The Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog featured Elizabeth Zunon, detailing her unique collage and multimedia illustrations. The feature was used to focus on Elizabeth Zunon’s artwork in the upcoming book One Plastic Bag, calling it “very textured and colorful, capturing well the transformation at the hands of Isatou.”
One Plastic Bag, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, will be available February 2015.
The Quill & Quire gave a fantastic review to The Fabulous World of Mr. Fred, written by Lili Chartrand and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, calling it “an imaginative, multi-layered fable about overcoming obstacles and taking chances.”
Regarding the illustrations, the Quill & Quire said: “Gabrielle Grimard’s watercolour, gouache, and oil-paint illustrations more than make up for any awkwardness in translation. The art flows gracefully across the page. Warm and touching, it perfectly complements the story’s spirit.”
Buy The Fabulous World of Mr. Fred at Amazon or Barnes & Noble today.
More praise for Little Melba and Her Big Trombone came from The Horn Book this week, with a fantastic review that details precisely why this gorgeous book contains an important story.
Little Melba appears as one of The Horn Book’s ‘recommended books’, praising illustrator Frank Morrison‘s stunning artwork: “Morrison’s oil paintings, in his trademark elongated, angular style, perfectly convey the jazz scene and, of course, Melba’s amazing horn.”
The Horn Book joins a list of other publications in its praise of the book. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal.
Two Painted Words artists were featured in Kirkus’ best children’s books of 2014 list – K.G. Campbell for The Mermaid and The Shoe and Frank Morrison for his illustration in Little Melba and her Big Trombone. 
Both books have received incredibly favorable reviews, including starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly, as well as the School Library Journal, amongst others.
Congratulations to Frank and K.G.!
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay, written by Cari Best and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, has received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
Aimed at readers aged 5-8, this charming book follows Zulay, a first grader who must learn to navigate around school using a white cane. Although she is encouraged by her three best friends – Chyng, Maya and Nancy – all Zulay wants is to be like every other kid: to fit in. My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay‘s inclusive nature ensures that readers of all backgrounds and abilities will feel welcomed and assured by the story and its characters.
About Brantley-Newton’s illustrations, Kirkus said: “Brantley-Newton’s bright colors and attention to facial expressions swiftly convey Zulay’s enthusiasm, attitude and apprehension, as well as the skeptical and encouraging looks she can’t see.”
On the back cover of the book, a raised braille alphabet will introduce the unfamiliar and provides a nice final touch to the experience.
Buy My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
The praise keeps coming for Little Melba and her Big Trombone, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Frank Morrison. A review by the Smithsonian BookDragon blog commented on the artwork, saying that “Morrison also knows how to add soul-soothing rhythm to the page: take that cover with young Melba barely grown enough to hold that instrument, then compare it to the final double-page spread in which an adult Melba takes the same leaned-waaay-back, feel-the-stirring-sounds stance decades later and wows a sold-out audience of thousands.”
Further praise comes from School Library Journal, where Little Melba was featured in an article entitled “A Trio of Trailblazing Performers.” In the review, SLJ says of Frank Morrison’s gorgeous artwork: “Frank Morrison’s vibrant oil paintings gleam with deep jewel tones, bold lines, and kinetic motion. Gracefully elongated figures provide a fine counterpoint to this performer and her often stretched-to-the-max slide, and a kaleidoscope of shifting perspectives keep Melba—and her music—center stage.”
School Library Journal praised My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay with a very positive review that noted the book as “a great way to continue building diverse library collections for all readers.”
The book is written by Cari Best and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. About the illustration, SLJ said: “Bright, colorful illustrations on a clean white backdrop are crisp and clear and mesh seamlessly with the text.”
Kirkus expressed praise for One Plastic Bag, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.
This inspiring book tells the story of a Gambian woman who comes up with an ingenious way to repurpose plastic bags to deal with their difficulty of disposal. Kirkus called the book “a welcome addition to the small shelf of examples of ingenuity in developing nations” and commented that Elizabeth Zunon’s collage illustrations “fittingly … make use of colorful papers and plastic bags. These reveal the labor involved and show the women’s joy in the results of their work.”
Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer, written by Elaine and Michaela DePrince and illustrated by Frank Morrison, is available to buy. The book is based on the true story of Michaela DePrince, one of the top ballerinas in the United States.
Michaela’s story starts with a three-year-old orphan living in Sierra Leone who discovers a picture of a ballerina. That single image inspired a dream that saw Michaela take up ballet after being adopted and moving to America. Even now, as a principal dancer in New York City who has been featured in documentaries, television shows, and, of course, countless dance performances, Michaela still remembers that photograph.
Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer is an inspirational story written for readers who are new to reading independently and are improving their reading confidence. Containing both photographs and beautiful illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book is an uplifting read that will inspire readers to reach for their own dreams.
Find it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers, written by David J. Smith and illustrated by Steve Adams, has received a Eureka! Gold award.
The Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award was established by the California Reading Association as a way to highlight excellent nonfiction children’s books for teachers, librarians, and parents to assist them with choosing books for their students and children.
In the Honor Awards section, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Painted Words illustrator Frank Morrison gained recognition.
Check out If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers on Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
Congratulations Steve (and Frank!)