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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Haiku Kaiju Ah-Choo!
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Glendale
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COUNTRY: United States
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LAST VOLUME: SATA 196
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two sons.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and illustrator. Walt Disney Consumer Products, director for character art.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
In 2002, George McClements published his first self-illustrated book for children. In Jake Gander, Storyville Detective: The Case of the Greedy Granny he combines the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood with elements of hard-boiled detective fiction. One day, a suspicious Red R. Hood enlists the help of Detective Jake Gander to determine the true identity of the individual posing as her beloved grandmother. During his investigation, Detective Gander examines Granny’s eyes, teeth, and ears, trying to determine the true identity of the furry creature. Piece by piece, the detective accumulates evidence against the imposter, building a case to prove that Harry A. Wolf—otherwise known as Big Bad Wolf—has attempted to pose as Granny in hopes of deceiving the little girl. “McClements’s hilarious first picture book … earns a distinctive place on the shelf of noir fiction lite,” claimed New York Times Book Review writer J. Patrick Lewis. A Publishers Weekly critic also concluded that Jake Gander, Storyville Detective offers a good spin on the genre, writing that “McClements mimes the punchy first-person style of detective fiction” and offers “mild levity in tile collage illustrations.” While suggesting the work would be more appropriate for sophisticated readers, Louie Lahana nonetheless predicted in a School Library Journal review that “children will take pleasure in revisiting each illustration and deciphering the cleverly constructed meanings.”
McClements gently chides pushy parents and the organizations in which they enroll their children in The Last Badge. Earning nearly every Grizzly Scout badge in existence, Samuel and his father set out to find the reclusive Moon Frog in hopes of being the first to win the badge for locating this reptile. However, after realizing that his discovery of the Moon Frog would likely threaten the creatures’ existence, Samuel decides to keep his find private and forgo the prestige of the Moon Frog Badge. “Young audiences and independent readers will glory in the sly humor and punny text,” remarked a Kirkus Reviews critic, while a Publishers Weekly contributor concluded of The Last Badge that Samuel’s preference of “anonymity and the environment over stardom offers a welcome antidote to celebrity culture.”
In Ridin’ Dinos with Buck Bronco, “dinos and rodeos saddle up perfectly,” according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor. In this self-illustrated book by McClements, a cowboy seeks a few good owners for the dinosaurs that have hatched from special eggs he found. Young readers can learn how to care, ride, and saddle the creatures, through both the words of Buck Bronco and the accompanying illustrations. “Bright, goofy mixed-media collage illustrations … will have dinosaur fans chuckling,” remarked School Library Journal reviewer Judith Constantinides, and Booklist critic John Peters noted that “dinophiles and young horse lovers alike will want to book repeat rides.”
Night of the Veggie Monster focuses on the struggle many parents have in getting their young children to eat their vegetables during the dinner hour. In the story Mom serves green peas every Tuesday night, despite the fact that these legumes transform her son into a monster at first bite. Teeth gnash, eyes water, and fingers twitch as her son attempts to chew the unpalatable vegetable. When a smashed pea accidentally slides down the youngster’s throat, however, he realizes that peas do not really taste all that horrible and returns to his natural form. According to Horn Book contributor Christine M. Heppermann, McClements’s “collage cartoon illustrations [for Night of the Veggie Monster ] heighten the comedy with their droll depictions of the melodramatic eater.”
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McClements’s day job as director for character art at Walt Disney Consumer Products keeps him busy, but in 2024 he found time to write and illustrate another children’s book. Haiku Kaiju Ah-Choo! is an illustrated book for early readers that is told through haiku poetry. It features a kaiju, a monster reminiscent of Godzilla, who is sick and wants some help or at least some company. When he goes into the city, however, the kaiju alarm goes off, and soon helicopters are hovering nearby. Fortunately for the kaiju, there is a boy who can speak his language, and the boy and his father figure out a way to help the monster. A contributor in Kirkus Reviews enjoyed the illustrations, but they were particularly taken with the decision to tell the story through haiku. They praised it as “lively comical accompaniment” that offers a “rhythmic lilt to the telling.” They predicted that young readers would “delight” in this fun read-aloud.
