Bunny and Turtle are the best of friends, but they are very different from each other! Bunny is all action, while Turtle is a thoughtful planner. When Bunny and Turtle decide to climb a mountain together, Bunny is eager to get going. But Turtle wants to take it slow and prepare for the trip. Will Bunny become impatient? Will Turtle's planning pay off?
Max's Boat Pick:
WHAT'S THE RUSH?
By Yiting Lee
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press (October 18, 2022)
Welcome onboard, Yiting! I'd love to know the origin story behind What's the Rush?
YL: "The two characters Bunny and Turtle are originally inspired by my beloved parents. I came up with the idea for the book during a time period when I moved back to live with them. Being an adult, I tried not to look at them as my parents, but just as two adults trying to get along in life. They are very different, but they find their way to tolerate each other, and at the same time be inspired by the other, too! From observing them, I see there’s no good or bad personality; it only depends on how you look at it. That’s where the story came from!"
Early sketches of What's the Rush?:
Upon reading the book, I couldn't help but see myself in Bunny! I'm absolutely always in a rush, and always trying to scurry my kids along. Who are you?
"Now you know I was raised by Bunny and Turtle! So I feel I got a bit of both. My nature is quite spontaneous, but my Turtle dad is always at my back reminding me of all the things I should bring (and all the things I probably don’t need). So I am a hybrid!"
An interior spread from What's the Rush?:
Fairy tales are certainly having their moment. There are SO many modern retellings just out, from Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's The Three Billy Goats Gruff to Jed Alexander's Gold, Davide Cali and Marianna Balducci’s Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf, and of course, your sweet book. I'm curious how you decided to go with an already well-known storyline?
"It's actually quite interesting that when I wrote the story, I never thought of it as a retelling of
Aesop's tale until I read the book blurb from the publisher. But I love it. I am happy to see how the story is coming into people’s hands, and how they have their interpretation."
What are some new or forthcoming books you're looking to getting your hands on? "Of course Wally the World's Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat is on my list. I'm also interested in getting Paul Nash: Designer and Illustrator by James King, and Drawing for Illustration by Martin Salisbury."
Updated: Nov 29, 2022
Shimmer, glimmer, glowing light – twinkle, twinkle, winter night. Celebrate winter with this magical twist on a beloved nursery rhyme that brings the shimmering season of lights to life.
Max's Boat Pick:
TWINKLE, TWINKLE, WINTER NIGHT
Written by Megan Litwin and illustrated by Nneka Myers
Publisher: Clarion Books (September 20, 2022)
Thanks for coming onboard, Megan! Can you tell me the origin story behind Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night? ML: "This book began with a distinct initial spark on a dark December drive…eleven years ago. My then-toddler son was newly mesmerized by all the different kinds of light we passed – from lights on houses, trees and lampposts, to the starlight and moonlight and glittering snow. He started using the phrase 'twinkle lights' to call out everything he saw. That car ride was full of joy and excitement and wonder at the world. A simple drive had turned simply magical! I’ll never forget it. And it got me thinking about how in this darkest time of year, our world is truly filled with light. Light that we can ALL share. I knew I wanted to make a book that celebrated that in some way."
For those who love Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night, can you recommend a few other titles that you think they might also enjoy? "I’d recommend they cozy up with these winter titles that are filled with a sense of wonder, joy, and optimism, and where children are finding all kinds of magic in the season:
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
Before Morning by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes
Snowy Race by April Jones Prince and Christine Davenier
Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night has the honor of being one of the very few rhyming books on Max's Boat! I'm in awe of your rhymes, though I'm sure you've heard the same advice I have, which is that books in rhyme are an extremely hard sell. I'm curious why you decided to go in rhyme for your debut book? "I’m thrilled to have that honor – I am a huge fan of Max’s Boat! But oh yes, I have certainly heard that same caution on rhyme. And yet – we are who we are, right? I write in rhyme because that’s the way my brain works. When I do school visits and talk about writing I often say that I 'play with words' for a living. I feel like I work on word puzzles all day. Once I have an idea and a story shape in my head, I let it all pour out (and that is usually, but not always, in rhyme or some sort of lyrical fashion) – and then I get to work. Swapping a word here, shortening a beat there…changing the sound and shape and flow of the text. I think some of it may stem from my background in education, where I worked for many years helping children learn to read, often through poetry and song and rhyme. I’ve always been a little enamored with language and wordplay. And for Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night, it certainly seemed like the right fit, given the nod to 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' in the title and the fact that I had a repeated refrain I wanted readers to feel in their heart."
What are some of your favorite books in rhyme?
"Andrea Beaty, Julia Donaldson, Chris Van Dusen, and Josh Funk are masters at what I would call 'rollicking rhyme.' Books like Ada Twist, Scientist; Room on the Broom; The Circus Ship; and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have this wonderful rhythm that pulls you along to the climax in an 'I-just-can’t-stop-reading' kind of way! Those are all read-aloud GOLD and so much fun to share.
Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin and Blanca Gómez is another read-aloud gem with that same clever, fast-paced rhyme, but done in a way just right for the youngest of young readers.
And then there is the more thoughtful, quiet rhyme. The kind where you might sit with a line for a beat or two before turning the page, and where the connection and emotion that is happening for the reader is more internal. That is very different than the kind I just spoke about – but equally satisfying. A perfect example of this would be All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee, one of my
favorite picture books of all time and a real mentor text for me. I remember thinking 'THIS. I want to
make picture books like THIS one day.'
