Books of Wonder, NYC. April 25th, 5pm. I hope to see you there!
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Professional artist for over 26 years. Studio phone: 206-938-4516. For book illustration inquiries contact my agent Steven Malk at 858-678-8767. If you'd like to purchase any artwork please email me.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/22/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/18/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/18/2013
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On sale today! Buy here. I would recommend buying them by the dozen or more and giving one to every child-like person you come across.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/16/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/9/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/8/2013
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Another great review just in for Peanut and Fifi have A Ball, Randall de Seve and my new book out at the end of this month. Preorder it here.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/1/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/25/2013
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Saturday night my wife and I were invited to participate in the King County Library's Literary Lions Gala, to raise funds for one of the busiest libraries in the country. I had a great time reconnecting with Nancy Pearl and Patrick Jennings, and getting to meet some new folks. (Ours is such a solitary profession!) Here I am at the signing table with the delightful Maria Semple and George Shannon.
I'm not sure yet how much money was raised, but it is never too late to help.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/15/2013
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A great review from Kirkus for Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball:
By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/7/2013
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From the School Library Journal, a star for Peanut and Fifl:
DE SÈVE , Randall. Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball. illus. by Paul Schmid. 32p. Dial. Apr. 2013.RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3578-1. LC 2012014355.
PreS-K–Peanut is delighted with her new, bright-blue ball. Her older sister wants to play with it too, but Peanut refuses to share her special toy. Undaunted, imaginative Fifi tries a variety of strategies to get it from her sister. She proposes some enticing pretend games. “Where is my crystal ball?” she asks and then suggests, “It’s bread dough and we’re bakers.” Finally, Fifi returns with a seal that can do tricks with the ball. Peanut agrees to share it, but Fifi is off on another fantastic adventure, imagining that she and the seal are flying through space. After a moment, Peanut picks up her ball and chases after her sister, calling out, “Hey Fifi, check out this cool planet.” The digital artwork reinforces the playful tone of the story. The thick black outlines and geometric shapes featured in the simple but eye-catching illustrations have a childlike charm and capture the unique personality of each little girl. This story offers a gentle lesson about sharing, sibling dynamics, and the power of imagination. Pair it with But Excuse Me That Is My Book (Dial, 2005) or another title in Lauren Child’s “Charlie and Lola” series.–Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA
By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/28/2013
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Early reviews are starting to come in for Peanut and Fifi, a terrific story written by Randall de Seve, and illustrated by myself. Here is a very nice one from Publishers Weekly:
The book will be available for sale in April. Buy it here.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/26/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/8/2013
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This review made me blush. The best thing about it is that it came from a librarian. Librarians know. Librarians are, as if it needed to be pointed out, perfectly awesome people.
Perfectly adorable
Percy is a porcupine with a love of balloons that knows no bounds. The problem is...he's a porcupine. Fortunately, Percy is a porcupine who likes to think and solve problems. How he manages to solve his prickly problem and keep his beloved balloons makes for a short little tale that is amazingly humorous and full of heart. Percy is adorable and kids will instantly relate to his efforts to solve his problem. He seeks help from his sister (whose ideas were not very practical) and his mother (who didn't have time) before finally realizing he needed to come up with something himself. His success will bring a smile to your face and his little grin as the author sends him off with a loving "have fun Percy!" will melt your heart.
This story is short enough for toddlers to still remain engaged, and charming enough to hook even older preschoolers. A must have for any story time collection; this is also a perfect gift for any toddler or preschooler. The illustrations are simple and straightforward and I'm just not sure how Paul Schmid manages to convey so much personality in such a simple little porcupine. When I used Perfectly Percy in a story time for four year olds, he inspired much discussion. The valentines we made following the reading featured quite a few little Percy sketches! With good messages about problem solving and perseverance, Perfectly Percy is a perfect picture book that's not to be missed.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/29/2013
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Well, lots happening.
First, today is the launch day for Perfectly Percy! Buy it now! Buy it anywhere! Buy ten or more and you make Paul that much happier!
And then there is an interview of meself on the fabulous blog Seven Impossible Things. Tons of thanks to the perfectly awesome Jules!
By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/18/2013
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My new book Perfectly Percy, received a starred review from the School Library Journal:
By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/14/2013
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My copies of Perfectly Percy arrived today. That means arrival in stores is not far off, January 29th to be exact. Buy them by the box load yourselves!
