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I’ve had the privilege of interviewing authors, illustrators and book people of all walks of life and spanning both ends of careers.  Today, I break new ground for me as I interview a six year-old who’s not my own daughter.

Lily was five when she submitted an illustration to our Love of Reading Gallery, making her the youngest contributor to our collection of art.  She never named her piece so I’ve called it Books and Friends.  On this edition, I speak with blogger and budding author/illustrator, Lily, about her illustration, the tools she uses and the projects she’s working on.

Listen to interviews with other members of Lily’s family:

• Author/illustrator, Aaron Zenz
• Gracie
• Isaac

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

We opened our Love of Reading Gallery in July 2008 and invited all illustrators to submit original artwork that promotes a love of reading.  Submissions spanned the globe including Venezuela and Romania and covered all age ranges.

On this edition, Mark speaks with artist, blogger and budding author, Isaac, now 10 (he was 9 when he created his illustration) about Bedtime Snack, his contribution to our Love of Reading Gallery and a book he’s creating with his father, author/illustrator Aaron Zenz.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

We opened our Love of Reading Gallery in July 2008 and invited all illustrators to submit original artwork that promotes a love of reading.  Submissions came from as far as Brazil, Vietnam and South Africa and covered all age ranges.

On this edition, Mark speaks with artist and budding author, Gracie, now 8 (she was 7 when she created her illustration) about Love for Reading, her contribution to our Love of Reading Gallery, her illustration technique and a book idea she has.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Did you notice Gracie’s reference to The HICCUPotamus?

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we invited illustrators to submit artwork that promotes a love of reading. Now, well into our fourth year, we’re still conducting short interviews with contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

On this edition, Mark speaks with author/artist Aaron Zenz about The Big One (his contribution to our Love of Reading Gallery), reading with his children and pencil technique.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

As we find ourselves soldiering into our fourth year of Just One More Book!!, we remain in the process of catching up on interviews with illustrators that contributed original work to our Love of Reading Gallery — part of our second anniversary celebrations.  Yes, we’re a little behind.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Mark speaks with designer and children’s book illustrator hopeful Candace Trew Camling about her contribution titled Bookworm, still reading children’s books at age 25 and the genius of Adam Rex.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we invited illustrators to submit artwork that promotes a love of reading.  We are now catching on our series of short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

On this edition, Mark speaks with illustrator Katie Davis about her contribution called Get Into Books and not being able to time travel.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The drive home from Northampton was the longest eight hours of our lives not because of the weather (we experienced sun, clouds and a spectacular if short snow storm) or the traffic (there wasn’t much) but because of the amazing memories that we collected and friends we made and how we seemed to be going further away from both.  Fortunately, those friendship remain and the memories are still with us; they have helped shape the way we enjoy and understand children’s books.

In this final installment of the Rock Stars of Reading we reflect on the what we experienced and consider the impact those experiences will have on us.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Afternoon in the Sun by John Williams (from Long Ride Home) found on Magnatune

Listen to author/illustrator Mordicai Gerstein tell Mark about his turbulent career, imagination and his idea that children’s books as the perfect combination of film, theatre and drawing.

Books by Mordicai Gerstein that you may recognize…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Soon Enough by John Williams (from Dusty Porch), found on Magnatune

Listen to Mark and illustrator Jane Dyer talk about Jane’s fine brushwork, painting movement and imagination, and her own masterpiece.

Books by Jane Dyer you may have seen…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Razorback by Robert Farrell (from Elegant Chaos)

Listen in as Mark and Author/Poet, Paul Jacobs, chat about the differences between children and adults as book and reading audiences, writing with a playful spirit and the collaborative nature of children’s books.

Books you may have seen by Paul Jacobs…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Funky Instrumental by Steffen Coonan found on the Podsafe Music Network

Author/poet Lesléa Newman, author of the groundbreaking book Heather Has Two Mommies, talks to Mark about seeing in words (not images), writing for adults and children, and treasures in our brains.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Red Mood by Jami Sieber (from Hidden Sky), found on Magnatune

  

Mark, Richard Michelson (on JOMB), Tony Diterlizzi and Scott Fisher spoke for three hours about almost everything related to children’s books and the publishing industry.  It was a very cerebral conversation, much of which revolved around print and digital books, the future of the industry and competing with technology for reader attention.  There were light moments, too, like when they did an analysis of Jon Scieszka’s (on JOMB) reign as the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Skittles at Buckley Bay & Mischief in the Garden by Jaime RT (from Reach)

  

  

  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Take note of the name Jeff Mack. He’s a relative newcomer to children’s books and has a very bright future. His stories are endearing and his illustrations inviting. We had the chance to see him in action and better understand his creative process as he coached Lucy and Bayla through sketching, mixing paint and painting their own illustration.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Drive Thru by Music Inside (from Outside Forces), found on Magnatune

Click here to view the embedded video.

Perhaps more intriguing than books themselves is the story behind them; how they were conceived, how they were picked up by a publishing company and how they were edited.  Author/illustrator Jeff Mack has many incredible stories to tell from his young career and he took the time to share many of the stories and explain his creative process to us.

We particularly enjoyed how he engaged with Lucy and Bayla and how they may have had an influence on a creative decision for his upcoming book, Dog Wants to Play, due out September 3, 2009 (author: Christine McDonnell).

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Sunshine and Starlight by Bjork Ostrom (from Sunshine and Starlight), found on the Podsafe Music Network

Click here to view the embedded video.

Did you know that the first chldren’s picture books featured illustrations produced from wood engravings?  Technology made way for lithographs and drum rollers and eventually computers which aren’t just part of the printing process — they figure prominently in the creative process.

Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB) shows us how he’s using his laptop computer for his new Lunch Lady graphic novel series, the first two editions of which will be available on July 28, 2009.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Bullet Drive by Robert Farrell (from When the Banks of the Mississippi Run Dry)

Click here to view the embedded video.

It was like picture-book-boot-camp.  We had an 8am workshop and our training officer, one Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB), didn’t waste any time.  After a quick introduction to his pug Ralph Macchio and his fantastic creative environment, Jarrett demonstrated his illustrating and painting technique.  Before long, Lucy and Bayla were rolling up their sleeves and trying out what they had just learned; prepping the illustration paper, mixing paint and shading to create three dimensions.  At the end of the whole process, we had an original Krosoczka/Ross-Blevis painting to bring home.

Oh yeah, it was when we finally arrived at Jarrett’s (after being coached to his place over the phone) that we decided we weren’t not going to get lost en route to any more of our scheduled appointments.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• PF on Tour Interlude performed by Punk Farm

Mark spent two amazing hours at a table with Jeanne Birdsall (on JOMB), Jane Dyer, Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB) and David Ezra Stein, sharing a common love of children’s books and talking about how each found their way into writing and illustrating, children’s books vs. traditional publishing and what keeps them in an industry that isn’t known for generating a lot of wealth for the people in it.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Cliffhanger by the Eternal Jazz Project (from Season), found on Magnatune

Listen in as we grab a spot of floor in the home office of author Corinne Demas to talk about books and how stories are researched, the similarity between poets and picture book creators and the best job in the world.  Lucy started us off with a read-aloud of Corinne’s new book, Always in Trouble, and Corinne explains the origins of Lucy’s favourite phrase from the book “quiet as a goldfish”.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Dragondance by Art Turner (from Jade)

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the final of three parts that feature Author/Illustrator Lane Smith (on JOMB), we go through Lane’s archives to see ten years worth of idea development for his amazing book John, Paul, George and Ben.  Then, we hit the road for Northampton with a fun stop at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Scultpure Gardens in Springfield, Massachusetts.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Song About You by The Birdinumnums (from She Say Go, found on the Podsafe Music Network)
• The Swaggering Dragon by Zubot and Dawson (from Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strang)

There’s one thing you can count on when it comes children’s book creators; they’re wildly passionate about what they do and what they believe in which is typically literacy and a love of reading.

Count illustrator Cyd Moore among that crowd. I called Cyd to interview her about Book Buddies, her contribution to our Love of Reading gallery and when I brought up literacy and love of reading in general, she took off, joking that she’d jumped on her soapbox. And you know what? It was great. I could have talked to her for hours.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, illustrator Cyd Moore shares her personal experiences with children’s books and her passion for getting children hooked on reading.

Among Cyd’s illustration credits are:

• Willlow
• I Love You Stinky Face (and other books in the Stinky face series)
• Room for Rabbit

Books mentioned:

• Missing Rabbit

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

There’s no turning back, now. We’re eleven interviews into fifty-one with illustrators and children — artists all — who’ve contributed amazing illustrations that promote a love of reading for the Just One More Book!! podcast’s Love of Reading Gallery.

On this edition, Mark speaks illustrator, designer and artist Tom Bojarczuk about his contribution called Reading Under a Tree.

By the way, if you know Mark you know that he’s very particular about good audio quality. More importantly, he’s extremely particular about great conversation. Unfortunately, his audio card acted up during this interview and the resulting audio is disappointing. The conversation is too good to attempt an encore performance. We assure you that if you can be patient with the audio quality, you’ll be rewarded by the discussion.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Mark reached Tom at his home in Brazil.

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we’re conducting short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery. These interviews are being published as extra shows in our interview feed until we’ve interviewed everyone who contributed before June 15.

On this edition, Mark speaks with illustrator Denise Simon about her contribution called Little Red Reading Hood and her hope to illustrate children’s books.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Books and stories mentioned:

• Little Red Riding Hood

There’s no turning back, now. We’re eight interviews into fifty-one with illustrators and children — artists all — who’ve contributed amazing illustrations that promote a love of reading for the Just One More Book!! podcast’s Love of Reading Gallery.

On this edition, Mark speaks with after-hours illustrator Lucy Autrey Wilson about her contribution called A Book Can Take You Anywhere.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Books mentioned:

• The Wind in the Willows
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales
• Hans Christian Anderson Tales
• Goodnight Moon
• The Velveteen Rabbit

When we put out the call for illustrations that promote a love of reading, we didn’t expect to receive 51 submissions in about a month.

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we’re conducting short interviews with each illustrator that contributed to our Love of Reading Gallery. These interviews will be published three times each week as extra shows in our interview feed.

Author, illustrator and artist Oliver Jeffers makes an encore appearance on this edition of Just One More Book!! This time Oliver talks about his Love of Reading Gallery submission titled The Incredible Book Reading Joy.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Relevant links:

• Interview with Oliver Jeffers on Just One More Book!!
• Review of The Incredible Book Eating Boy on Just One More Book!!
• National Literacy Trust

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we’re conducting short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery. These interviews will be published three times a week as extra shows in our interview feed until we’ve interview everyone who contributed before June 15.

On this edition, Mark speaks with illustrator, artist and fantasy art enthusiast (as you’ll learn in this interview) Ruth Sanderson about her contribution called Curl Up With a Good Book.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Books mentioned:

• The Golden Key by George MacDonald