CCICL Episode 5 with Newbery Award Winning author Matt de la Peña & NYT bestselling illustrator Loren Long

In the fifth episode of Critical Conversations in Children's Literature Dr. Lashon Daley continues the conversation of collaboration in the industry of Children's Literature with guests Matt de la Peña and Loren Long. They discuss their collaborative process while working on the 2018 New York Times bestselling picture book Love as well as a current project. 

Matt de la Peña is the author of middle-grade and young adult novels such as Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here and Superman: Dawnbreaker as well as a handful of children's picture books like Last Stop on Market Street for which he won the Newbery. 

Loren Long is the illustrator of former President Barack Obama's picture book Of Thee I Sing, Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and a host of other picture books including the Otis series.  

Watch the video below!

We hope you enjoy this episode and make sure to follow our Youtube channel for more! 

CCICL is funded by CAL IRA funds. 

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In the Mood for Kid Book Art...?

Each year the Society of Illustrators celebrates artwork by illustrators of children’s books in the United States to display the talent and creativity that goes into making children’s literature what it is. “The Original Art” showcase is currently on its 33^rd year and is as extraordinary as ever.

Currently the showcase is being display North of San Diego in Carlsbad. The exhibit will be on display from September 7 until November 23, 2014 at the William D. Cannon Art Gallery.

This year’s showcase includes artists Steven Jenkins, The Brothers Hilts, and Laetitia Devernay, as well as Sophie Blackall, Raul Colon, Gerard Dubois, William Joyce, David Small, Naoko Stoop, and many more!

This is a wonderful opportunity to see what the world of children’s literature is creating today. Whether you’re a student looking for the newest and hottest trends in children books and artwork, someone who works in the children’s literature industry, or even someone who is just curious about what makes children’s books so enjoyable for all ages, this is definitely worth checking out.

Upcoming events in the art gallery include:

• Saturday, November 8: Family Open Studios Plus
• Saturday, October 11: A Fancy Tea Party with 2014 Children’s Choice Book Awards Illustrator of the Year, Robin Preiss Glasser, best known for the “Fancy Nancy” books

Check out the site for more details:

http://news.carlsbadca.gov/news/new-exhibition-the-original-art-comes-to-cannon-art-gallery

Notes:

• The Cannon Art Gallery is located at Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane.
  For further details please call 760-602-2021
• Admission is free

Ugo Fontana: Illustrating for Children

Dr. Giorgia Grilli, professor at the University of Bologna, has just written and compiled a 200 pg volume on an Italian illustrator for children that worked from the Forties to the Eighties: Ugo Fontana. She worked on this project with Fabian Negrin (an Italian-Argentinian illustrator and candidate for the H.C.Andersen and the ALMA Award). The book is in Italian and English and is companion to an important exhibition that will be hosted in two weeks at Bologna Children's Book Fair.

She shared these details with us:

Fabian Negrin and I have been researching for some years and put together a book in Italian and English on the work of a great Italian illustrator: Ugo Fontana (1921-1985). This book – a 200-page volume richly illustrated – is companion to the exhibition on Ugo Fontana that will be hosted by the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair. This exhibition inaugurates a new section of the fair, called ‘The Lost Treasure,’ which aims at rediscovering and presenting to the world the illustrative work of old masters of illustration that have been forgotten or have disappeared from bookstores, but deserve international attention. Ugo Fontana is the first one of the series and we, as curators, have been working hard to retrace his original artwork from national and private archives, old publishers, the family, friends, etc. We have collected more than 90 tables, which will be visible at the exhibition and which are all reproduced in the book. For our critical essay, we have studied the evolution of his style, the influences of other artists on his work, his own influences on other illustrators, the relationship of Fontana's way of illustrating for children with the children's publishing industry of his days and, more in general, the socio-cultural context in which he worked.

Having shown to some Italian publishers Fontana’s work (part of which they had in their archives or in their old catalogues, but no longer knew or thought about), many of them were so enthusiastic that they each decided to re-publish a book illustrated by him. So there will be three books illustrated by Fontana as ‘new’ releases at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2014.

The book can be bought, with a discount, directly through the publisher’s website (www.edizioniets.com -- it will be available in a couple of days). Or at the exhibition, in Bologna.