By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/16/2012
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It won't be available in stores until March of 2013, but I received proofs of PEANUT AND FIFI HAVE A BALL. Written by Randall de Seve and illustrated by myself. I love this story. You will love this story. I will be giving more sneak peeks of it later.
By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/8/2012
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... are so smart!
By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/1/2012
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Pearl the porcupine's little brother Percy grapples his rather tragic state of affairs with balloons. Available in January, but you can pre-order now.
Barnes&Noble
By: Paul Schmid,
on 9/20/2012
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Pearl is an international star!
By: Paul Schmid,
on 8/8/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 5/8/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/30/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/11/2012
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A very nice review for Petunia Goes Wild from the Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books:
By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/24/2012
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Some news and notes that have been piling up while I have been having too much fun drawing young Oliver (above) and some of his friends.
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Professional artist for over 26 years. Studio phone: 206-938-4516. For book illustration inquiries contact my agent Steven Malk at 858-678-8767. If you'd like to purchase any artwork please email me.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/22/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/18/2013
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The artists I am looking at tonight for inspiration for my new book: Egon Schiele and Jose Guerrero.
They're driving me mad with excitement.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/18/2013
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3 Comments on Peanut and Fifi, last added: 4/22/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/16/2013
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Blandishment: Glaringly unecstatic response from your spouse upon reading your new manuscript.
Returnal Void: No ideas today either.
2 Comments on more Fauxtionary, last added: 4/22/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/9/2013
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Here is another installment of corrupted words or phrases that I've invented to help describe the creative journey.
Dolcrumbs: Cookie and potato chip bits wedged in your keyboard from a particularly nasty period of time with no fresh ideas.
Stalking The Plank: Hovering the internet searching for the first reviews of your new book.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/8/2013
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Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball.
In this story about imaginative play, Peanut has a new blue ball. It’s a great ball, and her older sister, Fifi, wants it. But no matter what Fifi suggests they do with it, Peanut refuses. Then Fifi brings an imaginary seal into the equation, along with clothes and pajamas, so that all four can travel the world. Peanut acquiesces, but Fifi doesn’t need the ball anymore to play. End of story? Well, not quite. Much of this book’s charm lies in the spare illustrations of the girls, rendered as broad black strokes in geometric shapes (Fifi is triangular; Peanut is more rounded), and accented by a blue, green, and peach color palette. The backgrounds are plain and the pages creamy, which allow the characters to pop—up until the lovely, fully saturated final spread. When Fifi introduces each imaginary object, it’s effectively rendered in muted colors and bordered with a dotted line. Share with kids who understand what it’s like to have a special toy, a sibling, and a powerful imagination.
— Ann Kelley
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/1/2013
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I have wrestled with this subject before. Here, here and here. Words. There ain’t enough of them. Useful ones that is, for describing the agonies and excesses of the creative life. Particularly writing and illustrating children’s books.
In the past, I tried to resolve this insufficiency by cramming some Latin words together into something more serviceable. But I couldn’t remember them, so they really weren’t that serviceable.
This go around, I’ve decided to simply corrupt the Mother Tongue.
Forgoing further fuss, here are the first three words of my new Fauxtionary. My plan is to post a new one every Tuesday morning, but you know how uncooperative plans can be.
Fossil Fuel: Re-reading favorable reviews of your past books in an attempt to energise your confidence.
Hulapoop: Spinning round and around on a crappy idea you will never make work.
Karmakaze: A reckless urge to follow up a commercial and/or critical success with an oblique, esoteric, self-indulgent binge of “pure art” that will show the whole world what you are really capable of.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/25/2013
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I'm not sure yet how much money was raised, but it is never too late to help.
1 Comments on library gala, last added: 4/9/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/15/2013
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Playful shapes and deft use of white space illustrate a fresh and funny tale about sharing.
