13 minute read

INTERVIEW: BRIAN SELZNICK

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT Brian Selznick

Slimane Lalami

Brian Selznick won the Caldecott Medal for his 2007 book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was adapted into the Oscar-winning film Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. His most recent illustrated book for young readers is Kaleidoscope (Scholastic, Sept. 21), which Kirkus called “his most complex work to date.” Selznick answered some questions by email.

What was the inspiration to create Kaleidoscope? Kaleidoscope was my way of grappling with all the things that were happening to the world at the beginning of the pandemic. I found myself thinking about time and grief and friendship and hope, and those feelings channeled themselves into these strange stories that I eventually formed into the book. The stories center around the importance of asking questions, not getting answers, and accepting the unknown. Who is the ideal reader for your book, and where would they be reading it? Whenever I make a book, I am conscious of the collaboration that happens between the story and the reader. In my other books, like The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, and The Marvels, I always hope the reader enjoys figuring out elements of the plot and making their own connections while I provide a narrative that, in the end, answers all the questions raised for the main character in surprising and satisfying ways. With Kaleidoscope I feel like I am collaborating much more closely with the reader than I ever have before. The reader’s imagination is where the stories conclude, where the themes reveal themselves, and where the book is meant to live. My ideal reader is anyone interested in embarking on a journey with me from whatever place they feel safe opening a book.

What do you hope readers take away from Kaleidoscope? Kaleidoscope actually began its life about six years ago as a completely different book, one with a much more conventional narrative structure. But after the shutdown began, I reread what I’d been writing and realized it did not feel honest to me to create a story that relied on the reader getting answers. So much was unknown in the world, and everything felt like it had been turned upside down. None of us knew what was going to happen (we still don’t!), so it felt like the only honest thing I could write was a book that celebrated the important questions and explored the terrors and mysteries of the unknown. I hope readers will find some comfort in that.

What children’s book most dazzled you this year? I realized recently that all books being published now were, for the most part, created during the pandemic by people who probably were not able to see each other in real life. These books are the products of what it means to work together while being forced physically to stay apart. At the moment, every book that arrives on a store shelf feels to me a little like a mir-

acle. Given the fact that most in-person tours have been cancelled or greatly scaled back, I’m especially excited by titles from newer authors and illustrators that have made it out into the world and the independent bookstores that support them. Titles like Make Meatballs Sing by Matthew Burgess and Kara Kramer and Out on a Limb by Jordan Harris and Charlie Mylie [coming in February 2022] are two examples of beautiful new books, and my friend Angus Killick started an entire publishing company during the pandemic called Red Comet Press. That’s pretty dazzling to me.

Interview by Tom Beer.

needless hunting, offer guidance. Tales of war and conquest, famine and exile, reflect the rise of empires. In a Mopan (Maya) tradition, a prince and a god fall in love, and in an Inuit story, sea and weather goddesses are partnered. A Nahua two-spirit story unites genders in one being, manifesting completion and wholeness. These retellings, most three to four pages in length, are generous in spirit. García Esperón, a lauded Mexican poet, evokes a harshly beautiful world, and Bowles’ finely rendered translation begs to be read aloud. Mijangos’ exceptional blue, black, and white digital illustrations, incorporating a variety of design elements into a unified whole, reflects and enhances themes and connections among the stories. Informative backmatter includes a pronunciation guide, cultural notes, a map, a glossary, and a bibliography.

Spellbinding. (Traditional stories. 8-18)

TAKE BACK THE BLOCK

Giles, Chrystal D. Random House (240 pp.) $16.99 | $19.99 PLB | Jan. 26, 2021 978-0-593-17517-0 978-0-593-17518-7 PLB

Wes Henderson wants to focus on championing his swag in middle school but instead confronts a larger challenge as his neighborhood is threatened by the forces of gentrification.

Giles debuts with a novel that provides a probing look into the complex topic of gentrification and its ever present reality for low-income urban Black neighborhoods. Wes, a Black boy and the only child of two community activist parents, would rather spend his time getting fresh to defend his fifth grade Best Dressed title than be out every weekend protesting in the hot sun. However, he’s beginning to notice the accumulating effects of neighborhood shifts; his longtime friend Kari’s family was just pushed out of their home, and there’s the arrival of new stores that ask you to “build-your-own burger” and “grind-yourown coffee.” The tensions are even beginning to affect his longtime crew as the friends navigate their own different positions. What shines throughout the book is the power of intergenerational community organizing, as the text does an admirable job of highlighting the practices and networks for defending one’s home, chosen family, and history. Younger readers may require support in decoding and connecting some of the complex concepts in this book; it could sit at the center of a transformative collective reading experience. The story echoes contemporary realities that, as its culmination indicates, take an entire community to confront, and it will undoubtedly push readers into action.

