SATA
ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: NESTING DOLLS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.vanessabrantleynewton.com
CITY: Charlotte
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; husband’s name, Ray; children: Zoe.
EDUCATION:Attended School of Visual Arts and Fashion Institute of Technology.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, illustrator, educator, and social worker. Previously, work as a phlebotomist.
AWARDS:Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid’s Book of the Year, 2013 for Every Little Thing;Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid’s Book of the Year, 2013, Jane Addams Peace for Children’s Books Honor, 2014, and Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People citation, 2014, all for We Shall Overcome; Best Cover Award, 2014, for Highlights Hello Magazine;CCBC Choice Award, CCBC Charlotte Zolotow Award, Delaware Diamonds Award, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books, all 2015, all for The Hula Hoopin’ Queen; CCBC Choices Award, Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, both 2016, both for My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay;
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a writer, illustrator, educator, and social worker based in Charlotte, NC. Brantley-Newton attended the School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology, both in New York City. After working as a phlebotomist, she began her career as a writer and illustrator, releasing self-illustrated volumes and illustrating the works of other authors. In an interview with a contributor to the Elena Reads website, Brantley-Newton noted that her interest in illustration emerged when she was just a child, stating: “I have always had a love for drawing and pictures and cartoons. Cartoons were like friends to me and that I could create something for my own pencil was very empowering.”
Grandma’s Purse is a self-illustrated volume by Brantley-Newton, in which a young Black girl and her grandma Mimi go through the intriguing contents of Mimi’s purse. In an interview with Jena Benton on Benton’s self-titled website, Brantley-Newton discussed the inspiration behind the story, stating: “My Grandmother was a very interesting woman. She carried all kinds of goodies and sometimes bad things in her purse. The curiosity of this little girl wanting to know what Grandma was carrying in her purse was like me.” She added: “Grandparents are just as important as parents. Children need to learn that older people are interesting and have stories to tell, and that they can learn so much about themselves by spending time with a grandparent.” Michelle H. Martin, reviewer in Horn Book, described Grandma’s Purse as “a heartfelt homage to brown girls and their wonder-inducing grandmothers.”
Brantley-Newton offers a collection of poems for girls in Just Like Me. Topics of the works include girls’ changing bodies, treating one another fairly, feeling out of place, and dealing with family issues. A writer in Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a dynamic, uplifting, and welcoming world of girls.” “The illustrations perfectly capture each piece’s sentiment through expressive facial expressions and body language,” wrote Julie Hakim Azzam in Horn Book.
A girl named Vanessa endures a less-than-warm reception at her new school in Becoming Vanessa. On her first day, her classmates make fun of her flamboyant outfit. After a meaningful talk with her mother about change, Vanessa arrives at school prepared Mohave more genuine interactions. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the volume “a welcome addition to every shelf.”
Nesting Dolls finds Brantley-Newton telling the story of Anyiaka, a young girl who idolizes her older sister, Sorie. She feels jealous of Sorie’s lighter skin, but after a conversation with her artist Grandma, Anyiaka learns to appreciate the attributes she has inherited from her ancestors. “This offers an affectionate celebration of family through generations,” asserted Shelle Rosenfeld in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews writer described the book as “a sweet tale with a strong message about how families fit together.”
Brantley-Newton has also illustrated the works of a diverse group of writers, including Derrick Barnes, Thea Guidone, Denene Millner, Robin Mellom, Quvenzhané Wallis, Tammi Sauer, and Amy Parker. Her collaboration with Marie Harris, The Girl Who Heard Colors, about a girl named Jillian with synesthesia, received favorable reviews. “Brantley-Newton … provides lively, stylish spreads,” asserted a Publishers Weekly critic. A Kirkus Reviews writer called it “an engaging look at a fascinating difference in perception.” The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, by Thelma Lynne Godin, also received favorable assessments, as well as awards. It finds a young girl having trouble resisting participating in a hula-hooping contest. “The Hula Hoopin’ Queen is a bouncy, swingy, swish, swiggle, swish, rainbow ride of a read,” asserted a writer in Children’s Bookwatch. Kathleen T. Horning, reviewer in Horn Book, commented: “The appealing cartoon-style illustrations highlight a strong sense of community.” An aspiring scientist creates a Rube Goldberg machine in Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea, by Anna Humphrey. “Newton’s black-and-white illustrations capture the playful energy of the narrative,” remarked Shara L. Hardeson in Horn Book.
Brantley-Newton collaborated with Barnes on volumes including The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten. In the former, a boy pretends to be royalty on his first day of school. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the book as “necessary nourishment, infectiously joyous.” In the latter, a girl named MJ takes her mother’s advice to be kind and help others as she begins the school year. Booklist reviewer, Rosie Camargo, called the volume “a great choice for combating first-day jitters and building confidence.” A critic in Kirkus Reviews noted that it was “just the thing to get uncertain youngsters jazzed for a first day—at school or anywhere.”
Books on history and historical figures include We Shall Overcome, which tells the story of the beloved titular song. In an interview with Monica Wellington on the Monica Wellington’s News website, Brantley-Newton explained how her identity as a Black woman affected her creation of the book. She stated: “Working on We Shall Overcome was emotional and that was very hard. I remember things as a child of the 60’s and 70’s. Not being able to do certain places or go to the same bathrooms and stores or restaurants as whites.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer described the volume as an “enlightening and inspiring book.”
Brantley-Newton has also illustrated books on real historical figures, including the artist, Tyree Guyton. Her 2013 collaboration with Amy Novesky, Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her, told the story of the famous jazz singer’s relationship with her boxer dog. “Kids will love the focus on the pet bond,” predicted Hazel Rochman in Booklist. Brantley-Newton provides art for Barbara Herbert’s Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist, about the celebrated quilter. “As a picture-book introduction to an unsung artist, it inspires,” remarked a Kirkus Reviews critic. Amina Chaudhri, writer in Booklist, suggested that it was “sure to inspire curiosity about quilting and its significance in African American history.” Another significant figure in Black American history is centered in Cynthis Levinson’s The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a vivid reminder that it took a community to fight segregation.”
In an interview with Tameka Fryer Brown, contributor to the Brown Bookshelf website, Brantley-Newton offered this advice to aspiring writers: “Hone, hone, and hone your writing and illustration skills. Get around people who support your dreams and visions.” She added: “Listen to children. Write down what they say and how they say it. Read other peoples books. Go to the bookstores and check out what is on the shelf. See a need and fill it. If there are no books that you like, try writing one that you would like to see. Take classes in illustration and writing often to stay current and fresh. Visit other people’s blogs on writing and illustration. Know the business of publishing. Be true to yourself.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Arts & Activities, December, 2012, Paula Guhin, review of Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art, p. 6; January, 2013, Paula Guhin, review of Magic Trash, p. 9.
Booklist, February 15, 2013, Hazel Rochman, review of Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her, p. 64; September 1, 2015, Amina Chaudhri, review of Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist, p. 94; November 15, 2017, Lucinda Whitehurst, review of Grandma’s Purse, p. 58; April 15, 2022, Rosie Camargo, review of The Queen of Kindergarten, p. 58; October 15, 2023, Shelle Rosenfield, review of Nesting Dolls, p. 58.
Children’s Bookwatch, August, 2014, review of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen.
Horn Book, May-June, 2014, Shara L. Hardeson, review of Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea, p. 88; September-October, 2014, Kathleen T. Horning, review of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, p. 85; May-June, 2017, Claudette S. McLinn, review of The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, p. 116; March-April, 2018, Michelle H. Martin, review of Grandma’s Purse, p. 63; September-October, 2019, Elissa Gershowitz, review of The King of Kindergarten, p. 55; January-February, 2020, Julie Hakim Azzam, review of Just Like Me, p. 101.
Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2012, review of Every Little Thing; May 1, 2013, review of Mister and Lady Day; September 1, 2013, review of The Girl Who Heard Colors; November 1, 2013, review of We Shall Overcome; July 15, 2014, review of Thanksgiving for Emily Ann; June 15, 2015, review of The Plans I Have for You; August 1, 2015, review of Sewing Stories; December 1, 2015, review of A Birthday Cake for George Washington; November 1, 2016, review of The Youngest Marcher; May 15, 2017, review of Hannah Sparkles; June 1, 2019, review of The King of Kindergarten; July 1, 2019, review of Mama’s Work Shoes; November 1, 2019, review of Just Like Me; June 1, 2021, review of Becoming Vanessa; May 15, 2022, review of The Queen of Kindergarten; June 15, 2022, review of Mary Had a Little Plan; September 1, 2023, review of Nesting Dolls.
Publishers Weekly, September 17, 2012, review of Every Little Thing, p. 52; August 5, 2013, review of The Girl Who Heard Colors, p. 68; October 14, 2013, review of We Shall Overcome, p. 61; August 28, 2017, review of A Night Out with Mama, p. 125.
ONLINE
Brown Bookshelf, https://thebrownbookshelf.com/ (February 21, 2023), Tameka Fryer Brown, author interview.
Can We Read?, https://canweread.substack.com/ (January 25, 2023), Sarah Miller, author interview.
Elena Reads, https://elenareads.com/ (April 26, 2018), author interview.
Jena Benton website, https://jenabenton.com/ (September 25, 2017), Jena Benton, author interview.
Let’s Talk Picture Books, https://www.letstalkpicturebooks.com/ (January 21, 2020), author interview.
Monica Wellington’s News, https://monicawellington.blogspot.com/ (December 12, 2014), author interview.
Painted Words, https://www.painted-words.com/ (March 26, 2024), author profile.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton blog, https://oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com/ (March 26, 2024).
Vanessa Brantley-Newton website, https://www.vanessabrantleynewton.com/ (March 26, 2024).
Vermont College of Fine Arts website, https://vcfa.edu/ (March 26, 2024), author profile.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), https://taralzar.com/ (January 20, 2019), article by author.
OFFICIAL BIO
AS SEEN IN
AWARDS/HONORS
CLIENT LIST
2016 CCBC Choices
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2016 Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2015 CCBC Choice
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 CCBC Charlotte Zolotow Award
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Bank Street College of Education Best Books
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 WSRA Picture This! Selection
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Delaware Diamonds
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2014 Best Cover Award for Highlights’ Hello Magazine
2014 Society of Illustrators Original Art Show
2014 The Jane Addams Peace for Children’s Books Honor We Shall Overcome
2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid's Book of the Year
We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid's Book of the Year
Every Little Thing
Aladdin Books
American Girl
Bloomsbury
Blue Apple Books
Book Apple
Charlesbridge
Chronicle
Cricket Magazine
Focus on the Family
Harcout Children’s Books
Hallmark
Houghton Mifflin Harcout
Hyperion
Lee & Low
National Geographic
Penguin Books
Scholastic
Simon and Schuster
Tricycle Press
Vanessa Brantley Newton was born during the Civil Rights movement, and attended school in Newark, NJ. She was part of a diverse, tight-knit community and learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment at early age.
Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, Vanessa includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.
Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young
readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art.
The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.
AWARDS/HONORS
CLIENT LIST
2016 CCBC Choices
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2016 Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2015 CCBC Choice
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 CCBC Charlotte Zolotow Award
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Bank Street College of Education Best Books
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 WSRA Picture This! Selection
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Delaware Diamonds
The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2014 Best Cover Award for Highlights’ Hello Magazine
2014 Society of Illustrators Original Art Show
2014 The Jane Addams Peace for Children’s Books Honor We Shall Overcome
2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid's Book of the Year
We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Ed Best Kid's Book of the Year
Every Little Thing
About me
Gender Female
Industry Education
Occupation Teacher, Social Worker,
Location West Orange, New Jersey, United States
Links Wishlist
Vanessa Brantley Newton
Agent:Lori Nowicki
Vanessa Brantley Newton attended both SVA and FIT of New York, where she studied fashion and children’s illustration. An artist swathed in retro chic, she loves all things vintage – especially books and clothes from the 40s through the 60’s – and it shines through in her designs, which run the gamut of fun and whimsical to stylish and sophisticated. She loves to add unique touches to her work, including mixed media accents, collage, and hand lettering.
Vanessa was born during the Civil Rights movement, and attended school in Newark, NJ. Being part of a diverse, tight-knit community during such turbulent times, Vanessa learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment in shaping a young person’s life. When she read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, it was the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, she includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.
Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art. The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.
CLIENT LIST
American Greetings
Hallmark
Adobe
Abrams
Aladdin Books
American Girl
Bloomsbury
Blue Apple Books
Book Apple
Charlesbridge
Chronicle
Cricket Magazine
Disney-Hyperion
Focus on the Family
Merry Makers
Harper Collins
Houghton Mifflin Harcout
Lee & Low
National Geographic
Random House
Penguin
Scholastic
Simon and Schuster
Tricycle Press
AWARDS / HONORS
2023 The Hornbook Fanfare, Best Books of the Year – Nesting Dolls
2023 Starred Review, The Hornbook – Nesting Dolls
2022 Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year – The Queen of Kindergarten
2022 Amazon Pick of the Month – Mary Had a Little Plan
2022 New York Times Bestseller –The Queen of Kindergarten
2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Recording List- Grandma’s Purse
2022 Booklist from Rise: A Feminist Book Project- Legacy
2019 Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year- The King of Kindergarten
2019 Bank Street College’s Best Books of the Year- Grandma’s Purse
New York Times Bestseller – The King of Kindergarten
Four Starred Reviews – The King of Kindergarten
2019 Society of Illustrators Original Art Show – The King of Kindergarten
2018 Bank Street College’s Best Books of the Year- The Youngest Marcher
2017 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books – The Youngest Marcher
2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work Nomination – The Youngest Marcher
2016 CCBC Choices – My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2016 Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year – My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
2015 CCBC Choice – The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 CCBC Charlotte Zolotow Award – The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Bank Street College of Education Best Books – The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 WSRA Picture This! Selection – The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2015 Delaware Diamonds – The Hula Hoopin’ Queen
2014 Best Cover Award for Highlights’ Hello Magazine
2014 Society of Illustrators Original Art Show
2014 The Jane Addams Peace Foundation for Children’s Books Honor – We Shall Overcome
2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People – We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year – We Shall Overcome
2013 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year – Every Little Thing
Vanessa Brantley Newton
Visiting Writer
Profile
Vanessa Brantley Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied Fashion Illustration at The Fashion Institute of Technology and children’s book illustration at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma’s Purse and Just Like Me and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Think Big by Liz Garton Scanlon, Mary Had A Little Glam by Tammi Sauer, and New York Times bestseller The King Of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes.
