Tag: David C. Gardner

Picture Book Review: It’s Not Hansel and Gretel by Josh Funk

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel (It’s Not a Fairy Tale)
Author: Josh Funk
Illustrator: Edwardian Taylor
Two Lions
1 March 2019
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (#1 fairy tale fan at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and OPB mega-​fan) David C. Gardner.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel is the newest Josh Funk book, and if you’ve read any of his picture books before (such as Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, How to Code a Sandcastle, and Lost the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude), you know to expect:

  • an unexpected take on subject matter
  • a kid-​friendly sense of whimsy
  • witty wordplay

It’s official–It’s Not Hansel and Gretel delivers on all counts.

There’s a narrator here trying their best to keep this story under control, but the rapscallion duo of Hansel and Gretel keep yanking this fairy tale in different directions. The art clues us in when this happens by using speech bubbles that work against the words the narrator uses, which are in cast in a fancy, Old Timey font that seems straight out of the days of illuminated manuscripts written by monks beneath candlelight.

To offer just one example of how these kids push the story off the rails, the poor narrator tells the reader how the pair “left a trail of bread crumbs leading back home” to which the kids respond with:

Gretel: What type of person SAVES bread crumbs?

Hansel: It’s a time of great famine. If there are bread crumbs left, we eat them!

Gretel: Now I’m hungry! Why’d you have to bring up bread crumbs?

Things get worse from there for the narrator who wants to stick with the traditional story, with my favorite moment being when Gretel asks, “Why isn’t it ever Gretel and Hansel?” She even points out that alphabetically speaking, G comes before H, and while a giggling kid reader likely doesn’t stop to think about the problem of legacy thinking–doing something because it’s always been done that way, or perhaps subconsciously privileging males more than females–those topics are there for adults who want to dive into that end of the pool.

One clear instance of Funk’s wordplay happens when the witch begins to cast a spell, intoning “Double, double toil and trouble.” And Gretel says, “I can’t hear you over that noisy oven. Did you say TOILET trouble?”

That’s a burst-​out-​loud kid pleasing moment, to be sure. It’s entirely possible a member of the OPB staff had chocolate milk come out of their nose thanks to laughter here, as well. 

I’m also quite taken with how the kids are practical and have a positivity about them that helps save the day. Those are two good lessons beyond the legacy thinking idea and issues of gender and power that are lightly touched upon during the course of this story.

The ending, too, is full of cameos from other fairy tale friends, and it’s a surprising yet satisfying conclusion to this irreverent take on an old, old tale. Highly recommended. For those who get a real kick out of this kind of fun, check out the first book in Funk’s It’s Not a Fairy Tale series–It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk.

4.75 out of 5 pencils

– David’s Review of the Illustrations–

In the 1800s, children’s books were meant for moral education. But in the last century, some argued that it was enough to aim to entertain a child.

There’s no deep message in It’s Not Hansel and Gretel, but it’s a heap of entertaining fun.

Flipping through the illustrations by Edwardian Taylor is like watching a cartoon on TV, one of those vintage Fractured Fairytales, or Powerpuff Girls. This no accident; Taylor also designs for animation. I’ll confess, I’m not a big fan of the trend of children’s books mimicking slick Cartoon Network shows, but Taylor knows his stuff, and he takes full advantage of the picture book form, packing each spread with funny visual asides for kids (and adults). Look closely and you’ll discover treats on every page: Thumbelina in a corner chatting with a bird twice her size, the Seven Dwarves marching to work in the forest background, cute recurring elves in just about every spread. The clever, ebullient pictures establish from the start that we are in a world populated by fairy tale characters (a device that pays off wittily in the end–but I won’t give anything away.…)

Another note on the visuals: The great art direction makes it a breeze to tell who is talking on each page; every voice has its own font, a trick Walt Kelly pioneered in his classic comic strip Pogo.

Taylor’s character designs are fluid and manic in a way that perfectly fits the story’s tone, and his color palette is fabulous, too–muted greens and browns in the opening pages make way for the explosion of candy colors when the kids discover the gingerbread house. Close-​ups pull us into the center of the action, sometimes making an image hard to read at first glance. But in a picture book, where the child has plenty of time to peruse a picture, that’s not a problem. Add the bright, but controlled, colors–as sweet as the witch’s house–and you’ve got a book that’s an immersive experience, a cool hybrid of children’s book and animated cartoon, a perfect confection for our time.

5 out of 5 crayons

David C. Gardner is an award-​winning illustrator and visual development artist. A former artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has illustrated numerous picture books, including his latest from Sleeping Bear Press, Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB not so long ago). It tells the true story of little Izzy Baline, who immigrated to New York City in 1893 and grew up to become Irving Berlin, one of the most well-​known composers of popular music in America. David teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.
 
