The illustrations in the picture book A Hen for Izzy Pippik enchant me over and over. I adore how the girl and the chicken are visually matched, in colour, in shape, in attitude. I laugh every time I see them. (Written by Aubrey Davis, illustrated by Marie Lafrance).
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska, another picture book, is about different kinds of quiet, like swimming underwater quiet, and pretending you’re invisible quiet. Both the text and the illustrations charm – this is a perfect just before naptime book.
Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work is a book (called a catalogue but it’s a fat book) associated with the Museum of American Illustration show on Maurice Sendak. I’m drooling over this one. I’d love to take the cover and hang it on my office wall. Along with the cover art from Izzy Pippik.
Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman, has the coolest dragons ever! YA, fascinating.
Wool, by Hugh Howey. Wool began as a self-published short story, and became a best seller. This is the perfect book to wave at literary-fiction afficionados who claim genre fiction is merely escapist, while literary fiction is an examination of the human condition. Wool is the best of sci-fi, with an intriguing premise, vivid characters and a profound examination of the human condition. And it’s a really good read, too.
Maureen