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If you know any little girls named Maisy (or Tallulah; or, for that matter, any little boys named Cyril), chances are good that it’s because of Lucy Cousins. Her indomitable little-girl-mouse is beloved by toddlers and their grownups the world over, making Cousins one proud mama.
1. Your latest Maisy book — Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep! (Candlewick, 2–5 years) — is a large-format, lift-the-flap book. You’ve also done Maisy board books, hardcovers, cloth books, Maisy First Science and Arts-and-Crafts books, books with stickers, etc., etc. How do you decide? Does form follow content?
LC: I like to try out any new ideas for Maisy that I can think of. Maybe it’s because she is quite a graphic character, she seems to work well in many different formats. Because the age range for Maisy is so wide, from a young baby who is just grasping things and looking intently to a child who enjoys stories and details, it means there is such a variety of book styles to create. A chunky book is great for a tiny child who might put the book in the mouth and drop it on the floor, whereas an older child will enjoy sitting quietly and studying the pictures and following a story. Whatever the age, I like there to be a choice of Maisy books, some just for fun, some for learning, some for stories. So I aim to create pictures and ideas or stories that are relevant to the format of the book.
2. You’ve introduced American children to some unusual-to-them names (Maisy, for one; also Tallulah, which is very cute to hear toddlers try to say!). How do you name your characters?
LC: I find naming characters a very difficult thing. I have a few dictionaries of names, which are usually for naming babies, and initially go through all the names starting with the same letter as the animal I’m trying to name. Or I think of names that sound nice phonetically. When I named Maisy, the name was familiar, but only really used by people of my grandparents’ generation. I just loved the sound of it, a soft and friendly name. Now it has become quite a popular name, and I sometimes meet children called Maisy and Tallulah when I am signing books. I was quite excited when my son came home after his first term at university and told us that his new girlfriend’s name is… Tallulah!
3. You’re well known for your work in those bright, bold colors. Have you done work in other styles, or using different media?
LC: I developed my style of illustration using bright blocks of color and a bold black outline while I was studying at art college. It feels very comfortable and natural to paint like that, so I enjoy mostly working in that style. Occasionally I have tried a slightly different approach. For example, my book I’m the Best (Candlewick, 2–5 years) was created with colored inks and a chunky graphite pencil. In the early days of Maisy, I had quite a lot of creative input into the developing of the TV series and merchandising, and I enjoyed working in those different mediums. I love doing creative things for fun, almost anything, from pottery to photography to knitting. But life has been so busy bringing up my four children and creating my books, that I haven’t had much time for experimenting.
4. Maisy is a toddler icon. Do you hear much from nostalgic ten-year-olds?
LC: Yes, it’s always lovely to hear memories of people enjoying Maisy. Especially from six-foot-tall teenage friends of my children. Parents sometimes tell me heartwarming stories about how a Maisy book has been very special to their child during a difficult time, like a hospital visit, or starting a new nursery school. I work in a solitary way, for weeks and months on my books, and sometimes it can be quite a struggle, so it means a lot when I hear about a child who loves Maisy.
5. Following Hello Kitty-gate, do you think of your character as a girl-sized mouse? Or a mouse-shaped girl? Or neither?
LC: I have to say that it is not something I think about, or am inclined to try and understand. For me, she is just Maisy, in Maisy’s world, and it’s completely separate from our world. When I did the very first drawing of Maisy about twenty-five years ago, I could picture her character and her world, and it’s always seemed to me that it’s best not to question that vision. If I start to think about why she is a mouse who behaves like a child, has no parents or family, can do things only adults can do, and is completely independent, it all seems rather confusing. Even her sex is rather ambiguous to me. She is officially a female, but that is a very unimportant part of who she is. She likes wearing trousers and mucking out pigs as much as dancing and baking. So, Maisy is just Maisy. Simple.
From the February 2015 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.
The post Five questions for Lucy Cousins appeared first on The Horn Book.
By:
Roger Sutton,
on 2/9/2015
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Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!
by Lucy Cousins; illus. by the author
Preschool Candlewick 32 pp.
2/15 978-0-7636-7643-8 $15.99 g
Maisy helps Mommy Hen track down her ten little chicks in time for bed. Starting at the stable, they make their way around the farm (“Are there any chicks in the trailer? Or in the tractor? Are there any chicks in the apple tree?”), picking up the little ones as they go. The last chick proves somewhat elusive (spoiler alert: it’s not behind the flour sack, in the wheelbarrow, behind the beehive, or in the watering can), but by book’s end, everyone is accounted for, and the chickens all snuggle into their coop for some zzzs. It’s the simplest of concept books, but well executed. Large pages, friendly illustrations, old friends (Cyril, Charlie, Eddie, etc.), lots of white space, engaging flaps, cute hiding places, clearly labeled numerals, and a very simple story line — but there is one — all play very nicely together.
From the January/February 2015 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.
The post Review of Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep! appeared first on The Horn Book.
by Mira Reisberg
Reclaiming:
Your sister/mother/father/cousin is the artist. Your drawing is terrible. You’re hopeless at art. These are the things that you may have heard. Especially when you were a child. Voices that you’ve carried along allowing an important part of you to be silenced.
In some ways, as children’s book creative, our jobs are about accessing that child-like place of curiosity, wonder, and joy. That part that can spend solid time squatting in dirt watching a worm wiggle around in the earth and then reach out and touch it.
Making art is a bit like that. Mucking around in sometimes yucky materials, seeing what will happen if you add a touch of ochre to that blue with some titan buff instead of titanium white. Suddenly your sea is more sea like. Suddenly the endorphins are flowing and you’re in that place of child-like wonder wandering around in the right side of your brain where emotion and intuition hang out. After a while you consciously or unconsciously remember these experiments and how when you do this that happens and the colors, patterns, shapes, compositions you like, become ingrained as habit and begin to develop into your personal visual vocabulary or style. In many ways, it’s like driving a car. Alien at first then effortless after a while. If you do this, that happens. But unlike driving a car, artists are always evolving, trying new moves, new materials, new styles and new combinations. Playing in the dirt.
Playful illustrators whose style epitomizes that child-like delight with a more child-like style include the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney, Naked and I’m Bored by Debbie Ohi, Mo Willem’s Pigeon books, Lauren Child’s books, and Todd Parr and Lucy Cousins wildly successful work that kids often look at and go “I could do that!”
These days, like never before, publishers want author/illustrators. These days publishers are also embracing artwork that may not be technically perfect but whose spirit and originality is totally, playfully, perfect!
Revitalizing:
While realism will always be greatly valued in the exquisite works of artists like John Muth, David Weisner, Julie Downing, E.B. Lewis and many others, there is a new embrace and desire for wild, spontaneous, fresh looking art that mixes it up. Try combining different materials with collage, try standing up and using your whole body to draw with freedom, or try creating loose ink or charcoal drawings like Chris Raschka does. Try playing with new materials that you’ve never used before so that you are more willing to be a child learning new things without judgment, experimenting in the dirt. Watch that worm wriggle. Then gently reach out and touch it.
Years ago Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” In the 1960’s Buckminster Fuller wrote, “Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-genius’s them.” Who’s ready to reclaim or revitalize their inner artist, childlike joy and visual genius? Take a walk on the wild side.
Mira Reisberg is the Director and founding instructor of the Children’s Book Academy. She has been involved in the children’s book industry since early 1988 as an illustrator, writer, editor, and art director as well as working as a kid lit university professor. Over the years she has taught many now successful children’s book writers and illustrators.
Starting November 3rd, Mira will be co-teaching the Craft and Business of Illustrating Children’s Books with Chronicle Books’ Design Director and Art Director extraordinaire for fearful beginning artists, multi-published illustrators, and adventurous writers. Find out more here.
By:
Tenley Peck,
on 10/27/2014
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In Eric Carle’s What’s Your Favorite Animal, he collaborates with fourteen renowned children’s book artists to create mini storybooks about a favorite animal.
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By:
A Wilson,
on 3/28/2014
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A couple of things have happened this week which have made me think about how I promote myself as a writer who also happens to be a woman. I would like to share these things to get your opinions, which I know will be many and varied!
On Wednesday 26th March I went to an event organized by the wonderful Bristol Librarians. It was, as much as anything, to say a fond farewell to Margaret Pemberton and to thank her for her inspirational and tireless work in the Library Services over the years.
It was also a fantastic opportunity for authors to network, as it was advertised as ‘Speed-dating with Librarians and School Teachers’ – every bit as scary as it sounds, but not quite as dubious.
We children’s authors were invited to bring along samples of our work and be prepared to talk about our books and what we can offer for events. Every five minutes or so, a bell would be rung and the teachers and librarians would move on to another author. Clearly the idea was for us to sell ourselves convincingly in a succinct and engaging manner in order that the teachers and librarians would remember us, buy our books for their establishments and hire our services for events.
I was on a table with Che Golden, whose Mulberrypony books are hilarious, action-packed tales about (in her own words) ‘evil’ ponies - definitely ‘not your average pony books’. She has also written a series about ‘homicidal’ fairies, the first title of which
The Feral Child, has sold in the US and already has a large fan base. Sitting with us was Rachel Carter: her debut novel for 9-12s,
Ethan’s Voice, has been extremely well received. Rachel is a Bath Spa graduate from the MA course, Writing for Young People. She is a talented writer with more stories in the pipeline.
So, of course, the three of us sat there telling the teachers and librarians how marvellous we were, blowing our own trumpets and generally setting out to impress . . .
Did we, hell. (I know Che and Rachel will agree, because we discussed it afterwards!) We were bashful and self-deprecating, we had brought no books to sell and we shared each other’s business cards as we had not thought to bring much in the way of promotional material.
Then there was John Dougherty: he had a stack of books to sell and a pile of beautifully put-together, carefully thought-through leaflets which helpfully and concisely laid out what he does, how much he charges, what a school can hope to get from a day with him and how good he is at doing it. He had added selected quotes from happy readers, teachers and librarians who could testify to how good he was and what benefits his visits had brought to their schools. It was brilliant! And it gave a very professional impression. (I have since showed his leaflet to friends and family who have said, ‘Why don’t you do this?’ Why, indeed?)
Che and I also discussed events and festivals with Wendy Meddour (author of the wildly funny Wendy Quill books). Wendy said at one festival she was on after two well-known, hilarious male authors, and that it made her anxious as it was ‘like following two stand-up artists’.
I went home thinking, ‘Why is it that women writers do not put themselves out there as confidently as men?’
The next morning the headline below featured in the Guardian. It provoked some heated debate on Facebook amongst a few female authors I know:
Discover the Booktrust 2014 Best Books awards shortlist!
David Walliams, Jeff Kinney and Jonathan Green [sic] make the shortlist for the Booktrust's Best Book awards – which children's books do you think should win?
Apart from the glaringly obvious mistake that it is in fact John Green’s name on the list, not the mysterious Jonathan, the thing that riled me and more than a few of my friends was the lack of women’s names in the headline. If you scroll down through the shortlist, you will see many prominent women writers included on the list, some of whom (Lucy Cousins, Joanna Nadin, Sarah McIntyre, for example) are well-known, well-loved writers who have already won or been nominated for prestigious awards, and so are hardly also-rans who deserve to be tacked on after the men.
Both the article in the Guardian and the ‘speed-dating’ event made me wonder about how we women promote ourselves. I know that in an ideal world it would be great if there was an entirely level playing field to start with, and it would also be lovely if publishers did not leave the lion’s share of promotion to us authors who really only want to get on and write rather than be cajoled into the role of performing monkeys . . . But with John Dougherty’s leaflet sitting on my desk and Wendy’s words about men’s events being ‘like stand-up’ ringing in my ears, I did wonder what I could do to change things for myself.
My husband works in the food industry: I asked him if women were as backwards at coming forwards in business as I felt I was in the book world. His reply:
‘Oh yes, the women I work with admit that if they have only 20% knowledge on a certain subject, they will hold back until they feel they know about 80% before they voice an opinion, whereas I would say that men are happy to chip in confidently with their views when they know only 20% of what they are talking about.’
This would certainly back up what teachers have said to me about the differences in male and female behaviour in the classroom, too. Girls will tend to sit quietly and wait until they are sure they know the answer, whereas boys will have a go even if they are not 100% (or even 80%) confident.
So, I have made a decision. If I want people to take my writing seriously, pay me what I charge for events and (maybe one day) put my name in a newspaper headline, I shall have to take a leaf out of the men’s book and talk myself up a bit.
As Caitlin Moran says in her marvellous book, How to Be A Woman:
‘The boys are not being told they have to be a certain way, they are just getting on with stuff.’
Now, where is that excellent leaflet of John Dougherty’s? I feel a copy-cat session coming on . . .
School has started in most of the country and it's time for kids and teachers to get creative. Let the fun begin! I've received a few books over the summer that will help encourage your kids, whether they're in your classroom, your library, or your homeschool setting...I want to help inspire them to seek their creative sides!
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont and illustrator David Catrow
First published in 2005, this one is getting a new look...lap book form! Perfect for my almost-toddler! The story is fairly simple: mischievous boy with a big imagination decides (with a little help from Mama) that he "ain't gonna paint no more," but first he must finish what he started. The result is a big, bright, beautiful mess of paint and fun. Mama may not be happy, but kids have been delighted by this story since it originally came out.
I've loved this book for years. David Catrow uses incredibly bold color choices to help show off the fun and creative story that Beaumont has created. Who cares if the child is a tad disobedient? So what if the English used isn't the best? It's a super cute story with great rhymes and a huge dose of imagination. I think we all could use the reminder that sometimes, it's just ok to PAINT! Self-expression is huge here and I love it!
(After reading this to Elliott we will definitely having the "it's only a story and it is NOT ok to paint your body or our house" talk).
This story is incredibly spirited and makes for a super silly storytime read. Chant it at the top of your lungs and then pair it with a crazy painting activity. Just make sure you have smocks on hand ;)
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!
Karen Beaumont
32 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
9780547870359
September 2012 (lap book edition)
Review copy
Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
Marisol is in charge of painting the sky for the class mural, but she can't find the color blue! She isn't sure how to create the perfect sky without the perfect blue color and is worried she won't be able to make a beautiful mural.
When she sees has the opportunity to watch the sky change from day to night -- while riding home on the bus and then sitting on her porch -- Marisol realizes that the sky doesn't HAVE to be blue. It can be whatever she wants it to be, while still becoming something absolutely beautiful.
Peter Reynolds is one of my absolute favorite authors. Sky Color is going to inspire kids AND adults, which, at least for me, makes an awesome picture book. Just because we've been taught that the sky is blue doesn't mean it has to be blue all the time. Sometimes it's purple, pink, orange, grey...lots of colors. Marisol will help everyone realize that you don't need the color blue to make a sky...be creative!
Sky Color
Peter H. Reynolds
32 pages
Candlewick
9780763623456
August 2012
Review copy
Create with Maisy by Lucy Cousins
Elliott has started to fall in love with all things Maisy. I've seen it happen with kids at the library and bookstore, but didn't realize my own would love this cute little mouse too! This particular title is a bit above his skill level right now, but it will be sticking around on our shelves for awhile until he can use it.
We start off with a page spread about how Maisy loves to create things and showing off a few of the items she likes to be creative with. The crafts that follow are simple and though they may require a small amount of adult assistance, they'd be excellent for kids 4 and up. It's a great way to let them get creative and express themselves through art, with a small bit of instruction and direction.
Your kids can make Beady Butterflies, a Blossom Tree, a Pencil Holder, Paper Lanterns, a Button Bowl, and other fun crafts to use as homemade gifts. The holidays are coming up, as much as we'd all like to deny it and our kids are going to have to get busy!
This would make an excellent resource at home, as well as for teachers and librarians. I know you all need crafty books too.
Create with Maisy: A Maisy First Arts-and-Crafts BookLucy Cousins48 pagesCandlewick9780763661229July 2012Review copy
Lucy Cousins, of Maisy fame, uses simple pictures to bring more than 50 old nursery rhymes back to life!
Try also:
Other goose by J. Otto Seibold
Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra and J. Otto Siebold
Mary had a little lamp by Jack Lechner
Olive the other reindeer by J. Otto Siebold and Vivian Walsh
Nursery Rhyme Comics by Chris Duffy
Today’s first lot of free activities from children’s book authors and illustrators come from the fantastically talented Viviane Schwarz, author of There are Cats in this Book, one of J’s all time favourite books.
On Viv’s blog you can download knitting patterns to create the cats in There are Cats in this Book. Not a beginners’ crafty activity, but my goodness, the end results look fantastic!
Viv has an enthusiastic tutorial for making a sock monkey – with tips on how to make the process especially child-friendly. Viv’s book Timothy and the Strong Pyjamas, and her upcoming graphic novel both include sock monkeys!
Images used with permission. Copyright: Viviane Schwarz
If you’ve a colour printer Viv has created a fab sheet of cats to cut out and hide in books – they’re eager to get up to adventures with you so what are you waiting for?
Several of Viviane’s books have been published by Walker Books, and the Walker Books website has a wealth of activity sheets from other authors and illustrators on their books. Some of my favourite include:
The Maisy Party Kit
Ideas for play inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Where’s Wally activity sheets including word searches and crosswords
But there are many, many more over at Walker Books so do go over and find some that are just right for you and your kids.
If you’ve downloaded and used any of the activity sheets I’ve linked to so far this summer do let me know what you and your kids thought of them!
Lucy Cousins is the author-illustrator of the infamous Maisy mouse books.
But in her latest picture book, she takes on Dog, who thinks that he is Dog spelled backwards, if you know what I mean. Full of hubris, he brags to his friends Ladybug, Mole, Goose and Donkey "I AM the BEST" when he beats them at unevenly matched contests. (He can dig better than Goose and swim better than Donkey). His friends start to feel pretty bad until they gently remind him that, actually, they are the best at some things too.
Dog apologizes to his friends, and they tell him, "Don't worry, Dog. You are the best at being our best friend. And you are the best at having beautiful fluffy ears. And we love you." The book could end there and be a sweet story with a teachable moment, but Cousins throws in a laugh on the last page which finds Dog right back to his old self. "Oh, phew! Obviously having beautiful fluffy ears in the most important thing. So I AM the BEST."
Here is what Cousins says about working on this book:
"I'm the Best I really enjoyed because it was with inks rather than paints, so it felt new. The line is a pencil drawn line rather than a brush stroke. So I'm starting to feel that I like experimenting to find something different and a little bit fresh. With
"It's hot today. Maisy is having a nice cold drink. Mmmm. Lemonade." - Maisy Makes Lemonade, Lucy Cousins
You may have noticed that lately the recipes on my blog have tied into the season--summer is the time for sweet, refreshing delights like fruit salad and strawberry shortcake. Another quintessential summer treat? Lemonade. What's more, it's easy to prepare. Even very young children can get involved.
Maisy Makes Lemonade was a library find. My four year old is in a stage where he still enjoys simple and comforting books like Cousins' Maisy books just as much as he enjoys more mature fare such as Batman versus the Joker. He was quite taken with both on a recent library trip and while neither would have necessarily been what I'd have chosen for him, I do think it's important to give my kids the ability to choose their own books at the library.
So I was going through the stack of library books to read one more time before our beach vacation and as I picked up Maisy Makes Lemonade I thought, Well, there's a good topic for the blog.
For those not familiar with Maisy (though if you have a toddler/preschooler, you should be), she's a mouse who--along with her various animal friends--experiences things that most kids are familiar with. In addition to making lemonade there are Maisy books about going to bed, going shopping, and going to places like the dentist or on vacation. They're told simply with a minimal amount of text on each page and cute, colorful illustrations. The storyline in Maisy Makes Lemonade is simple and predictable (to adults): Maisy shares her lemonade with her friend Eddie (an elephant) and they run out. They decide to make another pitcher. They pick lemons from Maisy's tree and make their lemonade, step by step. Then they enjoy their refreshing beverage. My kids wanted to make their own lemonade after reading it. If you have a small child, it's a good opportunity to suggest making lemonade "just like Maisy."
Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 6 lemons (or, enough to yield 1 cup of lemon juice)
- 1/2 cup sugar (I used a combination of regular and raw sugar)
- 5 cups water
1. Slice lemons in half and juice them. We don't have a citrus juicer so I let the boys do it by hand. You need one cup of juice for this recipe.
3 Comments on Maisy Makes Lemonade - Lemonade, last added: 7/21/2010
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Love this post. I may not be an amazing artist – but having fun with drawings, colors, even clip art as I write has definitely helped me connect to my playful side. It’s nice to have “permission” to keep it up!
Your words bring me back to my childhood and love for drawing. Thank you for helping me remember that I did that once and can do it again!
Mira, I’ve been touching (written) worms since finishing up your PB course. I know MANY are going to be touching worms in your illustration course that starts tomorrow!!
We love Mira! Mira is a fabulous teacher, an incredible mentor, a talented artist, and a woman of great wisdom. I have taken several classes with her and am currently enrolled in the illustration course that will start tomorrow – already the pre-class conversations on facebook have been helpful. I highly recommend any of her classes at Children’s Book Academy – you will not be disappointed!
Thanks, Mira! *reaches out to touch that worm* :)
Dirt is the original artistic medium. It’s 43 degrees. It’s cloudy. It’s Winnie-the-Pooh-blustery. Time to stick my hands in the earth and dream.
K and 1st graders love whatever you draw! They have always been my cheerleaders!
Thanks, Mira! I want to experience that freedom you mention — the freedom of childhood.
I loved the Picasso quote, Mira! I may put it on the wall at the childcare where I work, where I seem to be the only one who likes to do art with the toddlers. Messy, but important!
What about a frog? Do I get extra credit if I touch a frog? Thanks for the reminders, Mira. I’m heading out to play now. And maybe one of these days I’ll screw up enough courage to do an illustrating course with you . . . .