Lots of insanely good stuff has been swirling around about it already. Just to hit a few of the finer points...
STARRED review in Kirkus!
JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD Premier Selection for Spring 2010!
Stellar reviews in both School Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly!
Glowing recommendation (or "blurb" as they say in the biz) from prolific and beloved novelist, Avi!
It's all very exciting, and I'm thrilled to have gotten the chance to work with Rachel again (our first collab was picture book, RIGHTY AND LEFTY, back in 2007).
Anyhow... thought I'd kick off the celebration by sharing a few favorite pieces from the book. I'll actually break this into a few blog posts, so as not to blow all the fun in one shebang. Here's the first installment. Please click on images to get better, closer, looks.
Welcome to my nightmare. After about three solid days of stressin, fightin, wrasslin, whinin, and cryin, I got to a place where I'm sorta comfortable with a color scheme for my next author-illustrator picture book. Color. This Drama Queen was not so nice to be around for those past few days. Sorry, Julie.
Here's where the chips fell (not shown: dozens of scraps, rejects, shreds, and general evidence of a growed up cry-baby).
1. DAVID EZRA STEIN. Of course this wasn't the first time I'd heard of this picture book author and illustrator. But it was the first time I really took a serious look at his books. He has a real talent for qualities loose and expressive in his art. And his text is perfectly sparse and clever and ever so subtle in humor. I particularly like LEAVES and POUCH!.
2. THE SECRET LANGUAGE. I continue to work my way through the books of Ursula Nordstrom. This is the one and only novel she wrote herself. As I understand it, a sequel was all but finished, but she couldn't get comfortable with an ending and she burned the manuscript before she died. This book is innocent and sweet and reminds me of books I read when I was a kid. Took me back there. I can't believe my library had a copy of this in original hardcover. What a find!
3. GORILLAZ. I'm not much for contemporary pop music, and I never really gave Gorillaz much of a chance since their inception. But I heard some clips off their new album, Plastic Beach, and was quite impressed. Collabs with Snoop Dogg, Mark E Smith, and Lou Reed, to name a few. I dug a little deeper into the other albums and was not disappointed. I particularly like it when they seek out international talent, like "Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contiga) with the late, great Ibrahim Ferrer.
4. WOODY HARRELSON in ZOMBIELAND. This movie was funny and pretty, pretty well-executed. The absolute standout was Woody Harrelson. Very funny, very well-played. Good Wood.
5. PARENTHOOD. This new hour-long dramedy on NBC is a reincarnation of the 1989 movie. Apparently in 1990 there was a previous failed attempt to make the movie into a tv series. The 2010 take, I like it. I think it strikes a chord in me, a new dad. All the kids are older than mine, but I'm already thinking, "that's gonna be me and Julie". I'm a sap, I'm a sucker. And I like the cast. One of those big ensemble ones. Somebody from Gilmore Girls, somebody from Six Feet Under, Craig T. Nelson. Good all-arounds. I hope people are watching and it keeps it's momentum.
6. RUTH KRAUSS. More from the Ursula Nordstrom era. I love Ruth Krauss. Her stuff is very strange and very deep and intellectual, I think. But it also feels like it totally relates to kid minds. Wonderful, sharp, weird writing. I'm eating it up.
7. ABEL'S ISLAND. I don't know how I came on this. I was aware of it for years now, but didn't think a William Steig novel would be any good. I mean, it got a Newbery nod, but I still hesitated. Anyhow, I ended up reading it last month, and so glad I did. The drawings, of course, are stellar. But he takes a very simple premise--a mouse stranded on an island--and just Steigs the heck out of it. He uses big words in a funny way and really gets to the meat of the matter. Gets a good story out of it. And who else but Steig would write a line about how Abel goes behind a rock to "defecate".
8. MY LIBRARY. I love my local library. I use it for inspiration, work, books, music, and just for a general peaceful getaway sometimes. It kills me to hear funds are being openly slashed for libraries and librarians around the country. I think in a time where there's not much money, the library is more essential than ever. Long live books! Long live PRINT! Long live the library!
9. CELEBRITY FIT CLUB. I was toying with not including this in my list. Like, I'm too high brow for this sort of thing. But... yeah right. This season (the only one we've watched--honestly) was like a "reality" genre godsend. Sebastian Bach, Jay McCarroll, Bobby Brown, K-Fed AND Shar Jackson. Watch them try to shed pounds! Watch them work out their personal demons in front of a film crew! How could I not?
10. ROMY WALKS, v. 2. Romy is now walking independently. Not all day. She still likes the security of a hand hold from her Mom or Dad. But every day, for stretches at a time. It's crazy to see these milestones come along like this. Visually, this one is huge. Proud of ya, kiddo!
It feels like a dang fortnight since I blogged last. The thing is, I've been fully absorbed. Julie had surprise surgery last week--an appendectomy. I lost my wedding ring--have yet to find (a complete mystery). I've got a big picture book deadline on my shoulders--my second author illo. And just usual, you know, living. It's been wild.
As promised, my blog url has changed. If you made it this far, you got the news. And thank you.
In the coming weeks, I will be thoroughly flogging my next book, titled, JUSTIN CASE: SCHOOL, DROOL, AND OTHER DAILY DISASTERS. A middle-grade novel written by none other than Ms. Rachel Vail. Pictures provided by me. Published by Feiwel and Friends and readily available on April 27. A very fun one, do say so myself. Here is a more formal description from the pub:
It’s the start of the school year, and nothing feels right to Justin. He didn’t get the teacher he wanted, he’s not in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister, Elizabeth, is starting kindergarten at his school. Elizabeth doesn’t seem nervous at all. Justin is very nervous about third grade. And to top it off, he’s lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can’t tell anyone, because technically he’s too old to still have stuffed animals. Right?
Here is third grade in all its complicated glory—the friendships, the fears, and the advanced math. Acclaimed author Rachel Vail captures third grade with a perfect pitch, and Matthew Cordell’s line art is both humorous and touching. As Justin bravely tries to step out of his shell, he will step into readers’ hearts.
I'll be showing some of my drawings in the coming weeks. And I'm gonna do one of my patented contests (win a book!... or something), so stay tuned. For now, here's the cover (click it, make it bigger)!
This is not much of a blog post, but I'm only here to let you know that the url for my blog will soon be changed. This is all terribly boring, but you see, my blog is supported by Blogger and is currently uploaded via FTP. This allows me to publish to my own website with my own url. For reasons I simply cannot understand, Blogger is dropping support for FTP publishing. So my blog will, soon, be something like matthewcordell.blogspot.com. Instead of the existing matthewcordell.com/blog.
Like I said, this is all just awfully boring and I do apologize. I only wanted to give fair warning that I'll soon be making the switch.
While we wait, here is a sketch of a big sheep on a bicycle being chased by 12 small sheep on tricycles.
Julie and I forgot to bring our camera to the reading on Sunday. But luckily, WNPL's graphic artist, Nancy Matson, was on the scene and snapped some terrific pictures. Thanks, Nancy, for handing these over!
This one really captures the vibe of the day. Really nice, warm Moms and Dads there having fun with the kids.
I love this little guy. I had no idea anyone ever took me so seriously.
This past Sunday (March 14) I was a guest at Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee, IL. Yours truly stood before a nice-sized (!) crowd of kids and parents to read TROUBLE GUM, talk pigs (my favorite thing to anthropomorphize) and do some drawing and what not. In a nutshell, I told the kids about how the pig is probably my favorite animal to draw. Because pigs are intelligent and funny, and just easy to hang human characteristics on. Then, I asked the kids what their favorite animals were, and I'd try to draw 'em. One by one, I fumbled through big (giant sketch pad on an easel, for all to see) sketches-on-command of a lion, a koala, a panda, a horse, and an ostrich. It was lots of fun.
The kids also had paper and could draw the same animals to play along. I asked if they would leave some of their drawings with me so I could share on the blog. A couple of the kiddos were kind enough to part with the following beauties.
Anika Agashe, 4 1/2 yrs old. I love this interpretation of Ruben from TROUBLE GUM. Complete with hand-lettered title type treatment in the corner!
Anika Agashe, 4 1/2 yrs old. Sweet renditions of a lion and a koala. Thanks, Anika!
Spencer, 5 yrs old. Spencer rocked this awesome cheetah, even though I didn't even draw one myself.
Spencer, 5 yrs old. Another very cool one of Ruben. Thank you, Spencer!
And thank you to Patty Sawin at WNPL for helping pull this together. I had a blast.
Yes, I am slow in getting this list out. Yes, it matters not cause it ain't like anybody's biting nails in anticipation here.
1. GRANT WOOD, NORMAN ROCKWELL. In prep for my current book work (my 2nd author-illustrator picture book), I've decided to go with an old school rural backdrop (a la Virgina Lee Burton). Buried in my subconcious for rolling hills, small towns and humble living, were these two painters. Wood's take, a slightly high brow one. Rockwell is the obvious everyman. I was surprised at how much and how well I responded to seeing this work again. Wood, is neat and surreal about it. Rockwell takes a sometime knee slap approach. I don't like it too much when he got silly with the rubbery faces. But wow, what a painter! And I do love an artist who makes for the people. I like it when you find something years, years later that you thought you never liked, and now you like it.
2. DEAR GENIUS: THE LETTERS OF URSULA NORDSTROM. Julie gave me this for Valentine's Day. A must read for any author, illustrator, editor, agent (or aspiring all of the above) working in the world of children's books. I will be long affected by this book. What an amazing peek inside the world of children's book publishing in a very turning-point time of the 50's, 60's, 70's. And by a central turning-point player, legendary kid book editor, Ursula Nordstrom. Responsible for groundbreakers and classics like and from Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, E.B. White, and many others of this golden era of books. I would've liked to have known her. One cool, hip, sweet, hard (when need be) lady.
3. ABIDE. Another gift from m'lady. This shirt (an obvious tip 'o the hat to Shepard Fairey's Obama poster) pays homage to one of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski.
4. DRAWN! I've been following this illustration and cartooning blog for years. The contributors always have something very worthy to share. And I like that it's Canadian.
5. AVATAR. I know. How boring, to come here and talk up Avatar. But I did like it. The plot was, at times, very Hollywood formula, but what I most responded to was Pandora. I love Pandora. I want to go to Pandora and plug into an Avatar and hang with the Na'vi and be one with nature and fly giant bird-dragon things.
6. CRISPIN. My first Avi novel. Avi being, for those not in the know, the one-named versatile and beloved kids novelist. I was reading this in anticipation of seeing him speak at kid lit pal, Esme Raji Codell's bookroom. Alas, it didn't work out with the babysitter and I missed it. But I'm glad it made me read CRISPIN.
7. CHARLOTTE'S WEB. I'm now reading several books mentioned in DEAR GENIUS. And I started here. When I was a kid, the movie (1973, animated) left a huge mark on me. It was deeply saddening. I only watched it once. That really says something when something can move you like that. Reading it really took me back there. Beautiful, beautiful book with beautiful, beautiful classic pen/ink work by Garth Williams. And yes, (spoiler alert!) I cried when Charlotte died.
8. OLYMPICS. There's something comforting about the Olympic Games. Watching countries from around the globe come together and play nice (that's the idea anyhow). And many of the things they do (both summer and winter) are, well, insane. I also very much enjoyed watching Neil Young play out the flames at the closing ceremony. With a song he wrote, allegedly, for his car.
9. ANDERSON'S BOOKSHOP CHILDREN'S LITERATURE BREAKFAST. Every year, local bookstore Anderson's hosts an awesome breakfast inviting hundreds of Chicago-area educators, librarians, and book lovers, as well as Illinois-based authors and illustrators of books for children. They also always have wonderful speakers. Highlights this year were Françoise Mouly and Richard Peck.
10. ROMY WALKS! Romy has initiated Phase I of walking sequence. Meaning she is now standing up independently and attempts to move forward and then...plunk. But she confidently walks hand in hand with her Mama or her Dada or with both. It's new and exciting to us and to her, as she constantly demands to "walk!".
"What are you working on?" Perhaps you have asked. Maybe (probably) not. But what I am working on is my second written and illustrated picture book titled, tentatively (?), ANOTHER BROTHER. I haven't talked much about it, but I did talk a little about it here, at my recent interview with Travis Jonker of 100 Scope Notes. Dare I say more?
I'm about 98% done with a picture book written by Lauren Thompson titled, newly (?), LEAP BACK HOME TO ME. A lovely story about a mama frog and a baby frog. I'm just finishing one last jacket illustration now. Very cool.
In the meantime, here are two random sketches I found to post. I kinda (used to) have a thing for elephants.
I'm a children's book author and illustrator who lives and works in the burbs of Chicago. I dwell in a home with my wife, picture book author and YA novelist, Julie Halpern and our two lovely children. Life is great, man.
