Phildecott Announcements!

Today Phil has posted the Phildecotts on his blog. You can see the results here. The things I said about the Steadberys apply here as well.

It's hard to me to really summarize how much I love a picture book. I respect them so much I tend to have a nagging feeling I shouldn't be so bold as to make them myself. I've had three really great jobs in my life, and one of them was selling books. Paper books. With pages that you turn.

Some other day, I'll write more about kicking and screaming towards ebooks. For now, a celebration of good books!

I've had a terrible sinking feeling that we are forgetting something- but we have taken copious notes throughout the year. Enjoy!

Steadbery Announcement!

At the close of 2010, Philip and I try to pick our favorite books (in very limited categories) for the year. The discussion is ongoing throughout the year. We try, and miserably fail, to read as many new books as we can (while still leaving room for the ones we missed in previous years...or decades). It's not a perfect process. But it keeps us healthily intimidated and inspired. The categories for now are limited to novels and picture books.

I love graphic novels, especially for kids (my friend George, Aaron Renier, and Andy Runton are some major frontrunners). But this year especially, Phil and I don't feel like we kept ourselves educated and up to date enough to pick favorites. So apologies, graphic novels. Your lack of presence here is not proof of any lack of love or admiration for your work. It's a lack of our own smarts.

And so, without further ad0, Phil has posted the Steadbery favorites on his blog. You can see the results here. The Phildecotts will be posted very soon.

A Party for Amos McGee (and other books, too!)

Merry Holidays, everyone! I am having a bout of insomnia and a roaring headache so now seems as good a time as any to stop avoiding this blog and instead, avoid drawing for a bit. You'll have to excuse me if the writing today is a little off. I know it's a been a while since I've posted. Every so often I would check erinstead.com to see if a new post somehow magically appeared. It did not.

Our Amos McGee has been working awfully hard these days and I do hope he took a little time off this holiday season. If you saw the previous post, the book was chosen as one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 2010. Our publisher generously flew Phil and myself back to the city (we had just been there a few weeks before to turn in a book) and we attended a party.

I am by nature a very shy person. Very shy. It takes me about three years of knowing someone to make a friend. I think my parents did a pretty good job at teaching me how to politely get through situations like parties without completely losing my cool. But a party with a name tag and a framed prize that I have to walk up and accept....this is a nervous situation for me. Which is not so say I wasn't excited and blown away by the whole thing. If anything, that excitement made it worse.

So there I am. I am the person standing up there with my head down looking at the ground to make sure my knees didn't buckle and that I am, indeed, still standing. Everyone else seemed pretty cool and collected up there.

A note on who I'm standing up there with–

Be sure to check out the books on the list. The professionals in that picture (most are illustrators and some are the editors accepting for the illustrators) are all exceptional. It's difficult for me to not write about how crazy I felt standing next to those people, but Phil has been trying to teach me how to accept a compliment graciously without skipping straight to self-deprecation. So that's what I'm trying to do here. But be sure to stop by your local store and check them out. Two of my favorites of the year are on that list...but I'm not telling which ones.

I met a lot of very nice book people that night. I think I got through it without being too shaky or saying anything too wildly idiotic. But I love book people. It was nice to have an excuse to talk shop. Oh, and librarians for goodness sake! Where would I be without librarians?

An interesting note and a nod to a future post–

Upon a little research, it appears as though the NYT panel all had some ties to the fair state of Michigan in their past. In my next post, I'm going to talk a little about that and this state, I think.

I hope everyone had a nice December. Happy Holidays! I love snow.

Who bought the New York Times today?

How about that?

More on this later, when I get my head around it a little. For now, though, let's all go to Phil's stamp blog, where he'll be celebrating this news with a special stamp series.

ps. click on the image! This one gets bigger!

Falling for Bear (ba dum dum).

It's definitely fall now. One night in August an incredibly strong and spooky wind came and blew summer away. It was a little unsettling, but when the wind died down I was happy to see this summer go. Most of that happiness was weather-related. It was uncharacteristically gross in Michigan (hot with a humidity that was off the charts).