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2005, Jennifer Mattson, review of The Last Badge, p. 1666; October 15, 2007, John Peters, review of Ridin’ Dinos with Buck Bronco, p. 53; November 15, 2008, Ian Chipman, review of Baron von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident, p. 49.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July-August, 2005, review of The Last Badge, p. 501; January, 2008, Deborah Stevenson, review of Night of the Veggie Monster, p. 220.
Children’s Bookwatch, March, 2016, review of Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop.
Horn Book, March-April, 2008, Christine M. Heppermann, review of Night of the Veggie Monster, p. 208.
Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2002, review of Jake Gander, Storyville Detective: The Case of the Greedy Granny, p. 736; May 15, 2005, review of The Last Badge, p. 593; August 1, 2007, review of Ridin’ Dinos with Buck Bronco; December 1, 2007, review of Night of the Veggie Monster; July 1, 2008, review of Baron Von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident; May 15, 2009, review of Dinosaur Woods: Can Seven Clever Critters Save Their Forest Home?; March 15, 2009, review of Forky in Craft Buddy Day; September 15, 2024, review of Haiku Kaiju Ah-Choo!
New York Times Book Review, October 20, 2002, J. Patrick Lewis, review of Jake Gander, Storyville Detective, p. 23.
Publishers Weekly, June 10, 2002, review of Jake Gander, Storyville Detective, p. 59; September 19, 2005, review of The Last Badge, p. 65; September 24, 2007, review of Ridin’ Dinos with Buck Bronco, p. 70; May 25, 2009, review of Dinosaur Woods, p. 56.
School Library Journal, September, 2002, Louie Lahana, review of Jake Gander, Storyville Detective, p. 201; July, 2005, Lisa Gangemi Kropp, review of The Last Badge, p. 78; September, 2007, Judith Constantinides, review of Ridin’ Dinos with Buck Bronco, p. 170; February, 2008, Linda Ludke, review of Night of the Veggie Monster, p. 92.*
ONLINE
Jena Benton, https://jenabenton.com/ (December 4, 2024), Jena Benton, author interview.
Simply 7 with George McClements: HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO!
December 4, 2024 / jenabenton
I absolutely love mashup concepts in picture books! How about Kaiju + Haiku + picture book + comic style illustrations? Brilliant!
headshotGeorge McClements is a director for character art for Walt Disney Consumer Products with a must-see collection of cryptozoology tattoos (Bigfoot, kraken, kaijus). He has worked on developing products for such films as Dinosaur, Flubber, and Inspector Gadget. His first book, Jake Gander, Storyville Detective, was published in 2002, followed by half a dozen more, including Night of the Veggie Monster, which was featured on Rachael Ray; and Dinosaur Woods, which was chosen by Indie booksellers for the Summer 2010 Indie Kids’ Next List as well as being named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year and a CCBC Choice. He lives in Glendale, California, with his wife and two sons, who influence many of George’s books. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram.
HKA coverHAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! is both written and illustrated by George. It’s a story told only through haiku (even the book blurbs!) about a kaiju (aka, a Godzilla-type monster, if you’re not sure what that is). Unfortunately this Kaiju is sick. He heads into town to try and find some help for feeling crummy. The solution is as creative as the concept (no spoilers given). The illustrations fit the concept just as perfectly. They are a combination of mixed media collage that is really appealing. (I swear I see watercolor and colored pencil in the mix!)
Welcome George!
Me: Can you share about your journey? When did you start creating art and/or writing? How did that bring you to where you are now as an author-illustrator of this book?
George: I’ve always drawn. I remember as a kid creating my own Flintstones and Bugs Bunny comics (totally unlicensed) to share with my family. I loved animation of all sorts and wanted to become an animator (which I did!). My animation journey started in New Jersey, where I attended school. Moved to New York where I animated for years to eventually land in sunny California, where I now reside.
I started writing in California. I had longer stories I wanted to tell and I felt like Children’s books would be a fantastic (and easy) way to tell them.
I was so wrong. Children’s books only look easy because most don’t see the years (yes, years) of work and re-working that goes into them. I found that out very quickly. My first book, Jake Gander: Storyville Detective came out in 2001. It was such a journey, but I became hooked on writing and illustrating!
