Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

Author Interview: Lori Mortensen

On By Only Picture BooksIn Behind the Books1 Comment

This month’s Author Interview is with Lori Mortensen, an award-​winning children’s book author of more than 70 books and over 350 stories and articles. Her recent picture book releases include If Wendell Had a Walrus, Chicken Lily, Mousequerade Ball illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Betsy Lewin, and Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range, a sequel to Cowpoke Clyde & Dirty Dawg, one of Amazon’s best picture books of 2013.

When she’s not letting her cat in, or out, or in, she’s tapping away at her computer, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. Sometimes takes a break and answers marvelous questions posed by Ryan G. Van Cleave at Only Picture Books.

For more information about her books, critique service, events, and upcoming releases, visit her website at www.lorimortensen.com.

Blog: http://lorimortensen.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorimortensen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.mortensen.77
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90109.Lori_Mortensen

RVC: At what point did you realize that you were a writer? What were the warning signs?

LM: Interestingly, I didn’t begin writing until I was a stay-​at-​home mother of three. Up until then, I was an avid reader, but writing never occurred to me. I’d never met a writer, and the whole thing seemed completely out of the realm of possibilities. However, when I had my own children, I was reintroduced to children’s literature and began to wonder what I could write.

Taking a gigantic step, I signed up for a writing course through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Although I was a complete beginner, I soaked up each lesson like a sponge and each step was a thrilling challenge. When I sold my final assignment to a children’s magazine, I was hooked. If they wanted this story, maybe they’d want another. And if they bought something, maybe another publisher would too. I’ve been writing ever since.

It’s been my privilege to be a writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature for the past 12 years which continues to be a rewarding, full-​circle experience.

RVC: How does your teaching at the Institute inform your own writing?

LM: The particular course I teach is writing for children’s magazines. After reading and critiquing hundreds of manuscripts, it’s easy to see the common mistakes nearly all new writers make. When I began writing many years ago, I made them too. But over time, challenge by challenge, writers improve as they put in the time to understand and hone their craft.

Most students are surprised at the work and persistence it takes to succeed. Some decide writing is not for them. However, when students catch the vision and are willing to put in the work, success follows. Teaching is a regular reminder that writers can improve, and whatever measure of success they achieve is in direct proportion to the effort they’re willing to put into it. It’s a truism for nearly anything in life.

RVC: What are a few of those common mistakes that nearly all new writers make?

LM: The most common mistakes have to do with point of view and conflict. Many new writers create a cast of characters and then try to tell everyone’s story all at once. By jumping from one point of view to the next, they end up not telling anyone’s story. If there was a main character, they were quickly lost in the shuffle.

Lack of conflict is another common mistake. Many new writers don’t realize that there needs to be a story problem for the main character to face and resolve. Without conflict, there is no story or reason to keep reading. Who resolves the story problem is just as critical. Many times, new authors just can’t help putting parents in charge. The parents tell the main character what to do and teach them a lesson that’s usually about not lying, stealing, or cheating. It’s a challenge for new authors to see things from a child’s perspective instead of the wise, responsible adult’s.

RVC: Your Twitter bio claims that you’re the not-​so-​proud owner of a “misbehaving muse.” Tell me more.

LM: If I could tame that muse, I certainly would. As it is, sometimes ideas land at my feet and blossom into wonderful, exciting projects, and other times it’s a wrestling match to see who will come out on top. While many writers lose count of all the ideas popping into their head, for me it’s more like a Sherlock Holmes affair. Instead of fending off a deluge of ideas, I have to pluck them out of my world like shiny pennies waiting to be found. In either case, it’s an exhilarating and rewarding process to see an idea come together in its finished form.

Now if my muse would get on the ball, I’d get bushels of projects done!

RVC: What does your writing process look like, and what role does revision play in it?