But now it is fall. It's a beautiful time to live in Ann Arbor where (I'm pretty sure) the trees outnumber the residents. However, I'm just returning from a very nice quick trip to New York and I am back to my regularly scheduled program of feeling torn. October is one of my favorite months in the city and we were staying with friends who live near Prospect Park. New York City was giving me quite an argument to drop everything and move back.

Still, on the drive back from the big city, I was very happy to return to our big barn in the little city. It is hard to argue with the smell of pine needles and fall leaves and the affection I have come to realize that I possess for this (now a little broke) state. When we accidentally moved back to Michigan, I think Phil and I were defeated (and a little broke) but so was this state. It was the height of the financial crisis. I found myself sticking around and feeling defensive about this place the way you would run to a friend who was having a tough time.

Artistically speaking, it's certainly not a bad thing to have to walk my dog in the woods in the morning. For now, the pace of everything is helping me draw. In New York, I'm not always sure I had enough time to process all of the stimuli and make art out of it.

Right now, I am working on a dummy that takes place in fall (and then spring, later) so I get to steal from my surroundings.

I stole the stamp today from Phil's stamp blog. The blog is for his book that is releasing in Spring 2011 entitled Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat. I know that's a long time from now, but he's helping us all through it with a daily countdown on the blog.

On another note, thanks to the kind people who have left comments about A Sick Day for Amos McGee. They mean a lot to me. I love hearing about bedtime story experiences or library programs.

Speaking of library programs, if you're in southeast Michigan and feel like hearing a story, Phil and I will be reading at the Pittsfield Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library on November 5th from 10-11 am. Mark your calendar!

Also, Craig Frazier (an author and illustrator and graphic designer of very high esteem. If you haven't read the Stanley series, let alone Hank Finds Inspiration, you are missing out) just posted a little review of our Amos on his website. And I am once again looking to the thesaurus for another word for flattered. Or blushing a little.

Happy Fall!

Come and see our ugly mugs!

Bored this weekend? Feel like taking a roadtrip? This Sunday, September 12th is the Kerrytown Book Festival! Kerrytown is my favorite neighborhood in Ann Arbor (and not just because I live there). The farmer's market, good coffee, food, and one of my favorite stores, Found, just to name a few things within a 2 block radius.

On top of all that fun, this weekend there are two festivals. The first, Saturday, is the Homegrown Festival. Phil and I stumbled upon it last year and we were so pleased to have accidently attended. It's delicious.

The second festival is Sunday. It is the Kerrytown Book Festival. There will be a plethora of speakers and events for kids and adults. Notably, David Small will be doing an interview with Nicola Rooney. Ms. Rooney is the local indie bookstore owner. She has graciously invited us to sign copies of our little book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee. We'll be sitting at her table at 1 o'clock.

Head to Ann Arbor this weekend! If you don't want to see us or your tired of Amos McGee, there will be plenty of other books and things to do. Check out the Hollander's activities. While you're at it, check out their store.

1 o'clock, Sunday September 12th! See you there!

Amos McGee takes an international flight

The photo to your left was taken (with a cell phone, so let's not judge too harshly) in the Arboretum in Ann Arbor. I've been spending a lot of time here lately in the mornings, before the heat completely takes over and makes everything completely unlivable. This second half of summer weather has been oppressive. I'm getting through it, but not with a good attitude.

However, it is keeping me indoors and I am getting my work done. I'm thinking about a new book and trying to tie the book I've been working on all up together in a nice clean package. I've got some shaky legs about that one. But maybe I'll finish strong.

In the meantime, I found out that our little Amos McGee has released in Japan.

I haven't seen a copy in person, but I have seen some images. The publisher took the images where I drew words like "City Zoo" in the sign and translated them. For instance, the original is below–

And now the Japanese translation. They did an amazing job. I was really blown away by the level of care they gave each letter.

Here are two more examples. They translated everything! Including little tiny things I wouldn't expect anyone to notice. There is a tiny sign in the back of the zoo below that says "eat vegetables!" for instance...

That's it for now!