A Diverse group of award-winning illustrators & authors creating across many industries.
Mar
02

Stephen Costanza’s King of Ragtime is featured in a video for Black Children’s Book Week

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0

King of Ragtime (Simon & Schuster) by Stephen Costanza is one of the books featured in the Black Children’s Book Week Read Aloud. Veronica N. Chapman, founder of Black Baby Books, launched the first annual Black Children’s Book Week, a week to extend Black History Month and celebrate Black children and the Black-authored books that represent them. The pre-recorded real aloud of the book features award-winning educator Jashonai Payne, with a performance of some of Scott Joplin’s compositions by award-winning pianist, Gil Scott Chapman!

See the video here

Get the book here

Feb
23

London Ladd featured on Spectrum News!

by Claire Easton in Uncategorized Comments: 0

London Ladd is featured in a spot on Spectrum News in Syracuse, New York. In the spot, London talks about his art, background and inspirations, while working on a portrait of James Baldwin. In the accompanying article London is quoted as saying “I want the colors to speak. The body language. The glimmer of the eye,” says Ladd. “I’m extremely excited about the direction of where I am going. The projects that I am doing now. They feel much more a part of my heart.”

See the spot and read the article here

Feb
16

Like a Dandelion by Huy Voun Lee, King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza and Born Ready illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow selected as CCBC Choices 2022!

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0

Like a Dandelion (HarperCollins) by Huy Voun Lee, King of Ragtime (Simon & Schuster) by Stephen Costanza and Born Ready (Crown) by Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow have been selected as CCBC Choices 2022. CCBC Choices is a best-of-the-year list created annually by the librarians of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.

See the full list here

Get Like a Dandelion here

Get King of Ragtime here

Get Born Ready here

Feb
14

Let’s Be Friends/Seamos amigos, illustrated by Nomar Perez named to Tejas Star Reading List for 2022-2023!

by Claire Easton in Represents, Uncategorized Comments: 0

Let’s Be Friends/Seamos amigos (Holiday House) by René Colato Laínez, illustrated by Nomar Perez, has been named to Tejas Star Reading List for 2022-2023!

The Tejas Star Reading List (TSRL) provides a recommended reading list to encourage children ages 5-12 to explore multicultural books and to discover the cognitive and economic benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism. The Tejas Star Reading List is intended for recreational reading, not to support a specific curriculum.

Congratulations Nomar!

See the full list here

Get the book here

 

Feb
10

School Library Journal Gives a Star to Elise Gravel’s Pink, Blue and You!

by Claire Easton in Represents, Uncategorized Comments: 0

School Library Journal has given a starred review to Pink, Blue, and You!: Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes (Random/Anne Schwartz) by Elise Gravel with Mykaell Blais (text) & illus. by Elise Gravel. See the review below.

PreS-Gr 2–In her signature style, Gravel (What Is a Refugee??” and others) and Blais provide an accessible introduction to gender and gender stereotypes. Beginning with smart, open-ended questions, the authors challenge readers to think about gender stereotypes, why they exist, and if they are true or fair. The book progresses to an overview of sex versus gender, complete with helpful visual aids, an exploration of pronouns, and ultimately, a few examples of how gender is treated in different communities. At each step, the authors ask readers what they think and how they feel. This engagement, coupled with the accessible presentation of the material, makes for an excellent resource. The folks depicted throughout vary in appearance, and include many skin tones, ages, and family structures. A few folks wear hijabs, and two others use wheelchairs. Gravel’s illustrative style is wildly appealing, and the comic-style presentation helps to endear the book to readers. A slight weakness is the homogeneity of illustrated body type, though this is not enough to diminish the book’s overall value.

VERDICT Thoughtful, engaging, and visually bright, this is an excellent addition to any library serving preschool and early elementary ages.

Pink, Blue and You! will be published in March 2022. Pre-order it here

 

Feb
08

Born Ready, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow selected for the 2022 KNEA Reading Circle Recommended List!

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0

Born Ready (Crown) by Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, has been selected for the 2022 KNEA Reading Circle Recommended List in the Primary category. Each spring, the newest list is published and sent at no cost to every school in the state of Kansas as a service of the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA). School library media specialists across the state use this catalog as a respected, dependable tool for evaluating and selecting new reading material for purchase. Additionally, educators and librarians from more than 20 other states access this recommended list online.

Get the book here

 

Feb
07

A Greenlight for Season 3 of Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, based on the Binky graphic novels by Ashley Spires

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0

Nelvana and Discovery Kids has given the greenlight to a third season of Redknot’s Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe. The hit animated preschool series airs in Canada on Treehouse, and is based on the best-selling Binky Adventure graphic novels (Kids Can Press) by Ashley Spires.

Read the full press release here

Get the Binky Graphic Novels here

Feb
03

Stitch by Stitch by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon selected as a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book!

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0

Stitch By Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Sews Her Way to Freedom (Holiday House) by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, has been selected as a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book!

The Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People is an annual project of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the CBC running since 1972. The selection committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text.

Congratulations Connie and Liz!

See the full list here

Get the book here

 

Jan
28

Several books illustrated by Painted Words artists named to the 2022 Booklist from Rise: A Feminist Book Project

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0
Jan
28

Arlo and Pips is on ALA’s Top 10 list of 2021 Best Graphic Novels for Children

by Claire Easton in Represents Comments: 0
The Arlo and Pips series (Harper Alley) by Elise Gravel (Arlo and Pips: King of the Birds and Arlo and Pips: Join the Crow Crowd)has made the top 10 on The ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table 2021 list of Best Graphic Novels for Children.In addition, The Bug Club (Drawn and Quarterly) also by Elise Gravel,  Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite (Kids Can Press) by Ashley Spires, and Big Apple Diaries (MacMillan) by Alyssa Bermudez are included on the full list.
Congratulations Elise, Ashley and Alyssa!
See the full list here