When a little boy wakes up to see a blanket of snow covering the world outside, there’s only one thing to do: make a snowman, and not just any snowman—he wants the best snowman ever.
Max's Boat Pick:
I'M GOING TO BUILD A SNOWMAN
By Jashar Awan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 19, 2023)
Thanks for stopping by again, Jashar! I'm always in awe of your books. You strike that perfect balance between super simple and super smart. Can I ask what inspired I'm Going to Build a Snowman?
JA: "I'm Going to Build a Snowman was inspired by the first snowfall after we moved into our new house. We got quite a bit of snow—school was cancelled. It was my son's first snow day. When he woke up and peeked through the curtains, he yelled, 'MOM! It snowed!' (a moment I had to include in the book). That afternoon, we built a snowman together. In my head, I imagined that we would end up with this picture perfect snowman but what we built was lop-sided and filled with bits of grass, leaves, and acorns. The snowman was such a character I could see there was story potential there but it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to say with a snowman that did not live up to expectations.
An early sketch from I'm Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan (above)
I eventually realized that it provided a way to discuss perfectionism and developing a growth mindset. The main character might not have made the best snowman ever, but he's made his best snowman yet. It's better to try and fail, than not try at all. Find joy in the process, in the efforts, rather than be solely focused on the end result. I've always struggled with perfectionism—these are lessons I'm still working on myself."
An early sketch and interior spreads from I'm Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan (below)
You're a big fan of Ezra Jack Keats, and The Snowy Day is very much the paragon of the snow day book. How did The Snowy Day influence (or not influence) I'm Going to Build a Snowman? "Because it is such a paragon of the snowy day book, I tried not to look at The Snowy Day while working on I'm Going to Build a Snowman. Instead, I drew inspiration from other sources. For instance, I looked at Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I love the movement in that book—how Harold moves across each page, each spread, creating as he goes. I had Harold in mind, especially during the step-by-step planning scene. Of course, I end that scene with a reference to The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. That book is the best case scenario as far as building a snowman goes!"
What are some other favorite picture books about winter (or snow)?
"Here's a handful of favorites—
Brave Irene by William Steig
Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day by Kaya Doi
Small in the City by Sydney Smith
Little Boy Brown by Isobel Harris and André François
So Much Snow by Hyunmin Park
Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant and Christian Robinson
Just One Flake by Travis Jonker"
What are some of your favorite holiday books?
"It almost goes without saying The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a favorite holiday book of mine. Its imagery is so memorable and I love the bittersweet note at the end about how the sound of the sleigh bell gets fainter every year. It’s a book with nostalgia built into it.
My family's favorite nostalgic Christmas read is Clement Moore’s Twas the Night Before Christmas. We have an old paperback copy illustrated by the great Golden Age illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith. My wife and I read and reread this our son so many times, he could recite large portions of it by the age of 2! (I included a nod to the opening line of Moore’s text in Strum & Drum—a sleepy mouse can be seen marching in Strum and Drum’s merry band!)
The Sweet Smell of Christmas is another favorite in my household. It’s written by Patricia Scarry and illustrated by J.P. Miller. It’s a scratch-and-sniff book so you really get to experience the smells of the holiday along with Little Bear and his family as they prepare for and celebrate Christmas.
My studio mate Lala Watkins just released an adorable board book called Little Santa’s Workshop! It’s a rhyming behind-the-scenes look at the North Pole as preparations are made for Christmas Eve. Lala’s art always makes me smile—it is so joyful and bold!"
What forthcoming picture books are you most excited about?
"I'm looking forward to Breanna Carzoo's next book—it is called The Squish and it features a sandcastle as the main character. It's all about deciding to rebuild after being squished. The initial idea came to her during the pandemic. I'm interested in seeing how storytellers use metaphor to process that period of time. Heavy stuff, for sure, but Breanna handles big ideas with a light, humorous touch.
Looking for Peppermint by Maxwell Eaton III looks like a lot of fun! It is about a girl searching the woods for her lost dog and she teaches the reader all about the forest while she's at it. Maxwell has a knack for making informative books very entertaining.
I also can't wait for The Book That Can Read Your Mind by Marianna Coppo! The art looks adorable. I might be wrong, but I believe this is the first book where she's drawing (rather than painting) her illustrations. It's always exciting to see an artist try new things!
Squirrel is an expert at making acorns disappear. But making some ice cream vanish?! "I put it right there! On that hot rock in the sun!" When Squirrel returns with Bear and finds the ice cream gone, they know there is only one explanation—Squirrel is a magician!
Max's Boat Pick:
THE ICE CREAM VANISHES
By Julia Sarcone-Roach
Knopf Books for Young Readers (June 20, 2023)
From describing a city as “high cliffs” in The Bear Ate Your Sandwich to referring to ice-cream cones as “party hats” in The Ice Cream Vanishes, you excel at viewing the world through the eyes of your characters. Can you share what inspired your new book? JSR: "My brain is kind of like a glove compartment filled with acorns, pebbles, and leftover food. Things roll around in there, knock into each other and sometimes stick together. And that's how the stories are made! Usually, a story comes together by finding the connections between a few snippets of ideas. This last book came from a few places : A brainstorming session with a writer friend about the possibility of another bear adventure, with ice cream being the only thing that could beat the pinnacle of a bear cleaning out a bakery in There Are No Bears in this Bakery.
Early sketches and outtakes of The Ice Cream Vanishes by Julia Sarcone-Roach:
One day, while walking down the street in Brooklyn, I saw a squirrel bound across a fully paved front yard into a planter and began to dig furiously. Then, after looking around to be sure no one had spotted its hiding place, the squirrel buried half a bagel for spring. I wondered what the squirrel thought when it returned to retrieve it. I've wanted to do a squirrel book since a nonsense idea from a sketchbook called 'Squirrels Repark Your Car,' where a band of ambitious squirrels do just that. Also, while working on the book, I moved and discovered that a squirrel was living in the tree right outside the window. The tree and squirrel inspired one of the first pages of the book.
I do enjoy getting to pretend to be the subject of the books, whether it’s a bear, a cat or a squirrel. For the first bear book, I’d walk to work and pretend I was a bear wandering the city. So far I haven’t gone full squirrel method actor, hoarding acorns or living in a tree. However, at one point I was stuck while working on this book, so as an exercise I rewrote it from the point of view of the dropped ice cream. Which turned out to be a good way to channel the anxiety of revision."
Interior spreads from The Ice Cream Vanishes by Julia Sarcone-Roach:
Julia Sarcone-Roach's studio:
Who are some writers and illustrators that you admire
"This is a tough question! I’ve worked on and off as a bookseller since I was a teenager, so this is a question I struggle to answer simply! There are so many great books out there. Some authors and illustrators who I admire and am always excited to see what they make:
Caron Levis: Ida, Always; This Way, Charlie; Feathers Together (all illustrated by Charles Santoso) She blends true life animal tales with empathetic animal perspectives into stories that help children understand feelings. Her books make me laugh and cry (in the best ways.) She is also as thoughtful and kind as her stories are too.
Cátia Chien: The Longest Letsgoboy (written by Derick Wilder); The Sea Serpent and Me (written by Dashka Slater). Her art is gorgeous, ranging from poignant to humorous.
Jillian Tamaki’s graphic novel collaborations with her cousin Mariko Tamaki are incredible. Skim; This One Summer. They are detailed, gorgeously illustrated stories about kids navigating coming of age with tenderness and insight.
Shaun Tan: Tales from Outer Suburbia; The Arrival; Tales from the Inner City. He explores the overlap of humanity and nature with surreal, thoughtful, and marvelous results.
Isabel Roxas: Holding On (written by Sophia N. Lee); the Team Pom series. She has a great sense of humor and her art is lovely.
Daniel Miyares: That Neighbor Kid; Night Walk to the Sea (written by Deborah Wiles). Also his sketches and color studies on Instagram are regularly jaw dropping!
Lauren Castillo: This is a Story (written by John Schu); City Cat (written by Kate Banks). Lauren’s art is always gently beautiful and engaging. Her books are like warm hugs.
A few more people whose work I admire and look forward to: Bob Shea, Brian Floca, Oge Mora, Anna Raff, Sydney Smith, Beatrice Alemagna, Gracey Zhang, Meghan McCarthy, Christian Robinson, Suzy Lee, David Roberts, Hannah Salyer, Dena Seiferling, Adam Rex, Alexis Deacon."