Vanessa makes her nest in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and daughter and cat named Stripes.
(How) Can we read? Interview with Vanessa Brantley-Newton
SARAH MILLER
JAN 25, 2023
I think the first book of Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s that I brought home from the library and shared with my eldest daughter at a young age was Grandma’s Purse. I fell in love with it immediately and with good reason: not only did Brantley-Newton’s adorable story capture my heart and entrance my kiddo, her gorgeous, bright, pop-off-the-page illustrations made me feel so cheerful, I wanted more from wherever that came from.
Good thing Brantley-Newton has provided more in spades.
Though she has, to date, authored and illustrated five titles — among them my absolute favorite, Just Like Me, an excellent poetry book that features and celebrates all kinds of girls, which I reviewed in issue No. 26 — she has illustrated a whopping 27 more (among them two others I’ve reviewed, My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay in my Spotlight On: Back to School and Mama’s Work Shoes in issue No. 88).
I could go on all day about Brantley-Newton’s exceptional skill and talent for bringing stories to vivid life on the page through both words and images, but I’ll let her speak for herself.
A feature from Brantley-Newton’s porfolio, provided by the author/illustrator
Here’s a lightly-edited biography, from Brantley-Newton’s website:
Vanessa Brantley Newton was born during the Civil Rights movement, and attended school in Newark, New Jersey. She was part of a diverse, tight-knit community and learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment at early age.
Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, Vanessa includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.
Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art.
The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.
Vanessa Brantley Newton
Without further ado, a few questions and answers with the magnificent Vanessa Brantley-Newton.
How long have you been writing and illustrating for children? What called you to this work?
Professionally I have been working in children’s books since 2007. I have been drawing since I was three. I drew like a child of 7 or 8, and then by the time I was 13, I was drawing like a college student. It’s the way I communicate. I drew before I talked, and so that’s I how I got here.
The subject matter of your books is remarkably varied — where do you get ideas for your books, and how do you stay inspired, title after title?
Each book is like doing it for the first time every single time. I find joy in remembering when I was a child. I loved playing with my little sister, Coy. Our parents worked all the time and we never had stories read to us because most of the books out there focused on white families and children and my parents wanted to empower us with books that reflected our home and life, so we made up our own stories to share with each other. I became a storyteller at an early age.
Children keep me inspired. I listen to them and play with them and I enjoy being with them. I am still 5 years old.
I know Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first time you saw yourself in a children’s book, and that as an illustrator, you include children of all ethnic backgrounds in your stories and artwork. Can you speak to why representation matters in children's literature, and what parents, other caregivers, and educators can do if they're not sure where to begin with inclusive books?
It is important that children see themselves in the books that they read. When they don’t, it sends a direct message that they don’t matter. They are invisible. It is how I felt when I didn’t see myself. A brown child needs to see themselves not as just a slave or civil right marcher, but also as a pilot of a plane. As a fireman or dancer or scientist.
We have to tell our children that the sky is the limit, and to dream big and go after their personal dreams. I want every child to see themselves beautifully illustrated in the books that I create. I want them to know that I see them. They matter to this illustrator and storyteller.
This a question I ask everyone I interview: what are a few titles, recent or otherwise, that have stood out to you as being so excellent you wish they were on the shelf in every home and classroom?
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is super important one. The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten [both by Derrick Barnes], Another by Christian Robinson, Nigel and The Moon by Antwan Eady. These are just a few.
My 5yo was totally obsessed with this book heading into this school year — it’s so good! (Cover image provided by Brantley-Newton)
What's next for you? Are you working on anything new you can tell us about?
I am working on a very personal story: it’s called Nesting Dolls, with Penguin and Random House and Knopf Books. It’s very precious to me. It’s about a little girl who thinks that she is too dark and that everyone else in her family is somehow better than her. She learns that she has a little bit of each person inside of her.
Brantley-Newton posted this on her website about Nesting Dolls:
I am so very excited as I get to share a little bit about my Gullah Geechee background in this book. When a little girl realizes that she is the darkest one in her family, she begins to feel some kinda way. In her eyes, everyone else is more beautiful and smart. The family goes to visit Grandma and Grandaddy. Grandma loves on both the girl and her big sister. When little sissy tries to help out she just makes a mess and they shoo her outta the kitchen into Grandma’s art studio, where she sees the nesting dolls that she is painting. She sees the smallest one is painted a rich deep brown color and she realizes that this is meant to be her and she doesn’t like it, so she picks up a brush and begins to paint it a lighter shade of brown. When Grandma comes in to find her doing so she begins to cry. Grandma begins to share with her about the beauty of WHO SHE IS and celebrates the gorgeous brown that she is. Sharing with her that there are great people who came before that look just like her. They did great things just like she will. That she is valuable and precious. She is told that she is smart just like mommy, funny just like her sister, brilliant like grandma and creative and strong like Great Grandma. All of these things are inside of her and she inside of them.
I am so happy to share this book with you all. Maybe it’s not your skin, but something else. Maybe you have a missing arm or eye?
Maybe you are dyslexic or maybe you stutter? There is still greatness in each of us. Due out [sometime in 2023].
Thank you so much to Brantley-Newton for taking the time out of her busy schedule dreaming up, drawing, and writing new books to grant me this interview. I can’t wait for Nesting Dolls… and all the other books that will surely come in the future.
QUOTED: "Hone, hone, and hone your writing and illustration skills. Get around people who support your dreams and visions.."
"Listen to children. Write down what they say and how they say it. Read other peoples books. Go to the bookstores and check out what is on the shelf. See a need and fill it. If there are no books that you like, try writing one that you would like to see. Take classes in illustration and writing often to stay current and fresh. Visit other people’s blogs on writing and illustration. Know the business of publishing. Be true to yourself."
Day 21 Throwback: VANESSA BRANTLEY NEWTON
by Tameka Fryer Brown | Posted on February 21, 2023
If you know me, you know how I feel about Vanessa Brantley Newton.
If you don’t know, read this.
In summary, she is my sister and she is brilliant.
She is a generous friend of The Brown Bookshelf, and has gifted us permission to use her gorgeous illustrations on more than one occasion.
She is an inspiration and treasure to the entire kidlit community.
It is our sincere privilege to honor and celebrate her today!
Enjoy this 28 Days Later Throwback interview with Vanessa Brantley Newton, conducted by BBS member Don Tate.
Vanessa Brantley Newton – 2011
For this interview, I studied Vanessa’s website and sorted through her artwork, looking for just the right words to use in an introduction. I failed, big-time. Words like “charming,” “fresh,” and “retro” came to mind—boring words that didn’t do her art justice.
I fretted for days. I care about my work here, and I wanted to give Vanessa her due props. But then, over the weekend, Vanessa emailed answers to her interview questions, along with her wonderful artwork. That’s when I realized that I didn’t need to say a word. Vanessa’s words and art say it all. They made me smile, laugh, think, cheer. And her art!—you’ll want to gobble it up!
Vanessa describes herself as a full-time mom, and a freelance illustrator and writer, who loves to craft, cook, and collect vintage children’s books. She lives in East Orange, NJ with her husband and daughter, and a very fat cat named Kirby who thinks he is dog.
Vanessa, in your own words, please tell us about your most recent book Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table
What happens when everyone is invited to Auntie Mabel’s house for Sunday Dinner? Craziness that’s what. Auntie Mabel just doesn’t know how to stop her snowballing grace over dinner. Her family loves her, but they are hungry and Auntie wants to pray this long prayer and the food gets cold and everyone is upset. I wanted to show what my family was like. I come from a very multicultural family and they are funny and wonderful, and there are so many magical stories to tell about them. Auntie Mabel is just one of them.
Tell us about your path of publication, from spark of inspiration to printed book
I had written this story many, many years ago, almost 15 years or more. I put it away. I read it to a couple of members of my family and they seem to like it well enough, but I wasn’t sure. I took some classes at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and I showed it to my teachers, some said it was way too much and others said that it wasn’t enough and so I got even more confused. So I secretly worked on my characters and I let them tell me where they wanted the story to go. I showed it to my agent about a year ago and she told me to work on it some more and this frustrated me. I then took it with me to one of my publishers. Harriet Ziegert over at Blue Apple Books. She read it and fell instantly in love with it!! She actually took the script out of my hands and started editing it. She told me, “everything you need is in here already and you just need to move some words around and shorten the dang thing!!!” No need to add another thing. Now draw some pictures.” I laugh now when I think about it. Harriet is brilliant. I think that stories are fresh and brilliant when they come from your life experiences . What you have been through. The people you know. Harriet shortened the story quite a bit but it works.
Can you talk about your transformation from artist to writer
I have always been writing. I am a musician, singer and songwriter. I love to write songs. They are stories to be “Sungtold.” It’s a word that I made up. My mom was a great storyteller and singer. She weaved words and music together to tell fabulous stories or create word pictures. Writing is a muscle that has to be worked everyday just as illustration is a muscle. People tend to think that writing for children is easy, but it’s not. Good writers make it look easy. It’s hard work. It takes thinking outside of the box. It’s using the gray matter between the eyes. It’s the art of telling a story that wants to be told over and over and over again in less than an hour. It’s the art of telling a story with a few delicious words. I am being stretched even more now as I am asked to create and share my own stories. Sometimes I have a clue as how to do it and sometimes I clueless. I keep a notebook by my bedside to write in and keep notes. I listen to children. I watch them and I record them. I reach back into my childhood to find stories and things that want to be put onto paper. There is no magic formula that I try to follow. I am still trying to find my voice in writing. I am currently working on several stories with my sister Coy Curry who is also a singer and songwriter. We are country girls from the Low Country. That’s Beaufort , SC and the islands of SC. We are Geechee people. Or Gullah. These are the sea island people who were enslaved from Serra Leone. Our Gullah culture is dying and we want to tell the stories that we have carried for years to others. We want to keep it alive. We want to share what it was like growing up in a Geechee Gullah household with songs, stories, food, crafts and language.
What kinds of stories inspire you?
Stories of the old. Oral tales and accounts. These things inspire me as a writer.
I love your illustrations on the covers of the popular Ruby and the Booker Boys series. How did you come to be a part of this project?
My good friend Karen Proctor asked me to bring my portfolio over to the city. She wanted to share it with Andrea Pinkney. I was so honored to meet someone of the Pinkney family! That made my day right there! Andrea graciously looked at my portfolio and told me what I needed to do to make it more workable. She was honest and upfront about it and I liked that about her. She saw a piece that I did called “Ghetto Boy in da Hood” and she loved it. She loved it so much that she took it out of the portfolio with several other pieces. She told me that she would give me a call in a couple of months. A couple of months rolled by and I didn’t hear from her. I was a little disappointed and just when I wasn’t expecting a call I got one from her. She wanted me to create a girl character. I did some sketches and a finished piece and sent them too her. She called me back told me that they wanted me to work on a new project called, “Ruby and the Booker Boys” I jumped at the chance and Ruby was born.
Please talk about your training, education. What led you to a career in art?
I wanted to be a doctor, but my grades said otherwise. I am dyslexic, meaning I have a learning difference. Drawing was my way to express myself. I am mainly self-taught. While I attended FIT and the SVA of NYC, I never got my degree. I had run out of money and I had to get a job fast so I worked as a phlebotomist. I did side jobs in illustration. I did some greeting cards and fine art work. I worked as a phlebotomist for over 25 years before I started doing children’s book illustration. I knew that I needed to hone my gift in illustration, but I didn’t have the money to go back to school so I started reading books and taking course here and there to hone my craft. I hope to get my degree soon, but if I don’t I have found expression and it has found me and we work together.
Do you have any thoughts on why so many black illustrators are male yet so many authors are female? Who are female illustrators who inspired you?
I believe there are not many female black illustrators, because they are not encouraged to step into the arena of illustration and they are not encouraged to learn the technical side of art. I also feel, unfortunately, I believe that the culture is divided in thinking women are better storytellers, because we are more verbal by nature and that men are more visual. It is definitely something I feel needs to change. I don’t know many black female illustrators, but the ones I do know are award winning and exceptional artist and I am proud to be among them, such as Shadra Strickland, Cozbi and Patricia Cummings are a few that come to mind.
In all honesty I have not been inspired by many black female illustrators, mainly, because at the time of my development there were no known black children’s book illustrators, except for Tom Feelings and the Dillions, let alone female black illustrators. I hope to dispel this truth with my own work and inspire other up and coming illustrators.
What is your mission as an artist?
To create illustrations and word pictures that are indelibly printed on the brain. Images, that restore and heal the inner child in all of us.
Your artwork has a very appealing retro look about it. What inspired this?
There is something so beautiful to me about old children’s books. They are traditional done. No magic tricks, just the magic of imagination. The colors and hand work of these books are amazing to me. I collect tons of children’s books from the 1950’s and 60’s along with Old Humpty Dumpty Magazines and Golden Books. It takes me back to my childhood. Ezra Jack Keats is one of my greatest mentors. He inspires me most in my artwork. I love his collage work. I never got to meet him, but he has been one of my greatest teachers ever. The others are Mary Blair, Fiep Westendorp, The Provensen’s Tom O’Louglin, Tommy Unger, David Catrow, Mo Williems and Adrian Johnson.
