Here comes the SUN....

To celebrate being part of this fabulous blog tour Little Sniffer and I decided to make a picnic tea inspired by some of the things we spotted in Sun the latest seasonal delight from illustrator and author Sam Usher. 

The first little chap to catch our eye was the charming little green parrot on the front cover. With his delightful green plumage and perky yellow beak he leant himself perfectly to a fabulously fruity Crudités creation!

We collected together as many different coloured fruits and vegetables as we could find and made this technicolour treat! complete with mango beak, pepper plumage, a nectarine tummy, apple face and a tiny black bean for an eye, as you can see he's perched quite magnificently on a strange branch of basil. Mini Sniffers verdict, a BIG thumbs up. 

And now for something a bit more substantial!

Next to catch our eye this groovy looking chimp. Immediately we had a "Monkey Bun" in mind. So we set to work chopping snipping and shaping all of our favourite  ingredients and fashioning them in to what I think you will agree is a rather marvellous looking sandwich! 

We forgot to make a bow tie! 

Olives for nostrils, eggs for eyes (with obligatory black bean pupils) BIG green cucumber ears, a pepper mouth with a goofy ham tongue.... all in all quite unexpectedly delicious. 

Now for Little Monkey's favourite part of any meal, picnic or otherwise. 

Time of pudding! We were quite taken by the magnificent glittering sandcastle on the cover and Little Sniffer is unusually partial to jelly so we made a passionfruit jelly pot complete with sand made from crunched up biscuits. 

I hardly had time to photograph this particular component of our picnic as it was gobble up in a flash.  

REVIEW 

We have always been huge fans of this beautifully illustrated series of picture books, first the wintery delight which was Snow, then the atmospheric triumph which was Rain and now a scorching celebration of sunshine Sun. 

            

                                     

Sun is nothing short of a triumph, beaming with illustrative charm and unashamedly revelling in traditional storytelling with nothing but joy and adventure at it's core. I always delight in the beautiful intuitive depiction of the relationship between a boy and his grandfather in these books and this one in particular radiates love and friendship at it's most pure. The gentle evolution of the story is told so cleverly by at first the most subtle of detail, gently unfolding as heat parched landscapes dominate the pages. You'll never guess who boy and his grandfather unexpectedly chance upon. 

Hold on to your sun hats the almost unbelievable adventure which is about to unfold...

BUY A COPY HERE 

FOLLOW SAM ON TWITTER 

CHECK OUT THE OTHER STOPS WITH OUR BLOGGER CHUMS 

FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. 

I have long been a fan of Helen Hancock's deliciously vibrant painterly illustrations so when Ella Arrived in all her suave and sophisticated beauty I was, as you can imagine Agog.

"Ella Fitzgerald sang the blues and she sang them good. Ella and her fellas were on the way up! It seemed like nothing could stop her, until the biggest club in town refused to let her play… and all because of her colour. But when all hope seemed lost, little did Ella imagine that a Hollywood star would step in to help.
The inspiring, true story of how a remarkable friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe was born – and how they worked together to overcome prejudice and adversity."

Instantly transported back to a golden age of glamour and smooth ear melting Jazz I was drawn in to what I had assumed was a straight forward biographical story, this was more so much more. At times It's an at times desperate tale of a struggling Ella yet to reach the dizzying success she was destined to reach. Denied access to perform at numerous clubs and bars due to her ethnicity things were't looking hopeful for Ella and her band. 

Enter Marilyn Monroe perhaps the most iconic movie star of all time who as a friend and fan steps in to support Ella and in times of segregation and struggle and together helped bring Ella's music to the masses elevating her to her rightful position as The First Lady of Song. Winning many many awards along the way and treasuring the friendship that never wavered Ella and Marilyn proved you can achieve anything with good fiends there to support you. 

Ella Queen of Jazz published by Francis Lincoln takes centre stage in book shops across the country next week (Or now if you are reading this next week, there's a buy-it link on the right if you would like to grab a copy!) 

WELCOME the delectable HELEN HANCOCKS 

We were incredibly privileged to be able to welcome Helen and her stunning sketch books to the London branch of Book Sniffer Towers yesterday so here for your delectation and delight are a few tantalising photos from the time we spent ruffling through original artwork, sketches and pallet sheets from Ella Queen of Jazz...

Helen creates all her artwork in single pieces painted using rich gauche paints, these are then scanned or photographed, as you can see Helens passion and talent pours out on to the page in bucket loads and this is clear to see when you turn the pages of this lavish picture book.   

Follow Helen on Twitter @helenhancocks 

You can also visit her website and shop here http://www.helenhancocks.com 

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You can watch our interview with Helen here... Ignore my double chin and focus of Helens gorgeous little face and all the cakes! 

Cakes Cakes Cakes Cakes.... 

And there's more... 

Helen recently spent 3 months in America where she sampled over 100 different cakes! she is now fastidiously illustrating each one! 

You'll find out which is her favourite in the Vlog... In celebration of Helen's passion for patisserie we treated ourselves to a huge plate of cupcakes and vanilla filled doughnuts... You're welcome. 