LM: My writing process begins with an idea. Where that idea comes from is the challenge. Sometimes an idea lands at my feet. Other times, I show up at my computer with nothing in mind and know I need to get started on something. I often start the process by immersing myself in the collection of picture books in my bookcase. Sometimes the rhythm of the language sparks an idea. Other times, it’s an illustration or style that gets me thinking. Then, I start writing and see where it takes me. Many times, I don’t know where it’s going when I begin, but as I progress, new ideas come to mind and the story begins to take shape.

Getting through the first draft is the biggest hurtle because it would be so easy to toss it in the bin at this point. What a horrible, ill-​conceived mess! But luckily, I’ve learned to trust the revision process. How many times do I revise? Numbers aren’t important, but quality is. When the manuscript is as good as I can make it, I share it with my trusted critique partners knowing they’ll see things I missed. Once the feedback is in, I return to the revision process. I may not agree with everything they’ve said, but their feedback is invaluable. They not only celebrate what’s wonderful about the manuscript, they help me see where it falls short and how it can be improved.

RVC: Why picture books?

LM: Although I’m an avid reader of adult literature—cozy mysteries, biographies, and a variety of nonfiction, I love to read and write picture books. To me, they’re like mini masterpieces—clever, humorous, smart, informative, whimsical, and unforgettable—all packed within 32 pages. I love the awesome mashup of the words and art and the challenge of writing what I would love to read.

RVC: The first book of yours that I ever ran across was Cindy Moo, where a cow hears the age-​old nursery rhyme and decides to prove that cows CAN jump over the moon. How do you know when rhyme is right for a book—like it is for Cindy Moo—or when it’s going to get in the way of the story?

LM: In the case of Cindy Moo, it was clear from the beginning that I would tell this story in rhyme because it was based on the rhyming nursery rhyme, Hey Diddle Diddle. I wrote the Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg series in rhyme because it seemed like the perfect way to capture Cowpoke Clyde’s rambunctious efforts to catch ol’ Dirty Dawg. Rhyme has a rhythm so I used it to magnify the energy and pace of the chase. As you noted, however, rhyme isn’t suited for everything.

For me, the key is finding the voice of the story. Some ideas lend themselves to rhyme and others don’t. For example, when I began writing If Wendell Had a Walrus, this opening line came to mind: “One day Wendell was minding his own business when a walrus floated by. Of course, it wasn’t a real walrus. Just a cloud one. But when Wendell saw it, he started thinking about real ones all the same.” In this instance, writing it in prose captured the thoughtful nature of the moment where the character was simply looking up at the clouds and imagining.

RVC: Music or silence when writing?

LM: Silence. I’ve always thought it would be great to write with music percolating in the background, like having a direct link to some musical muse. But silence works best for me. When there’s music, or even conversations going on in the background, it makes it harder for me to listen to the stream of thoughts going on in my head which is the essence of writing.

RVC: Dream illustrator you haven’t yet worked with?

LM: What a great question. For someone who writes picture books, this is the dream, icing-​on-​the-​cake question, indeed. Although I have dozens of favorites, my top illustrators would have to be Peter Brown, Oliver Jeffers, and Rowboat Watkins. Their work is so fresh, so original, so … emotionally satisfying! The last may seem like an odd category, but one of the things I love about their work is the brilliant way they convey their characters’ emotions along the way.

A few more favorites include Tracey Campbell Pearson, Levi Pinfold, and Poly Bernatene. (I could go on and on!) Interestingly, one of my recent favorite picture books was Marilyn’s Monsters written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Matt Phelan. I was thrilled when Matt Phelan came on board to illustrate my latest picture book release, If Wendell Had a Walrus.

RVC: The name of your “megafluffy” cat is …

LM: Max

RVC: If your 70+ books got involved in a literary deathmatch—totally Mad Max style—which title would the last one standing? And which would you have been secretly rooting for?

LM: Wow! That creates an interesting mental picture, doesn’t it? I think Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg would come out on top, fer sure. Clyde would grab his rope, lasso the lot, then get on with washing his ol’ Dirty Dawg. Yee-​haw! No need to root for him because Cowpoke Clyde would have it in the bag all along.

RVC: Best compliment a child has ever given you about your books?

LM: “Read it again!”

