shadrieka I am always shocked and sometimes appalled at how much power booksellers have over the industry. Between Amazon and their refusal to sell a publisher’s book based on price points and Barnes and Noble’s power to reject a book based on it’s cover design, it makes me wonder if booksellers, specifically giant commercial entities like … Read more
I am honored this year to be a part of The Brown Bookshelf’s 28 Days Later Campaign! The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers. Their flagship initiative of is 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade … Read more
Sometimes I need a little inspiration while figuring things out in a painting. Looking at other great artists’ work really helps me get the juices flowing. Take a look at Jan Bret discuss her latest book, “The Easter Egg”. What delicious art! Brava~
I am learning how to be a printmaker. Here are two proofs from my very first etched plate. Right now the only thing etched is line. I will add aquatint to the plate next week and maybe a little mezzotint.
I just spoke with one of my co-workers at Bloomsbury about the “Magic Under Glass” cover and need to apologize for my previous blog post. The main character of “Magic Under Glass” is not African American. If you read the Charlotte’s Library blog, you will see that the main character is of color, but is … Read more
Sometimes you just gotta draw something to get the juices flowing….
So I was taking a break today to congratulate Kekla Magoon for winning this year’s John Steptoe Award where I noticed her book has also been nominated for an NAACP image award. I then noticed that OUR CHILDREN CAN SOAR has also been nominated in the “Outstanding Literary Work for Children” category. Hot dang! How … Read more
One of my favorite people in this world is Tae Eun Yoo. If you see her charming artwork you will understand why. All of the beauty and warmth that radiates from it is a direct reflection of her personality. Seriously, if I could keep her in my pocket at all times I would. Since I … Read more
I generally ignore this type of thing and go on about my book-making business, but it has happened twice and it makes me wonder what people are thinking? Here’s a link to an article about another cover controversy starring my old employer, BloomsburyUSA. Apparently Bloomsbury has released a book with a black protagonist but has … Read more
TeachingBooks.net has a new online resource center for Coretta Scott King Award winning books. you can find out new information about your favorite CSK books like, how the work was made and what inspired the artists and authors who contributed to the book. There is also a section on author/artist name pronounciation, where you can … Read more