AS ALWAYS a HUGE Thank you to my side kick and partner in crime Mr Steven Lenton... Who happens to have a new website! 

stevenlenton.com 

LOT'S - A day in the life of illustrator Marc Martin

Lots

By Marc Martin

Published by Big Picture Press

£12.99

We absolutely adore this unique whistle-stop exploration of the world! Hours were spent uncovering some of our wonderful worlds most magnificent and mind-boggling secrets. An inspiring read for the young and curious. An essential addition to every bookshelf be it home, school or library. An illustrative masterpiece created with unbridled passion and enthusiasm. 

WELCOMING 
MARC MARTIN 
to Book Sniffer Towers

A day in the life... 

A typical day for me involves a mix of computer work and hands-on illustration. I’ll spare you all my pre-morning coffee photos and get straight to the good stuff. The majority of the time I’ll ride to the studio (about 30 minutes away), but if it’s raining or if I’m feeling lazy, I might catch the train in. 

I find riding to and from work is a great way for me de-stress and enjoy the outdoors. Here’s a picture of the bridge I ride across most days. Don’t look down:

I share a studio space with about 15 other people. There’s a mix of photographers, designers, artists and writers all working from the space at various times. Our studio above a tyre shop:

This is my desk… you can tell I’ve been at my current studio about for about 7 years because, yes, there’s a lot of junk. It’s funny because at home I’m very neat and minimalist, but in the studio I’m pretty messy. 

Having a studio so close to the city means there’s plenty of food and drink options close by. I’ll usually grab a coffee (and try to resist getting a chocolate brownie) from our local cafe across the road before getting stuck into work:

While I’m sipping a coffee I’ll usually sit down and go through my emails. I like to try and get all my admin and emails sorted as early as possible so I’ve got the rest of the day to focus on illustration. Because I spend a lot of time at my desk, I’ve built myself a standing desk with a high stool so my back gets a bit of relief from being hunched over all day (commonly known as 'illustrators back’ amongst illustrators!) - this also gives me the option of sitting (often when I’m typing emails), or standing. I use the smaller desk on the right for computer work, and the larger desk on the left for illustration.

Some of the tools I use for illustrating - pencils, gouache, watercolours, hair dryer (for drying paint fast)!

One the best things about having a studio is being around people and feeling like you’re actually ‘at work'. During lunch I’ll usually sit down at the communal table and chat with other studio members. Looks like no one wants to talk to me today

One of the worst things about the studio - the communal fridge. BEWARE! A place where leftovers and bananas go to die

Back at my desk, if I ever need a little bit of inspiration, I might consult my poorly ordered library. Note, I definitely don’t use the Dewey decimal system

Most days are mix of illustration for larger projects or books, and maybe some smaller jobs on the side

The thing I love about being an illustrator is having the freedom to explore my ideas. It’s a rewarding profession that challenges me to keep progressing and find new ways to tell stories

With HUGE thanks to Marc for taking the time to help us with this post and to the kind folk at Big Picture Press (especially Antonia). 

Don't forget to pop over to Book Lover Jo for the next stop on the LOT'S blog tour : ) 

The Liszts by Kyo MacLear and Júlia Sardà

The Liszts by Kyo MacLear and Júlia Sardà and is one of the most intensely intriguing books to appear on my shelf in ever such a long time, the mysterious jewel-like cover reveals a deliciously dark  hauntingly insular family of avid list makers. 

From David Bowie songs to winged insects and exotic illnesses, everything but everything is meticulously added to each family members preferred list..... that is until a strange unexpected visitor arrives one day, un-noticed by most of the family but embraced by the youngest. A prophetic message about living in the moment and emerging yourself in life. 

The uniquely sophisticated illustrations demand to be poured over as if the reader were observing the story unfolding through a crack in the doorway. 

Celebrating the joy of spontaneity 

The Liszts is utter perfection and a classic in every sense. 

WIN A COPY! 

Win a copy of one of this year’s most unique and 

spellbinding picture books, 

The Liszts by Kyo Maclear and Júlia Sardà!

So, what can you do to win a copy of this stunning book? Well, we want to see your lists! Specifically, a list of things that bring you joy!

The Liszts make lists of things both usual and unusual, like lists of fun things to do, dreaded chores and the greatest football players of all time. Your list can be as short or as long as you like, but you’ve got to get creative.

Share your list of things that make you happy on Twitter with the hashtag #TheLiszts and don’t forget to tag @maybeswabey!

This competition is UK only and will close on 15^th December 2016, after which three winners will be chosen.

With HUGE thanks to Harriet at Andersen Press for helping to organise this fabulous competition! 

Find out more about illustrator Júlia Sardà  HERE 

Find out more about author Kyo MacLear HERE 

Kyo Maclear is a self-professed spork—her father is British and her mother is Japanese. She was born in England, but moved to Canada at a young age. Spork, the story of a mixed kitchen utensil and Kyo’s debut book for children, was originally conceived with her husband to celebrate the birth of their first child. Kyo now resides in Toronto where she shares a home with two sons, two cats, a musician and a truckload of books.

In addition to writing for children, Kyo is also a novelist and widely published essayist. She is a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada; the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP); the Canadian Children’s Book Centre; IBBY-Canada; and the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment. She is represented by Jackie Kaiser of Westwood Creative Artists.