Peanut sits on the floor, gazing lovingly at her new ball. Enter Fifi, who wants that ball. She tries grabbing; she tries politeness. “But Peanut didn’t want to share.” Fifi proposes several imagination games for which the ball is, naturally, required. From “Basketball?” to “Dough! It’s bread dough and we’re bakers and we’ve got to knead it and push it and pound it,” Fifi cajoles and Peanut refuses. “Not dough,” Peanut replies. “Just a ball.” The cream-colored backgrounds are clean and spacious, placing sharp focus on the girls. Schmid codes Peanut and Fifi by shape: Everything Peanut is rounded (body, head, ponytails, the ball), while everything Fifi is angular (face, ponytails, triangular dress with lightning bolt). Even a hilarious paper-airplane message—“Dear Ball, Wanna Play?”—is sharply triangular, and the reply—the airplane crumpled up, with “No” written on it—is roundish. Pale blues and oranges sit inside bold black outlines. Bits of rhyme nestle into the text: “It was brand-new. It was bright blue.” Fifi’s final power play briefly orchestrates a painful turnabout, but a page claiming “The end” is only teasing, and the real end sees Peanut and Fifi contentedly off into outer space—together.
Humorous, realistic and cheerfully free of didacticism. (Picture book. 3-5)
1 Comments on Kirkus likes, last added: 4/8/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/7/2013
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DE SÈVE , Randall. Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball. illus. by Paul Schmid. 32p. Dial. Apr. 2013.RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3578-1. LC 2012014355. PreS-K–Peanut is delighted with her new, bright-blue ball. Her older sister wants to play with it too, but Peanut refuses to share her special toy. Undaunted, imaginative Fifi tries a variety of strategies to get it from her sister. She proposes some enticing pretend games. “Where is my crystal ball?” she asks and then suggests, “It’s bread dough and we’re bakers.” Finally, Fifi returns with a seal that can do tricks with the ball. Peanut agrees to share it, but Fifi is off on another fantastic adventure, imagining that she and the seal are flying through space. After a moment, Peanut picks up her ball and chases after her sister, calling out, “Hey Fifi, check out this cool planet.” The digital artwork reinforces the playful tone of the story. The thick black outlines and geometric shapes featured in the simple but eye-catching illustrations have a childlike charm and capture the unique personality of each little girl. This story offers a gentle lesson about sharing, sibling dynamics, and the power of imagination. Pair it with But Excuse Me That Is My Book (Dial, 2005) or another title in Lauren Child’s “Charlie and Lola” series.–Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/28/2013
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With clever dialogue and stylish retro spreads, de Sève (The Duchess of Whimsy) and Schmid (Perfectly Percy) give a shot of energy to the familiar theme of siblings fighting over a toy. Fifi has a nearly inexhaustible stream of ideas to get her younger sister Peanut’s new ball away from her, “but Peanut didn’t want to share. Her ball was new. And it was special.” Fifi tries dressing up in a starry cape and pretending to be a fortune-teller: “Where is my crystal ball?” she asks. “Not here,” says Peanut, unimpressed. “Check the closet.” When the ever-resourceful Fifi runs off with a live seal named Bob and a blue spaceship, Peanut is left alone with her treasure. “The end,” the narrator declares, as Peanut stares disconsolately; “(or not…)” the next page continues—and Peanut joins the fun. Schmid’s bold, black outlines and graphic forms play Peanut’s dumpling roundness off Fifi’s angles and corners. Matte paper and three sun-faded colors heighten the vintage look, and the translucent suggestions of Fifi’s imaginary ideas provide additional interest. Siblings may end up squabbling over this book. Ages 3–5.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/26/2013
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I am honored to have been invited to participate in the King County Library’s Literary Lions Gala, a black tie event which will raise funds to support a really wonderful library system.
It takes place on Saturday March 23rd, so please consider buying tickets! Nancy Pearl will emcee that night and you will be able to meet and buy books from 30 authors from the Northwest, including myself.
1 Comments on roar!, last added: 2/26/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/8/2013
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Perfectly adorable
Percy is a porcupine with a love of balloons that knows no bounds. The problem is...he's a porcupine. Fortunately, Percy is a porcupine who likes to think and solve problems. How he manages to solve his prickly problem and keep his beloved balloons makes for a short little tale that is amazingly humorous and full of heart. Percy is adorable and kids will instantly relate to his efforts to solve his problem. He seeks help from his sister (whose ideas were not very practical) and his mother (who didn't have time) before finally realizing he needed to come up with something himself. His success will bring a smile to your face and his little grin as the author sends him off with a loving "have fun Percy!" will melt your heart.