Screenshot 2024-11-09 at 4.01.23 PM
Me: I love this mashup of poetry and monsters. It’s such a fun and brilliant concept! What gave you the idea for this book?
George: I came up with the initial concept (which was really just the title) during a run on the street in my neighborhood. I turned around quickly and headed back to my house, ran into my room and scribbled the words…Haiku Kaiju Ah-Choo on a post-it, and headed back out to finish my run. The title really laid it all out (kind of). It gave me the structure of writing and the main character (it doesn’t hurt that I absolutely love giant monster movies).
Me: Looking at your previous publications, I can see where the Kaiju came from, but not the haiku. Are you a poet? What gave you the idea to make everything for the book (including the book blurbs and jacket cover) into haiku? Was it hard to write the entire story this way? Were there many revisions to make it work?
George: I am no poet, at least in the classical sense. I learned how to write haikus in sixth grade (at Woodward Elementary PA). I loved counting out the syllables on my fingers (I still do) and they’re short enough to make me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
I wanted everything that the reader sees (outside of the title and description page) to be a haiku. I thought (once again) that this format would be so easy to write! I was so sadly mistaken. This book went through about four iterations. All I can say that I am so thankful for my extremely patient editor.
Screenshot 2024-11-09 at 4.01.28 PM
Me: What did your illustration process for this book look like? Are you a traditional or a digital artist? Or did you use a blend of both for this book?
George: The illustrations are done traditionally. I like the feel of the paper, cutting, painting, inking, gluing…it’s like the illustration is telling me what it wants to be. (Far out, man!) I sketch it all out first, lay it on my floor to see if its all working, then I start picking out papers and colors. I also like having the finished work to share after the process.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in the creation of this book, writing or illustrating?
George: I was surprised how much this story evolved during its creation. The Kaiju altered designs, new characters were added and taken out, so many haikus were written! It was so much work but so worth it.
Screenshot 2024-11-09 at 4.01.32 PM
Me: Any advice for other new picture book writers and/or illustrators?
George: I know this may sound lame but it’s true…just sit down and write(or draw)! If you wait for the perfect time, or the special materials, or acquiring more skills…you’ll never get anything done (trust me, I know this from personal experience)! Creating is hard! It takes time, dedication and perseverance. You’ll come across creative blocks but you have to push through! It will be worth it in the end.
Me: Any other projects we can look forward to seeing from you in the future?
George: I always have three or four ideas percolating at any given time. The one I’m very excited about is a chapter book idea. I’ve never done one before, so everything is new (and challenging) but it keeps me growing and isn’t that what we all should be doing?
Absolutely! Thank you for stopping by my blog today George.
Dear readers, HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! was released into the world yesterday. If you haven’t yet had a chance to read it, you have to check it out. It’s an epic mashup that is sure to attract many young readers to its pages. You won’t want to miss it!
George McClements
mcclements - headshotGeorge McClements is the inspiration behind many Norse legends and sonnets. He is also a talented and funny children’s book author and illustrator who enjoys writing about himself in the third person. His first book, JAKE GANDER: STORYVILLE DETECTIVE, was published in 2002, followed by a half dozen more, including THE NIGHT OF THE VEGGIE MONSTER, which was featured on the Rachael Ray Show (the segment can be viewed here), and DINOSAUR WOODS, which was chosen by Indie booksellers for the Summer 2010 Kids’ Next List, as well as being named a Bank Street Best Books of the Year and CCBC Choice. He lives in Glendale, California, with his saintly wife and two sons, who influence many of George’s books.
Download a PDF of the artist’s samples here: WPA McClements art samples
Baron von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident.
By George McClements. Illus. by the author.
2008. 40p. Harcourt, $16 (9780152061388). K-Gr. 2.
