The Box of Books

That highly anticipated box of books arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. And exactly one week from today, IF I WERE A KANGAROO by Mylisa Larsen and me will land in bookstores. It's a sweet lullaby-like tale about the bedtime rituals of animals such as otters, giraffes, gorillas, and, of course, kangaroos. Mylisa's text is lyrical and lovely.

Kirkus Reviews had some nice things to say, as did School Library Journal:

"Raff's illustrations are soothing, done in jewel tones on minimal backdrops…The animals are expressive and charming, making this selection perfect for bedtime and one-on-one sharing."

As noted in an earlier post, kidlit ambassador John Schu turned over his blog to Mylisa and me to interview each other, and premiered the book trailer.

And if you'd like to see some sneak peeks at the art, here's the link on my site.

This was a really fun book to research and illustrate. At the end of the book, there is a section called "Sleepy Animal Notes" withfacts about the baby animals mentioned, and their sleeping habits. For instance, did you know that the wolf spider carries her babies on her back after they hatch? "The babies ride around…in a big, spidery pile."

Recently, I came across the mini version of KANGAROO I made last summer while finishing the art. I always like to print my books before sending out the illustrations to check on pacing and other potential issues. For my own ya-yas, I also like to make tiny versions of them. Here you can see it to scale. :^)

It looks like I'll be sharing KANGAROO at some book festivals this fall, so watch this space for news on that. Now it's time for me to get back to addressing envelopes and postcards for my publishing pals. I've been drawing stars for several days, but the task is made much more enjoyable thanks to the NCAA basketball tournament. I like to think of this mailing as my own version of March Madness. Here's a look at what's coming soon to an Art Director's inbox near you. And be on the lookout for KANGAROO in your favorite bookstore, or you can place an order here. Thanks!

(add photo of mailing stuff.)

The IF I WERE A KANGAROO Book Trailer

If I were a kangaroo, I'd pick you up and carry you In my pocket, sleepyhead, And hop you gently off to bed. It's time for sleep, and this fun-to-read rhyming tale envisions the bedtime rituals of animals from whales to otters, squirrels to gorillas. So curl up, imagine your favorite animal, and...zzzzzzzzzzz.

It's hard to believe that one month from tomorrow (April 4th) my next picture book, IF I WERE A KANGAROO will be in stores! It seems like yesterday that I was researching sleepy baby animals, such as otters, bats, and wolf spiders.

Earlier this week, generous kidlit ambassador Mr. Schu (Mr. Schu Reads) premiered the trailer I made (also seen above), and shared an interview between author Mylisa Larsen and myself. The two of us have yet to meet in person, but this virtual meeting was a terrific way to start. You can read the interview here. We talk a bit about our creative processes, and I shared my most hilarious bit of art direction, ever.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy of IF I WERE A KANGAROO, click here, or here. It arrives in time for Easter, Passover, and Mothers Day! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

If I Were a Kangaroo Cover

Ta-dah! I'm pleased to share the cover of my first collaboration with the lovely folks at Viking Children's Books, If You Were a Kangaroo: A Bedtime Tale, written by Mylisa Larsen. It's due out in early April 2017, just in time for Mother's Day, and is now available for pre-order. 

This was a really fun book to illustrate, and gave me a chance to paint a whole slew of animals getting into sleepytime mode. I look forward to sharing images from the interior in a few months. A big thanks to Editor Tracy Gates and Art Director Denise Cronin for thinking of me for this one!

IF I WERE A KANGAROO: A Bedtime Tale, Coming in Spring '17

It's beginning to sound like an existential crisis around here trying to keep the titles of my next two picture books straight. On the heels of YOU ARE NOT A CAT! due out this fall, comes IF I WERE A KANGAROO: A BEDTIME TALE by Mylisa Larsen. While I can't share the illustrations yet, I can say working on it was a great experience, and gave me the opportunity to collaborate with an Art Director that I've admired for a long time: Denise Cronin of Viking Children's Books. I hope the world likes it as much as I do. I tested my animal-drawing chops once again, since the book features—not just kangaroos, but gorillas, giraffes, a really weird-looking spider with eight eyes, and more. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until Spring of 2017 to get your hands on it, but here's a suggestion: it will make an excellent Mother's Day gift. :^)