Pirasaurs!, Illus. by Michael Slack, and Mary Had a Little Glam, Illus. by Vanessa Newton, Make 2016 Best In Rhyme List

February 1, 2017

Angie Karcher, a children’s author and blogger, has nominated her top ten rhyming children’s books for 2016, and two books illustrated by our artists made the cut. Pirasaurs!, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Michael Slack, tells in rhyme the story of a tiny piratical dinosaur. Mary Had a Little Glam, written by Tammy Sauer and illustrated by Vanessa B Newton, takes the story and rhyme scheme of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and retells it as a story of a fashionable little girl and her attempts to glamorize her classmates. Both have been praised for their fun story and playful rhymes as well as their bright, energetic illustrations.

The final award announcements will be streaming on KidLitTV February 12th at 8 pm ET. Make sure to check it out!

The full list of rhyming winners can be found on Angie Karcher’s blog here. Pirasaurs! can be purchased here and Mary Had a Little Glam here.

Michael Slack Reading Pirasaurs! at Bel and Bunna Bookstore This Weekend

September 16, 2016

This weekend is Speak Like a Pirate weekend at Bel and Bunna’s bookstore in Lafayette, CA, so of course you can find Michael Slack and the Pirasaurs there this weekend (9/17-18). Michael will do a reading and signing of his new picture book, Pirasaurs!, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Michael. He’ll also do drawings and, obviously, he’ll speak like a pirate. He’ll be at Bel and Bunna’s from 11 am to 2 pm, so be sure to drop by if you’re in the area!

You can read more about the event on Bel and Bunna’s website. Pirasaurs! can be ordered online here.

School Library Journal Praises Pirasaurs!, illus. by Michael Slack

September 8, 2016

In their September issue, the School Library Journal reviewed the recently released picture book, Pirasaurs!, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Michael Slack. Pirasaurs! is the story of  the youngest recruit on a pirate ship that is, of course, run by dinosaurs. The School Library Journal praised the rhyming prose and wrote that Michael Slack’s “Angular and toothily aggressive depictions of the pirasaur crew bring the digital cartoons to life.” All together, they call it, “A rip-roaring read-aloud for storytime or small group sharing.”

You can order Pirasaurs! online here.

Michael Slack Interviewed on Podcast All The Wonders

August 4, 2016

Illustrator Michael Slack‘s latest work is the picture book Pirasaurs!, which tells the tale of a crew of pirates that are also dinosaurs, and their tiniest new recruit. Pirasaurs! doesn’t come out until August 29th, but until then you can listen to his interview on the podcast All the Wonders, in which he discusses his inspirations, art, and how he comes up with his characters. Plus, look out for the pirasaurs to commandeer popular book blogs leading up to the book release. They’ll be featured in specially created gifs on selected blogs.

Preorder Pirasaurs! here.

Pirasaurs!, illus. by Michael Slack, Receives Praise from Publisher’s Weekly

June 8, 2016

Pirasaurs!, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Michael Slack, is, of course, a picture book about dinosaurs who are also pirates! In this energetic new picture book, it’s up to the smallest and newest recruit of a pirate crew to save the day when the crew conflicts with another pirate crew. Publisher’s Weekly praised Pirasaurs!, complimenting the rollicking rhyming text and Michael’s illustrations. They write, “Slack’s…richly textured digital artwork may, in this context, bring to mind images painted on a ship’s deck. His hero is adorable and appropriately child-like, while the toothy, bug-eyed crew is fiercely funny.”

You can read the full review on Publisher Weekly’s site here. Pirasaurs! isn’t coming out until August 30th, but you can preorder it online here.

Watch NYPL librarians read Elise Gravel’s The Cranky Ballerina on Facebook Live!

February, 5, 2018

Last week, the New York Public Library hosted a Facebook Live video for World Read Aloud Day, and The Cranky Ballerina by Elise Gravel was one of the 6 books included! Click here to watch a recording of this special event, where Gravel’s book is read at about 26 minutes in.

Interview with Elise Gravel About The Cranky Ballerina

August 2, 2016

Picture book author/illustrator Elise Gravel‘s upcoming picture book, The Cranky Ballerina, is attracting lots of positive reviews and attention. Recently, Elise was interviewed by picture book themed website, Picture Book Builders. Elise discusses her own experiences with ballet, the inspirations behind The Cranky Ballerina and it’s characters, and how she chooses the trademark bright, fun colors in her illustrations. You can check out the full interview for yourself here!

The Cranky Ballerina can be pre-ordered online here. It will be released August 9th!

Another Great Review for Elise Gravel’s The Cranky Ballerina

July 6, 2016

Quill and Quire wrote a wonderful review for Elise Gravel‘s upcoming picture book, The Cranky Ballerina, coming out August 9th. Quill and Quire complimented Elise’s “fun, expressive illustrations,” humor, and the valuable life lessons about kindness and failure. They write that “By following Ada’s story, [readers will] also learn that sometimes failing at one thing just means they might end up being exceptionally good at something they haven’t tried yet.”

You can read the full review here.

Elise Gravel’s new picture book, The Cranky Ballerina, Praised by The School Library Journal

July 1, 2016

The Cranky Ballerina, Elise Gravel‘s upcoming picture book, was recently reviewed by the School Library Journal. The Cranky Ballerina tells the story of Ada, a little girl who hates her ballet lessons and would much rather learn karate. The School Library Journal praised Elise’s complex portrayal of her character, pointing out that Ada’s grumpiness is not merely for humor but is due to her frustration. They write, “This book will resonate with children, especially those who have yet to channel their misunderstood talents.” They also praise Elise’s humor and the illustrations in her signature style and call The Cranky Ballerina, “A noteworthy addition for most collections.”

Great Review for Elise Grave’s Upcoming The Cranky Ballerina

June 8, 2016

Elise Gravel‘s newest picture book, The Cranky Ballerina, will be coming out this upcoming August, but it already has great reviews coming in. The Cranky Ballerina tells the story of Ada, a little girl who would much rather cause some good old chaos than dance in a tutu. Publisher’s Weekly praised Gravel’s humor and expressive illustrations, as well as the moral of the story. “Gravel is clearly not in the camp that believes that “quitters never win.” Instead, she suggests…why not channel your energy into something you actually enjoy?”

To read the full review, follow this link. You can pre-order The Cranky Ballerina here.