Getting to know Freya Blackwood, author and illustrator

 

Freya Blackwood has been illustrating children’s book for some years now, and I have always been charmed by the characters that she creates, and by the way in which she lays out the pages. The panel above, for example , tells the story in such a creative and unique way. I have studied her work myself to learn more about picture book art direction.

   Here is an interview that Freya recently gave in which she describes her creative process. Below is a review of one of her books. 

The Bike Ride

Jan Ormerod
Illustrated by Freya Blackwood 
Board Book

For ages 3 to 5
Little Hare Books, 2017, 978-1760128982
One day Maudie decides that she needs some exercise and Bear agrees that some fresh air “would be nice.” Maudie then suggests that they go for a bike ride and Bear readily agrees.
   Before they can leave the house Maudie is going to need to find her sunglasses. Then she needs their hats, which takes time to sort out because there are lots of hats to choose from. Next, Maudie gets a scarf.
Each time Maudie goes off to get something Bear patiently waits for her. He understands how it is when a little girl needs to prepare for an outing. Bear is clearly a very good friend.
   Children and their grownups alike will be charmed by this delightful little book. With its whimsical illustrations, its charming characters, its clever story, and its funny ending, this book shows to great effect how a simple story can be a rich one.

Artwork from Freya’s book Harry and Hopper, which won
the Kate Greenaway award in 2010. 

An interview with Andy Stanton, the creator of the Mr. Gum books

Though Mr. Gum has not yet taken America by storm, he has become something of a celebrity with young readers in the U.K. Mr. Gum was created by Andy Stanton - who was the inaugural winner of the prestigious Roald Dahl award in 2008. Sales of the Mr Gum books have now reached in excess of 870,000 copies  in Britain alone, and translation rights for Mr Gum have been sold in 27 languages around the globe. Mr Gum’s list of awards is as long as his scabby arm. To date he has won the Blue Peter Award for Most Fun Book With Pictures, the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Fantastic Book Award, and he has been nominated for the the Guardian Children’s Book Prize and the NIBBIES Children’s Book of the Year.


This is a description of the first Mr. Gum book, You're a bad man Mr. Gum!
Weird, wacky and one in a million! Mr Gum is a truly nasty old man. He's absolutely grimsters. But this book's not just about him. There's also a little girl called Polly, an evil butcher, heroes and sweets and stuff, and Jake the dog WHO MUST BE SAVED FROM TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE EVIL. 


Here is an interview with the Andy Stanton. He tells us about the latest Mr. Gum title, Mr. Gum and the secret Hideout. 

Blog Book Tour - Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles - The Brimstone Key

Today Through the Looking Glass is participating in a Blog Book Tour about a new title in the Grey Grey Griffins series. Here is a description of the book:

A brand new adventure starring The Grey Griffins!
Max---the leader
Natalia---the brains
Ernie---the changeling
Harley---the muscle

A year ago, the Grey Griffins were just regular kids from Avalon, Minnesota. That was before they learned about the existence of evil fairies, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Now they are monster-hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar knights---but even heroes have to go to school.

When the Griffins enroll at Iron Bridge Academy, a school to train young recruits in the fight against the forces of evil, they find themselves at the center of a whole new adventure. The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, has returned to finish the plan he set in motion decades ago. A plot to steal the souls of changelings---humans infused with fairy blood and supernatural abilities---in order to power his army of clockwork war machines.

In The Brimstone Key, authors Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis deftly blend the mystical wonder of steampunk with magic and adventure to create an action-packed thrill ride.

About the Authors

Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis have been best friends since diapers. They grew up sharing birthday parties, Saturday morning cartoons, comic books and baseball cards, and spent much of their childhood exploring the sprawling woodlands behind Derek's family farm, which they secretly suspected was enchanted. They are the authors of three previous books featuring The Grey Griffins: The Revenge of the Shadow King, The Rise of the Black Wolf and The Fall of the Templar. 

Derek Benz currently lives with his wife and son in New Jersey.

J.S. Lewis lives with his wife and daughters in Arizona.

This is what J.S. Lewis had to say about the book and his collaboration with his friend Derek Benz:

How did you and Derek start working together?

I’ve known Derek for most of my life. In fact, he was at my sixth birthday party where he gave me my very first Star Wars action figure (Obiwan Kenobi). And I still have it! Growing up we always talked about creating our own worlds. We thought that would involve comic books, but somewhere along the way we became avid Tolkien fans and we shifted our storytelling from panels to prose. We got serious about it in our late twenties, and the rest is history.

How you manage the logistics of working together.

We usually have a few brain storming sessions where we throw all of our ideas on a white board or Post-It notes. Once we’re happy with the general direction, we create a loose outline. Then we’ll divide the book into sections and start writing. Once we’re done, we’ll trade manuscripts and give it a solid edit. Then it’s time to switch back for one more editorial pass before we cut and paste the sections into a single document. After that, we’ll work with our editors to ensure we have not only created the best story possible, but that the book has a cohesive voice.

What inspired you and Derek to write this series.

Growing up in rural America has its advantages. Derek lived out in the country on a hobby farm, and his house was surrounded by had a few hundred acres of forest that provided amazing adventures. We took those experiences and combined them with our favorite mythological tales to come up with the Grey Griffins series. It’s fantasy firmly rooted in the true stories of our childhood.

What, if any, research did you two have to do to write these books.

Derek was a history major, and as a part of his coursework, he studied medieval warfare. Me? All I have is a broadcast journalism degree. Derek brought a great knowledge of the Templar, which we used as catalysts to root our stories firmly in actual history. From there, we were both fairly versed in mythology, fairytales and monster lore. We mixed in a healthy does of our own experiences growing up and in the end we created a kind of story stew with distinct flavors that seem to work well together.

