Authors & Illustrators
Vehicles are a staple of picture books, and Sylvie Kantorovitz’s new early-reader comic A New Car for Pickle (Holiday, 5–8 years), capitalizes on that favorite topic for readers who are speeding toward independence — and with plenty of humor and whimsical panel illustrations, it’s perfect for summer reading. See Kantorovitz’s...
In Black Girl You Are Atlas (Kokila/Penguin, 12–17), Renée Watson insightfully explores Black girlhood and womanhood through poetry encompassing a variety of experiences and influences, with an emphasis on support from other Black women, all accompanied by Ekua Holmes’s stunning collages. National Poetry Month is in April; see also “At...
The picture-book biography The Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith! (Candlewick, 6–9 years) introduces young readers to a passionate musician whose long career also included influential advocacy for women in music. For books that sing a similar tune, see the “Express yourself” section of this issue of Notes...
The picture-book biography Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller (Dial, 5–8 years) introduces young readers to a groundbreaking Black librarian and her contributions. We spoke with author Breanna J. McDaniel (a former Horn Book Guide reviewer and graduate of the Center for the...
In Stories of the Islands (Holiday, 8–12 years), Clar Angkasa retells three Indonesian folktales in a gorgeous graphic format, reframing the tales in ways that empower their female protagonists. 1. Were folktales a big part of your experience growing up? If so, who would share them with you? Clar Angkasa:...
In Ghost Book (Holt, 8–12 years), July Chen can communicate with the wandering soul of William Xiao, a boy who is in a coma. This middle-grade graphic novel takes them on an adventure through the Hungry Ghost Festival, with high emotional stakes but plenty of fun to be had along...
Nine kids. One motor home and a pick-up truck. In Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir (Dial, 10–14 years), Pedro Martín recalls his family’s 1977 road trip to pick up his abuelito from Jalisco, Mexico. 1. You seamlessly incorporate a few artistic styles. How did you decide which would best capture a mood...
Scout, the protagonist of Maxwell Eaton’s new graphic-novel series Survival Scout, may be fictional, but when she gets lost on a hike (and her adult brother gets chased away by a bear) in series debut Lost in the Mountains (Roaring Brook, 7–10 years), the wilderness safety advice she offers is real. ...
Bear with Me (Random House Studio/Random, 3–6 years) by Kerascoët (the French husband-and-wife team of Sébastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy) is about a young child about to start school...without the comfort item of a favorite teddy bear. 1. What is it that draws you to create books about childhood emotions...
268 articles
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
