Here’s my interview with Giuseppe Castellano at The Illustration Department, in which we chat about children’s books, Bosch, Giotto, Maurice Sendak, comic strips, Lane Smith, Alessandro Sanna, etc.
Category: Blog
Three starred reviews for Roar Like a Dandelion
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“An abecedarian catalog of delights. (…) This work adroitly bridges the more-than-half-century gap between two accomplished artists.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Each page offers its own adventure; taken together, the spreads create an irresistible, deliciously subversive invitation to turn one’s back on the tiresome.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“With a nod to the fanciful, this alphabetic listing of activities invites readers’ imaginations to soar.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
“A natural choice for storytime…Inventive and original, Ruzzier pays homage to Krauss as well as Sendak, using a style all his own.”
— Booklist
Fox + Chick Win a Geisel Honor!
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Fox & Chick: End-of-the-Year Lists!
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One cannot say Fox & Chick: The Party and Other Stories went overlooked! I am happy to report that the book made it into a bunch of end-of-the-year “best” children’s books, including:
NPR Best Books of the Year
New York Times Notable Children’s Book
Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
The Horn Book Magazine Fanfare Best Book of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
The 2018 Nerdies: Early Readers and Early Chapter Books
And I might be forgetting a few…
Two stars and more for Fox + Chick
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“Three stories well suited to both reading newcomers and not-yet-reading listeners. (…) Collectively, these three stories create a profile of an entertaining odd-couple friendship that, if given a few more outings, could make a Frog and Toad–like impression on the picture-book and easy-reader worlds.” —The Horn Book Magazine, starred review
“A winning choice as a confidence booster for children just learning to read.” ─School Library Journal, starred review
“Brilliant. Sure to be a favorite for reading aloud or as an easy reader.” —Imagination Soup
“Calm Fox and irrepressible Chick make a delightfully funny duo, and Ruzzier captures that perfectly in text and expressive, relatable illustrations. With vast appeal, this series debut will delight younger kids.” —Books to Borrow, Books to Buy
“This charmer blends graphic-novel and early-reader conventions for young readers not quite ready to tackle chapter books.” —Booklist
“There’s an easygoing, reassuring rhythm to the storytelling, and the simple text and sunny colors should engage nascent readers.” —Publishers Weekly
“A fun, simple, yet sophisticated collection about a friendship between two very different characters.” —Kirkus Reviews
If Chick was not annoying
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In PW’s otherwise favorable review of Fox + Chick, the author questions the two friends’ relationship: “The root of their friendship remains an enigma—why does Fox tolerate such an annoying friend?” I’m happy to rethink the three stories making Chick not annoying:
– The Party (to be renamed The Bathroom)
Fox is at home, reading a book. Chick arrives and asks if he can use Fox’s bathroom. Fox says yes. Chick uses the bathroom and then leaves.
– Good Soup
Fox is picking vegetables to make soup. Chick follows Fox around. Fox makes soup for both of them. They eat the soup.
– The Portrait (to be renamed The Landscape)
Fox is on a hill to paint a landscape. Chick arrives and admires Fox’s talent. When the painting is done, they walk together down the hill.
To see the original version of the stories, you can get the book at your local bookseller or on Indiebound.
“Vita di uno strano signore” or, “Life of a strange gentleman.”
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About two years ago, the Associazione Culturale Hamelin invited me to have personal exhibition of my work in their beautiful rooms in the center of Bologna. Flattered but equally scared, I accepted the invitation. The show, titled “Vita di uno strano signore,” opened last month during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and will stay up until May 4.
Here are a series of pictures from opening night, taken by Hamelin’s own Emanuele Rosso. I will post soon a different series of pictures without visitors, to better illustrate what was shown.
Thank-you to all who helped to organize the show and to everyone who visited.
S.R.
The most important moment of the preparations: stuffing the tigelle.
Shelf Awareness Interview
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After an exhausting wait, you can finally learn about my reading habits in this interview with Shelf Awareness.
Helpful Books for Disturbing Times
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Here is a small selection of children’s books that I personally find helpful and perhaps hope-inducing without trying to hammer a moral lesson into your head, which could be not only painful but counter-productive.
(The links are to Indiebound.org, but of course you can find or order these books at any other bookstore or library.)
Arnold Lobel
Grasshopper on the Road
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780064440943
Leo Lionni
Little Blue and Little Yellow
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780688132859
Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak
Brundibar
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780786809042
Jo Hoestlandt and Joanna Kang
Star of Fear, Star of Hope
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780802775887
Tomi Ungerer
Otto: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780714857664
Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson
The Carrot Seed
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780064432108
William Steig
Amos & Boris
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780374302788
This Will Be Your Picture Book!
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Teachers! Librarians! Bookstore event coordinators! Parents! Kids!
Here’s a little bundle of ideas for your drawings. Click on the image below to download the PDF, and enjoy!