What forthcoming books are you most looking forward to getting your hands on?
"Mighty Muddy Us by the master of animal emotions, Caron Levis. It is a tender story of elephant siblings finding their own footing illustrated by the talented Charles Santoso.
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki is a new graphic novel that follows college students exploring New York City.
Bob Shea’s next book - Bob makes the funniest books. Not an opinion, just a fact. Reading one of his books is like entering a well designed world of grumpy animals and midcentury sofas in the woods. He also does one of the hardest things in making a picture book, he makes it all look simple.
Adam Rex’s new graphic novel, A Little Like Waking. His art is out of this world. His storytelling brims with humor and emotion.
Just One Flake by Travis Jonker Iooks fun and sweet. No one can see that cover and not want to pick it up!"
What's next for you? And what's next for Bear? "A few things are percolating right now. One is a story of a dragon, a creature I’ve been doodling in my sketchbook for a few years who is finally coming to life! Another is an illustration project that will let me explore a new style of making art. Though I like working with a lot of media, most of the books I have illustrated have been done primarily with acrylic paint. A couple years ago I participated in Inktober, and posted some warm ups done in a darker, looser ink wash style on Instagram. So I’m looking forward to making a book where I get to play with and learn more about working with ink. As for the Bear, he needs a nap after all that eating. So at the moment at least, the bear is hibernating. However, I think he could return for the right food or adventure. (Although what could top ice cream?!)"
A deceptively simple concept book that explores sorting, classification, and patterns as it teases the brain in unusual ways. Read it once, read it ten times—and see something new every time.
Max's Boat Pick:
SOME OF THESE ARE SNAILS
By Carter Higgins
Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 2, 2023)
Thanks for stopping by again, Carter! Some of These Are Snails really nails what kids are into, from the obsession with snails (my kids have snail races and we have multiple snail hotels in the backyard) to sorting and more. Did you already have it in mind when you were working on Circle Under Berry?
CH: "Early on with Circle Under Berry, it felt really clear that this format was a playful way to explore tricky concepts for preschoolers, both visually and in rhythm. It was such a treat to figure out what that meant exactly, and moving from naming attributes to sorting them in a different way felt perfect. I’ve had this animation in my mind since childhood, and it’s certainly a nod to that."
An interior spread from Some of These Are Snails by Carter Higgins:
I'm in awe of writers who have the courage to attempt illustrating as well. What's your medium? "I use an old library card to scrape cheap acrylic paint onto newsprint, then cut shapes from that paper. My favorite gluesticks are the ones that begin as purple and dry clear. This pile of supplies is certainly familiar to young artists everywhere! After I create all the various assets, I scan them and assemble the page layouts in Photoshop. It’s always important to me to find a good balance of precision and imperfection."
Early sketches and outtakes of Some of These Are Snails by Carter Higgins:
For those who love Some of These are Snails, what else would you recommend and why? "I love the interactivity and accessible art of Greg Pizzoli’s Mister Kitty is Lost! Rilla Alexander’s You Rule! is an enormously fun study in immeasurable things. And for dazzling read-aloud-ability, I am forever charmed by Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak’s A Very Special House."
What forthcoming books are you most excited about?
"I’m eagerly anticipating Travis Jonker’s illustrator debut in Just One Flake. His storytelling is always tuned toward the way kids think, act, and exist in this big world. The main character in Just One Flake looks expressive and hilarious, and I can’t wait to root him on!"
What do you think the best picture books do? Is there a book that you think does this particularly well? "The best picture books are keenly aware of the child reader, whether that means speaking their language, honoring the reality of their experiences, or observing with close-up precision what matters to them. Books I love that do one (or more) of these well are Float by Daniel Miyares, I’ll Fix Anthony by Judith Viorst and Arnold Lobel, and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson. I love the way Tana Hoban’s books of photography do the same thing visually, particularly Look Again! and Shadows and Reflections."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time? "I can’t make a list like that without Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni, A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and Marc Simont, Fortunately by Remy Charlip, and Clocks and More Clocks by Pat Hutchins."