An ambitious invitation for young readers that delivers

promise for all. (author’s note) (Fiction. 9-13)

ROBERT SMALLS

Gill, Joel Christian Chicago Review Press (158 pp.) $23.95 paper | May 3, 2021 978-1-68275-066-7 Series: Tales of the Talented Tenth, 3

An enslaved sailor successfully commandeers a Confederate ship and sails it to freedom. Robert Smalls was a 23-year-old enslaved deckhand on the Confederate ship the CSS Planter when he devised a plan to emancipate himself and 15 others, including his wife and children. Smalls’ work on the ship allowed him to learn the navigation and codes needed to move through the blockaded waters surrounding Charleston, South Carolina. It was also how he discovered that the Union would accept those fleeing from slavery as contraband. Against military orders, the captain of the ship allowed White crew members to spend the night away from the ship, entrusting it to the Black sailors. Seizing the opportunity, Smalls led a dangerous escape through Confederate checkpoints by acting as the White captain. His daring resulted in the freedom of those aboard and the capture of a ship and arms for the Union. The epilogue gives more examples of Smalls’ efforts to improve the lives of his people after the Civil War, including as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. This graphic depiction of Smalls’ story successfully captures the determination of enslaved people to secure their own freedom. The colorful panels fully express the taut drama of the venture. This is the latest in the Tales of the Talented Tenth series by graphic storyteller Gill, presenting little-known tales from African American history.

An inspiring saga of a real-life hero. (bibliography) (Graphic biography. 10-16)

LEGACY Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

Grimes, Nikki Bloomsbury (144 pp.) $18.99 | Jan. 5, 2021 978-1-68119-944-3

Grimes’ new collection of poems weaves a contemporary Black feminist impulse while recovering the underappreciated contributions of Harlem Renaissance women poets.

Winner of both the Children’s Literature Legacy Award and the ALAN Award, Grimes continues to deliver distinctively situated, heart-filled offerings that tie together generations of Black artistic excellence aimed at incubating positive social change. Here her focus turns toward less-well-known women poets of the early 20th century, women like Georgia Douglas Johnson, Jessie Redmon Fauset, Gwendolyn Bennett, Mae V. Cowdery, Anne Spencer, Effie Lee Newsome, Esther Popel, and Alice Dunbar-Nelson. To their poems included here, Grimes adds her own. These are done in the form of the Golden Shovel, invented by poet Terrance Hayes in homage to Gwendolyn Brooks, and they brilliantly resample the words of the women’s works. All, both collected and Grimes’, decidedly emerge from the experiences and worldviews of Black women and girls. They emphasize an ethos of care for oneself, one’s communities, and the Earth together for the possibility of a brighter tomorrow. Accompanying them are contributions from an all-star cast of Black women illustrators, empowering artworks that could be at home in a museum. This book is exquisitely rendered. After more than 77 books, Grimes remains as inspired as ever, drawing on the historic strength of Black women’s brilliance to give a timely, healing mirror to a new generation of readers. The ancestors are proud.

Black girls everywhere, this collection is salve and sanc-

tuary. (author biographies, illustrator biographies) (Poetry. 9-adult)

SHACKLETON’S ENDURANCE An Antarctic Survival Story

Grochowicz, Joanna Illus. by Sarah Lippett A & U Children/Trafalgar (288 pp.) $13.99 paper | Oct. 1, 2021 978-1-76052-609-2

A novelistic account of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1916, based in part on unpublished archival

materials. Taking place against the backdrop of World War I and following in the wake of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s record-setting achievements and the death of fellow countryman Robert F. Scott, Ernest Shackleton and his crew set off on the Endurance in hopes of being the first to successfully cross Antarctica. Though for the sake of drama the disastrous expedition’s events need no embellishment, Grochowicz does add considerable immediacy to her account by casting events in the present tense and inventing some colorful dialogue with occasional speculative thoughts or actions to accompany it. Showing a fine sense of discrimination, she leaves the shooting of the sledge dogs (and the expedition’s cat, Mrs Chippy) offstage but presents in exacting detail rousing scenes such as the time one of the all-White expedition’s members fell into the rotting carcass of a whale as well as need-to-know bits like how to gut and skin a penguin and use its blubber as makeshift soap. The spate of short, rapid-fire chapters is prefaced by two maps and a portrait gallery of rugged-looking expeditioners (including Mrs Chippy) by Lippett and closes with a substantial, scholarly source list. Additional spot art enhances the opening of each new chapter. The engaging and dynamic writing will hook even readers who typically do not gravitate toward nonfiction.

