Monday's Riddle: A Tweak on Hide and Seek...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? Many interesting things end up in this pile at school. ; ) ~ F

You've checked your pockets, turned the bed, searched the places in your head. Where it is, you don't know, but you can see it so. Like a game of hide and seek with two words you must tweak. If it's this, and then you find, you'll know the answer I've in mind.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

Artists' Corner with Wendell Minor

Wendell Minor

Today, we're thrilled to feature two brilliant illustrators, David SanAngelo and Wendell Minor. We've enjoyed telling you about Daylight, Starlight, Wildlife this week, and now here's the artist's perspective on the scene—

David SanAngelo Interviews Wendell Minor

The hallmark of every great artist is that his or her work, regardless of medium, can be instantly identified. You know you are watching a Hitchcock film by the shot selection or a Bob Fosse dance number from the choreography or that you are listening to a Jimi Hendrix song by the sound of the guitar. The same can be said of Wendell Minor's paintings.

Whether you are looking at an illustration of an otter or an astronaut you know from the composition, palette, and brushwork that it could have only been created by Wendell Minor. I have been a fan of Mr. Minor's work for years and so it was an unbelievable gift for me to assist with this interview.

David SanAngelo

David: Your work has extensive range, however, there appears to be three reoccurring themes: Wildlife, American history and American farmlands. Is there a subject matter you would love to illustrate that you haven't yet?

Wendell: The three themes that you mentioned have infinite possibilities, and with wildlife and American biography the list is endless. That said, I like to seek out subjects that need attention and have not yet received their due, so any animal or period of American history, or persons lesser known in history would appeal to me.

David: What are a few of your most favorite works and why?

Wendell: At the moment, Edward Hopper Paints His World and one of my early books, Heartland would make the list. Heartland presents a regional quality to the look of the art, very much the way Edward Hopper viewed Cape Cod and New York City, however, I must say that beyond that, it’s really hard to choose. Basically, I have enjoyed doing all my books.

David: If you could illustrate for an author you haven't had the opportunity to work with yet, who would it be?

Wendell: That’s an easy answer for me. It would be historian David McCullough. As you probably know, I have designed and illustrated most of his book jackets over the years, but the one thing David hasn’t done yet is write a manuscript for a picture book. Maybe someday that will happen.

David: What stage of your process is your favorite/ least favorite?

Wendell: I have to say that the ongoing treasure hunt for reference material for each project is my favorite. It’s a process of discovery that often leads to other ideas for future books. My least favorite stage of the process is judging when a piece is actually finished. Sometimes paintings seem to go on forever, and when I get a sense that my head is about to explode and I know I can’t go any further...that’s when I know a painting is finished.

David: What do you feel is the biggest difference in the publishing business now from when you first began your career?

Wendell: The clear difference is that many publishing houses used to be independently owned; now virtually all imprints have been absorbed into corporate publishing. The competition for a children’s book author or illustrator is ten times more intense than it once was. It seems that every year the portal narrows a bit. That means that more than ever, one has to be on top of their craft and be able to shift gears creatively to move forward.

David: If Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker and N.C. Wyeth all had showings of their work at the exact same time which one would you attend?

Wendell: That is an unfair question! But, depending on where the openings were I’d run to each of them. N.C. Wyeth has been a favorite of mine for many years and J.C. Leyendecker was an inspiration to the young Norman Rockwell when he was developing his style. The artist I would most like to meet, however, would be Norman Rockwell.

David: You've done quite a bit of traveling to study your subject matter. Of all the places you've traveled to and remarkable things you've seen, where would you first recommend someone to visit to feel absolutely spellbound?

Wendell: There are two places I would recommend, and for contrasting reasons. Everyone should visit the Grand Canyon at least once in their lives. It is one of the wonders of nature and puts life into perspective due to the scale of the human vs the scale of the Canyon. It is beyond description.

The other place is Barrow, Alaska, which I love for a completely different reason. In Barrow, one can see virtually forever in any direction across the frozen ocean. The town of Barrow itself, is as close as one can get to a 21st Century frontier town. It takes true grit to live there, but it’s worth it.

David: Outside of illustrating, what do you enjoy?

Wendell: Plein-air painting is a favorite pastime of mine, along with reading biographies and American history books. And last, but certainly not least is spending lots of time with my wife Florence, at home with our cat, Cinder, when Florence and I are not traveling though this beautiful country of ours.

Wendell Minor is nationally known for the artwork he has created for over fifty award-winning children’s books. His many collaborators include Jean Craighead George, Robert Burleigh, Buzz Aldrin, Tony Johnston, Mary Higgins Clark, and last but not least, his wife Florence. In 2009 Wendell and Florence’s If You Were a Penguin, was chosen by Pennsylvania for their “One Book, Every Young Child” 2009 early literacy program, and they enjoyed the month they spent speaking to children in Pennsylvania’s libraries, schools, Head Start facilities, and Museums.

VISIT WEBSITE

David SanAngelo is an award winning illustrator, a two-time Emmy nominated director of animated shows for children and he won a kite flying contest in the fourth grade. Dave attended high school with Jessica and Stephanie and they've all been friends for a billion years. Some of Dave's favorite things are: old monster movies, superheroes and shred-a-licious rock music. Although he grew up in New England, Dave currently lives with his wife and sons in Decatur, GA.

VISIT WEBSITE

Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

It was an honor hosting this feature interview with these two wonderful artists. Bringing together worlds connects us all, and it's been fascinating to learn about Wendell Minor.

We've been big fans of David SanAngelo and his artwork since we attended high school together. It was amazing having him as our illustrator for Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library, and it's our pleasure to spotlight his work.  

Unhittable

Dragons Bridge

Scene from Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library

Cover art for Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library

Margo's Musings: Feeling Wild?

On a recent visit to The Hickory Stick, a lovely local bookshop, we spotted Wendell and Florence Minor signing books. It’s exciting to meet authors and illustrators, and we had fun learning more about their stories. It was hard to decide which one to buy with so many great titles, but Margo and I love animals, so Daylight Starlight Wildlife won. 

This book has gorgeous illustrations that depict animals in the day and at night. It’s a wonderful way to learn about wildlife, and there are interesting things to search for in the realistic illustrations. We played “I Spy” while reading, and the game was super fun because there's so much to see in every picture.

Where are they going? What are they doing? 

Has anyone else read Daylight Starlight Wildlife? Or have you read another book written or illustrated by Wendell or Florence Minor? 
We'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Happy Reading!
~F

Tune in Saturday to catch our illustrator spotlight

Artists' Corner: Featuring an interview with Wendell Minor, hosted by David SanAngelo

Florence & Wendell Minor signing books at
The Hickory Stick bookshop

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Nature's Mask

Here's a clue for our review: Illustration by Wendell Minor

Excellent guessing, Riddlers. Birds count! Wildlife comes in many forms. Friday, Margo has a wonderful children's picture book to share, and Saturday we'll be featuring a special interview from the Artists' Corner, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

Untamed in a real world; talons stretched, wings unfurled. 
Eyes alight behind the trees, many more than than one first sees. 
As above, so below; day and night sing songs we know— 
Crickets chirp, peepers peep, owls swoop low, hares dig deep. 
On matter in space, this paints Mother Nature's face.

What am I referring to? Answer: Wildlife!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday's Riddle: Untamed Heart...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? Since I've moved to Connecticut, it's been amazing to watch the activity in my backyard. ; ) ~ F

Untamed in a real world; talons stretched, wings unfurled. 
Eyes alight behind the trees, many more than than one first sees. 
As above, so below; day and night sing songs we know— 
Crickets chirp, peepers peep, owls swoop low, hares dig deep. 
On matter in space, this paints Mother Nature's face.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

Margo's Musings: It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk!

When we walked into the Ashpot Library my little sister, Margo, was immediately drawn to the cover of It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought the cover looked great too. I'm a big fan of fairy tales (and not simply the Disney ones, but the real fairy tales), so I was excited to get reading.

This book is a twist on the traditional version of Jack and the Beanstalk that most people are familiar with, which is what makes it such a blast. While the reader is being told the story by the narrator, Jack comments with his thoughts on what is happening. Some of the classic elements are included, but the reader can expect a different ending. 

Margo loved this book because she thought it was funny. I totally agree! Jack’s comments made me laugh, and they put a hilarious spin on the story. Edwardian Taylor's bright illustrations really pop off the page. All of the colors and details give the reader a lot to look at, this was especially interesting when we read the book a second time.

The book even inspired us to do some planting. Although the ground is frozen, and we can’t grow anything outside right now, we did plant some bean seeds we bought at the store. They are on the windowsill in the kitchen, and Margo has made sure to use all kinds of magical phrases to help them grow. Of course, she used the spells from the book on our beans! While I don’t think we'll grow a magic beanstalk since they were regular seeds, it will be fascinating to see what happens. I'm guessing there will be more readings of this book in the future!

Has anyone else read It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk? Or have you read another book by Josh Funk? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
~ F

Birthing A Book

STORY SEEDS
By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

It could happen anywhere: when you’re talking on the phone, cooking pancakes, out with friends- time and place never matter. It’s what happens in that space that’s important, and it begins with your inner voice saying,

  

“Wait. What did I just think?”

The burst of knowing you had a brilliant idea for a story stops you in your tracks. You don’t want to forget it, so you shift your sight from out to in- that’s the moment when light sees dark, and insight snaps a picture, like the flash of a camera lighting up a room. When the image comes together, what was unknown becomes known, and voila! 

An idea is sparked.

Peering into the event horizon of infinite possibilities, you’re likely to choose that which suits you- meaning every story has an audience. If you like the idea and it makes you excited, let it flow and the creative process begins.

Words spring from the deep well of thought, lining up in rows, pouring onto blank pages. When the clicking keys stop and the writer's eyes read over them, that flash of insight is realized, and a new book is born!

Cultivating story seeds is serious business though, and not for the faint of heart. As a creator you must be fierce in your conviction to bring your story to life, for a harrowing adventure awaits those who decide to birth a book.

Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
Co-authors of the Fairday Morrow Series

Catch our feature articles on 

WRITING MYSTERIES

I See Dead Quotes

Critique, Editing your MS

Weaving in the Backstory

Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs

BOO-K Bones

Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book

Answer to Monday's Riddle: A Twisty Beanstalk...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers. This week, we're climbing over a twist in Jack's beanstalk. Friday, Margo has a children's picture book to share that will keep your imagination in the clouds, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

A story sprung from a bean spills magic on the scene. Tossed away, seed took root, stalking up a giant's boot. In the clouds, riches rise; tantalizing thieving eyes. Up the stem to get the loot, luckily, it's not Groot. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Jack and the Beanstalk!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats