By Andrea García, Hofstra University
During the weekend of March 8 and 9, 2013, Tucson will host one of the biggest gatherings of children’s authors and illustrators during the Tucson Festival of Books. In thinking about writing the last blog entry for the month of February, and in keeping with the idea of cultivating relationships with readers and books, we cannot forget the importance of meeting authors and illustrators as part of our lives as readers. For me, meeting authors and illustrators, whether in my community’s local independent bookstore, or through attending sessions at conventions or local children’s literature conferences, or participating in local book festivals, provides me with creative insight about the stories we find in their books. It is through listening to their voices as they describe their creative process, and the nature of their work as artists and writers that I am invited to revisit their work multiple times, and I am compelled to share it with others.
Today, I will briefly describe three different encounters across time and place that transformed the way I understood the creative process behind the art of the picture book. The first one was in Tucson, Arizona, when I met artist Luis Garay, when he presented his work at the Children’s Literature Conference at the University of Arizona. At that time, Garay shared his process for creating the artwork of some of his newest books, including Jade and Iron: Latin American Tales from Two Cultures edited by Patricia Aldana (1996), and Pedrito’s Day (1997), which marked his debut as a children’s author. Previously, Garay had illustrated of A Handful of Seeds by Monica Hughes (1993). I vividly recall Garay’s detailed presentation, taking the audience from his initial sketches of the illustrations, to his massive complete painting. His style has been compared with that of Diego Rivera, and his paintings are multilayered representations of so many of the life experiences of transnational Latino families.
The second encounter came years later, when I met award-winner author and illustrator Peter Sís during his participation at the 2004 Literature and Imagination Conference at Hofstra University. He was presenting his newest book at that time, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin (2003). This visually exquisite nonfiction picture book about the life of Charles Darwin transported me to the many times I encountered nonfiction books growing up in Mexico, when my mother would read to me and my siblings books about Madame Curie, the alchemists, or about other interesting scientific discoveries. After providing a general introduction to some of his other books, like Madlenka (2000) and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei (200), Peter Sís spoke about his meticulous research for his books, about his process of creating the artwork, and about one of the unique features of his work, as he layers the pages with his illustrations to compose a complex story structure full of interesting facts and visual details.
Finally, this past November, I met award-winner author Monica Brown and illustrator Julie Paschkis during the Books for Children’s Luncheon sponsored by the Children’s Literature Assembly, an affiliate of National Council of Teachers of English. Monica Brown is the author of numerous highly praised bilingual books, such as My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me Llamo Celia: La Vida de Celia Cruz (2004) illustrated by Rafael López, and Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina (2011) illustrated by Sara Palacios, among others. Her book Pablo Neruda: The Poet of the People (2012) illustrated by Julie Paschkis was a 2012 Annual Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book for outstanding nonfiction for children, as well as a 2012 Notable Children’s Book in the English Language Arts. This book was also the recipient of the prestigious 2012 Américas Award for Children’s Literature. While sitting at the roundtable during the luncheon, Brown spoke about her personal interest in writing a book about the Chilean poet and Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda. She browsed a copy of the book, turning the pages as she spoke about her favorite illustration, and her fascination with Neruda’s own passion for words, for finding poetry in simple objects of everyday life. Paschkis, who has illustrated Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman (2008) and Night Garden by Janet Wong (2000), among many others, brought samples of her original artwork to share with participants, and she described how she found inspiration for her paintings from the same everyday objects that Neruda wrote about in his poetry. Her illustrations magically blend together Spanish and English words, beautifully complementing Brown’s writing. Having the opportunity to interact with both the author and the illustrator of such a stunningly crafted book in such an intimate setting was a truly special experience. Look for Monica Brown’s presentation as part of WOW Book Fiesta on April 27, 2013.
These are just but a handful of authors and illustrators that I have been lucky to meet throughout the years, and I have many more memorable recollections of these encounters. In every case, each of these authors and illustrators spoke to their audiences in ways that provided us with a glimpse into their creative process. I can say that meeting them and listening to their stories have transformed the way I approach their work, and have led me to better understand that reading relationships are multidimensional, and that having authors and illustrators be part of the equation whenever possible, is an important experience to actively pursue. I hope that those of you attending the Tucson Festival of Books find many opportunities to meet and interact with children’s authors and illustrators, and then come and share your insights with us. In the meantime, join the conversation by letting us know:
- Who are some of the authors you have met throughout your life that have transformed your relationships with books?
- What are your favorite places to meet authors and illustrators?
- Are there any other national or international book festivals that you regularly attend and that you would like to share?
Journey through Worlds of Words during our open reading hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To view our complete offerings of WOW Currents, please visit archival stream.
- Themes: Andrea García, Julie Paschkis, Luis Garay, Monica Brown, Peter Sís
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, Debates & Trends, WOW Currents