Updated: Sep 28, 2022
Explore the endless possibilities each child contains: A young dancer may grow into a computer coder; a basketball player might become a poet; a class clown may one day serve as an inspiring teacher; and today’s quiet empath might be tomorrow’s great leader.
Max's Boat Pick:
PATCHWORK
Written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Corinna Luyken
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (August 30, 2022)
Matt, can you tell me the origin story behind Patchwork?
Matt de la Peña: "A lot of young people these days feel this odd pressure to hurry up and find their 'thing.' To hone in on a passion. To pick a single sport. To select a clearly-defined identity and run with it. I wanted to write something that honored the freedom of childhood with all its joys and missteps and complicated emotions. I also wanted to suggest how all of our twisting and turning journeys fit into a larger context."
Matt, your text strikes me as very personal—almost like a letter to your children. Is it meant for them, as they’re wading through childhood, trying to make sense of it all? Do you find yourself guilty of “labeling” them, too? MDLP: "Oh, man. Unfortunately, I do catch myself labeling my own children. And I’ve observed how an offhand comment from me or my wife can subtly shift the way our son and daughter see
themselves. Lately I’ve been trying really hard to show more parental restraint, to be more of a gardener and less of a carpenter (to steal an idea from Alison Gopnik). Patchwork is a letter to children, yes, including my own, but it’s also a letter to the adults in their lives. We’re not always cognizant of how profoundly we mark our little ones."
Corinna, what was your initial reaction upon reading the text? What most drew you in?
Corinna Luyken: "Right away, I was drawn into the sound and rhythm of the text. I love poetry, and almost all of my favorite picture books beg to be read aloud, for the words to take up physical space off the page. Patchwork immediately felt like this kind of book to me. I also love how the book provides this moment of pause, this opportunity to reconsider some of our ideas of what it means to be 'good at' or 'destined for' something. I see it as an invitation to think more deeply about what it means to be a beautiful human being. I love the way the book builds toward this expanded notion of beauty, while giving us the framework to see things differently."
Corinna, how did you approach the illustrations? What was your process? (Your use of color is phenomenal!)
CL: "My process always involves a ton of experimentation. I experimented with different media (watercolor and ink, collage, colored pencil) before settling on a mix of acrylic gouache, ink, and colored pencil.
I also tend to think, first and foremost, in color. So sorting out the colors of the book, and the way that the colors for each child would begin simply and grow in complexity was really fun. In the end, each child begins with a single color which begins to deepen as we learn more of their story, and then the single color is joined by other colors that add even more depth and nuance."
Matt, what do you think Corinna brought to the book that perhaps originally wasn't there? MDLP: "I’ve been a huge fan or Corinna’s work since The Book of Mistakes, and I’ve always wanted to collaborate with her. Corinna’s use of color in Patchwork is brilliant. She found a way to show the interior of each character as they slowly evolve through their respective vignette. What I love most about the art, though, is how she brings all of the vignettes together at the end of the book, showing how each story helps build up the patchwork of a community. I can’t wait for readers to see what Corinna has done in Patchwork."
For those who love Patchwork, can you recommend one or two other titles that you think they might also enjoy?
MDLP: "Alma by Juana Martinez-Neal. (Alma is frustrated by her long name until her father explains the origin of each name. Then she sees the richness of her family and how she carries them with her.)"
CL: Julie Morstad’s Time is a Flower is also one of my favorite books of the past year. The language is lyrical, the illustrations are exquisite… and it is wonderful paired with Sarah Jacoby’s equally breathtaking meditation on time from a few years ago, Forever or a Day.
Also, Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera is at once a gorgeous read-aloud and a beautifully textured tribute to a day spent with someone you love."
Who are some other picture book writers that you admire? MDLP: "There are so many amazing picture book writers today. Some favorites that come to mind:
Jaqueline Woodson (Each Kindness, The Day You Begin)
Oge Mora (Saturday, Thank You, Omu!)
Bao Phi (A Different Pond)
Who are some other picture book illustrators that you admire? CL: "I have so many favorites, truly too many to list here. But three of my favorite books from last year are I Am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun, Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts, and Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin. As far as illustrators who I have a complete or almost complete collection of all of their work, my list would include: Cátia Chien, Isabelle Arsenault, Christian Robinson, Sydney Smith, Julie Morstad, Erin Stead, Carson Ellis, Jillian Tamaki, Shawn Harris, Suzy Lee, David Roberts, Jon Klassen, and Lisbeth Zwerger…for a start!"
What do you think the best picture books do?
MDLP: "I think the best picture books exist in the world of childhood. They honor child psychology. They take kids seriously, but they're also playful. They have heart. They are economical. And musical. They are both surprising and inevitable. They reflect the real world while also offering escape. They are complex and mysterious but also quite simple. They are humble. And most importantly, they understand that at their very best they are a vehicle to conversation. They are a reason for a child to be close to a parent and a parent to be close to a child."
CL: The best picture books surprise us. They take us on a journey that feels simultaneously unexpected and inevitable. To do this well, the words and pictures each have to leave a little room for the other—to surprise, to contrast, to delight. This dance between the world of image and the world of sound makes a brilliant picture book so much more than a combination of the two. It's what turns a book into a world we want to return to—again and again and again."
CL: "A few examples: Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis; both Extra Yarn and The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse by Mac Barnett and Jon Klasssen; School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex and Christian Robinson; My Museum by Joanne Liu; Migrant by Isabelle Arsenault and Maxine Trottier; The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan and Hadley Hooper; Jon Agee’s Nothing; Michael Rosen’s SAD BOOK by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake; Saturday by Oge Mora, Mrs. Crump’s Cat by Linda Smith and David Roberts..."
Updated: Sep 28, 2022
Rick is a rock. For as long as he can remember, he’s lived on the Nature Finds shelf in Room 214 alongside an acorn, some moss, and a piece of bark. One day, the teacher shows the class what rocks do outdoors, and Rick is captivated. Exploding out of volcanos? Plunging off cliffs? Now Rick’s determined to get outside—after all, he’s a rock, and rocks are made for adventure.
Max's Boat Pick:
RICK THE ROCK OF ROOM 214
Written by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Ruth Chan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 30, 2022)
Julie, can you tell me the origin story behind Rick the Rock of Room 214?
Julie Falatko: "My writing process is to take a sliver of an idea, add in whatever my current mood is, and see what happens. Then I let the story sit and come back later to see what I’ve got. For this story, which I started in 2018, it was about a girl and her best friend, a rock. They were both lovable weirdos, and then they got trapped in a fire. I don’t think about how picture-book-appropriate a story is when I’m first writing it, and this one, when I came back to it, I realized it was way too scary and dramatic. But that rock – there was something there."
There are a number of picture books that have characters expanding their horizons and charting their own adventurous path. But having a character retreat back to the comfort of the known after doing so is less familiar. Was this important to you, and if so, why?
JF: "It wasn’t something I set out to do intentionally, but it happened instinctually, because that’s me. I love getting out and having adventures, but what I love even more is arriving back at home, having successfully completed an outing."
Ruth Chan: [raises hand] "Also very much me."
Ruth, what was your initial reaction upon reading the text? What most drew you into the story?
RC: "I knew before I even read the manuscript that this book was one that I was going to love illustrating. Having worked with Julie before, and knowing we share the same sense of humor and vision in making a book, it was more of a, “I can’t wait to see what Julie has cooked up this time” thing. I was excited to illustrate an inanimate object as a character, but was also so charmed by Rick and his enthusiasm for adventure but his ultimate love for his friends."
Julie, what do you think Ruth brought to the book that perhaps originally wasn't there? Were there certain aspects of her illustrations that took you by surprise?
JF: "I love the way Ruth made the entire classroom so detailed and full of personalities. When I was writing this, I was focusing on Rick and his friends on the Nature Finds shelf. But the drama on that shelf ends up seeming even more poignant in contrast to all of the action and exuberance that’s happening with the kids.
