Lend A Hand, written by John Frank and illustrated by London Ladd, recently received two great reviews from The Horn Book Guide and Minervareads.com. The Horn Book wrote: “In each free-verse poem, a child narrator recalls acting generously. Coupled with expansive, freeze-the-moment acrylic, colored-pencil, and pastel illustrations, frequent line breaks invite readers to move slowly through each poem and linger in the moments of kindness. Ladd’s art particularizes the diverse array of narrators, themes, and settings.” The book was featured on the MinervaReads website as part of an article on poetry books for kids. Read the article “Poetry: It doesn’t have to be boring” here.
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.” Read the full review here.
Check out this fantastic interview with Elizabeth Zunon, conducted by the Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington D.C. Elizabeth discusses her dual identities as an African and an American, and how that influences her as a writer and artist.
Not My Girl, written by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, received an Honorable Mention from the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. The awards honor books published by independent houses. Congrats to Gabrielle, Christy, Margaret, and all involved at Annick Press! Not My Girl was also selected as a Best Multicultural Book of 2015 by CSMCL and an Outstanding International Book by USBBY.
An illustration by Constance Lombardo was included in Funny Ha Ha, a kids’ joke book created for Independent Bookstore Day. Her work was among good company. The book featured illustrations from some of the publishing world’s most beloved illustrators, such as William Joyce and Rosemary Wells. Independent Bookstore Day was May 2nd, but visit an indie bookstore near you to find a copy!
Over on a Mountain: Somewhere in the World, written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Jill Dubin, is the winner of a Mom’s Choice Gold Award and an Indie Book Award. Congrats Jill and Marianne! Pick a copy of the book here.