What inspires you as an illustrator?
People!!!! Oh my goodness PEOPLE!!! I people watch all the time. We are the funniest things on the dang plant Man! I am a lover of people good, bad, ugly, pretty, happy, sad I love to look at people, because they inspire and then, of course, anything retro comes next. Being a child of the 60’s I got to watch Bugs Bunny, Felix the Cat, the Jetston and the Flintstones. These cartoons formed a lot of my desire to become and illustrator. The colors and patterns and subject matter appealed to me. It was without computers, bells and whistles. You had to make your own magic. I love technology, but I am inspired by the old and tattered. I love to laugh! I am always looking to find the funny. It’s major and important to me to find the funny. So you will see it in my characters that I illustrate and in the situations I put them in. I want people to see themselves and not take themselves so seriously.
What are you doing when You’re not creating children’s books?
Singing, laughing and spending time with my husband of 16 years and our daughter who is 10. I love to craft so I spend any couple of minutes I have creating he he he he!!
Can you talk about some of your works in progress, what’s on the horizon?
Children’s books, comics, etc. I just finished a book with Cedella Marley called, ” One Love” A song written by her father, the great Bob Marley and adapted by his daughter. I have been working on my first traditional collage book called, “Magic Trash “The story of Tyree Guyton. My sister Coy and I are working on a Gullah Geechee children’s book as well as a series of books of Fractured Fairytales from the Hood. Things like “Lil’ Red in the Hood” is one that will be published soon. All I can say is “HILARIOUS!”
What advice can you offer to aspiring writers and illustrators of children’s books?
Hone, hone, and hone your writing and illustration skills. Get around people who support your dreams and visions. Don’t be too eager to share your dreams and visions with everyone, because everyone is not cheering for you. You can’t put an 18×24 vision in a 3×5 card mind! If it comes to you right then, write it down NOW!! Don’t wait to do it later. A great story could be right there at your fingertips. Listen to children. Write down what they say and how they say it. Read other peoples books. Go to the bookstores and check out what is on the shelf. See a need and fill it. If there are no books that you like, try writing one that you would like to see. Take classes in illustration and writing often to stay current and fresh. Visit other people’s blogs on writing and illustration. Know the business of publishing. Be true to yourself. Stop measuring your gifts and talents by other people, its hard enough being you as it is. Search for things to put around you to keep you inspired. Collect the books of the authors and illustrators that you adore and study them. You can be mentored from a far. Find time for yourself. I am working on this myself. Find time for you and care for YOU. Start today saying good things and thinking good thoughts about where you want to be as an illustrator or writer or both. See yourself doing it and go for it!
Who are your cheerleaders?
My hubby, Ray, my daughter, Zoe, my sister Coy, my sisterfriend Loredan, my brother from another mother, Eric Barclay and my agent Lori Nowicki
See. Aren’t you inspired? Told ya so.
January 21, 2020
Let's Talk Illustrators #129: Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Get ready, everyone! Today I'm talking to the incredible Vanessa Brantley-Newton about her newest book Just Like Me, which showcases her expertise in using a wide array of mixed media and textures to heighten the overall design of her books. Vanessa took time to chat with me about what it's like to be writing and illustrating books, how her process has evolved, and what she has on the docket next. Enjoy!
About the book:
I am a canvas
Being painted on
By the words of my family
Friends And community
A collection of poetry filled with engaging mini-stories about girls of all kinds: girls who feel happy, sad, scared, powerful; girls who love their bodies and girls who don't; country girls, city girls; girls who love their mother and girls who wish they had a father. With bright portraits in vibrant colors and unique patterns and fabrics, this book invites readers to find themselves and each other within its pages.
Peek underneath the dust jacket:
Let's talk Vanessa Brantley-Newton!
LTPB: How long did it take you to write all of the poems in this book? What kind of research did you do to make the poetry and illustrations feel as inclusive as possible?
VBN: It took about 3 months to write all of the poems. I talked to children as I went all over the country for the last year and a half, and I asked questions of them from my presentations as well as watched them while they talked to other students. Some of them shared their feelings when I asked question about what it felt like to be excluded from a group. Or what does it feel like when you are trying to make friends and you're too shy to ask someone to be your friend? I was overjoyed at how candid a lot of them were. Their willingness to be open brought me back to my own childhood, and I begin to write from my own childhood memories and such. Blending the two together to form these poems.
LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book?
VBN: I think I must have used almost everything I have in my studio to create the illustrations for this book, LOL! I used Posca Pen, which is just acrylic paint in pen form, watercolor, crayons, pencils, oil pastels, vintage papers, my own painted papers and cheap temper paint sticks. It's really all mixed media.
LTPB: Is this your preferred medium?
VBN: Ooh my goodness it is! I get to play with everything. The book is really mixed media, and I like that, as it gives lots of texture and lift to the page. Simple cheap art supplies can really give your illustrations life if you know how to work them. Cheap temper paint on school type manilla paper is awesome for creating patterns that can be scanned into my computer and used to overlay or use a pattern for a dress on a character or what have you.
LTPB: How does your process change from book to book?
VBN: If I had my choice and the time, I would paint all of my books. In this industry that is moving so much faster than it use to, I just don't have the time. Book turn-arounds are so much faster. I am however working on my own books and illustrating them now, and I have a little bit more time to do what I want to do. Sometimes I get to work with real paint and art supplies and other times I work digitally and I enjoy that as well. Creating my own photoshop brushes and textures help to take that raw digital look from the work and make it look more vintage and authentic, if you will.
LTPB: What can you tell us about the design of the book, like the casewrap-dust jacket combination, or and the incredible canvas dust jacket(!)? How involved were you in adding these details?
VBN: I was so thrilled about the dust jacket for the book. I painted it on canvas and then painted the girl on cardboard with Posca pens and oil pastels to give it some dimension . We all loved the textures so much! It just gave the book extra punch! My art director then took it from there and kinda said, "Let me do my thing!" and her thing was awesome. I am still learning design where books and publishing are concerned. If you say, "Vanessa, design a dress or shoe or handbag,” that would be easier for me to do. I tend to break a lot of rules in that area. I just know what feels good.
LTPB: How do you use design elements like the dust jacket, endpapers, and casewrap as extensions of the central story?
VBN: No two people are alike, we come in different sizes, shapes and colors and cultures and doing this book in a mixed media way really is an extension of this thought. This book has texture, color and energy all throughout its stories and pages.
LTPB: You’re in pretty high demand these days! How do you keep your process fresh with every new book?
VBN: Now that is the question indeed! It's not easy. People ask me to teach them my process or tell them how I create my artwork and illustrations, and I really can't do that because I don't know how I even do it sometimes. It is very frustrating to try to tell them the process since it is different every time for me. Every time I do a new book it's like I am doing it for the first time. It get's old to me. I just want to develop a process that I can depend on, and this is never the case for me. I have to feel it. Not trying to be artsy or anything, it's just how it flows for me. Every book is different and has a different feel to it. I even have soundtracks for books that I am working on because music moves me through the art making process. I can't work without it. It, too, is an art supply for me. When I am working on a book that is about the civil rights movement I will listen to songs from the 60's or songs about marching, freedom songs etc. It helps me pick the palettes for the work. It will even tell me what brush or pen I need to use for the piece whether digital or traditional. So every book gets what it needs.
LTPB: What differences have you found between creating a picture book on your own (text and illustrations) versus illustrating someone else’s text?
VBN: Man, this is so different. When I work on my own stories and illustrations, they are such a part of me, and I have somehow worked on it in my own head. Kinda like a music video. I often see the pictures before the words. Being dyslexic, it is a process of its own. Sometimes I am able to come up with the story before the picture, but for the most part, I do the pictures before the words. I know already what style I want the book to be in and colors I want to use. When working on someone else's book it's way different: I don't know what is in the author's mind, which can be rather frustrating as well. While other illustrators have shared with me that they don't like artist notes, I find them very useful in some ways. What did the author have in mind when they were writing this story? I don't need a whole lot, but if they can point me in the direction of an idea I find it very helpful and useful. Sometimes it can feel like I am trying to read someone's mind, and I don't like it. LOL! We have to tell two different stories that work together on the page to let the reader in on the story.
LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?
VBN: It is a new book with Random House and Knoff Books, and it is called Becoming Vanessa due out in 2021.
LTPB: If you were to write your picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why?
VBN: Ezra Jacks Keat hands down. Being a child of the 60's and early 70's I didn't get to see myself in picture books, and I LOVED MYSELF some picture books. I didn't talk much in school, and I swore I was invisible. When I first laid eyes on Ezra's The Snowy Day it changed my life. I could read the words, but the pictures really told me a beautiful story. It said to me that I wasn't invisible, as I had thought, that someone saw me in this world. Ezra painted my life in such vivid detail. From the collaged wallpaper and garbage cans to Peter's little chair and Mom's chubby brown arms. I mean, even down to Peter's Mom's gingham yellow house dress LOL! He saw! Every time I pick up The Snowy Day or Peter's Chair it's like going back into my childhood home, and it makes me feel safe and warm and loved. I would have LOVED for Ezra to paint my life, but then, he already did.
A million thanks to Vanessa for taking time to answers some questions, share videos, and talk about her process! Just Like Me published last week from Knopf Books for Young Readers!
Special thanks to Vanessa and Knopf for use of these images!
Storystorm 2019 Day 20: Vanessa Brantley Newton’s Post of Storystorm Past
January 20, 2019 in STORYSTORM 2019 | Tags: The Snowy Day, Vanessa Brantley-Newton
by Vanessa Brantley Newton (from 2014)
When I was going to school, I attended a community school that had been created by the parents and local writers, artist, musicians, and poets. It was a special school because we could not go to white schools. We had some of the best teachers ever! One day, I met this wonderful teacher named Miss Russell. Miss Russell had the biggest, orangest afro I had ever seen in my whole entire life. It looked like a cloud. She wore the shortest dresses and the coolest shoes. I loved Miss Russell. Once she set me on her lap and shared a beautiful book that has stayed with me all these years. It was about a young boy who wore a red snow suit and lived in the hood as far as I was concerned, LOL! The thing that stood out about this boy was that he was brown just like me!
He was beautiful!! His mom and dad looked just like my parents. Even the wallpaper looked like the wallpaper in my own house. I was excited and thrilled. Surely the person was who created this book must have been watching me from his studio window. The book left me feeling some kind of way. It conveyed all my feelings and thoughts through its beautiful, colorful pictures and collage. I couldn’t remember all the words to the story, for you see I am dyslexic. There was nobody who really understood what that was. The words didn’t make sense to me but the pictures told me the story.
Everybody is now talking about diversity in children’s books. In 1963 there weren’t many books that had a black child as a main character, and when they were drawn in children’s books of old, black people were drawn very cruelly and just plain ugly. The book moved me so because it would be the first time I would see a black child that looked like me, dressed like me…might have even been me, LOL.
I loved Peter—he was my little brother in my head. Peter was beautifully illustrated and I related to his story because I had experienced the same thing. Countless other children experienced the same thing. Many years would pass and I would end up in a Barnes and Noble looking for picture books to inspire me as I began to illustrate children’s books myself. I came across “The Snowy Day”.
snowyday
Now as I told you, I am dyslexic. Reading for me sometimes can be a struggle. The words seem to dance on the page. Numbers seem to move and float around. I push myself constantly to read out loud, and while I make it look effortless and fun, it is a struggle for me still. I took “The Snowy Day” and sat on the floor of B&N and I read it through tears. Every wonderful and magnificent word.
Nessa Cutout
Finally, words and pictures came together. Comforting memories from the first time that the book was read to me spilled over like warm beach waves. I looked for books written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. I began to do my own study on his work. I copied the man. I wanted to somehow do for other children what this awesome man had done for me. Ezra Jack Keats made me feel so special because he thought that I should have been in a children’s book all along. I wasn’t an afterthought!
The Singing 2
It is important that not only Black, White, Chinese or Indian children be seen in picture books, but that all children see themselves in picture books. That all children get to experience another culture so that their minds broaden. Diversity is needed if we are going to grow as writers and illustrators. I like to call myself “The Multicultural Illustrator”. It is reflected in my work. I come from a very blended background—African American, Asian, European, and Jewish decent—it’s all in there. So if you are thinking that diversity is not important, take it from a little brown girl who was effected by someone’s beautiful pictures.
Indiababeslr
School girl talk
AMG CRNV pic
Once Upon A Time, a little girl wished to be an artist. So, she took her fantastic box of Crayola crayons and drew on the sides of her mother’s clean white stove and white walls. When her mother prepared dinner that night, the crayons melted in a beautiful puddle of waxy deliciousness. She was thrilled! Her parents? Not so much. They made that almost-famous artist get some soap and water and remove and clean up her fantastic masterpiece. Her mom and dad got her a pad of paper and she has been drawing ever since. Vanessa is agented by Painted-words.com. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, daughter and a friendly cat named Stripes. Visit her at vanessabrantleynewton.com.
QUOTED: "I have always had a love for drawing and pictures and cartoons. Cartoons were like friends to me and that I could create something for my own pencil was very empowering."
April 26, 2018 Feature / Interviews
Interview: Vanessa Brantley-Newton Creates Diverse Artwork
Posted by elenareads
I recently interviewed an award-winning illustrator. Her name is Vanessa Brantley-Newton and she has drawn pictures for almost 90 books!
I like her artwork, which is mostly of people. It is very colorful. When I look at the pictures, I feel happy. A lot of the pictures are people smiling and having fun. (You can see some of her work at the end of this post.)
Some of the books she has illustrated are the Jada Jones series that I reviewed and also a recent book called A Night Out with Mama, by Quvenzhane’ Wallis, the actress who plays Annie in the new version of the movie. Since I read so many books, sometimes I recognize the names of authors and illustrators. That’s how I realized I owned another book Vanessa Brantley-Newton illustrated. It’s called We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song. I will review it soon.
