Typography Talk: Jessica Hische Book Talk and Signing

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

In this post, I decided to fuse an event recap with Typography Talk since this is my first time meeting an artist who decided to pursue writing a children's picture book. Not only does this artist become an author, but she also illustrated the book she wrote.

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author who recently published Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave. She is
an accomplished artist and author who collaborated with companies to help them with their brand identity, advertising, and more. She has worked with Wes Craven, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Tiffany & Co., Mail Chimp, the Oscars, Penguin, etc. Originally from Philadelphia, Jessica has established herself as an artist at a very young age and eventually moved to Brooklyn, New York to start a life with a rigorous work life with 90 hours per week under her belt. She eventually relocated to San Francisco for a slower paced life working 30 hours a week when she started a family a few years ago.

I was fortunate enough to hear Jessica talk at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Over 100 people were in attendance for her lecture and book signing. Unfortunately, I missed the first ten or so minutes of the talk but she is a very engaging presenter. Not only are her slides on point but she converses with her audience like they are her friends and family. She laughs with them and is able to talk about herself very easily like she knows her audience for a very long time. It was interesting to hear her speak about her life chronologically and to hear about the creative artist process. The audience got to see and hear about some of her work with well known clients as well as her own pieces that she worked on over the years of her career.

I minored in graphic design and dabbled with typography occasionally. However, my major was in communications with a concentration in advertising. I found the lecture gravitated to my liking based on my interests. Jessica described how she doesn't work with other designers, yet she works with marketing and CEOs of companies who may not understand what the artist process looks like. She goes over her creative thinking process to show companies her thinking, broken down into segments, to show them how she envisions every detail. I found her process very intriguing and it's important for marketing and CEOs to understand that artists and designers take a lot of time and effort to hone their craft.

For my bookish readers, you may know of Jessica's work without even knowing it. Jessica illustrated the Penguin Drop Caps series. She created 26 book covers for book classics such as Moby Dick and Pride and Prejudice. This is a series of 26 collectible and gift-worthy hardcover editions showcasing a beautifully foil-stamped illustrated letter of the alphabet that reveals an element of the story for each edition.

Jessica read Tomorrow I'll Be Brave while showing us slides of each page of the picture book. With its gorgeous lettering and rhyming short sentences, this book is a wonderful read for all ages. Before she ended the talk, the floor was open for questions. One question that a student asked was how can an artist network with others in a new city. Jessica mentioned that you need to put yourself out there and meet other people. Sometimes it's hard to do that but even asking someone to meet over a cup of coffee can help you big time. They can suggest little things like signing up for a mailing list to inviting you to an event that can help jumpstart your career. She answered another student's question about coping with coming up with new ideas and how to deal with the frustration. She recommends sketching out all your ideas that come to mind. Nothing is perfect but you learn from your mistakes. Great ideas evolve from mistakes.

One piece of advice that Jessica constantly told herself, "I need to make work that I care about and spend less time worrying about meeting imagined people's expectations."

Yes to this! This can apply to anyone! And I love how she told a room full of artists to make work for themselves and not for others.

Jessica also made an appearance at Trident Booksellers and Cafe later that night to talk about Tomorrow I'll be Brave. Tomorrow I'll be Brave is a book that is uplifting, encouraging, and empowering. It talks about the possibilities that tomorrow can bring and encourages the best kids can be. A child can be curious, confident, brave, creative, and so much more.

You can find more information at the Tomorrow I'll Be Brave website. There is more information about the book as well as a book trailer :).

Zola's Elephant by Randall de Sève

Title: Zola's Elephant
Author: Randall de Sève
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date: October 9, 2018
Pages: 40
Source/format: ARC//The Horn Book

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

When Zola moves into the neighborhood, her new next-door neighbor is too shy to go over and introduce herself. Plus, Zola already has a friend to play with—an elephant!

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Zola's Elephant is such a fun and timeless book. The narrator is a kid meeting Zola for the very first time when Zola moves into town. Zola has an elephant friend who loves toast and hide and seek. At first the narrator describes Zola from far away but eventually befriends Zola. Seeing Zola interact with her elephant with other animals is comforting. There's a clubhouse where Zola relaxes, shares secrets and shares stories. The narrator is afraid that they cannot be friends with Zola because Zola has an elephant as a friend already. Randall de Sève shows how children are scared befriending others. It takes courage to step up and meet someone new. However, because Zola is new in town, befriending someone can help ease the anxiety for Zola since she doesn't know anyone in the new town she moved too.

