HEY, WATER! by Antoinette Portis
Coming in March from Neal Porter Books / Holiday House
*”Portis’s main text is spare and accessible, with occasional, effective use of figurative language . . . The many permutations of water…are the focus of the crisp, uncluttered, primarily aqua-colored illustrations; when we do see Zoe, she’s delighting in water. ‘Hey, water, thank you!’ she says on the final page while playing in the bathtub. The story’s ending segues easily to back matter that includes a note on conserving water as well as a note on water forms and a simple diagram of the water cycle.” —The Horn Book Magazine, starred
“…a lively celebration with enough factuality to be thought-provoking for youngsters just learning about earth science and conservation. A closing page summarizes the three different forms of water, and a diagram illustrates the water cycle; additional end matter advocates for the conservation of water and provides a bibliography for additional research.”
–Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
Portis’ NOW is featured in Heart-Warming Picture Books Kids Will Love.
Portis’ NOT A BOX (HarperCollins) has been selected as Pennsylvania’s 2019 pick for the
One Book, Every Young Child initiative.
Check out the inspirational interview on Antoinette’s path to publishing
featured on the blog at ONLY PICTURE BOOKS:
“A good picture book is a spy. It’s sneaking meaning into your life without you noticing.
RVC: Three words that sum up what a great picture is/does.
AP: Says something true about being a human being.
I’m going past three words here, but it’s important–a picture book isn’t didactic but rather something that tick‐tick‐ticks in the back of your mind like a time‐release capsule. It unfolds in your thought and moves you in some way. It makes you feel connected to your own humanity, and maybe makes you able to see your own behavior in a way that resonates for you. And maybe even changes you a tiny bit.”
— A Portis
Kwame Alexander’s HOW TO READ A BOOK (Harper Collins / illus. Melissa Sweet) is included in
ScopeNotes’ How to Do Just About Everything in 2019
COUNTING ON KATHERINE
Illus. by Dow Phumiruk
(Macmillan /Becker)
is featured on the
2019 ILA Notable Books for a Global Society list.
as well as a
and included in the
Cover reveal of Ta-Nehishi Coates forthcoming novel,
THE WATER DANCER (Sept. 2019 / One World) painted by Calida Garcia Rawles
—featured in the NYT:
“In late 2017, during a visit to Rawles’s studio in Los Angeles, Coates saw some of her recent work: photo-like paintings of black women, men and children floating or swimming in a pool. He had not yet finished his novel, but he knew it would deal with water as a central theme, so he asked Rawles — somewhat shyly, in her telling — whether she might be interested in trying her hand at the cover art…
Coates was touched when he first saw the cover illustration…
‘I wanted to cry,’ he said.” —NYT
Cover Reveal —Illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell–
of TINY MONKEY ON THE BIG BLUE EARTH
(Amicus / Christie) coming Sept. 2019.
Speaking of Coming Attractions…
PINKY GOT OUT! (Crown) by Michael Portis:
“(In) Michael Portis’ debut picture book … children on a field trip to the zoo follow the antics of Pinky the escapee flamingo … young children will enjoy spotting the titular flamingo.” KIRKUS
Michael Paul’s CHOMP (upcoming from Crown) … a companion volume to ROAR
“A gallery of shark shapes and sizes, attitudes and appetites.
Bright … visually striking … colorful and inviting illustrations.”
On Sale Calendar/ May 2019
And check out the cool banner from Shelf Awareness!
FALL 2019 PW Sneak Preview
THE SUPERLATIVE A. LINCOLN debut picture book by Eileen R. Meyer / Illus. by David Szalay,
with poems expressing the exceptional nature of the 16th president. (Charlesbridge)
UNDER THE BROKEN SKY, a middle grade novel-in-verse
by award-winning Mariko Nagai,
about a Japanese orphan’s time in Soviet-occupied rural Manchuria during WWII.
(Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt / Macmillan)
THE CROSSOVER Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, adapting Alexander’s Newbery-winning novel (HMH)
