A New book is out: Muddle Zoo

I have a new book out! Muddle Zoo, A Magnetic Play Book, published by Campbell Books is out now in the UK! (It will be released in the US in July.)

There are lots of magnets that come with the book for lots of interactive fun. Check out this video to see how the book works!

Tiny Tabs Series Published by Nosy Crow

I'm completely behind on my blogging! The first two books in the Tiny Tab Series, published by Nosy Crow, are out this month. These are some of my favorite books I've illustrated (hello, anthropomorphic animals!) and I'm thrilled they are out into the world. I've been working hard on them all of last year.

There are die cuts on the spreads where by pulling the tabs, it reveals something fun. Perfect for babies and toddlers And yes, its been personally tested in this household by the Nugget ;-)

Teeny Weeny Looks for His Mummy and Bunny Boo has Lost Her Teddy is now out in the UK. Its been a joy working with Nosy Crow with 2 more in the series coming out soon!

Public Works Week Poster: The Sketches

There was a request over on my Facebook Page to show some of my sketches. So here is a look into illustrating the poster I did for the American Public Works Association.

Sketch 1:

This year's theme was quality of life. The idea was to cover urban, suburban and rural areas and how people enjoy the fruits of public works. I was welcomed to do some typography/hand lettering as well.

Sketch 2:
Had to pack in a few more things like more suburban houses and a farm, so the building was shortened to accommodate.

Sketch 3:

Received feedback that it looked a bit familiar to a previous year's poster with a vertical format. So it needs to be horizontal now. Yikes! Luckily, I work in Illustrator with layers so it wasn't such a bit deal. I had to lose the cut-a-way underground pipes and the subways though, which I was a bit bummed about.

Color Final:

Since this was a "grown up" project, I wasn't sure if I should use a more sophisticated palette. But this was suppose to be a fun busy poster so I used colors that really popped.

It was a fun project! And if you like a poster, here is the link to purchase at the APWA site.

The Next Big Thing: A Global Blog Tour

Cluck cluck!

I am participating in a global blog tour to bring awareness to authors and illustrators about their books.  Thank you so much, Alicia Padrón for asking me to participate! (and if you don't know Alicia's work and love soft cute cuddly animals, go check out her beautiful watercolor art.)

To answer these questions-

What is the working title of your latest book?

The 2 books I have coming out that are part of a series called Tiny Tabs. Teeny Weeny Looks for His Mummy and Bunny Boo Has Lost Her Teddy! coming in April 2013, published by Nosy Crow.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Nosy Crow came to me with the idea and manuscript. I illustrated these books. However, they really made me feel like part of the team and welcomed my ideas and suggestions, which is reflected in the books. (thank you, Camilla and Giselle!)

What genre does your book fall under?
Board book.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I would love for it to be animated instead...is that cheating?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Lost and found with toddler animals.

Who is publishing your book?

Nosy Crow.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

In the point of view of the illustrator...it was alot of back and forth. There are four books in the series and the original schedule was a few months. In the end, it took around 10 months from beginning to end.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

There are many board books out there with fun, interactive elements. Noodle is another series that I adore which is also published by Nosy Crow, illustrated by Marion Billet.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

What inspired me to illustrate this is that I love drawing anthropomorphic animals. Also, the books are for an age group in which my daughter is currently in. So when I got the proofs, it was wonderful seeing my daughter interact with it. It is priceless.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

There are fun die cuts throughout the book activated by pulling on the tabs. There are lots of cuteness inside! :-)

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The Next Big Thing Blog Tour continues next Friday with:

Courtney Pippin-Mathur, writer and illustrator of Maya Was Grumpy

Its been nice getting to know Courtney and her journey to get this book published. I'm thrilled for her and you should be too! Maya was Grumpy is out in stores now.

Illustration Friday Interview

When Penelope Dullaghan of Illustration Friday asked me if she can interview me for their blog, I was very honored, and felt very nostalgic too. It was because of IF that I started my blog many years ago and how I made many illustrator friends online.  Plus of course, the many creative prompts that it gave me.

And to be amongst many incredible artists in their interview series! Wow! You can check out my interview here.

Thanks Penelope! (who is also an incredible artist herself!)

Live Animal Study @RISD

Spent the afternoon this past Saturday drawing here, The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at RISD with fellow illustrators. In awe of the amazing facilities they had! Organized by Christina Rodriguez (thanks Christina!) in the support from RISD and the RISPCA, I had a wonderful time drawing live animals and also not to live animals. Nice to visit Providence too. What a cute and quaint city. I also realized I need to draw from life more often. But of course the best part of these types of workshops are meeting like minded folks. Hi Renee Kurilla, her husband Keith, and John Lechner!

Behind on the Valentine

quick sketch on post-it note

My blog...neglected! Valentine's day came and went, but here is a piece I did for the Illustration for Kids promo mailer we just did. Had to change the background color for the postcard, but enough of pink just the same!