What kinds of events do you like attending when you are promoting your books.

The best part about writing middle grade books is traveling to schools and speaking to kids from coast to coast. Instead of giving a 45 minute commercial about our books, I tend to focus on the stories behind the stories that make it into our books. When kids see that the experiences they’re going through today can actually make compelling stories, suddenly everything clicks. Writing no longer becomes a chore and they start spitting out some fantastic manuscripts.

What kinds of books you like to read

We’re both avid fans of anything by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I loved Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer, and just about anything about World War II. 

You can find out more about this thrilling book on the Grey Griffins website. 

Resistance - An interview with Carla Jablonski

Yesterday I posted a review of Resistance, a graphic novel that was written by Carla Jablonski. Today I am posting an interview that I had with her.

1. How did you get interested in the world of children’s books in the first place?

I actually never stopped reading children’s books! Long after I was a “grown-up” I continued to love books for all ages. And I was lucky enough to land a job soon after college working in children’s publishing -- and never left!

2. Tell us a little about the books you have written.

I’ve written a wide-range of books -- from humorous chapter books to intense YAs, from fantasy to historical fiction, along with movie tie-ins and adaptations. Most of what I write tends to be for middle-grade or teen readers. My most recent books have been Thicker than Water, a very dark YA for older teens about a goth girl who is drawn into an underground “vampire” lifestyle scene (out now in paperback!) and Silent Echoes, a YA novel set in both contemporary New York and the New York of the 19th century. Resistance is my first graphic novel, but I’m already at work on several more. I’m also a playwright/director and I think that’s why the comics medium felt very natural to me -- I understand “staging” and how to tell a story through dialogue.

3. Where did the idea for Resistance come from?

I love writing (and reading) historical fiction and I love research, so I was casting about for a subject that would allow me to use those skills and tell a compelling story for kids. The Resistance allowed me to pose the question “what would I do?” which I think is a very powerful place to start from when writing. The situation is inherently dramatic, so finding ways to make my characters active was easy. I also was interested in the idea of secrets -- when to keep them, how to keep them, their danger -- and the Resistance certainly supplied me with a situation rife with them.

4. How did you research the story? Did you go to France at all?

Oh, how I wanted to go to France! But no, all the research was done here in New York. I did LOTS of things - I read and read and read: histories of the war, memoirs written by resistance fighters as well as autobiographies of people who lived through the times, read up on winemaking in France; I also watched movies (documentaries and fictional films about the war and the resistance in particular) as well as films simply made during that period. I also looked at many images (The New York Public Library picture collection is a great resource!) for visual inspiration.

5. Did you work with the illustrator, Leland Purvis?

Leland was great to collaborate with. When we first started working I gave him character descriptions and he showed me sketches for my input. Because he is such an experienced artist, I left many decisions up to him. My “script” broke the scenes into pages so he would know what I wanted to happen on each page, but, unlike some comics writers, I only rarely told him how I wanted each individual panel to look. I did specify what I wanted the pictures in Paul’s sketchbook to look like, though I often gave him multiple ideas to choose from.

6. When can we expect the second book in the trilogy to be available?

Spring 2011. It’s called Defiance: Resistance Vol. 2.

7. In addition to writing books, you also edit them. Do you like doing this kind of work, and if so why?

I do. I think it’s kind of a left-brain/right-brain thing. I like being able to switch back and forth between the two modes of thinking. I also find doing the editorial work really helps me with my own writing when it’s time to revise.

8. For fun, you perform on the trapeze. How did this start?

As research! I was writing about circus performers and felt I would understand the characters better if I could experience what they did. For some reason I took to it, and I wound up performing in all kinds of shows in New York and in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was not exactly what I thought I’d wind up doing professionally with my masters degree…. But what a great -- and surprising -- detour!

Thank you Carla!

Resistance - A review

Not long ago I read a fantastic graphic novel - the first book in a trilogy - about what it was like to be in France during the German occupation. Here is my review of the title. 

Resistance: Book 1

Carla Jablonski

Illustrated by Leland Purvis and Hilary Sycamore

Graphic Novel

Ages 12 and up

First Second, 2010, 978-1-59643-291-8

   Paul, his sisters, and his mother live in a small French village. Paul’s father is a prisoner of war in a German camp somewhere, and Paul is doing what he can to help his mother. Though no battles are taking place anywhere near their home, life in Paul’s village is still very hard. Everyone is afraid of being denounced to the Germans, and feelings of suspicion and distrust are rife.

   One day Paul goes to the hotel that his family owns, and he sees that the Germans have taken it over. He is immediately worried because the family who runs the hotel, the Levy’s, are Jewish, and if the Germans catch them who knows what will happen. Later that day that Paul finds Henri Levy in the woods and he tells his friend what has happened. Henri’s parents have disappeared, and Henri has nowhere to go where he will be safe. Paul decides that the only thing to do is to hide Henri in the family wine cave. He and his sister Marie have to keep Henri’s presence a secret, no matter what.

   Later that same day Paul discovers that Jacques, the family vineyard helper, is a member of the Resistance, an underground group of people who are doing what they can to make life difficult for the Germans. Paul quickly offers to join the Resistance. He wants to do his part as loyal French citizen. At first Jacques refuses to consider Paul, but later he agrees to let Paul, and his little sister Marie, join the Resistance. After all, the Germans will never suspect that two children might be a threat.

   This powerful and often disturbing graphic novel gives readers a very true to life picture of what it was like to live in France during World War II. No one, not even the children, are untouched by the terrible things that are happening around them. They live in fear, and on occasion, they are called on to risk everything for a cause that is bigger than they are.

Tomorrow I will be posting an interview with the author, Carla Joblonski.