Even when she was a child Vanessa Brantley-Newton loved to draw. She tells a funny story about it below. My favorite part of her interview is when she talks about why children of all colors are important and that she wants them to be seen in her books. I agree with her!
I emailed her some questions and this what she wrote back:
Question: How would you describe your style?
Answer: My style is more retro collage mixed media digital. I use a little bit of everything.
Q: For your work in Jada Jones: Rock Star, how did you decide how Jada Jones would look?
A: Kelly (the author) has a beautiful daughter and she was my muse when creating Jada Jones. I want to hard to look like Kelly’s daughter. We want to African-American girls to identify with Jada Jones so we created her in a more brown tone with cornrows and regular clothes that a little African-American girl would wear. The response has been tremendous so many young brown girls have embraced Jada as their own.
Q: Why do you think diversity is important in children’s literature?
A: As a child in the 1960s and early ’70s I did not get to see myself in children’s books and it had a big effect on me. For a long time I thought I was invisible and I would constantly ask my mom was I invisible and could she see me?
Commercials and TV shows lacked color or diversity. I saw white people with blonde hair and blue eyes in the commercials and I wanted blonde hair and blue eyes also and this drove my mother and father crazy. You begin to think that you don’t belong and that you don’t matter.
When children cannot see themselves reflected in the books or media that they see, they begin to receive a message that they are not cared for and that they are not important. I want to change all of that so that every child, brown, black, yellow, red, and white, get to see themselves and each other in picture books created by me. The message that I want to send is that all children are important across the board.
Q: Who are your favorite artists? What are your favorite pictures by them?
A: The Snowy Day by Edward Jack Keats, The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna, Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leah Hodgkinson, Islandborn, by Leo Espinosa, My Pet Wants a Pet by Eric Barclay, and those are just a few.
Q: How many books have you illustrated?
A: I have illustrated over 87 books for children. By 2021 I will have illustrated 92.
Q: Did you always want to be an artist and how did you reach your goal?
A: I knew I wanted to be an artist at the age of three years old. I would draw on the side of the kitchen stove and then my mother would cook the stove heat up and all of my drawings would melt down into a puddle onto the floor LOL! My mom was none too happy about that. But I have always had a love for drawing and pictures and cartoons. Cartoons were like friends to me and that I could create something for my own pencil was very empowering.
I had to really work very hard in school. I am dyslexic and school was very hard for me. I spent most of my time in remedial reading classes and special ed classes because people did not know how to help children with dyslexia. So I was not very happy in school or a good student and this made very difficult. I had to art teachers who were very nurturing and caring and they would work with me and help me to get into college. After college there was really no work for a black illustrator in fashion. Those jobs were saved basically for white people so I worked in the hospital for many years, actually 25.
But I always drew so I would make greeting cards I would paint pictures for family members just to kind of keep the artwork going and finally one day I decided that I was going to build a portfolio and put it out there to an agent. I did a lot of praying I did a lot of positive thinking and a whole lot of hard work. Lots and lots of hard work and before I knew it I had an agent and I was working on my first picture book. It did not come without a lot of hard work. But this is the hardest work I’ve ever loved!
Q: Lastly, I see that you have written books, too. I can’t wait to read them! Which is your favorite?
A: Picking a favorite book that I’ve written is like trying to pick my favorite child LOL! I love all the books and I’ve created. Auntie Mabel is one of my favorites but Grandma‘s Purse has really stolen my heart.
Check out some of Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s beautiful work below. And read more about her at on her website or Painted Words.
QUOTED: "My Grandmother was a very interesting woman. She carried all kinds of goodies and sometimes bad things in her purse. The curiosity of this little girl wanting to know what Grandma was carrying in her purse was like me."
"Grandparents are just as important as parents. Children need to learn that older people are interesting and have stories to tell, and that they can learn so much about themselves by spending time with a grandparent."
Simply 7 interview with Vanessa Brantley Newton–“Grandma’s Purse”
SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 / JENABENTON
Oh dear readers, have I got some amazing treats in store for you this week! Today I bring you an interview with the delightful illustrator Vanessa Brantley Newton about her latest author-illustrator project: “Grandma’s Purse.” I heard her inspirational keynote speech in LA this last summer at the SCBWI Conference, and even got to talk with her one-on-one at one of the illustrator breakout sessions. Those few words exchanged with her were one of the highlights of that weekend for me. Just one, but still it will be a moment I cherish forever. She is a beacon of light, spreading joy and hope to all who come in contact with her.
You’re not familiar with Vanessa’s work? Are you sure? I bet you’re more familiar than you realize! VBNHEADSHOT17Vanessa’s work has been popping up everywhere. I found it just the other day in the new curriculum we’re teaching to the students in the Anchorage School District (which I was delighted to discover)!
Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art. The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody. You can learn more about her at her website.
gma
Welcome Vanessa!
Me: Can you tell us about your artistic journey? When did you start and how did you get to where you are now?
Vanessa: Oh my goodness it’s been a journey for sure. As an African American back in the 60’s you never tell your parents that you want to be an artist! It just scares the hell out of them. They thought an artist is someone who starves and never makes a living. It’s only after they die that they become famous.
I started drawing at the age of 3. My parents would find my little drawings in the backs of cookbooks, and medical and history books. I was drawing on the sides of our kitchen stove and when it got hot from all the cooking it would melt into a puddle on the kitchen floor. My mom didn’t like that much and I spent a lot of time cleaning it all up with Comet cleanser. I have always loved drawing.
I didn’t talk much as a child because I stuttered so very, very badly. I didn’t even want to hear the sound of my own voice. My mom also stuttered very badly, but she was an amazing singer and taught me to sing. She taught me that if you sang you wouldn’t stutter so I still carry that with me everywhere I go. In my head there is a kind of opera, if you will, going on when I stand to speak or have a conversation with people. I am singing in my head so that I can get the words out.
I am dyslexic as well and it made it very difficult for me in school! I hated school with every ounce of my being. It was just a horrible experience from 2nd grade on. Teachers and students picked on me. And being the only African American child in the class made it even harder. My SAT scores where so bad that I was told that I would never work as anything more than a typist and that was even a long shot. I would attend F.I.T in NYC and then The School Of Visual Arts in NYC thanks to my Aunt Annie and my art teachers, Mr. Snall and Mrs. Dee. They believed in me and they got me into a great school. When I could no longer pay for college, my mom and dad really pushed me to go into a field that was medical in nature that I didn’t want to go into: a Phlebotomist (i.e., a professional Vampire, if you will).
I drew people’s blood for 25 years. I thought surely this was a waste of my time as an artist, but it taught me so much. AhugfortheworldI got to people watch, which works as an illustrator of children’s books and many other things. I learned body language and movement, facial expressions and most of all diversity. I continued to draw and would make greeting cards and pieces of art for galleries in and around Montclair and Bloomfield , NJ. I started an art blog called, oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com and built a wonderful community of illustrators and artists. I would post my illustrations on there, visit the blogs of my fellow illustrators, and learn even more about the world of freelance illustration. I got involved with a wonderful blog called IllustrationFriday.com where illustrators and artists would get a word prompt to illustrate every Friday morning. I started doing the word prompts and before I knew it I had a portfolio full of work.
My sister Coy and I talked about what would be my next step: joining SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators). I went to my first conference in NYC and it changed everything. I came home hungry and wanting to do more children’s book illustrations. I took courses when I could afford them and when I couldn’t, I created my own courses at home. I studied and taught myself how to do digital illustration and worked with different software like Corel Painter and Photoshop. I taught myself how to be proficient in all of it. It wasn’t easy and some days were really very hard.
Lots of artists didn’t want to share what they knew and I was often met with coldness that I had to shake off and keep on moving. Before long I had so much work that it covered my dinning room table. My husband and I had run out of money. We literally were going from hand to mouth and there was nobody to get money from. I got busy working on my portfolio to send out work to publishers. A very good family friend came over to my home. My husband had asked several times for me to clean off the dinning room table so that we could eat on it and I would sarcastically reply, “ Why? We ain’t got no food to put on it!” Then I went right back to working. Anyway the friend comes over and she asked, “Vanessa, who does all the wonderful artwork?” I told her, “Me!” She said, “ In all the many years that we have known each other, you never told me that you were an illustrator and artist! You’re hired!” “Excuse me?” I said. “ I work as an Editor over at Scholastic Books in NYC. You are hired!” The rest was a lot of hard work and growth.
springlittlesport
Me: What draws you to picture books over other genres? Have you ever considered writing or illustration work in other formats (writing middle grade, illustrating book covers or chapter books, etc.)?
Vanessa: I love pictures books! They are my favorite! I love working in the picture book format. It’s storytelling in my own way. I love to illustrate other people’s books, but I really love illustrating my own. I am branching out now. My friends have encouraged me to do a middle grade reader or YA novel and I am getting ready to do that.
Me: Oh my goodness! How interesting! I can’t wait to read that! “Grandma’s Purse” looks absolutely adorable! What is one of your favorite scenes that you illustrated in this book?
Vanessa: My favorite scene is in the middle of the book where the character puts on everything that makes Mimi, or Grandma, Grandma. I just love the colors and the textures and the confidence that she shows.
Clone of Grand...B2B_tmp002
Me: What was it about this story that just had to be told?
Vanessa: As children we love to explore. I was taught that it was very rude to go through a woman’s purse. That was something very personal. My Grandmother was a very interesting woman. She carried all kinds of goodies and sometimes bad things in her purse. The curiosity of this little girl wanting to know what Grandma was carrying in her purse was like me. gp1Like most children, it was a mystery that had to be solved and it starts with her asking a very important question, “Will you show me?” In this way, the little girl gets to know certain thing about her Grandma and she finds the things that make Mimi, Mimi if you will. There is a bonding that is taking place. Grandparents are just as important as parents. Children need to learn that older people are interesting and have stories to tell, and that they can learn so much about themselves by spending time with a grandparent.
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me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing and/or illustrating this story?
Vanessa: That I’m not a writer so much. I am a Storyteller and that is all right for a dyslexic girl! LOL!
VBNewton newestMe: Any advice for other picture book writers or illustrators?
Vanessa: Write about what you know or what you have experienced. Stop measuring yourself to others. There is something that only YOU can bring to the creative table and you need to get busy doing, loving and expressing what you do. It’s magical!
Me: This book is about a little girl’s fascination with her grandma’s purse. Did you have a close relationship with your own grandparents?
Vanessa: Yes indeed I had a wonderful relationship with my grandmother Bertha! She was a hoot. She was a Fisherwoman and loved to dress up and wear beautiful clothes, hats and shoes and always, always carried a gorgeous purse.
Me: Is this story really autobiographical of you as a little girl with your grandma?
Vanessa: Oh yes indeed it is! LOL!
Me: Or, knowing your flair for fashion, are you the one with the magic beautiful purse these days?
Vanessa: Yes indeed Darling!! I just love handbags. They say something about a person. I love a good statement bag! Every woman should have one!
Thank you for stopping by my blog Vanessa and sharing some of the sunshine! Readers, you will have to be on the lookout for this one! “Grandma’s Purse” isn’t released until next January! BUT you can preorder it now here. Run out and do so now! You won’t regret it!
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QUOTED: "Working on We Shall Overcome was emotional and that was very hard. I remember things as a child of the 60's and 70's. Not being able to do certain places or go to the same bathrooms and stores or restaurants as whites."
Friday, December 12, 2014
Interview with author/illustrator: VANESSA BRANTLEY-NEWTON
My series of interviews with artists who have been in my SVA class continues with Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Her interview is brimming over with her talent, generosity and energy, just like when she was in class. I hope you enjoy hearing about how she got started and how she works on her beautiful books - she is a real inspiration!
Vanessa's first book was Let Freedom Sing published in 2009. Since then she has been incredibly hard working and dedicated, and has illustrated about 20 books, several of which she have also written. Her recent book We Shall Overcome has won the 2014 The Jane Addams Peace Foundation for Children’s Books Honor, amongst other prestigious awards, and it is in the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators.
We Shall Overcome was written by Debbie Levy and you are the illustrator. How did this book get started for you?
I had met Joann Hill of Disney-Hyperion quite sometime ago. After Monica's class I was taking another course on Children's Book Illustrations with Sergio Ruzzier. I had already done some illustration work and writing for Scholastic. Sergio took the whole class over to visit a publishing house where Joann was working at the time. She took a look at our portfolios that day. He really encouraged everyone to bring theirs. Some people didn't listen. Lesson one: When you get a chance to put your portfolio in front of an Editor or Art Director you make sure you do it!!! Some people where quite upset when Joann asked me to come back for a possible interview for a project. Be prepared! I didn't get to work right away with Joann Hill, but a few years later, when I got an agent, she told me that Joann Hill remembered my work and has seen a couple of the books that I had done and wanted me to come in for a little interview, that they had a story that they thought I was perfect for.
So I was off to NYC to meet the people over at Disney! It was a great visit. As soon as they told me about the story I wanted to illustrate the book. Debbie's beautiful words seem to paint pictures for me. I worked with two wonderful editors and a great art director. I enjoyed and loved working on We Shall Overcome.
After the visit to NYC to the offices of Disney, they knew pretty much that they wanted to hire me and it was only a few weeks later I was asked to start working on sketches.
What were some the stages?
Talking is one of the stages. They needed to get a feel for me and I needed to do the same. Contracts take time and this one did take time, but not much. They gave me a generous signing fee and really worked very closely with me. They did give me all the room I needed to create my work. Which I was very grateful for because sometimes you just don't get that. You can be overly art directed in some cases. They left me alone to do what I do.
There was much research. I looked online and found a lot of things. I interviewed family members who had lived through the Civil rights movement. I collected books and images to work into my illustrations.
What was your favorite part of working on this book? And the most difficult part?
Working on We Shall Overcome was emotional and that was very hard. I remember things as a child of the 60's and 70's. Not being able to do certain places or go to the same bathrooms and stores or restaurants as whites. The other was capturing the right moments to tell the story. Writers do their part and then as the illustrator we get to do our part of telling the story and so we are stretched because it's much more than illustrating what is being said. You also want to illustrate what is not being said. Telling your side of the story if you will.
Tell us about your relationship with the author? Do you know her or have you met?
We met only after the book was done. Debbie and I have quickly become very, very close. We have spent wonderful time together. We visit her in Maryland and she has even cooked dinner for me. I call her my Sisterfriend!
Where do you live and what is your studio like?
I lived in East Orange, NJ for many years. Now I happily live in Charlotte, NC in a little section called Sherwood Forest with my husband of 21 years and our daughter and fat cat named Stripes. I share my home with my talented sister Coy and her family. I use to have a wonderful room that double as my studio. Now my little studio is in the corner of our dining room. I hope to have my own space back again soon. This works however for now. It is filled with many, many books and three computers.
What are your art materials?
I adore and love art supplies!!! I am always looking for the next hot thing! I have tons of paper and collage elements. I have watercolor paper and paints and gouache and ink and pencils! I have it all. I am looking forward to getting back into traditional media very soon. I have done most of my books digitally. While I love digital illustration, I still love putting my hand and creative spirit to paper and feel the paint, pens, paper and such. I work on 3 imacs with Corel Painter and Photoshop.
I did We Shall Overcome in Corel Painter 12, but I did the collage part with Photoshop. First I do a really rough sketch of the piece on copy paper or whatever I have and then I scan it into my computer. I then bring it into Photoshop and size the piece and put it into a layer. I lighten my sketch layer and draw over the top of it. After I finish drawing the illustration I begin to color it and place anything that needs to be on a layer. After I am happy with my illustration I bring it over to Photoshop and collage takes place. I collect papers from all over the world. I also sew so I have a closet of fabric that I use as well. I even did a study on clothing from the 50's and 60's. I look for patterns and anything that has a retro flair to it! After everything is placed just so I go back to corel and finish the piece.
Here is the book open to the page of the illustration at the Original Art show.
And I know people are very curious about each artist's journey to publication. When you were getting started, how did you find your publisher, editor, or art director who you first worked with? Have you had an agent since you started writing and illustrating books? At the very start I didn't an agent. I didn't even know you might, should or could have one. I went to a SCBWI conference in NYC and I heard them speaking about having an agent and what they could do for you. I was working on some small projects with Scholastic when one of the really nice editors that I was working with said, " I really think you need to find a agent now Vanessa. Your work is that good and I have a few that I can put you in touch with." Well, I started reading up on agents and I got my sister Coy involved. She is excellent at putting letters and things together and so I worked on putting a great portfolio together and Coy started working on my letter. She put together for me a wonderful package that I sent out and actually got 5 agents that wanted to sign me. I picked Painted-Words. Lori Nowicki. I have been with her for 8 years now.
Telling you my little story as fast as I can. Okay, My husband was out of work as an Aerospace Engineer. He couldn't find work anywhere. We had no money. Seriously NO MONEY coming in. I tried to find work and found some small jobs that brought in a little money, but bills where piling up and it got really ugly. I started working for a Reproductive Medicine Center. They hated me! LOL! , But I went to work every single day and when I got home from work I would read and study everything I could get my hands on about Children's books and illustration. I put enough money together and took Monica's illustration class. I honed and worked on my portfolio just hoping and praying that something good would happen. Then I took Sergio's course all the while building a portfolio. I created a blog where I could show my work and I made friends with other writers and illustrators. I joined SCBWI and honed my illustration skills even more. My dining room table was not used for eating only. It was my creative space as well. My family was pretty upset because it was filled with my work. Everywhere was some kind of illustration I was working on. My next project. Something. My husband got so upset with me and begged me to clean the table off. I got a call from a friend who said she wanted to pop in for a second. She and I had been friends for many years. I knew her to be a dancer and I was singing at the time. We decided to get together on a Sunday afternoon just to meet for a bit. My husband asked again. " Please, Please Vanessa! Clean off the table!!!!" I tried. I really did. I couldn't get everything cleaned up. Karen showed up and there was my table still covered with artwork. Karen asked," V, who did all the wonderful illustration work??" We had been friends for many years, but we never talked about what each others did besides singing and dancing. I told her, " I did." She said, " Vanessa in all the years we have known each others I didn't know that you had this talent! Do you know who I work for??" "No," I said shamefully. "Vanessa I work for Scholastic Books and YOU ARE HIRED!!" I have been working in publishing every since. Blue Apple Books is where I got to do my first picture book that I wrote and illustrated. It was hard work, but I still cherish those hard and scary days.
Did you have some rejections along the way?
I did get some rejections along the way. I think it keeps us grounded in a lot of ways. I am every grateful to be doing what I do. Only 1% of people get to do what we do. Rejection pushed me to really find my own voice in illustration. I found that multiculturalism was at the heart of my illustration style and work. I knew that I could draw all cultures and that was valuable to me. I wanted to be diverse when I illustrated. It was very important to me that ALL children see themselves in picture books!
What are some of the difficulties?
Picture books are hard work and sometimes we are not given the time it takes to produce the work anymore. It use to take a year to do a book now they want it in less than 6 months. Sometimes the crazy deadlines can really get to you. Being overly art directed is very frustrating and can leave one doubting ones ability to create. I work from home so long hours can take from you. I have to remember that I am not single, but I have a family that needs me. Critics are sometimes not very nice.
Do you have any special words of advice or encouragement for illustrators/writers starting out now?
Hone your craft! Develop your signature style by trying all kinds of media. Digital, traditional, watercolor, ink, chalk, grease pencil. If you are wanting to do children's books, take a course or 3 and collect children's books from the past and present. Create your own library if you will. Create a blog or post your illustrations to facebook, Instragram, Twitter. Join SCBWI.org and then find the chapter nearest you and be a part of it. They always have critique groups to join and publishers and agents are found there as they do visits! Rejection is a part of the process. Embrace it as best you can. ONLY SHOW the work YOU LOVE. Please don't put anything out there that you are not proud of. Be positive. Seriously, stop saying what you are afraid of and what won't happen for you or others. Start saying to yourself what you wish other to say about your work. " Your work is amazing and quirky! We would like to hire you." Surround yourself with encouraging and creative people. Believe in your creative self and what you bring to the creative table. No one can do what you do so bring your A game. And remember that there is no competition, because no one can illustrate like you do. No one has your illustrative style.
Looking forward to many more wonderful books from Vanessa! Here is her next book due out in January 2015
For more of Vanessa's work at her agent's website: Painted Words
Here is her blog: OohlalaDesignsStudio
Marley, Bob EVERY LITTLE THING Chronicle (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 10, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4521-0697-7
An effervescent adaptation of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," with a skinny plotline supplied by the art and new themes and verses added by the songwriter's eldest daughter. Sporting stubby dreadlocks and a broad smile in Brantley-Newton's sunny scenes, a child with Marley's iconic image on his shirt waltzes out to the playground. There, three songbirds (supervised by an alert cat) "perch on the swing set, / Whistling these words, / These harmonies sweet in the air. / Sometimes you just need to show you care-" as he kicks a soccer ball about with both old friends and a newly made one. Later, he makes a gooey mess in the kitchen, earns quick parental forgiveness ("Everyone can make a mistake they say") and is sung to sleep by birds and parents alike. Being given just once each time rather than repeated as in the song, the chorus looks and (read or sung aloud) sounds choppy, but the new lyrics slip easily into the cadences of the old, and by the end, even the cat is dancing. A sweet elaboration of the original's reassuring message that "every little thing is gonna be all right." (afterword) (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Marley, Bob: EVERY LITTLE THING." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2012. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A302274435/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b10d0a1c. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Every Little Thing
Cedella Marley, illus, by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Chronicle, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4521-0697-7
The follow-up to this team's adaptation of Marley's father's "One Love" takes another Bob Marley classic and adds two verses ("Run to the playground,/ laugh with my friends and play./ Three little birds,/ perch on the swing set") to the immediately recognizable lyrics. Brantley-Newton provides polished mixed-media portraits of a dreadlocked boy with a huge grin and young parents who clearly adore him. The three birds of the original song accompany the boy everywhere, hovering outside the window as he gets into trouble with a baking project in the kitchen, then singing to cheer him up, providing an appropriate setting for the reassuring refrain: "Don't worry/ about a thing,/ 'cause every little thing/ is gonna be all right." Pictures of the boy playing soccer with his parents and friends, who come from an assortment of ethnic backgrounds, will be appreciated by families and teachers searching for representations of communities that look like theirs. As with the previous volume, Marley fans will have to drag out their old CDs or vinyl to teach children the melody, since none is supplied with the book. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Every Little Thing." Publishers Weekly, vol. 259, no. 38, 17 Sept. 2012, p. 52. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A303755543/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=789bf6f1. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
MAGIC TRASH: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art (2011; $15.95), by J. H. Shapiro, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Charlesbridge Publishing.
This biographical book about Tyree Guyton, an urban environmental artist, addresses community pride, recycling and green politics, and tells the story of a visionary artist. Young readers ages 6-9 will enjoy the mixed-media collage art as well as the inspiring tale of
Guyton, who founded the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, Mich., in 1986. (See more about this ongoing art installation at www.heidelberg.org.) Guyton grew up on Heidelberg
Street in the 1950s, learning to fashion his own imaginative toys from trash. His house-painting grandfather also encouraged him to paint cast-offs in bright colors. By the mid-'80s, Guyton's neighborhood was ramshackle and dilapidated. He wanted to wake people up and save his street, and he did so through art and activism.
Themes of the 32-page hardcover book include such valuable topics as joining forces, affecting action and the power of art. Heidelberg Street is now an interactive sculpture park. Guyton's signature style features bright, clashing polka dots. He paints found objects, throws them into trees, and nails stuffed animals and dolls to abandoned houses as memorials.
Eloquently, Guyton's favorite quote is, "Stick and stay, and it will pay."-P.G.
www.charlesbridge.com
Guhin, Paula
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Publishers' Development Corporation
http://www.artsandactivities.com/
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Guhin, Paula. "Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art." Arts & Activities, vol. 152, no. 4, Dec. 2012, p. 6. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A309587840/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9125c391. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
MAGIC TRASH: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art (2011; $15.95), by J. H. Shapiro, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Charlesbridge Publishing.
This biographical picture book about Tyree Guyton, an urban environmental artist, addresses community pride, recycling and green politics in addition to telling the story of a visionary artist. Young readers ages 6-9 will enjoy the mixed-media collage art as well as the inspiring tale of Guyton, who founded the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, Mich., in 1986. (See more about this ongoing art installation at www.heidelberg.org.)
Guyton grew up on Heidelberg Street in the 1950s, learning to fashion his own imaginative toys from trash. His house-painting grandfather also encouraged him to paint cast-offs in bright colors. By the mid-'80s, Guyton's neighborhood was ramshackle and dilapidated. He wanted to wake people up and save his street, and he did so through art and activism.
Themes of the 32-page hardcover book include such valuable topics as joining forces, affecting action and the power of art. Heidelberg Street is now an interactive sculpture park. Guyton's signature style features bright, clashing polka dots. He paints found objects, throws them into trees, and nails stuffed animals and dolls to abandoned houses as memorials.
Eloquently, Guyton's favorite quote is, "Stick and stay, and it will pay."--P.G.
www.charlesbridge.com
Guhin, Paula
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Publishers' Development Corporation
http://www.artsandactivities.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Guhin, Paula. "Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art." Arts & Activities, vol. 152, no. 5, Jan. 2013, p. 9. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A312509043/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d3ebac62. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "Kids will love the focus on the pet bond."
Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her. By Amy Novesky. Illus. by Vanessa Brantley Newton. June 2013.32p. Harcourt, $16.99 (9780152058067). 782.42165092. Gr. 2-5.
True to Billie Holiday's life and music, the rhythmic free verse and bright pictures mix joy and melancholy in this picture-book introduction to the great jazz singer known as Lady Day. Always distant from people, Holiday chose dogs as her closest companions, and the gouache-and-charcoal images show "the poodle she carried in her coat pocket," the Chihuahuas she fed with a baby bottle, and Mac Moocho, "who wagged his tail like a metronome." Her bond is strongest with a boxer dog, Mister, and one scene shows both of them walking in fur coats on the midnight streets. Scowling Mister guards her, keeping fans at a polite distance. Then, Holiday gets in trouble (the afterword fills in that she spends a year in prison for drugs), and when she returns, she's greeted with Mister's joyful leap to lick her face. A final double-page spread shows her triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall. Kids will love the focus on the pet bond--"bittersweet," just like Holiday's voice--and many will want to hear her music. --Hazel Rochman
Rochman, Hazel
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Rochman, Hazel. "Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her." Booklist, vol. 109, no. 12, 15 Feb. 2013, p. 64. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A320844788/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9af534ea. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Novesky, Amy MISTER AND LADY DAY Harcourt (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 6, 18 ISBN: 978-0-15-205806-7
Using simple, reductive prose, this appreciation of jazz great Holiday focuses on the dogs in the singer's life. "Lady Day's dogs were her best friends of all." Novesky supports this assertion with evidence: a pocket-sized poodle, a beagle, Chihuahuas; a mutt called Rajah Ravoy. But the spotlight's on Mister, Holiday's elegant, devoted boxer, who went to gigs, dined on steaks and even wore a mink coat. While an author's note provides background, the text is resolutely oblique on the subject of Holiday's 1947 drug conviction and jail time. "[J]ust when her career was at the top, Lady got into trouble. She had to leave home for a year and a day. And Mister couldn't come." While much of the narrative is fact-based, Novesky does take an acknowledged liberty in speculating that Mister might have attended Billie's successful post-prison show at Carnegie Hall. (Illustrator Newton places Mister there, on the final spread.) Newton's appealing mixed-media pictures, containing elements of gouache, charcoal, collage and digital layering, range from images derived from concert photos to a playful imagining of napkin-draped Mister drooling over a steak. Her reliance on period photos has one drawback: Holiday's face and physique alter in several spreads, belying the compressed, undated narrative arc. By highlighting Lady Day's affectionate relationship with Mister, Novesky and Newton invite readers to admire the illustrious singer in a sparkling new light. (author's note, website, adult bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Novesky, Amy: MISTER AND LADY DAY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A328141678/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3ab537e0. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "Brantley-Newton ... provides lively, stylish spreads."