Pamela Zagarenski uses muted colors and creates a lot of textures within the illustrations. The brush strokes creates a nice backdrop for the story. Some pops of color such as yellow and red adds some warmth to the paintings. The scattered stars throughout the picture book adds a sense of whimsy. Throughout the book, the illustrator has the same small rocking horse and yellow bird hidden through multiple pages. Teapots and teacups are also very prominent on most pages. This acts sort of a Where's Waldo finding game which can be fun for kids. Circles and rectangles are popular shapes that decorate the pages. The rectangles create a patchwork look to the houses and moving boxes.

Overall, Zola's Elephant is a visually pleasing and fun multi-purpose book. Children get to explore different feelings when meeting someone new and it also addresses kids' imaginations. This timeless and whimsical book is perfect for those who want to read about friendship and befriending others. 

Top Ten Favorite Picture Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten Tuesday asks bloggers post about all about the visuals. I decided to showcase my top ten favorite picture books. Many of these books, except the first two, are longtime favorites since I was a child. My mother frequently read me stories and I learned to read a lot of books. I remember reading many of these picture books countless of times. The following titles are in no particular order.

1. Olivia by Ian Falconer has been one of my favorite more modern day picture books. I fell in love with everything Olivia back in the early 2000s. I even sported a metal Olivia lunchbox when I was a senior in high school. No shame in that.

2. Little Elliot, Big City by Mike Curato is one of my favorite picture book series. Curato creates a timeless picture book for readers of all ages. The art and the storyline are perfection. Although Elliot may be small in the big city, he meets a friend who helps him through the challenges of New York City.

3. Corduroy by Don Freeman has a children's classic. Who doesn't want to read about a bear who is missing a button and finally finds a home? Also, when Corduroy finds a home, he also finds a friend.

4. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is one of the very few picture books that depicts a person of color that has been published many decades ago. It captures the magic of a snowy day and has been a favorite of many people.

5. If You Gave a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff is such a delightful book about how there are consequences for giving a curious mouse a cookie.

6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a fantastic book to learn counting and colors. It is very interactive and definitely a children's classic to be loved for many generations.

7. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson is a cute book about Harold who takes a walk in the moonlight and takes precautions to draw landmarks with a purple crayon so he won't get lost. I love how Harold has such a wild imagination during his journey.

8. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans is such a well known children's classic first published in 1939! I love how Madeline lives in Paris and I enjoy the simple rhymes. This is an excellent book for children who have to go to the hospital or the doctor's office since Madeline show them how to be brave.

9. Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister is a gorgeous picture book. Any kid who loves eye-catching foiling and glitter will love this book. The book teaches readers about how friendship is meaningful.

10. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown was one of my favorite bedtime stories. It is very fitting to read right before bed, especially when a little one is learning to sleep on their own. The rhyming and the repetition also helps them get into the bedtime routine.

What are some of your all time favorite picture books? Leave your comments below.

The Storybook Knight Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

I am so happy to be participating in The Storybook Knight Blog Tour! Thank you to Sourcebooks for this amazing opportunity to showcase a wonderful book. The Storybook Knight is full of adventure, magical creatures and gorgeous illustrations.

THE STORYBOOK KNIGHT (#storybookknight)

Storybook Knight landing page 

Allows you and your readers to join Leo’s Storybook Knights, pledge your allegiance and receive a certificate of membership, and download and share Twitter, Facebook and blog images.

Download an educator or activity kit

Title: The Storybook Knight
Author: Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Publication date: September 6, 2016
Pages: 32
Source/format: Finished copy from Publisher

Find it:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Indiebound

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Even dragons can’t resist a good story…

Even though Leo would rather sit at home and read, his parents send him out into the world in the hopes that Leo will become a famous knight. But when Leo comes up against the land’s most fearsome beasts, he soon discovers that scary monsters enjoy a good book as much as anyone…

M Y  T H O U G H T S

The Storybook Knight is about a mouse named Leo whose family wants him to be a famous knight. However, Leo loved reading books. Instead of violence he likes to solve things without confrontation. Throughout the story book, Leo goes on a journey to find a dragon to tame it. On the way he meets up with a griffin and a troll. The monsters try to attack him but he gives them books. Books with pictures of the griffin. Books with pictures of the troll. Both monsters accepts the book graciously. At last Leo encounters the mighty dragon but instead of fighting it, he is able to get the dragon help clean up the town and they both share books.