To learn more about David’s own work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

Picture Book Review: Small Walt and Mo the Tow

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

Small Walt and Mo the Tow
Author: Elizabeth Verdick
Illustrator: Marc Rosenthal
Simon & Schuster/​Paula Wiseman Books
30 October 2018
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (#1 snowplow aficionado at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and frequent OPB helper-​outter) David C. Gardner.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Small Walt and Mo the Tow is the sequel to the 2017 book Small Walt, which was a delight. This new title has a simple plot–a “bitter blizzard” has come so Gus (the driver) and Walt are off to clear the roads with “a big load of ice-​melting salt.” When a little green car slides off a forest road and FWUMPs into a ditch, Walt wants to use his scoop to save the day, but Gus says, “Now, now. Plows only scoop snow.”

It’s Mo the Tow to the rescue, along with Mo’s driver Sue, who wears a bright blue coat. Only Mo’s tires can’t get a grip of the slick ice, so Walt does his part to plow the snow and use his spreader to drop salt with a “switch-​twist, switch-​twist.” And from that moment on, new friendships are made, and the little green car is rescued at last.

The vehicles have a good deal of personality, which is certainly part of the fun. Yet what young readers might respond best to is the attention to sound, both in the alliteration (“swish the slush” etc.) as well as the many instances of onomatopoeia (“Whumpa-​thumpa-​bumpa-​bump!” and “Rugga-​brum-​brum, HUMMAROOOM!”).

This is a sweet story of friendship and kindness. If you liked Small Walt, then this sequel likely won’t disappoint you.

4 out of 5 pencils

– David’s Review of the Illustrations–

This sequel starts with a long view of the town, like a child’s eye view of a toy village, then the pictures swoop in to immerse us in the action. And it is all action, essentially a narrative of pulling a stuck car out of the snow. 

Rosenthal’s pictures border on crude, done in what looks to be heavy-​colored pencil or thick crayon. (I will confess I have always been skeptical of the notion that children want to look at pictures that look like something they might create themselves.) Rosenthal’s simple illustrations for the Small Walt books have been rightly compared to Virginia Lee Burton’s classic books like The Little House (1942), Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939), and especially Katy and the Big Snow (1943), and they do share that childlike quality and charm. Burton worked in this medium too, but her work was more refined, like fine miniatures, starting with soft watercolor washes, then layering in colored pencil with attention to tiny details.

The looseness here is not necessarily a weakness, though; it gives the book a contemporary feel. Rosenthal has a wide-​ranging portfolio as an illustrator for magazines, advertising, and books, and his style consistently pays homage to illustration styles of the past, always with a clever twist so that we never forget his work is of-the-moment.

And this book is no different.

Rosenthal is, in a sense, playing jazz, not Beethoven. That freshness helps to convey the immediacy of the story for its very young audience. The illustrations also amp up the charm considerably, giving the book a hip coolness without being cynical, and never tipping over in the other direction into easy, sappy cuteness.

3 out of 5 crayons

David C. Gardner is an award-​winning illustrator and visual development artist. A former artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has illustrated numerous picture books, including his latest from Sleeping Bear Press, Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB not so long ago). It tells the true story of little Izzy Baline, who immigrated to New York City in 1893 and grew up to become Irving Berlin, one of the most well-​known composers of popular music in America. David teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.

To learn more about his work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

Picture Book Review: A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson and Matt Myers

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

 

A Dog Named Doug
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Matt Myers
Margaret K. McElderry Books
26 June 2018
40 pages


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (“Best of Show” winner at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor David C. Gardner.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Choosing what to run with for this month’s review proved easier than usual–I’m a Karma Wilson fan (Bear Snores On got worn out in the Van Cleave household), and I’m a dog lover (rumor has it that I’ve twice chased a mailman). So when A Dog Named Doug arrived, it barked dug its way to the top of the list where it stayed. Like a good dog book should.

So here’s the story: A dog (named Doug) digs. He digs more. And more. And more. And then he goes to bed where he (1% spoiler here) dreams of digging in a (decidedly strange, and possibly too weird for some kids) dreamworld.

To be fair, a dog who digs because dogs like to dig isn’t much of a plot. But the book has three things really going for it that quite likely overcome any real or perceived weakness in the basic premise.

  1. The art is both compelling AND clever. See David’s review about that aspect of the book below.
  2. I have to mention the art again. Sorry to step on your toes so much, David. But the terrific art by illustrator Matt Myers frequently works as typography, such as a dirt mound becoming an A in “I can dig better than you!” or many dirt mounds becoming Ms in “Many miles of dirt Doug dug, leaving heaps and piles and mounds of mud.”
  3. The refrain of “Oh boy, did Doug dig!” is sure to encourage readers to shout it out during storytime. Plus the loose, easy rhymes that Karma’s known for are present here as well.