The Girl Who Heard Colors
Marie Harris, illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25643-1
With the publication of books like Daniel Tammet's Born on a Blue Day, synesthesia has gone from an obscure medical phenomenon to a more widely known cultural term. Harris's (Primary Numbers) story is addressed both to the small population of children who hear colors and smell words, and to the friends, schoolmates, and teachers who-may be puzzled by these experiences. She describes Julian's mixture of visual and aural sensations simply: "When she heard a dog barking she saw bright red." When a lunchbox drops and the teacher asks what has happened, Jillian answers, "Yellow!" Her classmates laugh at Jillian: "When she heard their laughter, she saw inky black." A doctor says Jillian is healthy, but doesn't address her sense of being different; it's a visiting musician who gives her sensations a name. Brantley-Newton (Mister and Lady Day) provides lively, stylish spreads and keeps close to the information given in the text. This is clearly meant as a resource for teachers and librarians; it's less likely to draw readers on its own. Ages 3-5. Author's agent: Jeff Dwyer, Dwyer & O'Grady. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Sept.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"The Girl Who Heard Colors." Publishers Weekly, vol. 260, no. 31, 5 Aug. 2013, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A339528745/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7c953158. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "an engaging look at a fascinating difference in perception."
Harris, Marie THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS Nancy Paulsen Books (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 9, 26 ISBN: 978-0-399-25643-1
A little girl with synesthesia engages the world with all five senses, plus. Little Jillian is thoroughly in touch with her senses, relishing the taste of maple syrup on waffles and the smell of wet grass. But what she loves most are the colors that all the sounds she hears make. The bark of a dog is red, and the tinkle of her bicycle bell is silver. She loves school as wholeheartedly as everything else--her teacher's voice is green--but when a lunchbox crashes to the floor and Jillian calls it yellow, all the children begin to laugh at her--a sad, black sound. When Music Day rolls around and all the children play, Jillian is overwhelmed by all the colors she hears. Fortunately the visiting musician is also a synesthete, so he understands exactly what she means and explains it to everybody. While the tidiness of Jillian's resolution strains credulity, the exploration of her unusual perception charms. Brantley-Newton's digitally composed illustrations present a ponytailed, freckle-faced little girl who greets the world with verve. Her teacher has a particularly groovy hairstyle (though it's a little odd to see it repeated on both the musician and one of the little boys in Jillian's class). A brief author's note gives a little bit more information about synesthesia, grounding it in the experiences of children Harris has encountered on school visits. An engaging look at a fascinating difference in perception, for younger readers. (Picture book. 4-7)
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"Harris, Marie: THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A341243827/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=406a9bef. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "enlightening and inspiring book."
We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song
Debbie Levy, illus, by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.
Disney-Jump at the Sun, $16.99
(32p) ISBN 978-1-4231-1954-8
The power of song to bolster courage, combat bigotry, and effect change courses through this dramatization of the civil rights movement. The lyrics to several variations of "We Shall Overcome" serve as a backdrop to Levy's fluid free verse, which opens "Back in slavery times" as slaves sang "to soothe the hurt, to fight the cruelty." Levy (The Year of Goodbyes) moves quickly through the Civil War to the mid-20th century, when African-Americans began protesting "unfairness, hate, and violence," and "brought a church song, 'I Will Overcome,' to the streets." ("We" soon replaced "I.") The Freedom Singers' national tour, the 1963 March on Washington, and President Johnson's televised 1965 speech evoking the song's message and words are among the pivotal events mentioned. Brantley-Newton (Let Freedom Sing) counterbalances the stark inequalities Levy highlights with brightly colored collagelike images that portray Americans of all colors standing and singing together. A timeline follows the evolution of "We Shall Overcome," citing its role in specific protests, to close out this enlightening and inspiring book. Ages 5-up. Author's agent: Caryn Wiseman. Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki. Painted Words. (Dec.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
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"We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song." Publishers Weekly, vol. 260, no. 41, 14 Oct. 2013, p. 61. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A349606767/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c66e3a44. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Levy, Debbie WE SHALL OVERCOME Disney/Jump at the Sun (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 12, 17 ISBN: 978-1-4231-1954-8
An inviting introduction to a spirited and spiritual anthem. Levy traces the evolution of this iconic song from its beginnings as black church music during slavery through its emergence as a labor protest song in the 1940s to its stirring place of pride in the civil rights movement at lunch counters, on picket lines and at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. President Lyndon Johnson invoked its words prior to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. So powerful were the music and words that they later traveled to East Germany, South Africa, India and Czechoslovakia. It is still being sung today, as it was on the day that Barak Obama was elected. The free-verse text is informative and engaging. Equally effective is the mixed-media and collage design from Brantley-Newton, which depicts men, women and children holding hands and raising their many voices as one. Their multihued faces and colorful attire stand out against a white background decorated with soft, marbled swirls of color. Verses of the song, presented in bold type, provide visual appeal and should encourage children to listen to the many recordings available and sing along. A slice of musical Americana celebrating community protest against injustice. (timeline, sources, recommended Web recordings, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-10)
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"Levy, Debbie: WE SHALL OVERCOME." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A347270987/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8563a930. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "Newton's black-and-white illustrations capture the playful energy of the narrative."
Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea
by Anna Humphrey; illus. by Vanessa Brantley Newton
Intermediate Simon 131 pp. 12/13 978-1-4424-8027-8 $15.99
e-book ed. 978-1-4424-8031-5 $10.99
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
As the annual science fair approaches, ten-year-old Ruby Goldberg sets her sights on finally winning the gold medal, which has gone to her rival, Dominic, two years running. Ruby, a highly confident and competitive young scientist, decides to construct a Rube Goldberg machine (a tribute to her namesake) that fetches slippers and retrieves the newspaper (in memory of her grandfather's beloved dog). When Dominic shows an interest in her project, she is immediately suspicious: "Underneath [his] overgrown bangs lurked a cunning, spying, ruthless science-project-stealer who would stop at nothing to win." Ruby's paranoia turns out to be unfounded, and eventually the two combine their ideas. As Ruby learns the value of teamwork, she also discovers that her relentless passion for science, when taken to the extreme, tends to alienate the people she cares for most: "Ideas had a way of rushing into my brain and filling it up so full that there was barely room left to focus on anything else." At times the behavior lessons threaten to overtake the story, but Ruby's growing pains feel consistently authentic. Newton's black-and-white illustrations capture the playful energy of the narrative, with the actual diagram of the finished machine paling in comparison with its inspiration but clear enough for the purposes of the story.
Hardeson, Shara L.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Hardeson, Shara L. "Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 90, no. 3, May-June 2014, pp. 88+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A369064395/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=30f92a35. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Johnston, Teresa THANKSGIVING FOR EMILY ANN Cartwheel/Scholastic (Children's Picture Books) $6.99 8, 26 ISBN: 978-0-545-43413-3
A kid's perspective on Thanksgiving Day points out all the inconveniences of the holiday.Emily Ann counts her woes instead of her blessings on this particular Thanksgiving: Her brother's mean, her sister's interested only in makeup and magazines, everyone is too busy with preparations to play with her, and visiting, snoring Grandpa takes her bed, relegating her to the floor. So, the devious Emily Ann decides to play a prank that will get everyone's attention. Just as she is enacting her plan, a comment from her mother about what she perceives as Emily Ann's helpfulness unrealistically causes a complete turnabout in Emily Ann's attitude. "And there in that room, / Emily Ann saw the truth. / Her family had come together; / from Uncle Mark to little Ruth....And she was a piece of it, / from her top to her toes. // They really didn't matter, all her Thanksgiving woes." Johnston's verses sometimes sacrifice ease of reading for the rhyme scheme and meter, but the shortness of the text is good for younger listeners. Brantley-Newton's illustrations capture the familiar sights of a family Thanksgiving, though Emily Ann's facial expressions are rather static.While there are few books that even mention kids' complaints about the November holiday, the majority of Thanksgiving-themed books address gratitude much more meaningfully (and realistically). (Picture book. 3-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Johnston, Teresa: THANKSGIVING FOR EMILY ANN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A374693270/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=88586dd3. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "The Hula Hoopin' Queen is a bouncy, swingy, swish, swiggle, swish, rainbow ride of a read."
The Hula-Hoopin' Queen
Thelma Lynne Godin, author
Vanessa Brantley-Newton, illustrator
Lee & Low Books
95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9781600608469, $18.95, www.leeandlow.com
"The Hula-Hoopin' Queen" is positively described as a "lively intergenerational picture book," in a starred Kirkus review of this Junior Library Guild Selection. "The Hula-Hoopin' Queen" is a delight to read, showcasing active girls who compete for hula-hoopin' championships in a city neighborhood where everyone who is anyone attends the birthday party of Miz Adeline, who is like a Grandmama to Kameeka, the 139th St. Hula-Hoopin' Queen pretender. Kameeka reluctantly helps her mother prepare the birthday cake and feast while she is dying to attend a hula hoop contest with Jameera, the de facto queen. This distracted state of mind leads Kameeka to set the oven wrong, and the chocolate birthday cake is ruined! Kameeka must run to the store for more sugar to bake another cake, when of course she meets Jameera and the other girls with their hula hoops, who entice her to another hoopin' contest, which leads to..... no chocolate cake for Miz Adeline's birthday party. Fortunately everyone in the neighbor hood attends with other goodies in tow, and Kameeka arrive at an inspired chocolate cake-like creations on the spur of the moment, just in time to watch a real hula hoopin' contest between...... Miz Adeline? And Miss Evelyn? Obviously there is only one result when people of all ages start to remember what to do when they get the Hula-Hoopin' itch..... "Her fingers start snappin', and her feet start tappin'. Her hips start swingin', and before we know it that hoop is swishin' right around Adeline's waist." The illustrations of Miz Adeline remembering her days of glory as a Hula Hoopin' Queen are absolutely inspired, so vibrant and happy. "The Hula Hoopin' Queen" is a bouncy, swingy, swish, swiggle, swish, rainbow ride of a read, and children of all ages, but especially girls of African American descent will love it.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Midwest Book Review
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"The Hula-Hoopin' Queen." Children's Bookwatch, Aug. 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A381407994/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0e3c89d9. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "The appealing cartoon-style illustrations highlight a strong sense of community."
The Hula-Hoopin' Queen
by Thelma Lynne Godin; illus. by
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Primary Lee & Low 40 pp.
5/14 978-1-60060-846-9 $18.95 (g)
In this refreshingly original story, Kameeka is determined to finally outlast her longtime rival, Jamara Johnson, to win the title of "Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street." On the day of the contest, unfortunately, Kameeka's mom reminds her that they're hosting a birthday party for their elderly neighbor, Miz Adeline. Kameeka reluctantly agrees to help her mom with the party preparations, but her mind is on hula-hooping, and a mistake she makes while helping bake the cake necessitates a trip to the store for more sugar. The errand takes her right down the block where the contest is going on; needless to say, Miz Adeline is not going to get a birthday cake. A funny and satisfying resolution reveals that Miz Adeline has an unsuspected talent herself, as well as a childhood rivalry of her own. The appealing cartoon-style illustrations highlight a strong sense of community in Kameeka's Harlem neighborhood, showing a wide range of distinctive characters and places. They are likely to draw children right into that world, and there's a lot to notice there, from the pictures on Kameeka's living room wall to signs in shop windows to the hula-hooping figure on the traffic "walk" light. KATHLEEN T. HORNING
(g) indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horning, Kathleen T. "The Hula-Hoopin' Queen." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 90, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2014, pp. 85+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A382084536/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1b5aa2bd. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Parker, Amy THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU Zonderkidz (Children's Picture Books) $15.99 8, 25 ISBN: 978-0-310-72410-0
God's address to the Hebrew exiles from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah is repurposed in this cheery picture book that emphasizes children's future careers.In this decontextualized interpretation of the well-known verse, God narrates the text in a first-person, chatty style ("Hey, YOU!") that urges children to discover their particular purposes in life, specifically related to career choices ("what I CREATED YOU to do"). The story begins with a fantastical factory in the clouds, controlled by engineers, and the disembodied hand of God pointing at readers. A sort of assembly line with seated, staring children scrolls across the bottoms of the pages, with the boys and girls receiving their professional wardrobes from robotic arms. Above the conveyor belt, smiling children are shown in various jobs wearing relevant career attire, with careful inclusion of children of many ethnicities as well as girls in science, medical, and construction jobs. While the text states that children will "find that one thing / that you love the most," its overall thrust when combined with the illustrations implies that God chooses a profession for each child at birth and that children should be working toward that profession from an early age. The concluding page urges children to stop reading the book and "go out and find my big plans for YOU." Readers with unemployed parents or parents toiling in miserable, unhappy jobs will be forgiven for wondering just where in God's plan their families fit. With this ahistorical interpretation, this book shows a disregard for both free will and the gradual maturation of talents and personalities. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)
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"Parker, Amy: THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A417619265/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7c9799b8. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "As a picture-book introduction to an unsung artist, it inspires."