An unusually vivid retelling of the epic survival tale. (key

individuals, timeline) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

“A charming story of everyday life with a hint of magic.”

the mailbox in the forest

THE MAILBOX IN THE FOREST

Hara, Kyoko Trans. by Alexandrea Mallia Illus. by Kazue Takahashi Museyon (74 pp.) $14.99 | Sept. 1, 2021 978-1-940842-53-0 Series: Forest Friends

A young girl exchanges letters with a

forest friend.

Even from her apartment window in the city, first grader Mayu can see the forest that is near her grandparents’ house. Every time she looks at the forest, she smiles and imagines what it must be like to be in it. Luckily for Mayu, she stays with her grandparents for the winter holidays and is excited to explore. One day she stumbles across a box in a tree, labeled “mailbocks” and inviting passersby to drop in their letters. Realizing whoever made the box spelled mailbox wrong, she writes a letter with the correct spelling. The next morning she finds a letter for her in the forest mailbox, which begins a correspondence with her mystery forest friend, whose name she learns is Konta. She soon discovers the joys of writing letters and that her new friend is a young fox. Hara pens a sweet story of magically everyday life and an unexpected friendship. Appropriate to the focus on letter writing and format, each letter is placed on its own page, Mayu’s missives tidy and Konta’s full of misspellings and cross-outs. The illustrations switch between full color and black and white, adding playfulness and whimsy. This Japanese import is infused with distinct cultural elements, from foods to the teru teru bozu doll Mayu makes with her grandfather to ward off the rain.

A charming story of everyday life with a hint of magic.

(Fantasy. 5-8)

BAD SISTER

Harper, Charise Mericle Illus. by Rory Lucey First Second (240 pp.) $19.99 | Sept. 14, 2021 978-1-250-21906-0

From the day baby Daniel arrives, crying so loudly that it hurts Charise’s ears and absorbing her mother’s attention, Charise starts growing into her role of bad sister.

The popular children’s author highlights rough-and-tumble episodes from their childhoods that scar her and her brother, literally and figuratively. Charise plays wildly, tricks her little brother, and enjoys her power. Often Daniel gets hurt, and her parents insist she should know better. The selected stories and details shared here reveal volumes about the family’s dynamics. The siblings’ escalating antics are captured in clean, colorful panels that often end with moving illustrations in moody blues conveying Charise’s isolation, frustration, and guilt. Readers will relate to the rivalry, ambivalent feelings, and raw honesty— and they, unlike Charise’s parents, will see the full picture: It takes two to tango; sometimes four, counting their parents’ roles in exacerbating everything. As Daniel grows and Charise matures, the dynamic changes as well. Charise admires Daniel’s social skills which she feels she cannot match, partly due to her undiagnosed prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Over time she begins to treat Daniel better, especially after reaching a turning point when she clearly sees the lasting consequences of her behavior. By the end, they become partners, with the power to forgive. This is a powerful story of growth, self-awareness, and genuine insight into family relationships. Most characters read as White.

Cathartic proof that childhood provides lessons for a life-

time and that change is possible. (Graphic memoir. 8-12)

BATPIG When Pigs Fly

Harrell, Rob Dial Books (240 pp.) $14.99 | Nov. 9, 2021 978-0-593-35415-5

A pig becomes a superhero. Porcine Gary has a great life reading comics about the Crimson Swine, playing video games, and hanging with his friends, Brooklyn, a bat, and Carl, a fish. When a prank goes awry and he receives a radioactive bite from Brooklyn, Gary discovers he now has superhero powers and develops his new alter ego, Batpig. He tells Brooklyn about this development but not Carl, who can be indiscreet—and immediately picks up that his friends are hiding something from him. Carl’s hurt feelings understandably morph into anger; Gary’s decision to exclude his friend accidentally ends up creating a supervillain who may be Batpig’s undoing unless the trio can work together. A second episode sees the friends face off against a nefarious human foe, the Butcher, a White woman who wants to use the power of the world’s meat and has a robot that makes pigs in blankets. The first in a series, Harrell’s full-color graphicnovel charmer is over-the-top fun, filled with fast pacing, abundant silliness (pig puns abound!), and a well-developed plot and characters, that nevertheless does not rely on humor as its sole support. Gary and his friends are both relatable and accessible: The social tribulations of being part of a trio of friends will resonate with middle-grade audiences. This is an absolute must-read for fans of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series.

Readers will go hog wild for this lovable hero. (Graphic fiction. 7-12)

This article is from: