Selina Alko's Blog + News

Life Imitates Art

2011-12-02T16:18:00.028-05:00

October (& November) came and went with much fan fare, and I'm only now recovering from all the dressing-up hoopla. With the release of my book, Every-Day Dress-Up, falling so close to the most popular dress-up holiday of the year, it was an explosion of self-promotion and costume-making creativity. For Halloween, I designated my daughter Ginger, as the great Amelia Earhart, for whom the protagonist imitates. A little bit of back story (if you haven't read my book yet): Each day of the week the girl dresses-up as a different woman from history using things she finds around the house to make her costumes. Nifty, huh? This concept is true to my heart; The idea of reusing materials appeals to both my creative impulses and my environmental agenda. So, I made her mask out of a bathing cap, goggles and buttons, and I converted her stroller into an airplane with cardboard, craft paper and paint. Her brother's button down shirt and a scarf provided the final touches. G wore the outfit with just the right amount of sass and aplomb. At 3 1/2, I think it was the first year she really 'got' who she was, and owned it! Of course, I've read her the book about a million times– which helped. I've posted some photos of my daughter in costume, the illustration from Every-Day Dress-Up, plus a pic of the great Ms. Earhart herself.

Launch Party!

2011-10-19T11:45:00.011-04:00

BookCourt hosted a fabulous kick-off for EVERY-DAY DRESS-UP Saturday night. The evening could not have been better; good friends, wine & cheese, revved-up kids, and books! Here are some pictures. P.S. Ginger & I dressed up as characters from the book. Can you guess who we are?

New Season, New Events.

2011-09-26T16:39:00.011-04:00

Happy Fall!

I'm pleased to announce that Every-Day Dress-Up comes out on October 11! In this book, the heroine ditches her princess duds in favor of costumes inspired by real women.

Kirkus Reviews calls it, "a happy antidote to the princess plague". I'm so excited about this book that I both wrote and illustrated, my first since, 'I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother'.

Here's my Fall schedule:

Book Court Every-Day Dress-Up Book Release Party! Oct 15 @ 7 PM. 163 Court St., Brooklyn.

Wine, cheese, books & fun! For adults and kids.

MiniMax Toys & Books Story Time! Oct 11 @ 10 AM (Every-Day Dress-Up's birthday!). 152 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn.

Story time for kids & parents.

MiniMax Toys & Books Costume Making Workshop! Oct 28 @ 3:30 - 5:30 PM. 152 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn.

A reading of my book will be followed by creating original, alternative costumes for girls & boys 2-7 years old. Just in time for Halloween!

Community Bookstore Story Time! Oct 23 @ 11 am. 143 7th Ave., Brooklyn.

Story time for kids & parents.

Botanic Garden Ghouls & Gourds Festival! I'll be at the spooky book barn. Oct 29 @ 12 - 4 PM. 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn.
All afternoon signing & reading. Meet other great authors, too!

Books of Wonder Panel of Children's Book Makers. Nov 5 @ 12 - 2. 18 West 18th, NYC.

Brooklyn Museum Book Fair! Nov 19 @ 12 - 4 PM. 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.

All afternoon signing & reading. Meet other great authors, too!

Boulevard Books & Cafe Dress-Up Party! Dec 28 @ 11am. 7518 13th Ave., Brooklyn.

Book reading and alternative holiday dress-up. Fun family activity during school break!

And finally, my website has been recently updated with Every-Day Dress-Up available for pre-order. Hooray! The link to pre-order is on the homepage: www.selinaalko.com.

Hope to see you soon!

Book Trailer. Hooray!

2011-09-01T15:02:00.006-04:00

Stay tuned for my new book, EVERY-DAY DRESS-UP. Release date: October 11, 2011!

Subway Workshop

2011-07-15T12:01:00.011-04:00

After a reading of My Subway Ride, 20 kids made their own subway cars at the King's Highway Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library yesterday. I've been doing these workshops over the past year and it's always amazing to see what different kids will come up with. So inspiring!

ALA + Nola

2011-06-29T13:30:00.023-04:00

New Orleans!

My first introduction to the fabulous city rich with all sorts of mixes.

The Creole people are a combo of Spanish, French and African American– creating divine cuisine (definitely not easy on the hips!). Sean and I indulged in a mix of delicious rich fried foods and fine dining, including beignets, cafe au lait, creamy pralines, seafood, oysters and bananas flambe.