Herkert, Barbara SEWING STORIES Knopf (Children's Picture Books) $17.99 10, 13 ISBN: 978-0-385-75462-0
The story of a little-known historical figure whose life was sewn together with quilts. Harriet Powers, born a slave near Athens, Georgia, grew up surrounded by textile arts: carding, dyeing, and weaving cloth and sewing and stuffing batting into quilts. The women and girls in her family taught her these arts at an early age, and she promised one day to "sew a magic world." After she married and had children, the Civil War came and went, leaving her large family with no livelihood. Harriet picked up her needle and began to turn nothing into something...something that she loved but sold to feed her family. Though Harriet sewed only two story quilts in her lifetime, their uniqueness and intricacy have made them museum-worthy; the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston now house these works of art. Each of the 11 panels in the "Bible" quilt and the 15 in the "Pictorial" quilt contain a story from the Bible or from history. Punctuating Herkert's narrative of Powers' life are informative historical tidbits imposed onto small, frayed swatches of fabric. Brantley-Newton's airy, colorful mixed-media illustrations include a wonderful array of fabrics with different designs and textures, and the skin tones of the black characters depict a realistically diverse range. Unsourced dialogue makes the book problematic as nonfiction, but as a picture-book introduction to an unsung artist, it inspires. Harriet Powers: an artist worth knowing. (author's notes, bibliography, quilt explanations) (Picture book. 5-8)
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"Herkert, Barbara: SEWING STORIES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A423540642/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=87ce48d1. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "sure to inspire curiosity about quilting and its significance in African American history."
Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers' Journey from Slave to Artist. By Barbara Herkert. Illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Oct. 2015. 40p. Knopf, $17.99 (9780385754620). 746.46092. Gr. 2-4.
Harriet Powers was born a slave, lived in poverty, and probably died without knowing what a tremendous contribution she and her story quilts made to history, culture, and art. Sewing Stories brings to contemporary readers the old tradition of quilt making and applique. Powers' earliest days were spent in the cotton fields where her family was enslaved, picking, weaving, and dyeing the cotton that eventually made its way into the fabric of her quilts. Pieced into the narrative of quilting traditions is the story of Powers' own life: marriage, children, work, and endurance in the Jim Crow South. Just as seamlessly integrated are the book's tender multimedia illustrations in collage, applique, and paint that render history, craft, and personal narrative inextricable from each other. Superimposed quilt squares of informational text supplement the biography like much-needed patches. Both of her quilts are displayed and explained in the back matter. Powers' story is sure to inspire curiosity about quilting and its significance in African American history.--Amina Chaudhri
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
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Chaudhri, Amina. "Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers' Journey from Slave to Artist." Booklist, vol. 112, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2015, p. 94. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A430716909/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d6677fe9. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Ganeshram, Ramin A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON Scholastic (Children's Picture Books) $17.99 1, 5 ISBN: 978-0-545-53823-7
Delia's papa, Hercules, faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge: how to bake a birthday cake for his master, President George Washington, without sugar? Food writer Ganeshram applies her considerable expertise to this historical tale of culinary ingenuity. How, exclaims Papa, can the larder be stocked with West Indian nutmeg, Mexican chocolate, African coffee, English cheese, Italian olives, Indian mangoes, and Arabian oils--but no sugar? Fortunately, the president has a taste for honey, and Papa improvises successfully. A full double-page spread is devoted to the preparation and combination of ingredients, presented as a team effort. Every last one of the enslaved kitchen crew is smiling, as they are throughout. Brantley-Newton explains those smiles in the backmatter, noting that the real-life Hercules and his staff evidently took pride in their work for the president: "There is joy in what they've created through their intelligence and culinary talent." Ganeshram confronts Delia's and Papa's bondage on one page, when Delia tells readers proudly that "Papa is the slave President and Mrs. Washington trust the most." A full-page author's note goes into detail about Hercules' life, informing readers that he escaped in 1797, leaving Delia still enslaved. The book is a sorry contrast to Emily Arnold McCully's The Escape of Oney Judge (2007), which explicitly tells the story of one of Martha Washington's enslaved servants who took freedom. Children whose grown-ups do not address the material in the notes with them will be left with a sorely incomplete understanding of both the protagonists' lives and slavery itself. (recipe) (Picture book. 5-8)
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"Ganeshram, Ramin: A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A435818964/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=46834792. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a vivid reminder that it took a community to fight segregation."
Levinson, Cynthia THE YOUNGEST MARCHER Atheneum (Children's Picture Books) $17.99 1, 17 ISBN: 978-1-4814-0070-1
Readers can decide whether, were they in Audrey's shoes, they would make the same dangerous decision.Nine-year-old Audrey and her mother are happily preparing a meal for their special guest, whom they call Mike--otherwise known as Martin Luther King Jr. It is this environment that helps her decide to march in Birmingham in May 1963 and get arrested--all to fight segregation peacefully. The adults are too fearful to march, so Audrey proudly volunteers to join other children and go to "j-a-a-il!" Her parents and her grandparents support her decision, and so, to the sounds of civil rights-era music, she is arrested. The time behind bars is unpleasant, but the cells soon fill up. Audrey comes home after seven days to her favorite food: "hot rolls, baptized in butter." Eating at an integrated lunch counter follows. Levinson, who wrote for older readers in We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March (2012), here carefully tailors her text to a level suitable for a younger audience. Newton's digital illustrations burst with color against a white background. Audrey smiles and looks fearful, as appropriate. A double-page spread of her in a jail cell, all in gray, is especially effective. A vivid reminder that it took a community to fight segregation and the community responded. (author's note, timeline, recipe, sources) (Informational picture book. 7-10)
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"Levinson, Cynthia: THE YOUNGEST MARCHER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A468388951/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fb2bbe9c. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
by Cynthia Levinson; illus. by Vanessa Brantley Newton
Primary Atheneum 40 pp. 1/17 978-1-4814-0070-1 $17.99
e-book ed. 978-1-4814-0071-8 $10.99
Levinson tells the true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest participant in the 1963 Birmingham Children's March. Growing up in Alabama, nine-year-old Audrey knows all about segregation as a way of life. And listening to the grownups talk at church, she hears hateful stories that make her squirm. When the visiting preacher--Martin Luther King Jr., known to Audrey's family as "Mike"--announces his plan for the congregation to fight segregation by marching and getting arrested, the adults demur. Then the idea for a Children's March is floated, and Audrey is eager to join in: "She was going to break a law and go to jail to help make things right." Levinson goes on to describe Audrey's week in jail, with its loneliness, bad food, boredom, and intimidation--it "was harder than she'd thought"-and her jubilation when she realizes that the Children's March has been a success. The well-paced text captures a child's voice and presents time and place realistically. Brightly colored digital collages clearly depict both the hopeful spirit and the rawer emotions of one community involved in the civil rights struggle; a double-page spread of Audrey curled up on a bare mattress in her jail cell is particularly effective. A timeline, sources, and recipe for "hot rolls baptized in butter" (Audrey's favorite food) are included; an author's note provides additional background. CLAUDETTE S. MCLINN
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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McLinn, Claudette S. "The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 93, no. 3, May-June 2017, p. 116. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A492995647/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a5562a65. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
ellom, Robin HANNAH SPARKLES Harper/HarperCollins (Children's Fiction) $17.99 8, 1 ISBN: 978-0-06-232233-3
Do friends always have to enjoy the same activities?Hannah, white with long brown braids and dressed in a deep pink jumper, cheers with her sparkly pompoms. She loves to smile, and she keeps a unicorn in her bike basket. When Sunny Everbright moves in nearby, Hannah imagines a cheerful white blonde dressed in bright colors. To the contrary, Sunny has pale skin and messy black hair, jeans, and black sneakers. She answers "no" to Hannah's excited questions: "Do you like riding bikes?...Finding butterflies?...Drawing unicorns?" When Hannah tries to "teach Sunny Everbright how to be happy" by saying "For drawing hearts, magenta is your go-to color," Sunny draws a black spider. When Hannah shows her how to make daisy chains, Sunny finds a spider and a web. When Hannah coos, "If you need a smile, the strawberry is your go-to fruit," Sunny plops in the mud. Suddenly, it begins to rain, and Sunny begins to enjoy herself. A very confused Hannah finds solace on her jeans-wearing mom's lap as her mother wisely explains: "We all find happiness in different ways, Hannah." The next morning, an invitation arrives to "play in the rain," complete with a lizard twirling a pompom. Comical illustrations are colorful and movement-filled, combining sketching with digital programs; Sunny is likely to be read as either white or Asian. The text can be a little precious but succeeds in validating both girls' preferences. A serviceable title on friendship. (Picture book. 5-7)
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"Mellom, Robin: HANNAH SPARKLES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A491934228/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=440bec8a. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
A Night Out with Mama
Quvenzhane Wallis, illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4814-5880-1
What's it like to walk the red carpet when you're a kid? Wallis knows: at age nine, her feature-film debut in Beasts of the Southern Wild earned her a Best Actress nomination, making her the youngest nominee ever. In Wallis 's first children's book (publishing simultaneously with the launch of a chapter book series), the reason for the lightly fictionalized narrator's night out is described as "an awards show" but it's clear that it's a very big deal. A hip young woman comes to the girl's house to do her hair, she dons a sparkly blue dress and matching shoes, and a limo takes her to the venue. She stumbles on the red carpet and doesn't win, but she recovers like a pro and declares it "the time of my life." Brantley-Newton's colorful digital cartooning is always fun and festive, and although a fair amount of time is devoted to getting glam for the party, most readers should relate to an ebullient heroine whose family makes her feel loved and grounded--no matter where life takes her. Ages 4-8. Authors agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki. Painted Words. (Oct.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
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"A Night Out with Mama." Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 35, 28 Aug. 2017, pp. 125+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A502652690/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b7699229. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Grandma's Purse.
By Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Illus. by the author.
Jan. 2018.32p. Knopf, $17.99 (9781524714314). PreS-Gr. 2.
A small black girl excitedly awaits the arrival of her grandma Mimi, who brings her large, colorful purse, full of treasures and surprises. Warmth and love spread over the pages as the two enjoy their time together. The purse is not magical, but it seems that way to the girl as Mimi shares her lipstick, perfume, hairpins, sunglasses, earrings, scarf, candy, and phone. A beautifully decorated change purse prompts Mimi to recall the story of how the girl's grandfather brought it back from Japan, and a stack of family photos reminds them of other happy memories. The little girl wants to be just like Mimi, as she tries on and tries out each item. The best thing is found at the bottom of the amazing pocketbook. Removing the gaily wrapped package, the little girl discovers a smaller purse just for her, ready to hold all of her unique supplies. Gouache, charcoal pencil, and digital tools create an exuberant melange of brightly colored, cheerful images, perfectly matched to the cheerful tone of the intergenerational story.--Lucinda Whitehurst
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
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Whitehurst, Lucinda. "Grandma's Purse." Booklist, vol. 114, no. 6, 15 Nov. 2017, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A517441893/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4b28d1fb. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a heartfelt homage to brown girls and their wonder-inducing grandmothers."
Grandma's Purse
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary Knopf 32 pp.
1/18 978-1-5247-1431-4 $17.99
Library ed. 978-1-5247-1432-1 $20.99
e-book ed. 978-1-5247-1433-8 $10.99
Grandma Mimi's large patchwork purse always contains treasures worth exploring. Brantley-Newton piques readers' curiosity by illustrating what looks like a bouquet of colorful ribbons bursting from the top of the bag to hint at the liveliness of its contents: a tube of red lipstick, Mimi's "smellgood" (i.e., perfume), extra earrings, hairpins, candy, etc. The unnamed narrator claims that everything in the purse is "how Mimi gets to be Mimi," and once the girl dons or uses each item, she declares, "I can be Mimi, too!" Turn the page for a humorous wordless double-page spread showing the mini Mimi. In this book of highly textured visual images, Mimi's African mud cloth skirt, her white mound of natural afro hair, photos of smiling brown-faced relatives, several black dolls, and a copy of African Folktales on the rear endpapers all remind readers that this picture book depicts the dailyness of African American girlhood with a grandma who brings magic anytime she visits. A heartfelt homage to brown girls and their wonder-inducing grandmothers.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Martin, Michelle H. "Grandma's Purse." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 94, no. 2, Mar.-Apr. 2018, pp. 63+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A530106775/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=93318469. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Levis, Caron MAMA'S WORK SHOES Abrams (Children's Fiction) $16.99 9, 3 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2554-8
There's a talkative shoe for every occasion.
Perry the preschooler loves that each kind signals a special time with Mama. Want to cuddle on the couch? Slide into the "swish-swush" slippers. Want to splash in the rain? Pull on the "pat-put" rain boots. Chatty footgear carries Perry happily from one mother-daughter adventure to another--until the arrival of the dreaded "click-clack" shoes. These strange high-heeled contraptions don't take Mama to Perry, they take Mama away from Perry. After tearful fits and starts and plenty of patience from Mama and babysitter Nan, the little girl accepts that even though the click-clack shoes take her mother to work, they also bring her back in time for some bare foot-to-foot "tickle-tickle" sharing. Levis' concept of associating specific shoes with specific bonding activities is charming, but it's undercut by rampant onomatopoeia. Instead of limiting the sounds only to shoes, which are nearly protagonists in and of themselves, the text gives voices to the door, the kiss, and more. This, coupled with overlong intervals with Nan, somewhat disrupts both the narrative flow and the emotional impact. Brantley-Newton's collaged depictions of a middle-class, rambunctious, mixed-race child, her exuberant single, white mother, and the vivacious babysitter, who presents as an older South Asian woman, are dynamic and colorful.
Not perfect but still soothingly reassuring for children learning to share parents with the workplace. (Picture book. 3-5)
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"Levis, Caron: MAMA'S WORK SHOES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A591278963/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d765f599. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "necessary nourishment, infectiously joyous."
