Favourites

Where You Came From is in some very nice company on a Favourite Books of 2011 list over at Say Yes to Hoboken.

Little Literati

I did a little Q & A over at Heather Bergman's Little Literati blog the other day.

Among other things, I talked about one of my favourite books from when I was small:  Look Out the Window by Joan Walsh Anglund.

You can see it here and if you read on it is followed by one with the wonderful Shaun Tan.  He quite eloquently answers a question I tried to address with a class a few weeks ago:

WHERE do you think technology is taking the picture book?

I'm not sure. I think the traditional picture book will remain relatively unchanged, but you'll have new narrative forms growing up around it, not unlike the relationship between theatre and film, radio and TV, painting and photography. While I could see e-books potentially eclipsing paper-back novels, the same is not true for picture books, because they are already carefully made objects, where format, printing, physical design and texture are inherently critical elements, and not easily substituted. What you'll find is that those stories and concepts better suited to a digital medium will move across. It may even mean more attention to the production quality of paper books, given they have to 'justify' their non-digital form.

Yeah!  What he said.

Influences

There's an interview with Julie Morstad up at VM where she talks about her work, her work-life balance and her influences:

I have always been inspired by the illustrations in children’s books. Some of my favorites are Mary Blair, Gyo Fujikawa, Alice and Martin Provensen, Barbara Cooney, Tove Jannson, Bruno Munari, and of course, Maurice Sendak. My daughter is named after his character, Ida, in Outside Over There.


That's where the darling Ida got her name!  Of course!

I'd love to hear about other babies named for picture book characters.

Vancouver Launch

We had an early celebration for the new book in Vancouver this month and those who came out were able to score advance copies of the book (expected to hit stores soon).  It was a fabulous time and I want to say thanks to all who came out and especially to all those who made it possible.

Quill & Quire

Review for the new book, When I Was Small up at Quill & Quire.

The dreamy quality of both text and image gives the book a slightly low-energy feel, but it may be the perfect thing for a kid who is just a little quiet, a little shy, but still inquisitive – a child not unlike Henry. The result is a perfect antidote for parents whose retinas have been scorched by too much Dora the Explorer.

Birds, Bees, Bloggers

Rounding up some of the blog reviews for Where You Came From.

Isn't Say Yes to Hoboken a great name for a blog?

And here's what blog creator, Liz Stanley has to say about Where You Came From:

I'd highly recommend it for a young child or toddler whose too young for the real birds and bees talk. A friend recommended it to us a year ago and I still can't get through it without tearing up a little bit. It's so sweet. 

Chapter Forty out of South Australia has this to say:

We are really loving the book 'Where you came from' by Sara O'Leary. It deals with that dreaded childhood question "Where did I come from?' with imagination, humour, and poignancy. The illustrations are also very engaging and delicate.

And Julie Sparrow Carson wrote on her Bundle blog:

Hmmmm…such a persistant question and such an awkward one to answer. This fanciful book makes a great big-brother big-sister gift.

Bundle is a cloth diaper service in Boulder, Colarado.  I do love the interwebs.


Scout Magazine (out of my one-time hometown of Vancouver) writes:

The second collaborative work from the author/illustrator team of Montreal based Sara O’Leary and Vancouver artist Julie Morstad, Where You Came From adopts a playful approach to answering the inevitable question: Where did I come from? Rather than glossing over the question with a hopeful “Well, um… er… hey, lets see what’s on t.v., shall we?” Henry’s parents come up with a myriad of beautiful and entertaining alternatives to the too graphic, and likely premature, truth. Julie Morstad (one of my absolute favourite Vancouver artists) provides amazing artwork for this sweet story. 

Also pleased to note that Babble names the book one of their top ten picks for toddlers.

Praise from the marvellous Dooce:

Many readers have sent me books to help with explaining to Leta how the baby got inside my tummy, and this book, Where You Came From by Sara O'Leary, is one of my favorites. Inside there are no cows humping other cows or pictures of sperm swimming toward a woman's ovaries, and instead there are playful illustrations depicting possible explanations, like a baby in a sale bin at the grocery store or parachuting from a spaceship. I love the answer at the end, and I won't give it away, but I think it's perfect for beginning the discussion with a four-year-old.