A welcome not-surprise was the rock puns Ruth put in the illustrations. I’m so glad for those."
RC: "I really should have consulted you on more rock puns. You are so much better at that stuff than I am!"
JF: "We are both equally rock-solid on this matter."
Ruth, you’re known for creating playful, expressive characters. How did you approach illustrating a rock, something that’s supposed to be … static?
RC: "I will admit, having a character that technically is incapable of moving was a challenge– but a fun one! Because I knew that Rick wouldn’t have any ability to demonstrate body language, all of his personality had to be shown in his facial expressions. I experimented with dozens of Ricks– from shape to placement of his eyes– until I found the combo that worked, and now it’s hard for me not to believe he doesn’t actually exist!"
JF: "He does exist, in one sense. Ruth asked if I had any ideas for how he should look so I found a good rock outside and sent it to her in the mail. So there is a real rock, in Ruth’s studio."
I LOVED your first book together, The Great Indoors. That was about outdoor creatures exploring the indoors, while Rick the Rock of Room 214 is about an indoor “creature” yearning for the outdoors. Is this just coincidence? Or part of some grand plan? Are there more collaborations in the works?
JF: "Thank you so much! We had so much fun working on The Great Indoors, and I’m so glad we got to make another book together. It’s part of our grand plan. I’ll let Ruth explain all the details of our grand plan. She’s more of a planner than I am."
RC: "I love planning. And our Super Grand Plan is basically to keep getting to make books together. And do school presentations together. Basically find any excuse to be together."
JF: "It’s a good plan."
For those who love Rick the Rock of Room 214, can you recommend one or two other titles that you think they might also enjoy?
JF: "I will forever recommend The Bad Chair by Dasha Tolstikova. If Rick has you wanting another book about a normally-inanimate object with a big personality, you can’t go wrong with The Bad Chair."
RC: "I was going to say The Bad Chair too!"
JF: "It’s so great."
What was your favorite picture book as a child? RC: "Richard Scarry books were my favorite growing up, and are on the top of my 100 best picture books of all time. I was a very reluctant reader, but I remember being enamored by and getting lost in Richard Scarry’s books. I loved all the little, silly details he put in his books. I loved looking for the pickle car and a character with a pineapple hat, and I could spend hours just poring over all the little things he included. I think those tiny details like unexpected elements, facial expressions, and goofy moments are something I’ve definitely brought into my own books, and I have Richard Scarry to thank for that!"
JF: "I loved Dooly and the Snortsnoot Jack Kent. It’s about a kid giant named Dooly who is the size of a regular human kid. Jack Kent draws amazing facial expressions. Through half the book, Dooly has undereye circles that make him look quietly miserable, like he hasn’t slept well in a while. This book is about a giant saving his friend from a monster, but it’s about a lot more than that. I was obsessed with the page where the Snortsnoot is trying to eat Dooly, opening his mouth so wide."
What do you think the best picture books do?
RC: "The Longest Letsgoboy by Derick Wilder and Cátia Chien is an example of what the best picture books do. They don’t shun away from real emotional experiences (even if they’re hard), they use language that is beautiful yet succinct, and they feature art that makes you feel all sorts of things.
I’m also a sucker for humor—any humor—in a book. It doesn’t have to be slapstick, loud humor. It can be a visual joke, a facial expression, a quiet detail."
JF: "To me, the best picture books have layers of story. Because they are often read over and over, the best ones can be interpreted differently by readers of different ages and experiences. I think they get there through what Ruth is talking about (and thank you for recommending The Longest Letsgoboy: it’s incredible) – emotional honesty. If there’s emotional truth in the story, a sense of a real experience, then it will work in a lot of ways. I love a book that reads as a straightforward story at first, but opens itself up on repeat readings. Every book by Thao Lam does this for me. Everything she does is heartfelt genius."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time?
JF: "I’ll list one, because if I list two I’ll have to list 100. Amos and Boris by William Steig is my favorite picture book of all time. It’s funny, it’s beautiful, it’s heartbreaking and wondrous, and uses language in a way I will forever aspire to."
