture, filled in with a dazzling palette.

I do love this. Can’t wait to grab the other Babylit books, either!

Baby shower coming up? Or just looking for a pretty book to ooh and ahh over? This is it.

As Alice said…

“And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversation?” 

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth

27 September 2012

21 Comments

written by Emily Haynes, pictures by Sanjay Patel

{Please, please, please…if you live in San Francisco, GO SEE THEM at the Cartoon Art Musuem on October 4th. Please! For me.}

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth is based on a legend in Hindu mythology, but this version has jawbreakers! And a mouse pal! And SPECTACULAR illustrations!

Spectacular is really an understatement. I don’t think I know a word that can contain how spectacfantasterrificawesome these pictures are.

Endpapers that look like blueprints and sketches set the tone for a fresh story, enhanced so beautifully by shape and line.

From the title page on, this book will knock you out graphically. You will see stars (shape!) and vibrating birdies (movement!) flitting around your brain.

Ok. Let me back up a minute. Do you know Darshana Khiani? You should. She reviews books on her blog and always shares gems. And SHE is a gem. We met at the LA SCBWI conference in 2011, but what we didn’t know is that we would bump into each other over and over again online this year and become fast friends. So cool. Darshana emailed me a couple of weeks ago and told me I had to stop, drop, and roll myself to this book ASAP.

I love that she thought I would love it. I love that she was right. And I love that she suggested doing a joint review on it today.

That’s right! More book bang for your buck! So be sure to head over to her place for more of Ganesha and Mr. Mouse.

So much hops off the pages of Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth that my brain hurts to know where to begin. From the title page up a few pictures, to the repeated circles on the illustration above, shape dominates the pages. It’s a smorgasbord of circles, squares, and triangles.

Oh, this page. After every handful of illustrations, your eyes land on a picture like this one. The bright colors quiet for a moment, and these particular pages are striking in their stark contrast. White text, white graphic elements, and one bold, rich color. There’s something about pacing here, and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that happens, but aesthetically, the balance is just outstanding.

A story about a sweet tooth begs for a decadent color palette, and these hues are just plain tasty and delightful.

Get this book. (Listen to Darshana, even if you think I am bonkers. She has good taste.)

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Good News Bad News

21 September 2012

18 Comments

by Jeff Mack

THIS BOOK HAS THREE WORDS.

Sorry for shouting, but I am in awe. Good, bad, and news. That’s it. But the story wrapped up in those three little words is hysterical, endearing, frustrating, and satisfying. Kudos to Jeff Mack, this is some serious storytelling.

{And truly, there are four words, but I don’t want to give away the ending. Still. That’s not a lot.}

If you loved Remy Charlip’s Fortunately, you will adore Good News Bad News.

{And if you are unfamiliar with Remy Charlip’s Fortunately, stop reading and RUN to your nearest library. We’ll be here.}

The illustrations are so lively they almost buzz with animation. And Mouse’s eyeballs are beyond expressive. His reactions are laugh out loud hilarious.

But something I especially love about the design of this book is its shape. Square.

Squares are solid, grounded, and balanced. The square is the perfect frame for this equilibrium of good and bad fortune. The tension between the good news and the bad news is net force is zero (fancy math terms, what?! Or physics?)

Even. Symmetrical. Square.

A seemingly subtle consideration, but I would wager that it was important in the design of this book.

AND!

I have my own good and bad news!

Remember that giveaway from last week?

The bad news: I haven’t mailed your Pantone Colors yet, Danny. Womp womp. {YET!}

BUT!

The good news: Since I haven’t been to the post office yet, how about some more winners?!

So…good news, TARA LAZAR and CARRIE FINISON!

{And even better, both of you said I get to pick! More good news. Send me an email with your addresses!}

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Balloons Over Broadway

11 July 2012

27 Comments

Housekeeping Alert!

I updated the look and layout of this little blog. New header! New Widget-y thingys!

If you are seeing this in a Reader or via email, click over and check it out! I also made updates to the About and Book Trailers pages, and added a link to Other Work. AND, the carousel of images at the top of the Home page holds 5 images, and will rotate through older posts. I love this, because it’s so hard to say goodbye to one favorite book when it’s time for another! Ahem….like this one:

by Melissa Sweet

I adore Melissa Sweet’s work. And now that I just lost myself in her website for a good while, I adore her even more! I imagine she’s just like her site: vibrant, colorful, and exciting.

And this book is PHENOMENAL. Really. I have always been a huge fan of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and even wrote it into one of my defunct picture book manuscripts. That parade as a setting was a million times better than anything else that was in that book. Truly.

So three whooping cheers for a REAL book about this parade…a fantastic, beautiful, stunning book!

Melissa Sweet brings alive the work of Tony Sarg, the marionette engineer and puppeteer whose legacy bobs high above the street in massive helium creatures. Never heard of him? Me neither. But now I’m so thankful to know his story. It’s wildly creative and inspiring.

This. A flat, shiny title page. But doesn’t it look like you could plunge your arms directly into that shoebox diorama? Even though I know better, I still found myself running my fingers over the page, expecting to feel knots and bumps and holes.