Librarian's Pick

When You Were Small is a librarian's pick at the Homeschool Co-op.

It’s just the right amount of silly.  ”When you were small, we used to give you baths in the teapot.”  ”When you were small, we let you sleep in one of my slippers. The left one.”

It’s lyrical.  Each page starts the same way, and has the same lovely cadence and rhythm.  ”When you were small…”

It’s beautiful.  The binding is lovely.  The book has a matte finish, with lovely muted colours.  It could be on display in a fancy home.  It could live on your coffee table.

It has a great ending.  ”Don’t you remember?”  Henry’s father replies.

It doesn’t belong on a coffee table.  It belongs on a bedside table.  Kid’s or parent’s.

Bloggers Know Best

Rounding up some of the more recent blog reviews of When You Were Small...

Irene Hoofs at  Bloesem Kids writes:

Sara O'Leary's witty text would stand well on its own, however the beautiful illustrations by Julie Morstad compliment the book terribly well and take the writing to a whole new level.  A perfect marriage of minimal text and delicate image, both so simple and yet so good, this books warms my heart and puts a smile on my face every time I read it!

And here's a write-up that has me walking on sunshine, by Katie at My Mama's Goodnight:

Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad may be the finest writer/illustrator team since Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. Their utterly lovely book, “When You Were Small”, is a feast of words and pictures the likes of which I have not seen in some time. Henry is a little boy who, like most children, likes to hear about when he was small. So, his loving father, with a penchant for exaggeration and wit, spins tales of Henry’s infancy when he could sleep in his father’s left slipper and bathe in a teapot. The whimsy with which O’Leary’s words spill forth is perfectly matched by Morstad’s gorgeous drawings. This is a match (and a book) made in Heaven. I would recommend reading it every night…right after your warm and fragrant teapot bath. 

The book was also recipient of a very nice shout out from talented (and very discerning) writer/illustrator Carin Berger at Bird and Little Bird.

AbeBooks Review: When You Were Small by Sara O'Leary

New Blog

Waiting for the new book ~ Where You Came From ~ and now blogging over at 123oleary. Feel free to drop in.

When You Were Small comes to life

Flash animation at the Simply Read Books home page.

LIMITED TIME OFFER!

The Atelier Gallery is pleased to announce a special event featuring Julie Morstad’s artwork from the award winning children’s book “When You Were Small”

On Saturday December 15th, from 2-4 , artwork from this novel will be featured in the gallery and available for sale. Julie Morstad will be in attendance and signing books. There are only thirteen images in this collection - each one a treasure and a testament to Morstad’s reputation as one of Canada’s most interesting illustrators.

“When You Were Small” was illustrated by Morstad and written by Sara O’Leary. This enchanting children’s book has recently been awarded both the prestigious Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada.

A best selling Canadian book, it has now been translated into three languages including Korean. Heralded by the ‘Association of Booksellers for Children’, as one of the best books of 2006, this is an exciting opportunity to view and acquire an original artwork from this publication. The works will be on view in the gallery until December 22nd.

Korean Henry

I can't wait to hold this baby!

The cover for the sequel (prequel?) to When You Were Small is now on Amazon. The book is called Where You Came From and is about Henry asking his parents that question and receiving a series of preposterous answers about what happened when the stork had the day off.

Crooked House

I was interviewed by the wonderful Stephany Aulenback at Crooked House.
She writes:
The other day when I was posting about books featuring little people I forgot all about Sara O'Leary's When You Were Small, a spare, beautifully designed picture book that usually occupies a place of honour on my mantelpiece. When I found it in Munro's Books in Victoria, it made me feel simultaneously delighted and envious. Delighted, because this is the perfect idea for a picture book, perfectly executed. And envious, of course, because, well, why didn't I think of it first?

A boy called Henry asks his father to tell him about when he was small. His father proceeds to narrate a series of tall (small?) tales about the things that happened to Henry back then. Stuff like: "When you were small your mother once lost you in the bottom of her purse. When she found you again, you were clinging to an earring she'd lost three years before." And: "When you were small we used you as a chess piece, because our chess board was missing one of the knights and you were the perfect size."