Barnes, Derrick THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN Nancy Paulsen Books (Children's Fiction) $17.99 7, 2 ISBN: 978-1-5247-4074-0
Newbery honoree Barnes (Crown, illustrated by Gordon C. James, 2017) shows a black boy what to expect on his first day as "king" of kindergarten.
A young boy greets the reader with a sweet smile. "The morning sun blares through your window like a million brass trumpets. / It sits and shines behind your head--like a crown." The text continues in second person while the boy gets ready for his first day--brushing "Ye Royal Chiclets," dressing himself, eating breakfast with his mother and father before riding "a big yellow carriage" to "a grand fortress." The kind teacher and the other children at his table are as eager to meet him as he is to meet them. Important topics are covered in class ("shapes, the alphabet, and the never-ending mystery of numbers"), but playing at recess and sharing with new friends at lunch are highlights too, followed by rest time and music. The playful illustrations use texture and shadow to great effect, with vibrant colors and dynamic shapes and lines sustaining readers' interest on every page. Text and visuals work together beautifully to generate excitement and confidence in children getting ready to enter kindergarten. The little king's smiling brown face is refreshing and heartwarming. The other children and parents are a mix of races; the teacher and staff are mostly brown.
Necessary nourishment, infectiously joyous. (Picture book. 3-6)
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"Barnes, Derrick: THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A587054267/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=362a842e. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
The King of Kindergarten
by Derrick Barnes; illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Preschool Paulsen/Penguin 32 pp. g
7/19 978-1-5247-4074-0 $17.99
e-book ed. 978-1-5247-4075-7 $10.99
In a series of vignettes, Barnes (Crown, rev. 11/17) follows a boy on his first day of big-kid school. Dubbed the "King of Kindergarten" by his mother, the child, all smiles, wakes up with the sun, brushes his teeth (a.k.a. "Ye Royal Chiclets"), has breakfast with his proud parents, rides the school bus (a "big yellow carriage"), and has a totally awesome first day. He's supported throughout by a caring teacher and friendly classmates who are eager to engage in imaginary play, music-making, and other joys of early childhood learning. Barnes's direct-address text is lighthearted and reassuring, with its offstage narrator speaking directly to this imaginary-crown-wearing child--and to all rising kindergartners, first-day jitters or no ("Piece. Of. Cake"). Brantley Newton's cartoony mixed-media illustrations, hand-drawn and digitally colored, are bursting with color, pattern, and texture, with the brown-skinned protagonist surrounded by warmth (a smiley-faced sun that watches over him) and comfort (a cozy-looking patchwork quilt, stuffies, and finger-painted pictures in his bedroom; a school population of cheerful, bright-eyed children of various ethnicities--and even the class fish is smiling!).
Most of the books are recommended; all of them are subject to the qualifications in the reviews. g indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion. * indicates a book that the editors believe to be an outstanding example of its genre, of books of this particular publishing season, or of the author's body of work. For a complete key to the review abbreviations as well as for bios of our reviewers, please visit hbook.com/horn-book-magazine.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Gershowitz, Elissa. "The King of Kindergarten." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 95, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2019, pp. 55+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A610419002/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=df844569. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a dynamic, uplifting, and welcoming world of girls."
Brantley-Newton, Vanessa JUST LIKE ME Knopf (Children's Fiction) $17.99 1, 14 ISBN: 978-0-525-58209-0
Brantley-Newton delivers a book of poems featuring girls of all kinds.
The first few poems--"I Am a Canvas," "The Day I Decided To Become Sunshine," and "Warrior"--draw readers in through personal perspectives before "All in Together Girls" pulls out to a group perspective: "If we view each other with amazing grace / our America would be such a great place." Characters express deep self-love in "I Love My Body" and mild angst in "Pimple." A city girl longs to be a country girl, and a country girl longs to be a city girl. One girl is "weird," one is shy, one is "mixed." One girl wishes for a daddy; another lists her "Memawh's Wisdom" on how to be "a great lady someday." The girls are diverse in race, ethnicity, style, situation, relationships, and personality, and on the final spread, they all link up "like a paper chain / made of every single / color / … / pulling each other up / … / until our link crosses the world / like the change / we long to see." Brantley-Newton's attractive illustrations feature bright colors and layered textures and patterns, with such variety that each page has its own feel to suit its story. The poems are simple, upbeat, and affirming--a great reminder of what is to be gained when girls appreciate their own uniqueness and that of others.
A dynamic, uplifting, and welcoming world of girls. (Picture book/poetry. 4-10)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Brantley-Newton, Vanessa: JUST LIKE ME." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A604119695/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0071ed43. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "The illustrations perfectly capture each piece's sentiment through expressive facial expressions and body language."
Just like Me
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary Knopf 40 pp. g
1/20 978-0-525-58209-0 $17.99
Library ed. 978-0-525-58210-6 $20.99
e-book ed. 978-0-525-5821 1-3 $10.99
Each poem in this collection is narrated by a different young girl about some aspect of her identity that she celebrates ("I am a warrior / willing to fight the good fight"), worries over (loneliness, shyness, body acceptance), or simply enjoys ("I love a good Coca-Cola with peanuts inside"). In one poem, a child who feels excluded by her peers fights back by affirming her self-worth: "So why don't you just open the door / 'cause next time I'm kicking it down." The culminating piece is called "Paper Chain," and, as has been apparent throughout, each young woman is revealed as a link in a chain, unique in her own way but inextricably tied to the others--with diversity only strengthening their bonds. Brantley-Newton's distinctively textured and patterned mixed-media illustrations combine acrylic paint, gouache, charcoal, pencil, oil pastels, and handmade and collage papers ("and lots of magic") to portray scenes that are warm and sunny or more quiet and contemplative. Poems mainly home in on a single emotion or moment, and the illustrations perfectly capture each piece's sentiment through expressive facial expressions and body language. JULIE HAKIM AZZAM
g indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Azzam, Julie Hakim. "Just like Me." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 96, no. 1, Jan.-Feb. 2020, p. 101. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616788655/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a0cf41a5. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a welcome addition to every shelf."
Brantley-Newton, Vanessa BECOMING VANESSA Knopf (Children's None) $17.99 6, 15 ISBN: 978-0-525-58212-0
Vanessa’s first day of school doesn’t go as planned, but she learns that what makes her special is not on the outside.
Vanessa is nervous about her first day of school. What if the other kids don’t like her? She and her mom decide she can choose an outfit that will showcase her personality and invite the other children’s interest in her. All decked out in her tutu, feather boa, shiny shoes, and favorite cap, Vanessa feels ready. But at school, her outfit doesn’t have quite the desired effect. And when it’s time to write her name, she finds herself wishing her name were shorter and easier to write. At home, Vanessa doesn’t want to tell her parents about her day. The next morning, she puts on a plain outfit and complains about her long name with two S’s. But when her mother tells her the meaning of her name—it means “metamorphosis,” says her mom—Vanessa realizes that she is special even without her unique accessories, and she learns to relate authentically with her peers. This classic school story offers a full range of emotions and situates this life-loving Black child in affirming family and school settings. The illustrations use variety in texture, color, and composition to effectively draw readers into the energy on the page and to hold interest to the beautiful last endpaper. Vanessa’s classmates are racially diverse.
A welcome addition to every shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
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"Brantley-Newton, Vanessa: BECOMING VANESSA." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667031344/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9dff8ee9. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a great choice for combating first-day jitters and building confidence."
The Queen of Kindergarten. By Derrick Barnes. Illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. May 2022. 32p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, $17.99 (9780593111420). PreS-K.
On MJ's first day of kindergarten, Momma places a sparkly tiara atop the little Black girl's freshly braided hair, crowning her the new Queen of Kindergarten. She follows this with some helpful advice, telling MJ to be caring, kind, helpful, and a bright spot in the classroom. Daddy drops MJ off at school, where she meets her teacher, Ms. Lovingood. In class MJ is put in charge of opening the window blinds for the week, giving her the chance to literally brighten the room. MJ keeps her mothers words in mind throughout the day, comforting a girl who feels homesick and helping a boy pick up the blocks after playtime. MJ is such a queen! Brandey-Newton brings the fun of King of Kindergarten (2019) back in this companion book's vibrant illustrations and racially diverse characters. MJ's kindness and self-assuredness set a wonderful example for readers, who may also be preparing to expand their worlds, whether attending school or participating in a new group activity A great choice for combating first-day jitters and building confidence.--Rosie Camargo
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
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Camargo, Rosie. "The Queen of Kindergarten." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2022, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A702054534/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=79175d11. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "just the thing to get uncertain youngsters jazzed for a first day—at school or anywhere."
Barnes, Derrick THE QUEEN OF KINDERGARTEN Nancy Paulsen Books (Children's None) $17.99 5, 24 ISBN: 978-0-593-11142-0
Barnes and Brantley-Newton team up for a follow-up to The King of Kindergarten (2019).
From the very first page, it's clear that young MJ Malone is ready to face the world--and school. Once Mom bestows her with a glittery tiara and dubs her the queen of kindergarten, MJ is determined to fulfill her duties--brighten up every room she enters, treat others with kindness, and offer a helping hand. Barnes infuses each page with humor and a sense of grace as the immensely likable MJ makes the most of her first day. Barnes' prose is entertaining and heartwarming, while Brantley-Newton's vivid and playful artwork will be easily recognizable for anyone who's seen her work (Grandma's Purse, 2018; Becoming Vanessa, 2021). The illustrator adds verve to the bold young heroine's character--from the colorful barrettes to the textured appearance of her adorable denim jumper, the girl has style and substance. MJ Malone embodies the can-do spirit every parent hopes to spark in their own children, though even shy kindergarteners will gladly find a friend in her. MJ and her family are Black; her classroom is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Just the thing to get uncertain youngsters jazzed for a first day--at school or anywhere. (Picture book. 4-6)
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"Barnes, Derrick: THE QUEEN OF KINDERGARTEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A703413834/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3bfceccf. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Sauer, Tammi MARY HAD A LITTLE PLAN Union Square Kids (Children's None) $17.99 9, 6 ISBN: 978-1-4549-3303-8
Mary's "little plan" becomes a major green community project with some planning and assistance.
Mary, a Black girl who wears a nest complete with a family of birds on her head, passes an abandoned lot full of trash and promptly gets an idea for "a cleanup and an overhaul." She draws a design and, with a caregiver's help, hauls in paint and decorations and collects donations of flowers, tools, and wood from local shops. After a half-day of picking up trash, though, Mary feels overwhelmed. Prompted by a spider who sits beside her, Mary is inspired to ask friends for help. A diverse group of children and adults joins her efforts to clean up, weed, plant, water, paint a wall, decorate, and set up a free "nook for books." Even the birds living on Mary's head help out. Mary and her friends marvel at their neighborhood improvement: "It showed what love can do." The rhyming text is organized in well-paced couplets that read effortlessly and offer an occasional nod to other nursery rhymes. The type includes words set in a whimsical font in colors that complement Brantley-Newton's lively, playful illustrations. Mary and her friends have loads of personality, and readers will be charmed by the ingenuity, dedication, and community spirit they display. A light read, this story is a glowing example of the magic that results when a thoughtful initiative receives support. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fun and inspiring. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Sauer, Tammi: MARY HAD A LITTLE PLAN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A706932985/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a92e05ed. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "This offers an affectionate celebration of family through generations."
Nesting Dolls. By Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Illus. by the author. Oct. 2023. 40p. Crown, $18.99 (9781984852373). K-Gr. 3.
Anyiaka admires everything about her older sister, Sorie, including how much she's like Mom and Grandma--Sorie even has their "golden brown skin," while Anyiaka is the darkest in her family. Anyiaka feels even more out of place in Grandma's art studio while looking at family portraits, then at nearby nesting dolls, one of which has darker skin than the rest, just like her--"Is this me?" she wonders. Upset and wanting to fit in, she begins repainting the doll with a lighter shade of brown, until Grandma enters and reassures, explaining that Anyiaka has attributes of every woman in their family, not just her skin. Uplifted, and with Grandma, Mom, and Sorie's help, Anyiaka completes the doll to look more like herself, realizing it fits with the rest perfectly. The lively, loving Gullah Geechee family is depicted in vibrant mixed-media illustrations, incorporating bright patterns and photographic elements. Along with Anyiaka's expressive narrative, this offers an affectionate celebration of family through generations. A sweet and affirming book that gently tackles the issue of colorism.--Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
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Rosenfield, Shelle. "Nesting Dolls." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2023, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770323981/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ea29cfd3. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
QUOTED: "a sweet tale with a strong message about how families fit together."
Brantley-Newton, Vanessa NESTING DOLLS Crown (Children's None) $18.99 10, 10 ISBN: 9781984852373
A young Black girl doesn't think she can measure up to her big sister.
Anyiaka tells readers that her sister, Sorie, is pretty, helpful, and smart, and she looks just like Mom and Grandma. Anyiaka, whose skin tone is darker, wants to be helpful, too, but when she tries to prepare the red rice, she makes a mess. When she looks at the family photos on Grandma's wall, she wonders how she can ever fit into a family of such smart and beautiful people with "glamorous hair and golden brown skin." Spotting some nesting dolls, she starts to paint the smallest, darkest one (with whom she identifies) a lighter brown, but Grandma quickly sets her straight. Anyiaka may not look just like her sister, mom, and grandmother, but she has parts of all of them in her, and she takes after many family members, including Grandma's mama. The story doesn't explicitly make clear that Anyiaka is self-conscious about her darker skin, and some readers may not quite follow the story's multiple layers, though those aware of the impact of colorism will feel a kinship with her. Overall, the simple text, told from the perspective of a Gullah Geechee child, the use of dialect, the cultural details in the story, and the warm, collagelike art make for a unique and tender offering. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet tale with a strong message about how families fit together. (note about the Gullah Geechee people, photos) (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Brantley-Newton, Vanessa: NESTING DOLLS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A762668903/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d644c570. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.