RVC: Thanks so much, Lori! 😊

 

Picture Book Review: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews1 Comment

 

The Rabbit Listened
Author: Cori Doerrfeld
Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
20 February 2018
40 pages

 


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Top Rabbit at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and OPB champion) John Herzog.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

While this is a quiet book in many ways, the story starts with a disaster–birds knock down Taylor’s super-​tall, super-​cool block tower. In response, animal after animal arrives, with each acting in ways that match their animal nature. The chicken? It clucks away endlessly. The bear? It wants to roar and be mad. The snake? Revenge! But none of these interactions prove useful to Taylor, so each animal eventually wanders off. They all are more or less well-​intentioned, but they are more concerned with their solutions than thinking about what–if anything–Taylor needs.

It’s only the rabbit that doesn’t try to impose its natural response to the situation. It simply listens and is present, moving closer until “Taylor could feel its warm body.” This allows the child–half of the reviewers claim it’s a he, and half say Taylor is 100% gender neutral–to have their own range of reactions. Given the chance to respond as Taylor chooses, Taylor’s able to move past the many emotions (laughing, shouting, etc.) and can finally build once again.

Some readers will surely want to play up the animal voices to good effect when reading The Rabbit Listened to a child. The pacing of this story, too, lends itself well to reading aloud.

Will some readers find the message too straightforward or didactic? Perhaps. But it’s a sweet, simple story that teaches empathy, and that’s a lesson parents like myself wish were included in more picture books.

4 out of 5 pencils

–John’s Review of the Illustrations–

I’m really torn when it comes to The Rabbit Listened. No doubt Cori Doerrfeld has crafted an interesting take on what is essentially the five stages of grief. From an illustration standpoint, however, I feel there were a few missed opportunities.

For example, Taylor–our protagonist–is visited by all kinds of animals. We see them with Taylor in various spot illustrations that are organized just so on the page. On the far side of one spread, we see the animals walking away from Taylor, who’s on the opposite side. It’s adequate, I suppose, but we never truly get a sense of the crowd. We never get an image of all the animals overshadowing Taylor, enhancing and illustrating that overwhelming feeling of isolation. We get a great image of the bear doing that, but it would’ve felt much more powerful if all of the animals were there looking down at us.

Honestly, a little disorganization would’ve tremendously helped the first half of this book. Animals! Animals everywhere! Spouting advice and nonsense! It would’ve made the quieter scenes with the rabbit during the second half all the more endearing, providing some much-​needed contrast from the animal madness. Instead, the illustrations just feel a bit flat and somewhat sparse.

The strongest aspect of this book is the design of the main character. It’s very clear that Taylor is who we should be rooting for with their fun, messy hair and rounded features. The rabbit is fluffy and cute, of course, but feels a bit stock. The rest of the animals are designed somewhat grotesquely to emphasize Taylor’s ambivalence and aversion to their advice, I imagine. Yet from my perspective, these animals were only trying to help. Yes, they went about it in a bombastic way, but that doesn’t make them monsters. I wish they were softened up a bit, if anything to reinforce the idea that loved ones who suggest action in times of turmoil are only trying to help.

Perhaps I’m reading a bit too much into it.

I definitely like that we don’t have much of a sense of place and time, and I absolutely love the final image where we see Taylor’s vision of their next big building venture. And please don’t get me wrong–it’s important to listen in a situation like this. And Taylor eventually accepts what happened and moves on, which is nice and quite appropriate. For me, however, The Rabbit Listened perhaps aspires to be greater and deeper than it actually is.

3 out of 5 crayons

John Herzog is an illustrator and educator. His clients include Hasbro, James Patterson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Highlights for Children. He also teaches illustration classes at Ringling College of Art and Design. He lives in Florida with his wife, two kids, a pair of tarantulas, a bearded dragon, and a fish.
 

Agent Interview: Elizabeth Harding (Curtis Brown Ltd.)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Industry Insider3 Comments

It’s with oodles of pleasure that I bring kidlit agent Elizabeth Harding to OPB for this month’s Insider Interview. Why am I so totally stoked about this? Three reasons.