This children's picture book is a wonderful way to teach children that violence shouldn't be used. Being able to work things out with words is a much better way to deal with tough situations. Helen The Storybook Knight teaches children that reading is okay and it's a good thing. Books aren't bad. You can be brave and smart at the same time. You can be active and you can be a bookworm. Helen Docherty also teaches children that if they make a mess, they need to clean up after themselves. It was nice to show Leo sharing books with others. Sharing is caring after all.

This entertaining book has a wonderful rhyming scheme which makes this a quick picture book read. Thomas Docherty did an amazing job with the illustrations. I enjoyed the vivid watercolor characters and landscapes. Some of the pages also have an artistic theme of using circles and ovals which I thought was great in order to create a focal point. The cover art is matte except for the spot glossing for the title, the dragon and Leo the mouse. The gold foiling accents create a nice touch.

The Storybook Knight is a charming book for readers who are looking for adventure, creatures and those who just love books.

ABOUT HELEN DOCHERTY AND THOMAS DOCHERTY

Helen Docherty was born and grew up in a small town called Weymouth, on the south coast of England. Her family was from Wales, and she inherited from them a love of stories. As a child, she spent most of her time either reading or writing. From an early age she started making books with her own stories and pictures in them. Helen took this very seriously, and was quite determined that she would be a writer when she grew up (She knew she was never going to make it as a ballet dancer, athlete or pop star).

Website | Twitter

Thomas Docherty was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in England. He studied metalwork and sculpture and now has a collection of acclaimed picture books. Thomas has been short-listed for a variety of awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 for Little Boat.

Website | Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win an original sketch of Leo and Ned by illustrator, Thomas Docherty! Giveaway is provided by Sourcebooks.

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Max at Night Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Thank you Sourcebooks for this fantastic opportunity to showcase Max at Night via the Max at Night Blog Tour. I have had the pleasure to read Max the Brave in the past and I was ecstatic when I was asked to review Max at Night. Max is such an adorable cat and I know he will make many children and adults very happy with his curiosity and innocence.

MAX AT NIGHT (#maxatnight)

Title: Max at Night
Author: Ed Vere
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Publication date: September 1, 2016
Pages: 32
Source/format: Finished copy from Publisher

Find it:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Indiebound
Check out:
Max at Night landing page | Download the activity kit

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

This is Max. Max is very sleepy. It's way past Max's bedtime. Max has drunk his milk. Max has brushed his teeth. Max has cleaned behind his ears. Now Max just needs to say goodnight...
 
Max is tired and all ready for bed, but when he can't find the moon to say goodnight to, he sets out to find it. But that's not as easy as Max had hoped... Witty and heart-warming, this stylish and beautifully illustrated book is the perfect bedtime read.

 
M Y  T H O U G H T S

Max at Night is an adorable book about a cat named Max. This little black kitten is very sleepy and likes to say goodnight to everyone before he goes to bed. However, he cannot find the moon. Max searches high and low for the moon and can't find it. He needs to say goodnight to the moon before he goes to sleep.

This is a good bedtime book for young children who are getting into the bedtime routine. Not only does it teach children things like brushing their teeth and saying goodnight before they go to bed, it also shows them that if they want to achieve something, they will find it if they work hard. Max the wide-eyed cat is very curious and determined. He didn't give up when he wanted to find the moon.

With Max at Night, the illustrations are simple and easy to distinguish. The colors are vivid. Max's yellow eyes contrast well with his black body. Clever usage of white space is present in the picture book and I like the text placement. The matte book with the spot glossing for the title and Max is a nice touch.

Max at Night is a hybrid of Goodnight Moon and Max the Brave. If you're looking for a charming book about a cat saying goodnight or if you're just looking for a good bedtime picture book, definitely check out Max at Night! However, Max the Brave is still my favorite out of the two in the companion series.

ABOUT ED VERE

Ed Vere has been writing and illustrating children’s books since 1999. He is also a fine art painter and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. He lives in London.

For more information about Ed Vere, check out his social media platforms.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win an original sketch by author and illustrator Ed Vere and a copy of Max at Night! Giveaway is provided by Sourcebooks

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