We attempted a mix of ALA (convention floor walking, signings & cocktail parties) with touring the city. We saw some of the Katrina ravaged neighborhoods (a mix of sadness and, to my surprise, hope– in the rebuilding efforts), and funky areas like the French Quarter and the Merigny. Way too much for just 4 days!

These pictures show Sean and I together with colleagues in the picture book world from all over; An incredible gumbo of artists and writers converged at the end of June in The Big Easy.

(Top - bottom: random art in the French Quarter, Sean signing at S&S, Sean changing the guard to Brian Floca, Sean & Selina with Yugi Morales & Maya Soetoro-Ng, Selina with Rebecca Sherman & Grace Lin, beignets, Sean with Wilder recipient Tomie dePaola, Sean with Caldecott honor recipient David Ezra Stein & family, Selina with Newbery honor recipient Jennifer L. Holm.)

Kalman, Bearden & Rockwell

2011-05-20T17:13:00.034-04:00

Forgive me, I've been lax with blogging and social media stuff lately. It might not be a bad thing. Instead, I've been letting inspiration hit me in the real world by going to museums and galleries, visiting book stores, reading, writing, and spending time with my children.

A sampling of some of my favorites by: Maira Kalman, Romare Bearden and Norman Rockwell.

On the book making front: I've begun painting art for Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama– looks like I'll be doing the holidays in my studio all summer... Also, something I've discovered is that I like doing research, as I try my hand at non-fiction writing for children (I can't say much about the project at this early stage– just that I'm inspired!) Stay tuned.

South Orange Show

2011-03-15T09:03:00.004-04:00

For the entire month of March in South Orange, N.J., the Book Maker's Dozen has a show of prints at Sparkhouse Studio. At the wild opening event there were workshops, book readings, interactive drawings– and in spite of the torrential downpour– a crowd of more than 250 people. Those South Orangers know how to party! I am pleased to say the show with 26 images from many beloved picture books remains up in their gallery this whole month. Two of my prints, Coney Island (from next year's B is for Brooklyn) and Map of New York (from Greetings from the 50 States) are included at just 100 bucks a pop.

Sparkhouse

Toys * Books * Awesomeness

15 Scotland Road

South Orange, NJ

Book Maker's Dozen Etsy

Cheers to my Gal Peers!

2011-03-09T14:42:00.011-05:00

Yesterday marked International Women's Day– Hooray! All month long, as we march toward spring, we celebrate the accomplishments of women past and present. Above is an image from my upcoming book, EVERY DAY DRESS UP (10/'11 Knopf). Appropriately costumed, Elizabeth Cady Stanton leads the way for Eleanor Roosevelt, Sonia Sotomayor - and women all over - to have equal rights and representation. Happy Women's History month to all you lovely ladies!

Picture Book Art Opening

2011-03-02T16:49:00.006-05:00

Wow, that was some winter! It was truly not fun feeling trapped at home with endless snowstorms and the bitter cold outdoors. But now that the groundhog's predictions might just be coming true, this Friday is a perfect opportunity to venture out! Powerhouse Arena is having a show of The Dozen's art (not just prints this time!) and the opening is this Friday night. Hope to see you there. Personally, I'm looking forward to kicking back and sipping wine surrounded by great art and illustrators alike. Bring it!

Friday, March 4th

6 - 8 PM

Powerhouse Arena

37 Main Street, DUMBO

The Pink Debate

2011-01-24T10:16:00.010-05:00

I'll admit it, I like pink. It happens to be a flattering color for me to wear. And I don't really have a problem dressing my daughter in pink. Especially since we get so many nifty hand-me-downs. Who I am to refuse free clothes?

Yet with my daughter about to turn 3, I have mixed feelings about the seemingly inevitable princess dress-up phase.

I'm looking forward to working through some of these conflicting feelings by reading Cinderella Ate My Daughter, which was reviewed in this Sunday's Times.

It seems there are many things to question. One thing that struck me is that pre-2000 there were no mass-produced Disney princess outfits for dress-up. That is, until a brilliant marketer capitalized on the natural gender identification age, and turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry.

For those mothers (or aunts or grandmothers or family friends!) who might be looking for an alternative to the panoply of princess dress-up books out there, my next book Every-Day Dress-Up might be just the solution.

