Poems in the Attic, illus. by Liz Zunon, praised by The Dragon Lode

July 8, 2016

The spring 2016 edition of The Dragon Lode highlighted new poetry books, and one of the books they reviewed was Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Liz Zunon. The Dragon Lode praised, of course, the poems in the book, and the way they highlight connections between families, memories, and places, particularly for a family that moves frequently. They called Poems in the Attic, “A fine tribute to…how poetry can be a comfort and an outlet.”

Poems in the Attic, illus. by Liz Zunon, Included on Boston Public Schools’ Summer Reading List

July 1, 2016

Boston Public Schools released lists of recommended summer reading for the summer of 2016. Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Liz Zunon, was included on the reading list for grades 3-5. Poems in the Attic tells of a young girl’s connection to her family through generations of poems. Congrats, Liz and Nikki!

You can find the full list of recommended summer reading here under 2016 Summer Reading Lists. You can order Poems in the Attic online here.

Kirkus names Poems in the Attic, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon, one of the Best Books of 2015

December 11, 2015

Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, made Kirkus’s list of Best Books of 2015 in the Middle School Books category! The beautiful story tells about a little girl’s connection with her family history through poetry and has already won several awards. The full list of winners for the middle school category can be found here, and Poems in the Attic can be purchased here.

Poems in the Attic, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon, nominated for a Texas Bluebonnet Award

November 6, 2015

Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, was recently nominated to the 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. The Texas Bluebonnet Award is a program aimed at encouraging reading in grades three through six, and allows students to vote for their favorite book. It’s one of the most prestigious programs in the country, and has been running since the early 1980’s! The winner will be announced in February.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Zunon and Nikki Grimes! Poems in the Attic can be purchased here. Here’s the Master List for 2015 to 2016.

LA Times’ “30 Summer Books That Kids Will Gobble Up” List Features Poems in the Attic, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon

June 4, 2015

The LA Times includedPoems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, on its list “30 Summer Books that  Kids Will Gobble Up.” The book is due out June 10th. Check out the full list here for all your summer beach reading needs.

Poems in the Attic Praised by Publishers Weekly

May 27, 2015

Poems in the Attic received yet another wonderful review, this time from Publishers Weekly. They wrote, “Fully in step with Grimes’s empathic writing, Zunon’s (One Plastic Bag) warmly painted collages carry readers from the waterways of Virginia to a German castle atop a hill, highlighting the powerful emotional ties between the girl and her elders, as well as her mother’s adventurous spirit.”

The New York Times Reviews Poems in the Attic 

May 6, 2015

“Lives of the Poets,” a New York Times article on poetry in children’s book new releases, included a glowing review of Poems in the Attic (Lee & Low Books). Written by  Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, Poems in the Attic is about a young girl who discovers letters her mother wrote when she was a child, traveling the world as an “Air Force brat.” The reviewer applauds Elizabeth’s artwork, writing,  “[her] warm, bright illustrations provide a cheerful balance.”

Poems in the Attic will be available in stores everywhere on May 15, or you can pre-order a copy here.

Poems in the Attic reviewed in The Horn Book

April 9, 2015

The Horn Book Magazine has selected Poems in the Attic to appear in the May/June issue, accompanied by an enthusiastic review.

“Each page turn is like opening that old box in the attic—you never know what is coming next,” said The Horn Book.

Elizabeth Zunon’s illustrations of the book were also lauded, and The Horn Book wrote, “Pink-toned acrylic and oil illustrations are enhanced by cut-paper and fabric collage, allowing readers to imagine seeing the aurora borealis in Alaska, go hiking in Germany, or smell the cherry blossoms in Japan.”

Poems in the Attic reviewed in School Library Journal

March 26, 2015

In a recent review of Poems in the Attic, the School Library Journal praised the collection of poems illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon as “sweet and accessible but never simplistic.”

“Rendered in acrylic, oil, and collage, Zunon’s warm, vibrant illustrations complement the text perfectly,” wrote the School Library Journal.

Kirkus Starred Review for Poems in the Attic

March 2, 2015

Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, received advance praise from Kirkus with a starred review. From the review: “Succinct poetry shines in this impassioned celebration of history; the stories of this African-American family traveling the globe are rich with heart and color.”  The book will be released from Lee & Low this May. Read the full review online here.

