Day 26 - I finished!

Just some more cuteness to finish up the marathon.

Day 25

As a kid, I always wondered what it'd be like to take old George Washington on a tour of his country. What would he think of the place?

Day 24 - the end is in sight!

After seeing the crazy success of Fancy Nancy and the Pinkalicious series, I decided to dive into the saccharine pink pool of frosting myself.

Honestly, I have more fun drawing unicorns and dolphins than most things. They're almost as cool as dinosaurs.

Day 21, 22 & 23 - a triple feature!

I'm playing catch-up to make it to the finish line, so today is a threefer.

First book:


In this book, a girl travels all over the world, and tries to bottle up the whole experience. Conversely, all that luggage just weighs her down in the end, and she has to choose between keeping all her junk, and going to have new adventures.

Second book:


I'm still trying to figure out a twist on trains. Kids love trains. Unfortunately, I might have gone a little too scary on this one.

My monster train is HIGHLY inspired by the Cat Bus from "My Neighbor Totoro".

Book 3


Yeah, this is more of a fun drawing than it is a book idea. :)

Day 21 - RARR!

Tiger is a tame cat, down to his last stripe.
He eats his peas, and plays nice.
He takes naps and never fusses.

But every once in a while, he goes jungle-running, scramble-scratching, TIGER-WILD!

BOOK DEBUT!

Hey, friends! The very fist book I ever illustrated, "Pick a Pup" came out yesterday!

I went and found it at the local book store, and it's GORGEOUS!


Check it out on Amazon!

Day 20

It's been a bumpy couple days, and I've missed one more day than is allowed. For that, I apologize.

Back to work!

Here's a book with several appealing elements: Christmas, toys, trains, and candy! But what happens when mischievous mice try to ride the train too? I imagine it going a lot like The Nutcracker, only with less tights.

Day 19

I illustrated a book a few years ago about how the Transcontinental Railroad was built, mostly by Chinese and Irish immigrants. It was fascinating to learn about the price these newcomers to America paid to create a life for themselves.

Rest Day!

I'm technically allowed 2 rest days during the month of February. I declare today to be such a day.

Day 18, and a solid WTFreak

I told you these last few miles would get messy! I guess I just wanted to draw a scary Russian cat pirate. Don't we all?

Day 17

Day 17 - the picture book equivalent of Mile 17 in an actual marathon. This is where people start dropping in their own vomit. My graceful stride and my controlled breathing vanished miles ago. Now my goal is just to finish with as much dignity as I can muster!

Here's a fun idea to put some spring back in my step:



This boy's super power: SUPER WORDS!

COMPLIMENTS make even the grumpiest villains smile.

LONG SCIENTIFIC WORDS make my big sister's friends think I'm smarter than her! Even if you don't know any, just make them up. COAGULATE! INFERNAL COMBUSTION! GARBANZO!

Words like I'M SORRY can turn foes into allies.

ENDLESS QUESTIONS melt my parents brains into goo. Why is blue fire hotter than red fire? Why are there penguins at the South Pole, but not at the North Pole? Why can't dogs see color?

And don't forget, lots of PLEASE and THANK YOU.

Day 16

Dr. Dog and Cat, M.D. use their scientific training to determine opposites.

They're still just as clueless as when they tried to pin down emotions.

Vote for my Brother's Band on RollingStone.com!

Ok, so my brother is just their publicist and marketer. But this could be a huge break for all of them!

Give their music a listen, and rate it FIVE STARS, please! :)

Day 15, and I'm getting motivational

"Fall seven times, get up eight" is an old Japanese adage.

Each page would show a different character trying something over and over, until he finally achieves his goal. Each attempt would be a fun new pose, with even greater hilarity and determination. Here are some ideas that I think would be fun:

A baby giraffe staggers around, learning to walk.
A chef furiously mixes ingredients to make the perfect dessert.
A clumsy bear splashes around after fish.
A girl crashes and crashes, and eventually learns to ride a unicycle.
A sumo wrestler keeps getting thrown around by bigger, meaner wrestlers, until he ultimately conquers.
A baby bird has a few tumbles before she can fly.
A toddler boy pees his pants until he's finally potty-certified.


The book would entertain, inspire, and teach counting all at the same time.

Day 14, and a taste of the absurd

In this book Dr. Dog and Cat M.D. take us for a tour through the feelings of the heart. Unfortunately, they're pretty clueless, and don't really get the concept. They mistake feelings like itchy, lumpy, floppy and smelly for actual emotions.

However, the book's educational merit isn't totally lost! There is a third pet who, in response to his dimwitted friends' antics, experiences a broad range of real emotions.

C'mon - isn't this idea a hoot?

Day 13

Today's post is a reworking of Day 1. I realized that fleas and dirty goats aren't a good fit for mainstream picture books, so I swapped them out for a bird and its crocodile.