This sweet, hilarious text is accompanied by pen-and-ink illustrations by Julie Morstad, whose work manages to be charming, surreal, and retro all at once. This book is a work of art, one that deserves to become a bedtime classic.

The very gracious Sara O'Leary has agreed to do an interview about this book and the next one, which is called Where You Came From. Sara says "it is also full of lies."

When You Were Small named winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE AWARDS

Sarah Ellis, Jan Thornhill, Eva Wiseman, and author-illustrator team 
Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad receive top honours.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Toronto (October 16, 2007) ― The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is thrilled to announce the winners of the four major children’s book awards it administers. The winners were announced last night at a gala event at the Design Exchange in Toronto.


MARILYN BAILLIE PICTURE BOOK AWARD ($10,000)
Sponsored by A. Charles Baillie
When You Were Small 

Written by Sara O'Leary of Hampstead, QC

Illustrated by Julie Morstad of Vancouver, BC

Simply Read Books

“Beautifully illustrated and timeless… O’Leary takes the reader on a whimsical tour of the imagination and captures the essence of what it is like to be a child... Simply amazing!”

JURY MEMBERS: Jeffrey Canton, Faculty of Arts, York University and children’s book reviewer; Myra Junyk, literacy advocate and author; and Janis Nostbakken, writer, producer, broadcaster and founding editor of ChickaDEE magazine.

PICTURE BOOK AWARD

When You Were Small has been shortlisted for
MARILYN BAILLIE PICTURE BOOK AWARD
in the Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is pleased to announce the finalists for the four major children’s book awards it administers. The winners will be announced at a by invitation-only gala event at Toronto’s Design Exchange on October 15, 2007.

The Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award honours excellence in the illustrated picture book format, for children aged 3 to 6. Charles Baillie, retired Chairman and CEO of the TD Bank Financial Group, is delighted to give the prize in his wife Marilyn’s name. As an award-winning children’s book author and an early learning specialist, Marilyn is involved in and passionate about children’s literature. The winning book receives $10,000.

WYWS chosen as a CanWest Raise a Reader Beginning Reader Pick

We're all for raising readers.

Sweet

When You Were Small
Sara O’Leary, Julie Morstad
Henry a little boy asks his father to tell him about when he was small in this sweet children’s book. His father pretends Henry was once very tiny- small enough to fit in a pocket, wear a thimble as a helmet, walk his pet ant and other imaginative fun things kid’s would have a blast thinking about. When Henry asks his father if any of it’s true his father asnwers- Don’t you remember? The illustrations by Julie Morstad that accompany the story are so cute. Henry has such a simple clean white face but everything else has color and tiny hatch marks. The end pages are my favorite. They are of all different frames hanging on a wall with pictures of “small” Henry in them. I was just working on a project for a client where they wanted a pattern of framed paintings on a wall so you could imagine how excited I was to find this for inspiration.
(http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/category/childrens/)

Reading in beautiful St. Martin's

I will be doing a reading and signing on Thursday, July 19th as part of St. Martins Book Fair, an inaugural event of the St. Martins Booktown Initiative.

If you are going to be in the area, then please do stop by.

And if you aren't going to be in the area, then why not? St. Martins is a lovely little seaside village on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy and has much to recommend it ... including lots of books for sale at the Book Fair, which runs from July 13-21st, 2007.

TIME OUT NEW YORK

TONY Kids / Issue 21: July 2007 "Hidden gem"

Wee one When Henry asks, “Dad, tell me about when I was small,” his playful pop interprets the request literally and begins to regale his son with winking tales, such as “When you were small you wore a thimble for a hat,” and “You used a ruler as a toboggan.” In When You Were Small ($17), Julie Morstad’s pen-and-ink drawings charmingly illustrate Sara O’Leary’s whimsical text in a sweet ode to messing with your kid’s head. Check out the brief but appealing list of other titles put out by the duo’s Vancouver-based boutique publisher (simplyreadbooks.com) for further proof of that old adage about good things and small packages. Ages 5 and up.

A nice notice from Jabberwocky Books

EILEEN'S BRILLIGS

I love love love this book. Whimsical drawings, quiet unexpected images and a sweet reassuring read. Likely to become a family bedtime ritual for all who come to know it.