This story is short enough for toddlers to still remain engaged, and charming enough to hook even older preschoolers. A must have for any story time collection; this is also a perfect gift for any toddler or preschooler. The illustrations are simple and straightforward and I'm just not sure how Paul Schmid manages to convey so much personality in such a simple little porcupine. When I used Perfectly Percy in a story time for four year olds, he inspired much discussion. The valentines we made following the reading featured quite a few little Percy sketches! With good messages about problem solving and perseverance, Perfectly Percy is a perfect picture book that's not to be missed.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/29/2013
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First, today is the launch day for Perfectly Percy! Buy it now! Buy it anywhere! Buy ten or more and you make Paul that much happier!
And then there is an interview of meself on the fabulous blog Seven Impossible Things. Tons of thanks to the perfectly awesome Jules!
0 Comments on big day for paul as of 1/29/2013 11:54:00 AM
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/18/2013
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Percy is a porcupine with a problem. He loves balloons, but when he plays with them, they meet an unfortunate end. Big sister Pearl offers a creative, albeit “not very practical,” solution of sticking marshmallows onto his quills. Determined to find a better way, Percy “thought things all day. He thought thoughts through the night.” Inspiration strikes at breakfast, and the following page shows the prickly fellow sporting a cereal bowl on his head as he happily runs along with his favorite toy. The simple sentences are invitingly conversational in tone (“What’s a little porcupine to do?”). Schmid’s winsome charcoal and pastel illustrations show a charming, roly-poly character with dots for eyes and a tiny dash for a mouth. Percy’s features droop when he looks at his “trezr” chest full of deflated balloons, but a proud smile appears when he comes up with his own idea. A good choice for toddler storytimes.
Here is a fine review from what I've heard are usually grumpy people at Kirkus:
What is an adorable porcupine to do when his passion is for balloons? Is he destined for disappointment, or will some careful thinking lead to the perfect solution? Schmid (Hugs from Pearl, 2011) returns with another sweet tale about the challenges of being a porcupine. Percy loves balloons of all colors and shapes. “But HAPPY little porcupines with balloons are soon SAD little porcupines. / The balloons always go POP!” Percy is determined not to mope or give up. Advice from big sister Pearl is not practical, and his mom is too busy. So Percy must rely upon himself and start thinking. He muses all through the day and into the night. At breakfast the next day, while eating his cereal, he finally has an inspired idea. Young readers will immediately relate to Percy and his dilemma, and they will cheer when he independently comes up with a messy but successful solution. The simple, direct text pairs well with the soft pastel palette of the illustrations. Percy, white with a pink smudge of a nose and a mass of softly penciled wayward quills, appears more cuddly than prickly and is sure to endear. Just right for preschoolers, who will giggle at the gently humorous ending and see a bit of themselves in this utterly charming creature.
And not bad from Publishers Weekly:
Schmid follows Hugs from Pearl (2011), about a porcupine named Pearl, with a companion tale about Pearl’s younger brother, Percy. It’s another story about porcupine problem-solving, as Percy mourns that his quills pop the balloons he loves. Eventually, Percy realizes he can don his cereal bowl (still dripping) like a helmet to protect his fragile balloons, “A perfectly Percy idea.” Schmid conveys Percy’s frustration and elation with a handful of adorable charcoal lines, a few sketched-in items of interest (such as a box of burst balloons labeled “trezr”), and backgrounds in pastel blues, greens, and lavenders. Pacing is slow; it takes Percy eight spreads of thinking—“He thought things all the day. He thought thoughts through the night”—before the solution arrives, a long time in the life of a toddler listener. Nevertheless, Schmid possesses the ability to draw irresistible characters, and his gently unconventional language (“The balloons always go pop! And Percy’s happiness pops with them”) adds a little buoyancy to this straightforward tale.
0 Comments on Percy's a star! as of 1/1/1900
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 1/14/2013
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/16/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/8/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 10/1/2012
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Barnes&Noble
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 9/20/2012
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 8/8/2012
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In my youth I was a Boy Scout. I earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was elected a member of the Order of the Arrow.
I had long felt Scouting was an excellent program, I learned much which benefitted me in life.
Last month the Boy Scouts reaffirmed a policy which I deem unacceptably out-of-date and prejudicial: a ban on any members, child or parent, who are gay.
I am fortunate to know very many excellent, honorable human beings. Some just happen to be gay. The idea of any of my good friends being excluded from a thing merely because of whom they may fall in love with is appalling to me and at the same time really silly too.
As if we have an excess of love in the world.
Sure, the Scouts are entitled to whatever policy they choose. They are and have always been a private organization, with a long connection to a religious belief system.