Day 12 of the Picture Book Marathon

Goldie-bot was zipping through the cosmos, when she decided to take a break. Venus was too hot, and Mars was too cold, but Earth was just right...

Day 11, and a little stumble...

We're allowed 2 rest days during this month-long Marathon. My goal was to never take a rest day, but today was a little hectic, and I almost gave in.

Here's to biting off more than I can chew!

Day 10

Damsel in distress? Nay, sir! Damsel in armor! (cue power chord)

Day 9 of the Picture Book Marathon, and whew!

I spent way too much time on this today, but I'm pleased with the results.

This is a very special book to me. It's about knowing where we come from, and being proud of our roots. Maybe some day I'll actually write it.




GRANDFATHER'S COURAGE, GRANDMOTHER'S HEART
by Jed Henry


My mother says I have eyes just like Great-Grandfather's, and I wonder, what else do we share?

My father says that when I sing, I sound just like Great-Grandmother, and I think, did we laugh the same, too?

If I met them, would we know the same songs?

What were they like when they were my age?

Could they run fast like me? Who would win if we raced?

Did they like playing games?

Did we like the same food?

Who were their great-grandparents? And their great-grandparents? And their great-grandparents?

Where did they come from?

...

Day 8

It’s a very busy day.

No time for babies.

My bed needs to be made. (Jumping up and down, messing it up)
My pillows need fluffing.
And breakfast is getting cold - no time to chew!

Babies only slow me down.

Miss Bunny is having a party.
Mr. Bear wants to go out.
And Frog isn’t feeling well.

I’m very busy. Babies take too much time.

I have blocks to stack.
And unstack. And stack again.
And these books aren’t going to read themselves.

I’m very, very busy. Babies just don’t understand.

I need to say my ABCs.
I have to count to ten.
And tying shoes is harder than it looks!

I need my space!

My garden needs watering.
Fred needs feeding.
And Copper has been a naughty kitty.

Where did the baby go?

He looks really busy!
Let me show you how.
Good job!

You have so much to learn. I can teach you!
We’re going to be so busy.

Day 7:

My two-year-old just discovered that she's TERRIFIED of dragons, and because she thinks they stalk our house, she spends her days in fear of attack. So I decided to play around with the topic of fear. One can't simply say, "I'm not going to be afraid," and have the fear vanish magically. Overcoming fear is a matter of managing it - taming it, if you will.

In this book, a little boy tames his pet monster, as a metaphor for taming fear.



I have a monster in my closet.
Some monsters are wild, but not mine.
He’s a tame monster.
He has lovely table manners.
And he’s such a gentleman!
Wee!
Woah!
Put me down!
No, monster!
BAD MONSTER!
Go to your closet!
Are you ready to be a good monster again?
I forgive you.
Now let’s play!
I love my monster.
He’s a good monster.

Day 6

Sometimes I wish for animal parts,
So I can do what they can.


If I had spines like a porcupine,
My brother would go away.


If I had skin like a chameleon,
I'd win at hide-and-seek.


If I had claws like a hawk,
I'd never drop the ball.


If I had armor like a lobster,
I wouldn't wear a helmet.


If I had a throat like a boa
I wouldn't chew my peas.


If I had eyes like an owl
I would not fear the dark.


If I had feathers like a mallard
rain couldn't get me wet.


If I had hair like a polar bear
I wouldn't need a coat.


If I could chirp like a chickadee
My song would be so sweet.


If I had a tail like a tamarin
I'd climb the tallest trees.


I wish I had all these animal parts -
What would it be like?


(He has all the different animal parts at once. He looks like a monstrous chimera. All his friends run from him.)


I guess I don't need animal parts.
I like the way I am.

Day 5, and I'm feeling good!

A lot of picture book ideas are based on catchy titles or one-liners. It's a fail-proof way to hook your audience.

This book has no such appeal. If I ever develop the idea further, it'll need to stand on solid writing and illustration. I imagine something soft and lyrical, but a little wild as well.

Day 4 of the Picture Book Marathon

Dandi Mackall once taught me that it really helps to start a story with:

1) A sympathetic character
2) A conflict that stands in the character's way

This book nails both of those, and we haven't even opened it yet!

Poor Bear. His clumsy claws keep him from doing all sorts of things. I think this book would be perfect for very young kids who struggle with things like eating with utensils, fastening buttons, or tying shoes.



Also, I shared a fun link with Julie Olson, a fellow picture book marathoner, so I should share it with everyone. It's from the amazing Rick Walton's website. It's a HUGE list of kid-related idea starters. Take a look! God bless Rick, for sharing this trove of lists!

Day 3

Everyone's a critic. Few have actually earned the right.

Day 2

Yet another telling of the classic "you're too little" story format.

Little Chicken-saurus isn't big enough to do any of the fun things big dinosaurs get to do. He can't eat trees. He can't smash boulders. He can't drink a whole lake. What kind of fun could there be for such a tiny dinosaur?