In design, texture is used to create the appearance of a tactile surface. In the real world, you can touch and feel surfaces, and in graphic design, your eye reads the texture. Melissa Sweet’s mixed-media collages illustrate this principle beautifully.

Right?  I hope I’m not the only one whose paws have tried to flick off that button or lift the kooky puppet.

I love this gorgeous combination of painted illustration, torn paper, and a true to scale map of Manhattan.

Same here! The graphic panels combined with hand drawn typography and more paper scraps. A lot of story information is handled in the pictures and the way these textured graphics serve as both extra illustrations and extra words.

And in case you needed any more proof that Balloons Over Broadway is visually stunning, the inside back cover reveals the original New York Times ad for the 1933 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Trust me when I tell you there is SO MUCH MORE within the pages of this book. I didn’t want to spoil all the surprises, but you are in for a real treat with this book.

RUN TO THE LIBRARY OR YOUR NEAREST BOOKSTORE! Seriously! I don’t like to yell unless it’s extremely important.

{Balloons Over Broadway received both the 2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal and the 2012 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award, which both recognize outstanding non-fiction for children.}

Want more? Read this interview with Melissa Sweet about her research for Balloons Over Broadway. And don’t forget her website...it’s filled to the brim with treats!


12×12 in 2012

29 June 2012

40 Comments

Usually in this corner of the interwebz, you are my {somewhat} captive audience and I bombard you with my graphic design and picture book obsessions. Aren’t you lucky?!

So today…some respite.

Sometime last November, while participating in the lovely Tara Lazar’s brainchild, PiBoIdMo, I stumbled across Julie Hedlund’s wild idea: DO SOMETHING with all of those ideas, and draft 12 picture book manuscripts in 2012. Without much hesitation or considering what I was really getting myself into, I hopped on board.

Best idea ever.

The 12×12 community exploded and has been a constant source of encouragement, focus, feedback, and FRIENDS. And so this week, we are celebrating our halfway mark with a blog party! {In my head, I keep repeating this: What is up there on top of that tree? A dog party! A big dog party! and just replace ‘dog’ with ‘blog.’}

Here’s my party favor: an already-completed-before-you-even-got-the-chance crossword puzzle!

CLICK TO MAKE IT BIGGER!

My biggest goal in writing picture books is to create a rowdy read aloud experience. When I was a librarian, one of my favorite read alouds was John Lithgow’s The Remarkable Farkle McBride, mainly because it was SO MUCH FUN to tumble those words around and spit them out right into the ears of eager listeners. And I shamelessly love words. {Eyeball is my favorite!}

So I plucked my favorite 6 words out of each of my 6 drafts, and boom. And by boom I just mean I played with their layout and color coded them by month, and really…just plain looked at them. I love them. I also love how I can get a small taste of each manuscript in six little words.

And yes, I used ‘puddles‘ both in January and February. Good to know, right? That was news to me!

Curious about 12×12 or want to see the other posts in our traveling blog party? Head over here…and maybe think about 12×12 in 2013??

Chloe, Instead

27 June 2012

5 Comments

When I saw this trailer for Chloe, Instead by Micah Player, forget about it. I had to have this book.

Adorable.

So when my friends Alethea and Aly held a massive and amazing story time event called Picture This!, AND Micah Player was there, well, then…duh. So what if I was a little taller than most of the participants?!

Micah hosted a table with a really fun and graphic craft. Think glue sticks, patterned papers in squares and triangles, construction paper, and Sharpies. I made this masterpiece while chatting with him about libraries and graphic design and trailers and his awesome kids:

(Yeah, I don’t know how those shapes exploded from a closed box, but just go with it.)

His two boys were the inspiration for this tale of adjusting to a new sibling. Molly likes crayons and books, but for coloring and reading. Her whirlwind of a sister Chloe on the other hand…how about for eating and ripping to shreds. Chloe is nothing like Molly expected, (or even wanted) but just  maybe that’s ok.

The cover itself is a striking use of line. I love those blocky bold stripes.

And, because we all know I love a good endpaper:

More lines, diagonal this time.

Micah’s use of color is so brilliant and fresh, and where one color meets another, a strong line emerges. These choices are visually interesting, sure, but they also serve to guide your eye through the illustrations.

Sometimes these lines represent physical objects, like this bookshelf:

(I would love to read The Daydream Sunbeam by the way. Good choice, Molly.)

And sometimes line divides moments in time and space, like two very different emotions on Molly on this spread:

Can’t you tell she is growing and changing, just in one spread, with one word?

Sometimes line is just a strong graphic element on the page, like the diagonal line of the background here:

I love how the same line marks shadow from light on Molly’s face. And notice how it’s not directly through the center of the page? That opens up the space in which Chloe can dance and just be Chloe. She’s not boxed in by such a strong, dynamic line.

And line to create a balanced layout:

I especially love the flapping arms on this page. If that’s not a static line to imply motion, I’m not sure what it is.

Chloe, Instead is sharp, sassy fun. It’s well designed, both in its clever words and pictures. If you have ever had a little brother or sister, you will surely identify with Molly and hold this book dear.