While superheroes may be super, they sure can be boring. This picture book takes an archvillain as its hero--the (very kid-looking) evil genius, Baron von Baddie. Every dastardly plan he comes up with is foiled by his foe, Captain Kapow, until one day the Baron accidentally triumphs over the forces of upstanding citizenship and freezes Captain Kapow in a block of ice. He revels in his newfound freedom to inflict evil with utter impunity, and sets about building giant robots, changing Tuesday to Wednesday, and eating donuts. Soon, though, he realizes that without a nemesis to act as a foil, being an evil genius quickly grows tiresome, so he unfreezes Captain Kapow, and the two return to their normal catch-and-escape ways. The cartoonish cut-paper illustrations are imaginative and fun, and von Baddie's facial expressions while plotting various bits of light villainy are especially amusing. This gentle finger-waggle at bad behavior doesn't try to have too much of a moral, which is why kids growing tired of goody-goody heroes will like it all the more.--Ian Chipman
Chipman, Ian
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Chipman, Ian. "Baron von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident." Booklist, vol. 105, no. 6, 15 Nov. 2008, p. 49. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A190051776/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cf4de54c. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
McClements, George DINOSAUR WOODS Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's) $$16.99 Jun. 9, 2009 ISBN: 978-1-4169-8626-3
In this humorous and eco-conscious adventure, seven forest animals face the destruction of their forest home when a "Plas-Tic Trees Factory" buys up the property. But these animals aren't going down without a fight. Inspired by a flier advertising a robotic dinosaur show, they decide to build their own enormous stick-and-burlap dinosaur costume based on the hypothesis that no one would dare destroy a dinosaur's home. Not surprisingly the plan backfires when they trip over a cable and all come tumbling down. Turns out they are special--well, endangered to be exact--and their home is saved. The tongue-in-cheek narration is peppered with funny labels and bits of insider dialogue, such as the bear murmuring, "Is anyone else hot?" or, "Do I hear power tools?" Each character emerges three-dimensionally from the pages, and the revelation of their respective species will set readers howling. McClements's chunky, textured collages work well with the deadpan expressions and couldn't be more apt for the Trojan dinosaur in all its homemade glory (DIY paper-dino instructions appended). We've seen this story before, but we didn't laugh as hard. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"McClements, George: DINOSAUR WOODS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2009. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A208111730/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=81869360. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Dinosaur Woods: Can Seven Clever Critters Save Their Forest Home?
George McClements. S&S/Beach Lane, $16.99 (40p)ISBN 978-1-4169-8626-3
Developers from the Plas-Tic Trees Factory plan to level a forest, and the seven oddball animals who live there must figure out how to keep their home. The giant dinosaur costume they rig up intimidates the developers, but collapses spectacularly just as news crews arrive (and right after Rojo the fox says, "Nothing can go wrong now"). When the animals inside the dinosaur rig are revealed, the humans realize they're all endangered species. Knot, a woodpecker with a persistent cough, is a "Bronchial Woodpecker," while Milton, a "Drop-Tail Adder," had already been declared extinct. The forest must now be saved to preserve their habitat. McClements's (Baron yon Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident) crisp, cutpaper collages and zippy text make the action easy to follow, and tiny asides provide additional laughs ("Watch those feet?" shouts Milton from off-page, as Jimbo the deer apologizes). Kids familiar with environmental issues will appreciate this deft parody, and the message about cooperation will be welcome, too. The very personable cast will make for fine, and funny, read-aloud. Instructions for a dinosaur craft project are included. Ages 3-7. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Dinosaur Woods: Can Seven Clever Critters Save Their Forest Home?" Publishers Weekly, vol. 256, no. 21, 25 May 2009, p. 56. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A200909700/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=690600e3. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop
Suzanne Francis, author
Stephane Kardos and George McClements, illustrators
Disney/ Hyperion Press
1101 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201
9781484721025, $16.99, www.disneybooks.com
"Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop" tracks the stellar career of Judy Hopps as a member of the Zootopia Police Department, with proud friends and fans tracking her progress in colorful rainbow print and jaunty, colorful action illustrations. Judy speeds through busy traffic to her job as traffic director, when a cry for help comes from Ernie Elephant who has lost his Jumbo-pop! Mastering the drive to Tundratown on the trail of the Jumbo-pop, Officer Judy takes the train with Ernie for the fastest way on to Tundratown! Further clues and questions of Ernie elicit an exotic scene with music, drums, and a song about tuna! On the way they pass a clothing optional club called Mystic Spring Oasis where Ernie sees his uncle without pants! Further memory searching details an experience of watching a hockey game in Tundratown, where Ernie wanted a pop from Jumbeaux's Cafe. The fantastic trail of clues leads Officer Judy and Ernie on to a gondola ride, another train ride and a Natural History Museum! Ernie even sees a huge red Jumbo-pop which turns out to belong to Mayor Lionheart's niece, Dandy. Finally Judy asks Ernie how he got in to the Natural History Museum carrying the Jumbo -pop, and in reply she notices a ticket corner in Ernie's pocket which upon further examination turns out to be some very explicit pictures of.... Ernie eating a beautiful red Jumbo-pop! Ernie then confesses he has been a little forgetful, he forgot he ate the Jumbo-pop! Officer Judy declares the case closed and speeds home through Little Rodentia where mice construction workers are maneuvering a red Jumbo-pop stick into place in a new apartments building. Happily, Judy hops into bed at home, anticipating "another busy day full of Mystery, Adventure, and People Who Need Her!" Every page of "Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop" is splashed with primary rainbow colored portraits of the animal denizens of Zootopia, busily leading their daily lives in perfect synchronicity with (other) parallel worlds. Filled with humor and charm, "Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop" will delight young readers age 3 and up.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
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"Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop." Children's Bookwatch, Mar. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A449545214/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4ced8433. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Daywalt, Drew FORKY IN CRAFT BUDDY DAY Disney Press (Children's Fiction) $16.99 5, 7 ISBN: 978-1-4847-9958-1
Bonnie so loves her homemade toy, Forky, teacher Miss Wendy holds a Craft Your Own Buddy Day so everyone can create a special toy from found or recycled materials.
After the children finish their projects, they leave for recess--and the newly created toys come to life. Lovable Forky is excited to have new friends to play with, but he rapidly realizes the new toys have serious existential concerns. Juice Box Robot wants someone to drink from him. Miss Paper Plate and Paper Bag Puppet are looking for food to hold. Bubble Wrap Woman begins obsessively popping herself. Everyone is feeling out of their comfort zone, arguing and yelling, so Forky takes charge before the children return and wisely explains that to be a toy, made with a child's love and imagination, is now "the best thing to be." The cartoon drawings emulate a child's artistic hand, while a dual narrative that combines traditional prose text with speech bubbles moves the story along. In this companion to Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 4 (readers familiar with the franchise will recognize some of the faces in the background), Daywalt reiterates the series' message that toys and their owners love one other. However, the underlying theme of creativity with the simplest of materials will resonate as well. Bonnie presents white, and she has racially diverse classmates.
The talking crafted toys hold considerable child appeal. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Daywalt, Drew: FORKY IN CRAFT BUDDY DAY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A578090764/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b2e35151. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
McClements, George HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers (Children's None) $18.99 12, 3 ISBN: 9781662640360
Kaiju has sniffles. / Who will help the poor monster? / Maybe human friends!
Even huge blue monsters aren't immune to colds, it seems. Waking up "feeling yucky and too hot" one morning and emitting a thunderous sneeze, Kaiju stomps off toward the nearest city in search of comfort, stepping carefully around the little cars and buildings while trying to ignore all the hovering helicopters. Fortunately, a Kaiju-speaking lad and his likewise olive-skinned scientist dad, who works at Kaiju Central, quickly diagnose the problem and order an army of robots to produce an outsize tissue, blanket, and bowl of soup--just the tickets to relieve the grateful giant's symptoms and send him back to his volcanic cave to snuggle down. McClements frames the entire narrative, including sneezes and wailing sirens, in conventional 5-7-5 haiku, which, rather than sounding forced or monotonous, actually offers lively, comical accompaniment to the cartoon illustrations by lending a rhythmic lilt to the telling. "Kaiju is back home. / Many adventures today-- / now it's time to rest." Fleeing humans, when large enough to tell, look racially diverse.
Younger snifflers will / sympathize, and delight in / this read-aloud cinch!(Picture book. 5-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"McClements, George: HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808342990/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=863f24f8. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.