A year in books
By Cathy Olmedillas
Hello! I’m Cathy, the founder of the happy mag for kids, Anorak Magazine.
I am a huge fan of books, reading and illustrations, and have been since I was a child.
Even after five years of publishing Anorak (a lifetime in independent publishing!), I still get a huge thrill every time I see our stories brought to life by one of our very talented drawing friends. At Anorak, we work with young and more established illustrators, and it never ceases to amaze me how much talent is out there.
Here’s some of the new talent whose work I particularly love:
Romans v Dinosaurs on Mars by Nikalas Catlow & Tim Wesson
You can tell the authors have had a great time making this book because it is really funny. What I also love about it is that it is interactive so the readers can add their own drawings and finish chapters. They can colour it in if they like, and to me, that’s lovely because it’s not only fun but it also extends the life of the book.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Not exactly the newest kid on the block, but nonetheless too brilliant for me not to mention. I love everything about this series, the tone, the fact that it is a diary, the humour and the stick-man illustrations that pepper the book. We have read all of them and the only negative point for me is that they don’t come out fast enough!
Draw In: A peek into sketchbooks by Julia Rothman
Less for kids but more for anyone who enjoys illustrations, this book showcases various young artists’ sketchbooks. It’s a joy to see these doodles, burgeoning ideas and sketches as it makes me even more appreciative of the process (and trial and error) that goes behind drawing. Inspiring! I’d also recommend The Exquisite Book, also by Julia Rothman, where she invited 100 artists to contribute to one page of the book. Beautiful!
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
I first discovered the artist Oliver Jeffers with this book, which is one of the loveliest picture books written. It is about a boy who quite literally devours books and becomes smarter and smarter. Since then, Oliver has produced other gems such as the Heart and the Bottle, Lost & Found and Stuck. He is amazing at telling stories that are full of emotions and tap into what it is truly like to be a kid. A delight!
Faces by Goodman Miller
What a wonderfully fun yet simple idea: make faces using everyday objects. I love this book because it taps into its readers’ imagination and makes you look at mundane objects in a different light. This hugely inspires me to write stories about angry tea-pots or happy postboxes!
If these are Cathy's picks of 2011, who are your top children’s illustrators and writers to look out for in 2012? Let us know your top tips in the comment box below!