RC: "Oh gosh, where do I begin. I’d say any Jon Agee book. They are so simple yet deep, clever and hilarious. And Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson. It’s just perfection."
Updated: Sep 28, 2022
In the shade of ancient redwood trees, by a creek, not far from the ocean, a father builds a house for his newborn daughter, where she grows up wild and strong in their coastal canyon home. When a wildfire takes back their beloved house, a father writes his now-grown daughter a letter telling her it’s gone.
Max's Boat Pick:
DEAR WILD CHILD: You Carry Your Home Inside You
Written by Wallace J. Nichols and Wallace Grayce Nichols
Illustrated by Drew Beckmeyer
Publisher: Cameron Kids (August 9, 2022)
What was it about this project that drew you in? Living in California, do you have an innate fear of wildfires? DB: "Ah yeah. My family and I actually have a 100-year-old cabin outside of Yosemite, in Mariposa, that we are very slowly refurbishing. I clear about five acres of our property every year myself, and as I’m writing this the biggest wildfire this year is burning a little less than two miles away. So I’m familiar with the stresses of it all and Wallace’s story felt very personal to me."
Your artwork totally nailed it. Poring through the book makes me wistful for the rustic, back-to-nature childhood I didn't have (I grew up in Manhattan). How did you approach the illustrations? What medium did you choose? "I feel pretty comfortable doing nature illustrations. It’s almost cathartic, because like you I’m based in a big city most of the time. I used crayon and watercolor. I like the limitations of crayons and how straightforward they are - like, you can’t really blend anything and they are so thick you can’t get obsessed with detail. Watercolor is interesting to use as well, because you can get the little waxy resist things that happen."
That house is one I'd love to live in. I'm curious how true to the real house it was? Did you work off photos? Or did you have wide latitude to envision your own house? "I never saw the real house, and still haven’t. For the exterior shots we treated it almost as if the house had grown out of the ground. I think that was probably the art director Melissa Greenberg's idea. For the interiors they let me basically do whatever I wanted, so I modeled it on our cabin, not really intentionally but more because I’m so familiar with it. Many of the items that are described in the book, like feathers and rocks and bones, we also have collected and have around our place. My dad pulled a bobcat carcass out of the creek, and I was learning how to clean those bones while doing these illustrations. So there is a bobcat skull on a shelf in there somewhere."
As an elementary school teacher, are there certain books on climate change or protecting the environment that you use in your classroom? "Well, I teach art and design and makerspacery construction things so my class is more of a doing zone. We do, however, talk about sustainability and work on projects based around conservation and the impacts of our current system on the natural world and each other."
Are there other picture books on climate change or protecting the environment that you love? "Not really. It’s not something I actively search out. When I look at picture books as an adult, I’m really either looking to admire new and interesting stories and ways to tell stories or look at some good illustrations. A heavy handed message isn’t my favorite thing, and though I recognize picture books are great teaching tools, I don’t believe they should ever be only that. I'm sure someone somewhere is doing some really nuanced and cool bookmaking about climate change; I just am not familiar."
Who are the (picture book) illustrators working today, or working in the past, that you most admire? "This is another one that I'm gonna blow because I'll inevitably forget so many cool illustrators. I'm drawn to illustrative styles that feel like they came more out of the art world than the animation world (or even the picture book world). So people like ....Marika Maijala, Shawn Harris, Sydney Smith, Anastacia Sholik, Kitty Crowther, Cátia Chien, and Cristina Sitja Rubio take some really admirable and daring risks in their art...
I'm inspired by illustrators who have a style that is almost like a quiet rebellion against what a picture book 'should' look like. It's where I would like to see my own work go or go further."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time?
"Ballad by Blexbolex
Anything Margaret Wise Brown or Richard Scarry
Round Trip by Ann Jonas
Fortunately by Remy Charlip
Space Case by Edward Marshall and James Marshall
We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen
Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More by Johanna Schaible
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel"