In the foothills of the Himalayas, when the fireflies danced and the moon rose over the sharp silhouettes of the world’s tallest peaks, I listened to my grandfather and father recite Urdu poetry: ghazals, nazms and shers—songs, poems and couplets reminiscing about life. Those are indeed my favorite childhood memories. Those were the long summer holidays before electronic media invaded our lives.
Continue Reading Cynsations Intern: Mitu Malhotra Reflects on “Where I’m From” »
By AJ Eversole
I’m excited to share an interview with picture book author-illustrator, S.D. Nelson. He is the author of many picture books featuring his Native heritage, his newest release, Grandma’s Tipi (Abrams, 2023) released in early May.
What is at the heart of your new non-fiction picture book Grandma’s Tipi: A Present-Day Lakota Story?
Congratulations to illustrator Don Tate and author Sherri Duskey Rinker on the publication of Roto and Roy: To the Rescue! (Little Brown, March 21, 2023).
From the promotional copy: When a flash flood threatens a nearby town, helicopter Roto and pilot Roy soar to the rescue! Quick—a truck needs to be hoisted to safety!
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Don Tate’s Journey to Becoming an Artist »
By Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
Lindsay: Thanks to Cynsations for inviting us to discuss the collaboration process for our latest picture-book poetry anthology, No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change, co-edited by Keila V. Dawson, Jeanette Bradley,
Editor’s note: Today we’re sharing a snapshot of the conversation from Cynsations Intern Suma Subramaniam‘s recent book launch for She Sang For India: How M.S. Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice For Change, illustrated by Shreya Gupta (Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR, 2022). The chat was led by student writer Suniti Srinivasan and included author and illustrator Vikram Madan celebrating his new titles Owl and Penguin (Holiday House,
Congratulations to Michaela Goade (Tlingit) on Berry Song (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2022)! It’s the first book Michaela has authored as well as illustrated, and it received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal.
Take a look back at Michaela’s 2020 Cynsations interview discussing the creation of her Caldecott-award winning We Are Water Protectors,
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Michaela Goade Shares Her Illustration Process »
Spotlight image: Ale Díaz Bouza at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy.
Today I’m talking with Ale Díaz Bouza, an illustrator who also serves as the Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators chapter in Spain, about publishing for young readers there.
Continue Reading Illustrator Interview: Ale Díaz Bouza on Publishing in Spain »
Photo courtesy of Melissa Stewart
Steve Jenkins, award-winning author and illustrator of books featuring torn-paper collages about the natural world, died on Dec. 26 of a splenic artery aneurysm. He was 69.
Steve Jenkins, 69, Dies; His Children’s Books Brought Science to Life by Penelope Greener from the New York Times.
By: AJ Eversole
I am happy to welcome Natasha Donovan to the blog today! Natasha is the illustrator of children’s books such as Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell (Lerner, 2021) and the forthcoming A River’s Gifts: The Might Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman (Lerner,
Continue Reading Native Voice: Natasha Donovan Talks About Her Artistic Journey »
Photo credit: Alvin Trusty
Celebrated and legendary illustrator Jerry Pinkney died of a heart attack Oct. 20 at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, New York. He was 81.
Obituary: Jerry Pinkney by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly. Peek: “Renowned children’s book illustrator Jerry Pinkney,