  1. Curtis Brown Ltd. has been representing authors since 1914 and is one of the very best full-​service literary agencies in the publishing world.
  2. Elizabeth reps a great list of authors and illustrators of picture books, middle-​grade fiction, and young adult fiction, including Jane Yolen, Karen Cushman, Robert Cormier, S.E. Hinton, Nikki Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Dyer, Heidi Stemple, Pat Mora, Gordon Korman, Gennifer Choldenko, and so many more.
  3. As of August 2018, she’s MY agent, too. (Here’s my reaction to when Elizabeth offered to rep my writing)

Elizabeth started at Curtis Brown Ltd. almost 20 years ago as an assistant to the legendary Marilyn E. Marlow. Elizabeth’s list includes New York Times bestsellers, Newbery, National Book Award, Printz, and Coretta Scott King honor and award winners. She’s a graduate of the University of Michigan (there’s a 93% chance that she’ll use the phrase “Go Blue!” on any given day—it’s true!), a devoted and lifelong fan of her hometown Cleveland teams (she’ll be celebrating all week the Browns’ first win since the Stone Age), and lives in Manhattan with her husband and four sons.

Agency Website: https://www.curtisbrown.com/agents/elizabeth-harding-vice-president/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-harding-03a2335
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ehardingnyc

RVC: Thanks for agreeing to let OPB readers in on this interview, which is primarily about you and I getting to know each other as we embark on a literary partnership together. So let’s just jump right in. 

A common lament at writing conferences is that it seems harder to get a kidlit literary agent than it is snare a publishing contract. What do you think? Is there any truth to that? 

EH: I’m not sure I can answer that, to be honest. There are so many more agents now who specialize in children’s literature compared to when I first started, so there seems to be a broad pool of kidlit agents.

On the other hand, the quality of queries and manuscripts which I receive these days is on average much greater than when I first started, as is the sheer volume. I think social media has given new writers invaluable connections and accessible tools to better their craft. And writers these days are so savvy. So I would guess that I am not alone in saying that I receive many, many submissions that are good, but I wait for the one that is amazing.

RVC: How many queries do you get a month and what’s the ratio of No to Yes?

EH: I receive anywhere between 30–50 queries per week, which include full picture book manuscripts and sample pages for middle-​grade and YA. I confess that my Query Inbox usually eats me alive, but I do take on perhaps 1–3 new writers/​illustrators per year. I also pass along queries to my colleagues if I think it might be of interest to them.

RVC: What’s the most common reason(s) for passing on a query?

EH: The feeling of sameness. Or just feeling overwhelmed with my current workload.

RVC: You’ve been in the kidlit agenting business for some time now, so you’ve been able to witness how the industry changes, adapts, and transforms. What are you noticing now that’s significantly different than, say, five or ten years ago?

EH: Authors have to shoulder so much more publicity/​marketing responsibility than ten years ago. At the same time, authors have so many more opportunities via social media to make their own direct connections with readers, bloggers (also new in the last decade) and teachers and librarians. The author-​as-​a-​brand mindset is much more common today. When I started, I think that type of name-​branding was reserved for the biggest of authors while now every author can create and build their own platform, brand, etc.

RVC: If you could wave your magic wand and change one thing about the publishing industry, what would it be?

EH: That time secretly would stop each day for an extra two hours – but just for everyone in publishing so we could all catch up.

RVC: Describe your ideal client.

EH: Everyone on my list!

RVC: Describe the writer from hell.

EH: An Ohio State fan.

RVC: You’re blessed to be able to work with such an amazing group of talented writers. Jane Yolen, in particular, is one of my favs. She even did an interview with OPB not that long ago! What’s the best thing about working with her? 

EH: Aside from Jane’s versatile and astounding talent, she is beyond generous with her time and knowledge. I still learn from her.

RVC: What’s Jane’s most underappreciated but still yowzers-​great book?

EH: Personally, I love Jane’s Commander Toad series illustrated by Bruce Degen. All of my boys–regardless of which school they attended at the time–brought home old, tattered paperback copies of Commander Toad straight from their classroom book bins.