Canadian Library Association Illustration Prize

The shortlisted titles for the 2007 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award
are:

Alphabetter - illustrated by Graham Ross - Orca Book Publishers
The Farm Team - illustrated by Bill Slavin - Kids Can Press
Fox Walked Alone - illustrated by Barbara Reid – Scholastic Canada
Mwâkawa Talks to the Loon - illustrated by Dale Auger - Heritage House Publishing
Company
Scaredy Squirrel - illustrated by Mélanie Watt - Kids Can Press
What Are You Doing Sam? - illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay – Groundwood Books
When You Were Small - illustrated by Sara O'Leary - Simply Read Books
The Birdman - illustrated by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle -
Tundra Books
Snow - illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton – Groundwood Books
Sack Full of Feathers - illustrated by Cindy Revell – Orca Book Publishers

Go Shopping

At the beautiful Mahar Dry Goods, where they have just added WYWS to their inventory...

When author Sara O’Leary wrote and introduced us to her book When You Were Small we were instantly smitten not only by her simple imaginative story but also by the beautiful illustrations of Julie Morstad. It’s a bedtime story told by a father to his son about when the little boy was small, not younger but quite literally smaller. Named one of the best books of 2006 by the Association of Booksellers for Children, we’re pleased to see this wonderful book begin to garner well-deserved recognition. You can learn more about the author, illustrator and story at it’s very own web site. When You were Small was published by a small independent press, Simply Read Books in 2006. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Notice from a "small" magazine

"This is a quietly amusing and touching story of a father telling his son tales 'from when you were small'. A beloved topic with small children, they will be enchanted by the gentle story and laugh out loud at the whimsical pen and ink drawings."

A note from my delightful, clever and charming godmother

Dear Sara,
I doubt that I have told you how often I visit your website for When
You Were Small. I do so quite frequently, and as I read the reviews and
accolades I glow with pride, as though, somehow, just by being your
godmother, I had some hand in the delightful, clever, and charming
person you turned out to be!
My autographed copy (thank you for the lovely inscription) is proudly
displayed, and pointed out to all who visit my living room. Although I
will never be the "book person" your mother is, I have always loved
books, and I have a cherished cache of much read classics from
childhood, including A. A. Milne, Beatrix Potter, Mary Ganon, and L. M.
Montgomery, just to name a few.
With love, Penny

Lemony Snicket!

I was delighted to receive a lovely note about When You Were Small from Daniel Handler this week. It seems wonderful to me that he took the time to reply to my offer of reading material for his small son. But, on consideration, it seemed presumptuous of me to actually post his note here and so if you want to know what it says, you will have to come over to my house and read the framed original up on my office wall!

FIRST PRIZE in the children's book category of the Alcuin Society Awards goes to the very deserving Robin Mitchell

Vancouver, BC - The Alcuin Society has announced the winners of its 25th annual Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. The judges (Alan Brownoff (University of Alberta Press, Edmonton), book designer, artist, and teacher; Jan Elsted (Barbarian Press, Mission, BC), letterpress printer and teacher; and Glenn Goluska (Imprimerie Dromadaire, Montreal), book designer, typographer, and letterpress printer) selected 34 winning titles from 252 entries; 96 publishers from 9 provinces participated.

The winning books will be exhibited internationally at the Frankfurt and Leipzig Book Fairs, and, in Canada: in Halifax; Wolfville (NS); Montréal; Ottawa; Toronto; Edmonton; Vancouver; and Victoria (BC).

CHILDREN
First prize: ROBIN MITCHELL [Hundreds and Thousands], designer of When You Were Small by Sara O’Leary (Simply Read Books)
Second prize ANDRÉE LAUZON, designer of L’Envers de la chanson by André Leblanc (Les 400 Coups)
Honourable mentions: KAREN POWERS, designer of Casey at the Bat by Ernest L. Thayer (Kids Can Press); ROBIN MITCHELL [Hundreds and Thousands], designer of One Winter Night by Jennifer Lloyd (Simply Read Books); and ANDRÉE LAUZON, designer of Philou, architecte et associés by Sophie Gironnay (Les 400 Coups).