Yet for me, so long as they continue to function with what I feel is a dark-ages mentality, so long as their policies are based on mistaken morals, I am compelled to distance myself from the group.
Therefore, I am returning my Eagle Scout medal as a small way of protest. It is in the mail to them, a faded, tarnished symbol of outdated thinking, prejudice and intolerance. It is no longer the badge I earned.
Paul Schmid
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 5/8/2012
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Aaron Renier, Herman, the big man, and myself. Photo by Lynn Caponera.
When I last visited Maurice Sendak, we took his big German Shepard, Herman for a walk, sat on a bench in the woods, and for over two hours discussed how elusive happiness is for an artist, the difficulty in waking our muses, the impossibility of not continuing to always create and express ourselves, the challenge and imperative of being truthful to kids, loss, death, life, beauty. The whole of our love for life and creating.
Maurice talked about the new book he was working on. “It’s about a nose,” he said.
We both felt the idea of dropping dead at our drawing boards to be a pretty acceptable way to go.
And now he is gone.
At a time in my life when I am exploring new ways of communicating, and seeking deeper, more worthy things to communicate, Maurice was to me a shining example of courage and depth and intelligence. I’ve never met anyone more brilliant and intuitive about creating children’s books. As his long time editor Ursula Nordstrom wrote to him: “You have a vast and beautiful genius.”
On that last visit, I presented him with my book PETUNIA GOES WILD, about a little girl frustrated with the limitations and rules that come with being a human child. Petunia decides that being a wild animal would be a more satisfactory way to live and attempts to ship herself somewhere wild and free. Of course, upon reflection, she eventually chooses the certainty and comfort of home and mom, but does manage to create for herself a place where she can express her soul safely.
Maurice read through the book, chuckling in the right places, appreciating this drawing, that phrase. But when he came to the end, he closed the book, looked at me and said only three words: “She didn’t capitulate.”
Typically, Maurice had gone right to the essence of my intention for the book. Instantly and concisely he had unearthed the core. As a book creator, I have had no more deeply satisfying moment than that.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 4/30/2012
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I am very happy to announce that two new books I have written about a shy little guy named Oliver will be published by Hyperion.
The brilliant and so-nice-to-work-with Rotem Moscovich will be my editor. We’re very near to finishing the first book, OLIVER AND HIS ALLIGATOR, which will be available in the summer of 2013.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 3/11/2012
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Little Petunia (from A Pet for Petunia) would much rather be an animal than a human girl, a preference that she expresses by wearing a tiger tail, roaring at passersby, and pleading with her parents for a cave in which to live. As a compromise, she offers to be their pet, an offer that provokes a page-long parental lecture: “No, you may NOT! Where did you get such an idea? Of all the crazy things! That is NOT how nice little girls behave.” Feeling completely misunderstood, Petunia addresses a packing box to Africa and climbs in, only to have second thoughts when she overhears her mother singing in the kitchen (“Tigers did not sing, thought Petunia. Or tickle at bedtime, neither”), and she decides to stay—but saves the box for moments when she needs a “wild place of her own.” Although the ending is a bit anticlimactic, Petunia’s desire for wildness will be easily understood by kids who have similar trouble containing themselves, and her parents’ overreaction to her behavior will likely resonate with obstreperous youngsters as well.
They’ll also be tickled by her actions, especially when “Petunia, wearing no more than a smile, bathed in a mud puddle.” Schmid’s cheerful, minimalist illustrations (dark pencil occasionally accented with golden orange and periwinkle watercolor) feature scribbly lines in a childlike style against lots of white space. Petunia is irrepressibly jaunty in her striped dress and tiger tail, and she’s as endearing as she is excessive.
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By: Paul Schmid,
on 2/24/2012
Blog: Paul Schmid studio (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Katie Davis's new podcast has a review of Petunia Goes Wild by the amazing Mr Schu, here it is.
ROAR! I've been invited to join the King County Library's Literary Lions Gala March 10! This annual event raises funds for the busiest Library in the entire US. Click on this link to buy tickets for this grand affair featuring Nancy Pearl as emcee, cocktails, a formal dinner, and you can sip champagne whilst I sign my books for you. AND you'll be supporting the library!
I'm looking forward to reading my books to the kids at Lakeview Elementary in Kirkland March 2nd.
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Cool! My daughter will love this!
I hope she does Michaele, thanks!
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