RVC: Lightning round! Favorite place to get a top-​notch cupcake in NYC?

EH: Two Little Red Hens.

RVC: Star Wars or Star Trek?

EH: Star Wars.

RVC: Would you rather do battle with 1 horse-​sized duck or 100 duck-​sized horses?

EH: Definitely 1 horse-​sized duck. Once I win the battle and tame it, I can fly around like Mother Goose 2.0–I’ll be Mother Duck but perhaps with a better hat.

RVC: Greatest Cleveland sports hero other than LeBron?

EH: I grew up watching Bernie Kosar, so I’ll choose him. If I had to choose a current Cleveland sports hero, I’d chose the entire Cleveland Indians team.

RVC: Craziest thing an author wanted to have included in their contract? 

EH: Mum’s the word!

RVC: Single most important thing working with Marilyn taught you?

EH: Be persistent. And never do business at a party.

RVC: Three words that describe a great literary agent/​client relationship?

EH: Teamwork, respect, fun.

RVC: You’re the best, Elizabeth. Thanks so much!

Educational Activities: Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex

On By Only Picture BooksIn Reading Activities

 

Are You Scared, Darth Vader?
Author: Adam Rex
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Disney Lucasfilm Press
3 July 2018
48 pages

 

 

The latest picture book from  New York Times bestselling author/​illustrator Adam Rex reveals how everyone’s favorite Star Wars “villain”–Darth Vader–is challenged by a narrator who keeps trying to scare him.

Need some reviews of Are You Scared, Darth Vader?

Kirkus

Laughing Place

Wacky Mommy

SparklyPrettyBriiiight

Shelf Awareness

Fatherly

Youth Services Book Review

Educational Activities inspired by Adam Rex’s Are You Scared, Darth Vader?:

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “What do you already know about Darth Vader?”
    • “Do you believe Darth Vader when he says on the cover that ‘I fear nothing’”?
    • “What do you notice about the front cover of this book? About the back cover?”
  • After Reading–How surprised were you with what scares Darth Vader? Why/​why not?
  • After Reading–If Adam Rex were to write an Are You Scared? book about YOU, what might be the one thing at the end that you’re scared of?
  • Drawing–If Darth Vader wanted a new uniform and helmet that made him a little less scary-​looking, what would that look like? Using colored pencils or crayons and paper, draw him a new uniform and helmet.
  • Crafts–With a parent’s help, make your own Star Wars-​themed craft. 
  • Further Reading–Darth Vader has appeared in other picture books before. Consider reading one or more of the following. In which one do you like Darth Vader the most? Do any of the Darth Vaders in these other books seem scared? Does Darth Vader seem like a good parent? A good friend?
    (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!) 
      

 

Illustrator Interview: Floyd Cooper

On By Only Picture BooksIn Behind the Books1 Comment

This is an exciting time for OPB–it’s our FIRST EVER illustrator interview. Yay!

Even better, it’s with the amazing Floyd Cooper who I got to meet and listen to at the Orlando SCBWI conference this past summer! Double/​triple yay!

For those how somehow don’t know all about Floyd … he’s the Coretta Scott King award-​winning illustrator of more than 90 books for children. Floyd started his career in illustration at Hallmark. After a successful career in the industrial side of art, he made the leap into picture books with Eloise Greenfield’s Grandpa’s Face in 1996.

Since then, Floyd has worked with bestselling authors such as Jane Yolen, Nikki Grimes, and Virginia Fleming. In addition, Floyd has illustrated and authored many of his own books, such as Jump!: From the Life of Michael Jordan, and the ALA notable book, Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes.

About working in the world of kidlit, Floyd says: “Giving kids a positive alternative to counteract the negative impact of what is conveyed in today’s media is a huge opportunity.”

Website: www.floydcooper.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/floyd.cooper.12
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/floyd-cooper-652b2511

RVC: You’ve used the word “voice” a lot when talking about those involved in the making of picture books.

FC: As illustrators and writers, I believe we’re born different–we’re wired differently. For both types, you’re always working with voice. You’re using the various languages you’re blessed with–your creative sensibilities. We use these things to communicate what we hope to say in the language of art and text.

It’s so wonderful when it comes together, and I can’t think of any other thing on earth where these two disciplines come together into one unit, one package, and have such a unified voice.

RVC: When did you first realize that you were an artist–that you had a creative voice?

FC: For me, it started early. I was three years old. This was in Oklahoma–Dad was building a house, and one day, there on a piece of Sheetrock on the side of the house, I scratched a big, wonderful illustration of a duck right on it. Of course, no one else saw a duck because it was drawn by a three year old.

I saw the duck quite clearly.

From that point on, it affected the way I looked at the world. I’m sure that my style, and how I create my art, all goes back to that day and the time I had to erase my duck.

RVC: Share a bit about what your post-​duck childhood was like.

My mother told me stories and we read a lot of books together. I remember my first book–a Little Golden Book called The Fire Engine Book. From reading this and so many other titles, my imagination was constantly fed, and it helped me on the path of expressing myself visually.

When I was seven, for my birthday, someone knew my predilection and I got my very first art supplies. A tray of colors and a scraggly brush. I used that to start making pictures.

RVC: Was it smooth sailing from then on?

FC: Not at all. There were 11 elementary schools in north Tulsa, and I attended all of them. We lived in low-​income housing–there was a lot of moving. Each school I went to, I had to make new friends, and make new connections. I found very early on that I could find myself a friend by showing the art teacher my drawings and paintings. I learned the currency of art–the value of it. Art helped me get by.

My teachers started to notice my work and whisper good things into my ear. And you know what happens when teachers say good things in a kid’s year.

The more they said, the more I painted, and I painted my way right into the University of Oklahoma thanks to a scholarship. And from there, I got my first job working at Hallmark.

RVC: Weren’t you warned away from working for Hallmark?

FC: Well, my professors thought it was a poor option. I liked to say that it was a great job, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

During my two years there, I never did get a chance to make a greeting card–Hallmark turned everything down. Every time something of mine got turned down, though, I found myself a reason to go the art supply room and totally load up. So in a sense, it all seemed to work out.

This was one of many important life lessons.

RVC: Free art supplies are awesome?

FC: Absolutely.

RVC: Despite never making a greeting card, how important was that time at Hallmark for your own development as an artist? 

FC: Hallmark regularly brought in illustrators to give workshops to their REAL artists, and I wasn’t supposed to go. I was just a revamper, after all But I had two friends from Brooklyn working with me, and when the big artists came, we all snuck into the seminars and workshops. That’s how I met one of my heroes, Mr. Mark English. He’s a prominent illustrator from the 80s and 90s. He was the king of illustration in those days. He helped me out a good bit, and we ended up working on some big projects together.

The way it worked was that I’d do the black and white, and sometimes the color too, and the famous guy comes in and signs his name to the whole job. I was willing to do that because he was Mr. Famous.

My days at Hallmark, though, were numbered once they saw me working with Mark English. It wouldn’t be long before I had my first big sale and was off to New York to do my own art full-time.

RVC: That’s partially because you weren’t actually an artist for Hallmark , were you?

FC: That’s right. I worked in a department called revamp, where you take art from the vault and change it, erase it to make it more marketable. Little pigs became little dogs. And peonies became daisies. Whatever the market conditions needed, the revamp department would deliver.

The next time you’re shopping for a greeting card, look closely. There might be a ghost image.

RVC: So you had to erase your duck, and Hallmark paid you to erase greeting card art. It seems like that all played a large part into the distinctive subtractive style you use today.

FC: You’re talking about oil wash on board. I put a thin coat of oil paint on an illustration board with a 1‑inch brush. When it dries, I use a cheap, stretchy eraser to create shapes into the background. You can create a bit of color by adding some white paint, and even more with crayons, acrylics, and oil color.

There are many different approaches to age-​old problems. This is mine–a 50-​cent eraser.

