Clevelanders: I’ll be signing “Pajama Diaries” and “Invisible Emmie” books Saturday, July 1 from 12-4 pm as part of Loganberry Books’ Author Alley event. This event is also part of the annual Larchmere Festival in Shaker Hts. Hope to see you!
EMMIE is selling fantastically, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. In celebration, I thought it would be fun to do a little post about my artistic process. I’ll even divide it into Parts 1 (Emmie art) and 2 (Katie art) for the sake of suspense. Below is an example of the evolution from sketches to full-blown book art, using some Emmie illustrations from pages 92 and 93.
First, I simply sketched the art in pencil on plain old computer paper. I tried to fit as many sketches as possible on one sheet.
Once the art was approved and ready to be polished up for the book, I drew it right on my digital drawing tablet (called a Cintiq). Here’s what the art looked like, all finished in black and white.
But that’s not all. My editor and I decided the book should be in full color. So…
Easy-peasy, right? WRONG. I had to do, like, hundreds of these. So as much fun as it was, it took forever. BUT I gave myself little goals, like completing a certain amount of chapter art per day. That helped so I wasn’t overwhelmed. And eventually, it all got done in time.
Stay tuned for some Katie art. In the meantime — if you haven’t already — go buy the book! And enjoy.
Here’s a really nice interview about Invisible Emmie with author, editor, and blogger, Deborah Kalb.
Enjoy!
Very nice review by Horn Book. Had to censor part of it due to spoilers, but pretty cool!
On Tuesday, June 13, I’ll be signing copies of Invisible Emmie at the Crocker Park Barnes & Noble in Westlake, OH from 11 am – 1 pm. Hope to see you there! More info here.
Locals! I have another book signing event coming up. I’ll be at Appletree Books in Cleveland Hts on Thurs, June 1, from 7-8 pm. Great bookstore, great location (stop by after you chow down at Vero or Barrio). Buy a copy of Invisible Emmie, or bring one you’ve already purchased. Hope to see you there!
I just had to add this heartwarming video review by a wonderful young vlogger named Brooke. She made me tear up! This is a condensed version only showing her IE review (of the advance copy, which is in black & white). There is also a link on the site for the entire video.
So here’s something cool: Invisible Emmie has been picked up (so far) by 14 different publishers around the globe. The UK edition came out at the same time as the North American edition (and looks similar). Here are 3 more that are on their way next! The German, French (look at that unique design, which I love) and Spanish covers are shown above. It’s interesting the way each publisher anticipates how its young readers will be drawn in (The German publisher was very adamant about having a teal cover). My only hope is that readers all over the world will ultimately enjoy Emmie.
I’m hitting the road for an Invisible Emmie book tour next week! And because I love the midwest, that’s where I’ll be. 10 presentations in 5 days! I’m trying not to think too hard about the math. I’ll be speaking at middle and elementary schools in Cincinnati, OH, Mount Vernon, OH, and Kalamazoo, MI. Then it’s back to Cleveland for the launch party & signing.
There is one public speaking event at the Bookbug bookstore in Kalamazoo, MI, so if you Michiganians (and your friends/families) can make it there, I’d love to see you.
This is a very fun, informative podcast by the excellent hosts, Tom Racine and Lucas Turnbloom. We cover everything from cartooning, to Invisible Emmie, to Italian Renaissance art, to Star Wars. Very entertaining! Click here to listen.