Blog Archives

Mondays with Mira - Look Another Book by Bob Staake

5/27/2013

It's official. The Picture Book Academy declares today, Monday May 27th, Must Love Bob Staake Day!!! Now maybe this is a little insensitive given that it's also Memorial Day but I think it's also important to celebrate life and childlike wonder that happens regardless or perhaps despite war and sorrow and loss. And perhaps if we celebrated life and childlike wonder more we'd have less war and fewer heartbreaking losses.

Having a Must Love Bob Staake day is actually pretty easy to do as Bob is quite the loveable character as are his books. I got to know him a little when out of the blue, he sent me an email saying he loved what I was doing at the Picture Book Academy and how it was needed. Wow, as a longtime fan my heart fluttered. So I emailed him back, told him thank you and about my upcoming illustration course and asked him if I could interview him for it. He replied he'd be happy to do anything he could to help. Double wow. So after much correspondence back and forth and a wonderful interview, I can honestly say, "I love Bob Staake." Check out this video below of one of his books and you'll get a sense of why this guy is so loveable. That man has so much joy to share :)

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Mondays with Mira: Let's Go Hugo!! by Angela Dominguez

5/19/2013

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I love the sweetness of Spring. Ripening fruit, blossoming flowers, and new beginnings. Spring also makes me think of Paris and today's picture book review looks at Angela Dominguez's written and illustrated picture book as a great example of how to write a children's picture book as well as how to illustrate one. It is a classic plot-driven story set in Pareee of how a young bird learns to overcome it's fear of flying and embrace it's true nature (something many of us struggle with :)

Angela is a children's book illustration instructor at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and a contributor to the Picture Book Academy's Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Picture Books interactive e-Course :)

Have a watch and if you are up for it please comment. I'm sure Angela would love it.

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Mondays with Mira: A Dignity of Dragons by Jacqueline Ogburn and Nicoletta Ceccoli

5/12/2013

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Every now and again you come across a book that is so exquisite it blows you away. This is one of those books. It is a non-fiction picture book of beautifully crafted text and exquisite illustrations and is quite extraordinary on many levels. It is also potentially controversial in terns of the art. Have a look and let us know what you think in the comments below. Oh and come on over and check out our NEW illustration course where you may even get to learn from the phenomenal illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli!! AMAZING!!! (fingers crossed) Click here

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Mondays with Mira Quickie Sun Bread and Exciting Interviews

5/6/2013

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Just a quick posting today with a short review of Sun Bread by the ever-wonderful Elisa Kleven.
This is a lovely lyrical book about creativity and baking to create joy and sunshine on a dreary day. Am literally on my way to do an insiders video tour of Chronicle Books so my students in the upcoming Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Picture Books e-Course learn what happens when an author, author/illustrator or sole illustrator submit to Chronicle and how a publishing house works!! First I get to interview fabulous editor Melissa Manlove, then it's off to visit and film Julie Downing and her studio and Lisa Brown and her studio. I've asked these folks NOT to clean up so that we see a real working studio. Way too excited!!

But enough of me. I wanted to share wonderful books with you all, so here goes.

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