I love erasers. I have a big collection of erasers at home. I have ink erasers, pink erases, even a Spongebob eraser. But my favorite? A cheapo stretchy one.

RVC: So let’s talk about your interactions and influence on artists of today. Many of them–especially artists of color–look up to you. What do you say to young people when they admit they’re starting to think about maybe becoming an illustrator?

FC: Always keep a sketchbook with you. Draw all the time.

Plus it’s very important to have a good education as well. Make sure that every discipline is well-​represented in your studies–don’t just double-​down on art. It all helps you become a better artist.

RVC: Let’s say that someone has studied widely but has now finally committed to art. Now what? What’s the #1 struggle that illustrators face when looking to break into the picture book world?

FC: The secret to success in picture books–the secret channel–is getting an editor. Having a relationship with a good editor will offer you career longevity.

You may get a book published. You may self-​publish a book that does well. But nothing beats having an editor at a publishing company who believes in your work and battles for you and your work when people don’t get it. These editors often find ways to keep you working.

RVC: So how do we get one of those saints editors?

FC: Get connected with professional organizations like SCBWI. That’s a great start. Then go to conferences like SCBWI and others–that’s how you can meet them directly. Attend the workshops and seminars. Get yourself and your work in front of them.

As preparation for meeting editors, though, you need to build your technical craft. That comes from hard work, dedication, and reading lots of books. You should read every book you can get your hands on. Inhale them.

At some point, you’ll know the market really well. That’ll guide you as to who is publishing what, and help you see where you might fit in the overall scheme.

RVC: Your overall scheme includes your wife, Velma, being your agent. What’s the best thing about that?

FC: She understands me. Even if you have an agent who isn’t your spouse, having an agent IS like having a spouse. It’s like a marriage–it’s a relationship.

RVC: It’s time for … The Lightning Round! Ready? GO! Favorite guilty pleasure reading?

FC: I love biographies. I make them too, but I’ve always been quite a history buff–especially sports books, and sports history.

Currently, I’m reading Sally Jenkins’ The Real All Americans–it’s a wonderful story. She’s so great at building this big panorama of huge historical events, how they all relate, and how we can see them through the Native American’s eyes and through the settler’s eyes, too.

RVC: If you’re playing hooky versus making art, you’re most likely …

FC: Watching DVDs or playing solitaire. It depends on where I am, and what kind of break I’m taking.

If it’s a major break, I like to run at night. I used to play tennis quite a bit, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been on the court.

RVC: Favorite Crayola color?

FC: Grape.

RVC: If you didn’t create that duck way back when, and you never went down the path of art, what would you instead be doing today?

FC: I was a consumer of The Weekly Reader in third grade, and I remember reading a lot about the US Navy hospital ship, the SS Hope.

I always had a desire to be a doctor. And all of my aunts and great aunts wanted that for me, too. I was good with my hands and I was fairly bright, so they always had it in their minds that I’d go to med school to become a surgeon.

Of course, I ran into issues with high school chemistry and, well, art was always there. I didn’t even know I could make money as an artist. But I learned quickly that you can make doctor money as an illustrator.

RVC: What’s the greatest compliment someone can give you about your art?

FC: That they like it enough to buy my book. It’s always a great compliment sometime choose to pay money for something you created.

RVC: Name someone you’d most like to work with on a book.

FC: I’d LOVE to work with LeBron James on a book. I’ll take Steph Curry, too. I’m a big basketball fan.

RVC: What about Draymond Green?

FC: Oh yeah. He’s fierce on the court–he can be a real bug in your bonnet there–but he’s definitely a guy you want on your side.

RVC: And you’re an illustrator any picture book author would want on their side, too. Thanks for sharing your story here, Floyd!

Picture Book Review: A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson and Matt Myers

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

 

A Dog Named Doug
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Matt Myers
Margaret K. McElderry Books
26 June 2018
40 pages


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (“Best of Show” winner at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor David C. Gardner.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Choosing what to run with for this month’s review proved easier than usual–I’m a Karma Wilson fan (Bear Snores On got worn out in the Van Cleave household), and I’m a dog lover (rumor has it that I’ve twice chased a mailman). So when A Dog Named Doug arrived, it barked dug its way to the top of the list where it stayed. Like a good dog book should.

So here’s the story: A dog (named Doug) digs. He digs more. And more. And more. And then he goes to bed where he (1% spoiler here) dreams of digging in a (decidedly strange, and possibly too weird for some kids) dreamworld.

To be fair, a dog who digs because dogs like to dig isn’t much of a plot. But the book has three things really going for it that quite likely overcome any real or perceived weakness in the basic premise.

  1. The art is both compelling AND clever. See David’s review about that aspect of the book below.
  2. I have to mention the art again. Sorry to step on your toes so much, David. But the terrific art by illustrator Matt Myers frequently works as typography, such as a dirt mound becoming an A in “I can dig better than you!” or many dirt mounds becoming Ms in “Many miles of dirt Doug dug, leaving heaps and piles and mounds of mud.”
  3. The refrain of “Oh boy, did Doug dig!” is sure to encourage readers to shout it out during storytime. Plus the loose, easy rhymes that Karma’s known for are present here as well.

Part of the fun here is that Doug’s digging takes him to a whimsical range of destinations. The Old West. The White House (note the female POC/​President of Color). The ocean floor. Stonehenge. Some kind of Egyptian tomb. And even a bowling alley. He even digs to the other side of the earth where the perspective is, quite reasonably, upside down.

It’s a fun, rollicking book, to be sure. But some readers could get tripped up with the tongue-​twister start, and others might find the entire tail (yep–a pun!) a bit one note (Doug/​dog/​dug).

In sum, this is a playful book that could be–for the right child and adult reader–an enjoyable bedtime story with serious read-​aloud potential.

4 out of 5 pencils paws

–David’s Review of the Illustrations–

The cover starts us off on just the right note, with a vignette placing Doug digging in the text against a stark white background–a lovely, graphic design–and painted with such vigor that you can feel the dog digging furiously, happy, if a bit manic, capturing perfectly in one image what the book is about.

The palette is bright, saturated, and lighthearted without ever tipping into garishness. The whole book has the feel of an animated Looney Tunes short–madcap and raucous. The layouts are cinematic, utilizing a variety of close-​ups and long shots, and the brushwork is loose and energetic, with dabs of acrylic and oil paint so juicy and playful that you can almost feel them popping off the page.

What I appreciate most about Matt Myers’ illustrations are that they veer alongside and, at times, away from, the minimal text, often taking the lead and keeping us guessing: Where will Doug pop up next? The pictures, not the text, make this book a page turner.

This is exactly what Maurice Sendak suggested the pictures should do in a picture book–depict not just what the words are telling us, but take the story even further.

When Doug decides to head home, the text only tells us Doug is digging. But Mr. Myers turns the vignettes depicting Doug’s journey into a cartoony delight, with no rhyme or reason except to entertain a young reader (and their adult companion).

Near the end, the text tells us only that Doug was in his bed. But the illustration shows Doug in his owners’ bed, dreaming away. It’s an inspired choice–another gentle gag as the book is winding down.

A final example–and my favorite moment in the entire book–is when Doug digs all the way to China. The text only reads “Oh boy, did Doug dig, and dig, and dig.” In this fantastic spread, and with the help of some inspired handling of text, Mr. Myers shows that he can still see the world through a kid’s eyes.

Sharing the storytelling duties with the author to this extent is an illustrator’s dream. Matt Myers rises to the occasion splendidly.

4 out of 5 crayons dirt mounds

David C. Gardner is an award-​winning illustrator and visual development artist. A former artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has illustrated numerous picture books, including his latest from Sleeping Bear Press, Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB not so long ago). It tells the true story of little Izzy Baline, who immigrated to New York City in 1893 and grew up to become Irving Berlin, one of the most well-​known composers of popular music in America. David teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.

To learn more about his work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

(Ryan’s note: With a website name like that, you can see why I asked him to pitch in for this month’s review!)