Poems in the Attic reviewed in Yellow Brick Road

January 30, 2015

Poems in the Attic, written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, was reviewed in the November/December issue of the Yellow Brick Road newsletter. In the book, a girl finds poems her mother wrote as a child, and the book was praised for speaking “deeply to individual and intergenerational experiences.”

Sarah Dillard, Frank Morrison and Josee Masse featured on Curious City blog’s 2014 Best Of list

December 09, 2014

The Curious City blog picked three Painted Words artists for its best children’s books of 2014 line-up. The three titles are Extraordinary Warren Saves the Day by Sarah Dillard, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Frank Morrison, and What Ship is Not a Ship? by Josee Masse.

Sarah Dillard’s Extraordinary Warren Saves the Day  was deemed the “best excuse to don a cape.”

Frank Morrison’s Little Melba and Her Big Trombone was dubbed “best girl tooting her own horn.”

Josee Masse’s What Ship is Not a Ship? was praised for its “best use of word play.”

One Plastic Bag, illus. by Liz Zunon, Receives Children’s Africana Book Honor

October 6, 2016

The Africana Access Review, a program dedicated to reviewing children’s books about Africa, annually gives out awards to the best children’s and YA books on Africa. This year, One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Liz Zunon, has been chosen by this committe to receive a Children’s African Book Honor.

Liz Zunon will be attending a dinner to honor the awarded authors and illustrators is being held tomorrow, October 7th, at Busboys and Poets in Washington D.C. Those interested in attending can RSVP here.

Saturday October 8th, Liz will be signing copies of One Plastic Bag at the 24th Annual Children’s Africana Book Awards Festival at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. This event is free to the public. Liz will be available for signings from 11 am to 2 pm.

One Plastic Bag, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon, Makes the 2016 Amelia Bloomer List

January 13, 2016

One Plastic Bag, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon and written by Miranda Paul, has been included on the 2016 Amelia Bloomer List which celebrates “Recommended Feminist Literature for Birth through 18.”  One Plastic Bag tells the true story of Isatou Ceesay who started a recycling movement in her village in Gambia by inspiring women to turn plastic bags into plastic purses.  This tale is the perfect book to empower young girls to dream big and create change.

Visit the full list here.

Congrats Elizabeth and Miranda!

New York Public Library includes Frederick’s Journey and One Plastic Bag on List of 2015 Recommendations

December 17, 2015

Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by London Ladd, and One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, both made the New York Public Library’s list of recommendations for 2015! The NYPL recommended one hundred children’s books from 2015, and Frederick’s Journey and One Plastic Bag both made the list for non-fiction children’s books. Congratulations!

Frederick’s Journey can be purchased here and One Plastic Bag can be purchased here. Check out all of the NYPL’s recommended books for the year here!

One Plastic Bag, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon, Won a Eureka! Honor Award

November 6, 2015

One Plastic Bag: Isatou and the Recycling Women of Gambia written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, won a Eureka! Honor Award. The Eureka! Gold and Honor Award are awards established by the California Reading Association to recognize great children’s non-fiction books and assist parents and teachers in picking books for their kids to read. Check out the full list of winners and purchase One Plastic Bag here. Congratulations, Elizabeth Zunon!

One Plastic Bag by Elizabeth Zunon out now

February 17, 2015

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon is available now. This beautiful picture book tells the true story of Isatou Ceesay’s quest to clean up her neighborhood by ridding it of potentially dangerous plastic bags. Isatou and her friends did this by gathering the plastic bags and crocheting them into purses. Not only were these purses useful and beautiful, but they generated an income, and the act of recycling transformed Isatou’s neighborhood into a cleaner, safer place.

Elizabeth Zunon will be signing the book at Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady, NY, on Sunday March 1 from 12-1:30pm.

At the end of March, they will be joined by the star of the story, Isatou Ceesay herself, to visit schools in the Albany, NY, area where they will be creating recycled art projects with students.

Seven Impossible Things to Do Before Breakfast blog features One Plastic Bag by Elizabeth Zunon

December 08, 2014

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.

Kirkus reviews One Plastic Bag by Elizabeth Zunon

October 31, 2014

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.”