Similarly, Wondering Around by Meg Fleming and Richard Jones is another poetic text I love that allows
for this kind of pondering and pausing."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time? "Picture books are my favorite books in all the world, so my list could stretch on forever and ever! In the spirit of brevity, I’ll name just one. My favorite holiday book: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. I actually wrote my application essay for the Children’s Literature graduate program at Simmons University on the magical realism in that book way back in the year 2000. I’ll love it forever."
What forthcoming books are you most looking to get your hands on? "There are two upcoming titles I’m really looking forward to that fit quite nicely into this conversation, and they are from creators whose whole body of work I admire. I’ll be first in line for the December release of Dark on Light by Dianne White and Felicita Sala, and 2023’s In the Dark by Kate Hoefler and Corinna Luyken."
All is quiet in the forest as the Great Star rises in the distance, and two little musicians, Strum and Drum, wake up from a deep slumber and set out to make the most joyous music they can! But as Strum strums his guitar and Drum drums her drum on their way to the North, some mysterious obstacles fill their paths...
Pick by Eric Fan, Night Lunch:
STRUM & DRUM: A MERRY LITTLE QUEST
By Jashar Awan
Published by Tundra Books (October 4, 2022)
Thanks for stopping by again, Jashar! Let's start out in the way these interviews always start: Can you tell me the origin story behind Strum & Drum?
JA: "Sure! I was hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree a few years ago and I noticed how each branch looked like it could be its own little tree. I thought, 'This could be a forest.' As the tree filled with ornaments, it quickly became an enchanted forest in my mind. I already had the names Strum and Drum from a project that I had set aside and decided to attach them to this idea.
Early sketches of Strum & Drum:
Around that time, I found a copy of The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee at a book sale. It’s all about a painter whose paintings are so lifelike, they actually come to life! The story had a sense of surrealism that I hadn’t seen outside of Chris Van Allsburg’s books, but it was drawn in a linear cartoony style that was nothing like the realism of Van Allsburg’s work. It got me thinking about style and how it’s used. I thought, 'Wouldn’t it be fun for a children’s book to change styles at a pivotal moment in the story?'"
Early sketches and an interior spread from Strum & Drum:
I had all of these thoughts and influences brewing in my head for a few years before I finally started writing the story. Recently, I was looking back through my sketchbook and I couldn’t get over how much development went into the book. There was a moment when Strum and Drum were anthropomorphic instruments and another when Strum was an angel with a harp and Drum was the Little Drummer Boy. It was a good reminder that it takes time for creative work to get to where it’s going. It’s always tempting to look at the final book and say, 'Of course—that’s how that story goes and that's how the characters look.' But that’s not true at all—there are so many decisions made and roads not taken along the way."
Interior spreads from Strum & Drum:
Strum & Drum has a very modern fairy tale quality to it, and reminds me of Tom Gauld's The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess. For those who love Strum & Drum, can you recommend a few other titles that you think they might also enjoy?
"Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day by Kaya Doi was a big influence on Strum & Drum (so much so that I used the same book dimensions!). There’s a whole series of Chirri & Chirra books. They usually involve the characters going on a bike ride and ending up in a whimsical fantasy world filled with beautifully illustrated details. Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day was the first one I read and it's my favorite of the series—it’s just so cozy and inviting!
Phoebe Wahl’s Little Witch Hazel is another book that I’d describe as cozy and inviting! Wahl builds a fantasy world where chores and colds still exist but so do toads who want to take you rafting with them. (Also, I’m kinda a sucker for tiny doors on the sides of trees.)
I’ve mentioned to you before that I’m a big fan of the illustrator Júlia Sardà. She just made her authorial debut with The Queen in the Cave. This book is overwhelmingly gorgeous! It tells the story of a girl who leads her younger sisters on a journey where they see many fantastic and strange things.
And, finally, if you enjoyed Strum & Drum, you might also like The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. It is a retelling of a classic fairy tale that feels modern due to the sensibilities of its creators—Barnett’s way with words, Klassen’s visual pacing, and their shared sense of humor. They make it look easy!"
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!
One non-book recommendation—I realize that The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats isn’t a holiday book but check out its animated adaptation on Prime Video. This cartoon sets the story at Christmastime and is wonderfully inclusive in a way that I imagine Keats would have liked. It really captures the feeling of Brooklyn in winter."
You've spent years illustrating for the New Yorker. I'm curious whether any picture book illustrators inspired your work there? "I’ve always been a big fan of William Steig! When I was little, I was inspired by Gorky Rises to make potions in the kitchen sink. Steig was a New Yorker illustrator, too. Like Steig, my editorial work was very linear (although I reinvented myself stylistically when I switched to picture books)."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time? "Most of the books I’ve already mentioned would probably find their way onto my list! They’d be joining books like—
"Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
I am a Bunny by Ole Risom and Richard Scarry
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Doctor De Soto by William Steig
Nutshell Library by Maurice Sendak
Anatole by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone
The Lion and The Stoat by Paul O. Zelinsky
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson The Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket and Matthew Forsythe Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley Mile End Kids Stories by Isabelle Arsenault Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak would take the top spot for sure. I love the way he's able to transport us to another world and back again before supper even starts to get cold."