Part of the fun here is that Doug’s digging takes him to a whimsical range of destinations. The Old West. The White House (note the female POC/​President of Color). The ocean floor. Stonehenge. Some kind of Egyptian tomb. And even a bowling alley. He even digs to the other side of the earth where the perspective is, quite reasonably, upside down.

It’s a fun, rollicking book, to be sure. But some readers could get tripped up with the tongue-​twister start, and others might find the entire tail (yep–a pun!) a bit one note (Doug/​dog/​dug).

In sum, this is a playful book that could be–for the right child and adult reader–an enjoyable bedtime story with serious read-​aloud potential.

4 out of 5 pencils paws

–David’s Review of the Illustrations–

The cover starts us off on just the right note, with a vignette placing Doug digging in the text against a stark white background–a lovely, graphic design–and painted with such vigor that you can feel the dog digging furiously, happy, if a bit manic, capturing perfectly in one image what the book is about.

The palette is bright, saturated, and lighthearted without ever tipping into garishness. The whole book has the feel of an animated Looney Tunes short–madcap and raucous. The layouts are cinematic, utilizing a variety of close-​ups and long shots, and the brushwork is loose and energetic, with dabs of acrylic and oil paint so juicy and playful that you can almost feel them popping off the page.

What I appreciate most about Matt Myers’ illustrations are that they veer alongside and, at times, away from, the minimal text, often taking the lead and keeping us guessing: Where will Doug pop up next? The pictures, not the text, make this book a page turner.

This is exactly what Maurice Sendak suggested the pictures should do in a picture book–depict not just what the words are telling us, but take the story even further.

When Doug decides to head home, the text only tells us Doug is digging. But Mr. Myers turns the vignettes depicting Doug’s journey into a cartoony delight, with no rhyme or reason except to entertain a young reader (and their adult companion).

Near the end, the text tells us only that Doug was in his bed. But the illustration shows Doug in his owners’ bed, dreaming away. It’s an inspired choice–another gentle gag as the book is winding down.

A final example–and my favorite moment in the entire book–is when Doug digs all the way to China. The text only reads “Oh boy, did Doug dig, and dig, and dig.” In this fantastic spread, and with the help of some inspired handling of text, Mr. Myers shows that he can still see the world through a kid’s eyes.

Sharing the storytelling duties with the author to this extent is an illustrator’s dream. Matt Myers rises to the occasion splendidly.

4 out of 5 crayons dirt mounds

David C. Gardner is an award-​winning illustrator and visual development artist. A former artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has illustrated numerous picture books, including his latest from Sleeping Bear Press, Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB not so long ago). It tells the true story of little Izzy Baline, who immigrated to New York City in 1893 and grew up to become Irving Berlin, one of the most well-​known composers of popular music in America. David teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.

To learn more about his work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

(Ryan’s note: With a website name like that, you can see why I asked him to pitch in for this month’s review!)

Educational Activities: Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman and David C. Gardner

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

 

Write On, Irving Berlin!
Author: Leslie Kimmelman
Illustrator: David C. Gardner
Sleeping Bear Press
15 May 2018
32 pages

 

 

From the author of Hot Dog! Eleanor Roosevelt Throws a Picnic and the illustrator of The Harvey Milk Story comes this vivid picture-​book biography that examines the life of Irving Berlin, the distinguished composer whose songs, including “God Bless America” and “White Christmas,”  continue to be popular today.

Need some reviews of Write On, Irving Berlin?

Kirkus

Publisher’s Weekly

Jewish Book Council

Educational Activities inspired by Leslie Kimmelman’s Write On, Irving Berlin! 

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “From looking at the cover, what do you think Berlin is writing about?”
    • “What are some of your favorite songs?”
    • “What traits make a good student?”
  • After Reading–Listen to three of Berlin’s most popular songs: “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “White Christmas,” and “God Bless America.” Discuss which you like most.
  • After Reading–The Berlin family fled Russia in the 1890s because they were persecuted for being Jewish. Have you ever heard of someone being treated poorly because of their religious beliefs? Or the color of their skin? Or for how they dress or act? How does that make you feel?
  • Music–Using a song you know well–perhaps one of Berlin’s or maybe a song like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Row Row Row Your Boat”–write your own lyrics. Feel free to be serious or silly.
  • Crafts–Using crayons (or colored pencils) and paper, draw what you think of when you hear the phrase “God Bless America.” What are you thankful for? Listen to the song for inspiration.
  • Writing–Berlin wrote “God Bless America” to honor American soldiers. Write your own letter to American soldiers that thanks them for their service. Consider working with an organization like A Million Thanks to send the letters.