Pop-Ups from Prague -- an Eye-Popping Exhibit

As a child I dabbled in designing pop-up creations with construction paper--primarily rudimentary books and curious city-scapes. A star architect was born! (And resided in my cosmically themed "Star City") But eventually that fizzled, though the fascination with the pop-up itself never left, and why should it? The tangible depth given to illustrations, rising from the very medium of the book itself--just minutely crafted paper!--can be mesmerizing. That's why I found this recent article in the New York Times on an exhibit of a Czech artist's pop-up books and artwork so captivating. It is (not so) simply a demonstration of art and engineering intermingled -- the architecture of artwork.

The animated, movable book had started for an adult audience, but shifted gears to appeal more to children during the 18th century (as is the history of much of "children's literature"). The featured artist, Vojtech Kubasta, was a Czech architect, artist, and children's book illustrator who revitalized the pop-up book movement in Europe in the mid twentieth century. I found it particularly interesting that:

Kubasta produced his complex, tightly integrated scenes with a minimalist’s touch. “What’s astounding about Kubasta, as opposed to many pop-up artists today working with multiple layers of paper, is that he achieved his effects using a single piece of paper,” Mr. Sabuda said. “That is the real magic of Kubasta. Look at one of his pop-ups from the side, and it looks like a staircase. The positive space is missing from the background, because it has been cut out, but you don’t notice it. The simplicity of it, from a paper engineer’s point of view, is simply amazing.”

 How that artwork integrates with the storytelling itself would be a worthy point of examination. If you are in New York any time until March 15th, you can see the gallery of his work at the Grolier Club:   JANUARY 23-MARCH 15, 2014: SECOND FLOOR GALLERY EXHIBITION, “Pop-Ups from Prague: A Centennial Celebration of the Graphic Artistry of Vojtech Kubašta (1914–1992) from the Collection of Ellen G. K. Rubin.” Open to the public free of charge Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.

On a similar note, this The Little Prince Pop-up is also worth checking out. I'm sure it would even make a nifty Valentine's Day present if you're so inclined...

Underneath the Juniper Tree Literary Magazine

Kathleen Rushall, graduate of the SDSU M.A. program in children's literature and current literary agent at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, recently shared with us a literary magazine for those with a penchant for the dark, macabre, gothic, and creatively neurotic. Under the Juniper Tree is a non-profit online magazine that supports budding authors and artists with a twist toward the shadows. "We aim to promote the most creatively fantastical and darkly neurotic literature that has been much loved over the centuries and will be loved for centuries to come" (from magazine description).

For any students or new authors and illustrators interested in dark children's literature and "Edward Gorey style art," as Kathleen points out, this magazine would be a great place to explore fresh new storytelling and submit some of your own. Check it out: http://issuu.com/underneaththejunipertree

Talk & Book Signing with illustrator/artist Susie Ghahremani in La Jolla, June 27

If you're in San Diego and have some time this evening, consider making a trip to La Jolla to attend this event:
Join illustrator and artist Susie Ghahremani tonight as she shares her work and the secrets behind the making of the artwork for her picture book, What Will Hatch? (written by Jennifer Ward).

When & Where: Thursday, June 27th at 6 pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.
The museum is located at 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla, CA and the talk is part of the “Shore Thing” evening event series. The talk will be followed by Q&A and book signing.

Talk begins promptly at 6:30 pm, so arrive early!

Illustrating Children's Books, UCSD Extension Course with Joy Chu

Just a smidgling of days left to register for Joy Chu's upcoming workshop, "Illustrating Books for Children" through UCSD Extension.

Illustrating Books for Children / Art 40011
Instructor: Joy Chu
June 26-August 21
Wednesdays, 6:30pm-9:30pm
extension.ucsd.edu
Register before June 25!

More info about the class on her website: http://gotstorycountdown.wordpress.com/

Or join her facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gotstory/ 

Children's Book Editor Discusses What Makes a "Good Book" on Saturday May 11

The San Diego Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) will feature Kira Lynn from Kane Miller Books on Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m.

Ms. Miller will share her definition of a “good book,” offer tips on what writers and illustrators can do to make sure that they’ve submitted their best work, and discuss the state of the children’s book market in general. The event will be held at the University of San Diego in the Hahn School of Nursing building. (See a map of campus here.)

* Contact: 619-713-5462 or pr-sd@sandiego-scbwi.org
* Age limit: 18+
* When: Saturday, May 11, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
* Where: USD: University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, 92110 (Directions)
* Cost: $7 - $9 (Buy Tickets)