c-c-c-color...

Makes me shake in my boots. My shoes. My moccasin slippers. That's right, I rock those.

One of these days, I'll get more guts when it comes to starting color. Anyhow, thought I'd share some of my color studies for current final art I'm finishing up. I'm happy with these three. My team--Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (S+S BFYR)--chose one direction. Guess which?

See Me. Feel Me. Touch Me. Heal Me.

Just really wanted to say a few things pertaining to... Me.

Talented author/illustrator, Sergio Ruzzier, had the great idea last week to ask a single question around the kidlit community. What are your top ten favorite picture books of all time? I had the honor of being the first post in this series (I think I was maybe just the biggest nerd who went and turned his answers in first). Find out what my tops are right here. And, you know, there's already been a few more posts since mine. Authors Emily Jenkins and Marc Tyler Nobleman. And one of our favorite bloggers, Julie Danielson of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Very much looking forward to seeing more of these lists!

Next up... I just reformatted my blog. It looks pretty much exactly as it did before, but it's allowed me to "label" all of my posts (see the snazzy list o' labels at the column to our right). So, for instance, if you had any desire whatsoever to read all of my "Top Ten" columns, you can click the label titled (what else) "top ten" and you're golden.

I've also added all links to all interviews, and the like, that I've done to the right. So you can read (or reread!) all kinds of stuff about me. Yours truly. This guy.

One more thing. Regarding me.

Here's a new self-portrait.

Top Ten (September 2010)

Perhaps you'll notice, I'm half a month late in getting my monthly list out. Did anyone care?

Working on final art for a pic book plus sketches for a poetry book, plus back-of-brain stuff on two forthcoming pic books. Waters are a little choppy at the moment.

Ten of my faves from last month:




1. GIANTS SUNFLOWER SEEDS. I've been a seed fanatic since I was, maybe, 12 or something. I've always been a David man, but I ran across these last month in a Wisconsin grocery store. The name does not lie. The seeds are, in fact, giant. Steroids? The "salt and pepper" ones are quite nice.




2. BIRTHDAY GIFT. Last month, I celebrated another birthday. I'm... thirty-something. I got a spectacular gift for this one. Julie and a few other kind relatives put together some moneys to afford me this laptop. It has been sweet. I take it to the library when I'm working there on stories, and I used it for a school visit already (and more to come, I hope!).




3. DOMINIC. Read this super cool William Steig chapter book last month. Another excellent little known Steig discovery (for me).




4. THE HEART AND THE BOTTLE. I saw this one by Oliver Jeffers sitting face out at the library last month. I liked art and story enough to use a b+n gift card to buy a copy.




5. TOY STORY 3, A LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK. We found this book at our local grocer's. Little Golden rolls like that. The art is superb. Do not discount the LGB.




6. JULIET, NAKED. Looking for something to read, I read another Hornby. Again, I was impressed. I like that guy's style. And I like that this is sorta/kinda playing off Dylan/Dylanology/Dylanmania. It's funny. Cool cover too.




7. BORED TO DEATH. We are now in Season 2. And I love this show. Danson (awesome), Galifianakis, Schwartzman, et al. The writing is sharp and funny as heck. I love how they joke-check things like the Amazon sales rank and the New Yorker cartoon caption contest. Where else will you find that?




8. POMEGRANATE PIZZAZZ. To serious tea drinkers, these Bigelow bags are probably trash. But I came across this one last month and I shall endorse it. It's got built-in juice, man!




9. OUR JONATHANS. We have a Jonathan apple tree in our backyard. It yields a massive crop every fall, and last month the apples were popping and dropping, kids. It was fun to go back there with a ladder and fill bag after bag. Although, I did get tapped square in the eye by a renegade Jonny. Risk you run.




10. THE SUBURBS. The newest offering from indie darlings, Arcade Fire. Though I still like the debut best, this is good and has had copious listens in the studio.