I offer girls a chance to learn about real women who have done great things with their lives. The heroine dons outfits of such icons as: Frida Kahlo, Marie Curry, Eleanor Roosevelt and Julia Child, every day of the week.

There's probably no way to avoid the 'princessification' of girls entirely. But, why not give our impressionable daughters some alternatives?

Every-Day Dress-Up (Knopf) comes out this Fall. More to come!

Chocolate Coins & Christmas Trees

2010-12-16T13:11:00.012-05:00

Ho Ho Oiy! It's that time of year. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated in our home. This means double the preparations, more shopping than I care to do, extended enthusiasm for each ritual, but - at least for the kids - twice the fun!

I'm working on a book at the moment about a family that celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas in one home. So far, I have just written the manuscript, although I have been inspired by this festive season as I move into the sketch phase.

When my son's Kindergarten teacher suggested that parents come into the class to share a holiday book or special family tradition, I thought it might be interesting to 'test my story out'.

So, today I visited Isaiah's class to read, "Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama". We talked about family's who celebrate both (75% based on a rough show of hands!), and then his classmates drew their own interpretations. Here are some of my favorites.

Now that I'm freshly inspired by the awesomeness that is unique to Kindergarten art, it's time to crack down and begin sketches of my own...

In the mean time, I wish you a very happy holidays– whatever it is you celebrate!

Making Trains at the BPL

2010-11-19T12:13:00.008-05:00

Stand clear of the closing doors! This Saturday at the BPL I'll be leading a hands-on workshop for kids making subway trains. I'll read from my illustrated book My Subway Ride, as well as Christoph Niemann's new book Subway, to get your 8-10 year olds in the mood to create– using color, subway maps, metro cards & buttons. I tried this project out with my son and he loved it (see above)! Join me tomorrow at 2:30 for this FREE afternoon of fun. (And while you're there, be sure to check out the Drawn In Brooklyn exhibition. It's up through January, but time flies...!)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Brooklyn Public Library

Grand Army Plaza, 2nd floor

2:30 PM

FREE

Book Maker's Dozen

2010-11-17T09:41:00.009-05:00

It's a great time to shop early for the holidays!

13 children's book makers - who also happen to be friends - have gotten together to form the BOOK MAKER'S DOZEN. You can find us at Etsy selling archival prints from our children's books for just $100 each. Affordable art from some of your favorite books make terrific gifts for loved ones, children's rooms, or as well-deserved treats for oneself!

Who are the book makers, you might be asking yourselves? None other than...

Sophie Blackall

Sean Qualls

Brian Floca

Dan Yaccarino

John Bemelmans Marciano

Brett Helquist

John Rocco

Peter Brown

Boris Kulikov

Aileen Leijten

Sergio Ruzzier

David Gordon

and myself, Selina Alko

There will be not one - but TWO - opportunities to meet members of the Book Maker's Dozen and buy prints in person.

PowerHouse Arena is having 2 holiday party events!

1) December 2nd from 7 - 9 PM; A panel discussion cocktail party where 13 of us will talk about our work, answer questions, and sign books. Join us for some wine and inspiration!

2) December 5 from 4 - 5 PM; Another holiday party where rumor has it Santa may make an appearance. So be sure to bring your little ones!

PowerHouse Arena

37 Main Street

DUMBO, Brooklyn

Author Costume Photo Shoot

2010-11-01T13:22:00.014-04:00

Halloween was perfect timing this year. The kids had to dress-up anyway AND I needed an author photo for my Dress-Up book. How apropos!

Ginger is still young enough that I can impose my ideas on her. Lucky for her, being Frida Khalo is a pretty cool idea. Frida's a character in my book, Every-Day Dress-Up (Knopf, 2011). Or I should say, my main character dresses-up as Frida. And her sister dresses-up as Georgia O'Keefe (That's me! That's right, I made myself look 40 years older for this photo-shoot. I am not vain!) Oh and Diego Rivera is, well, he's not really in the book. But I thought it would be only fair to include Isaiah. The thing is, he wasn't so into it. His idea of a real Halloween costume is something super scary. After this photo shoot he coined himself, "The Mysterious Freak", wearing blood red clothes with plastic spiders all over... but, I digress. For the sake of getting a 'cute author photo' I had to dress-up my kids appropriately, darn-it.

In the end, I chose the top photo of me & Ginger; Two Female Artists– since it IS a book about girls dressing-up (& their role-models). Anyway, I think Isaiah already had his turn in the spotlight as the protagonist in, "I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother". It's only fair, after all.

Dress-Up! & Fall Line-Up!

2010-10-15T11:38:00.019-04:00

I'm rushing out the door to deliver art for my latest book, EVERY-DAY DRESS-UP!...

Dress-Up is about a girl who used to only play princess until she discovers real, great women from History, and decides to dress-up as a different Heroine every day of the week!

Sparking some ideas for alternative Halloween costumes? Personally, I'm looking forward to dressing up my Ginger as Frida Kahlo. EVERY-DAY DRESS-UP! comes out in the Fall 2011.

Before I leave, here's what's going on THIS Fall:

Saturday (tomorrow!) October 16 at The Brooklyn Public Library is FAMILY DAY. From 10:30 - 3 in the main lobby there will be book readings, music, activities and a chance to meet your favorite Brooklyn children's book illustrators. I'll be there signing books + some new prints too!

This Thursday, October 21 I'll be taking part in a multicultural literacy conference with Reach Out & Read at the Scholastic in SOHO. From 8:30 - 11:30 am join Pat Cummings, R. Gregory Christie and myself as we talk about diversity in picture books. It is free and open to the public.

Next Sunday, October 24 is GHOULS & GOURDS at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This great festival has a spooky book barn and I'll be there again this year signing books all day long. Come on by to say, "boo!"

November 20 at 2:30 pm at the Brooklyn Public Library I'll be leading a TRANSPORTATION WORKSHOP. Bring your little ones for this free afternoon making subway cars from recycled materials. I'll be reading My Subway Ride to get your kids in the mood to make trains!

Drawn in Brooklyn

2010-09-20T10:03:00.011-04:00

I'm just thrilled to be a part of DRAWN IN BROOKLYN– a wonderful exhibit opening this week at The Brooklyn Public Library. Over 30 children's book illustrators' work will be on display in the main lobby, plus a selection of illustrators will show how their books are made in the Youth Wing. I'll have work in both areas, and am particularly excited to show stuff from my upcoming B is for Brooklyn book (sketches, scans of final art, materials used, etc.,), as well as some process work from My Subway Ride. It was tons of fun creating the installation cases for these displays. And I think it will be great for kids to get a hands-on look at how illustrators work behind-the-scenes, too!

Featured illustrators: Selina Alko * Sophie Blackall * Peter Brown * Lauren Castillo * R. Gregory Christie * Bryan Collier * Pat Cummings * Leo & Diane Dillon * Keith DuQuette * Brian Floca * Melanie Hope Greenberg * Brett Helquist * Edward Hemingway * Paul Hoppe * Boris Kulikov * Yunmee Kyong * Aileen Leijten * Betsy & Ted Lewin * Kam Mak * John Bemelmans Mariciano * Megan Montague Cash & Mark Newgarden * John Nickle * Brian Pinkney * Sean Qualls * John Rocco * Sergio Ruzzier * Daniel Salmieri * Brian Selznick * Shadra Strickland * Sam Tomasello * Paul O. Zelinsky

Drawn In Brooklyn

Brooklyn Public Library

10 Grand Army Plaza

September 21, 2010 - January 23, 2011

Art in Wellfleet

2010-08-04T12:25:00.034-04:00

Sean and I started going to Wellfleet on the Cape before we had kids, not only because of its breathtaking beauty, wonderful beaches and quaint charm, but also for The Art.

Many summers ago we biked from Eastham to Wellfleet where we stumbled upon a bunch of galleries and artist's homes. We discovered the artist, Selina Trieff. We were struck to find another Selina, and her beautiful work drew us in. We ended up buying a small piece, which I now treasure in my studio. Most summers we try to visit her and her husband, the artist Robert Henry, when they open up their studio/gallery.

Speaking of studios & galleries... Openings are a mainstay Saturday evenings in Wellfleet. This past week we were lucky to be there for Tommie dePaola's at the Cove Gallery. He has been showing his work for 15 years and only has ONE big opening every other summer. Sean, Isaiah, Ginger & I were delighted to attend this year. The kids were especially excited; Ginger coined Tommie, "grandpa" and Isaiah entertained him with funny faces. Tommie was such a great sport with our little firecrackers. You could tell he truly appreciates real-live children– if you didn't already get that from his hundreds of amazing children's books.

And speaking of children's books... Every summer we make sure to visit the Wellfleet library. It's a great local for restless kids– even when it's not raining. One morning last week I took Isaiah to story time and was happy to see, "Im Your Peanut Butter Big Brother" up on the bookshelf. I'm sorry, but I just had to take a picture.

(photos from top to bottom: Selina Trieff's latest work. Selina T with Sean & Ginger. Tomie dePaola and Sean. Isaiah & Sean, Tommie, Ginger & Selina A. PBBB and Isaiah)

Brooklyn sweet Brooklyn

2010-07-16T15:42:00.019-04:00

Fast forward 3 months and the art for, 'B IS FOR BROOKLYN' is finished! It has been quite a journey depicting some of my favorite places in my beloved borough for this hip, new alphabet book. Of course, it won't appear as an actual, honest-to-goodness book for another year and half– but let's not be picky. The art is DONE and I feel good. My job now is to bid this brief, creative period of my life good-bye and take a leap in handing it all over to my Publisher. 'B IS FOR BROOKLYN' (Holt) will hit the shelves in the Spring of 2012. Stay tuned!

B is for Book deadline

2010-06-01T14:37:00.009-04:00

B is for.... Busy. Busting-ass. Belting-out paintings. Brooklyn. Book.

Fill in the Blanks and that's what I've been up to for the past few months!

Sorry for the Blog hiatus, that's just how it tends to go when working on a Book deadline.

B IS FOR BROOKLYN will be published in the Spring of 2012 with Henry Holt.

(Here's a sneak peak...)

Small Favors at Giant Robot

2010-03-18T16:55:00.013-04:00

Giant Robot is having another cool group show opening this Saturday, March 27th. The theme is artwork for small spaces, since most New Yorkers live in cramped quarters.

In honor of having recently become an American Citizen, I did a couple pieces about my dual identity. 'V is for Vancouver', my birth place, and 'B is for Brooklyn', my current home.

There are almost 80 artists included in this show, and I'm thrilled to be one of them.

Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based magazine about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with shops and galleries in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City.

Giant Robot

437 East 9th Street

New York, NY 10009

mon-sat 11:30-8pm, sun 12-7

212.674-GRNY

March 27 - April 14

Reception: Sat, March 27, 6:30-10

Six Authors Paint the Town

2010-03-17T10:41:00.005-04:00

It's only March 17 and so far it's been quite a month. Superfine kicked things off with a Superfun Art Opening. 6 children's book authors and illustrators had work from our books displayed behind the funky bar where a large crowd gathered to celebrate art, passion and literature. I had the pleasure of meeting my colleagues Miriam Cohen, a legend in her own right, and Aileen Leijten, for the first time. These ladies, along with Meghan McCarthy, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Pat Cummings and myself, were in the show and have also been participating in a number of readings around town this month (see my previous blog post for details). Just last Sunday, I was on a panel at BookCourt with all 6 fantastic female authors and illustrators. It was extremely cool to share each of our unique perspectives with a lively, mostly adult, audience. Some of us read, some drew, we all told stories and did our best to answer questions. We were asked if there was an 'aha' moment for each of us with our work. I love this type of question, it forces me to reevaluate and assess how I got to where I am. It's also been interesting timing, since just a few days ago I became naturalized as an American (I am from Canada), after living here for 19 years. Needless to say, my own personal journey has been on my mind. But mainly, it's been refreshing to get out of the studio, do readings for children and meet up with my talented peers. There's just ONE more event that I'll be participating in: This Sunday at P.S. Bookshop in DUMBO at 4 pm for story time, where all 6 of us will take turns reading. Then I will go home, get under the covers and take a very, very long nap.

P.S. Bookshop

145 Front Street

DUMBO

4 PM Sunday, March 21

Pencil in March Events!

2010-02-11T16:03:00.008-05:00

Please join me to celebrate WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH with my talented colleagues, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Miriam Cohen, Meghan McCarthy, Pat Cummings and Aileen Leijten.

I know, I know, it's still Black History Month... (Don't forget Sean's book party for LITTLE CLOUD AND LADY WIND is coming up next Thursday, February 18th at BookCourt!) Still, I wanted to get the WORD OUT on these other cool Brooklyn happenings in March.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION: Brooklyn Honors Local Artists and Literature, March 2010 with Six Author-Illustrators, Three Bookstores and a Gallery

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* Mar. 4 Thur. 6-8pm SUPERFINE EXHIBITION - OPENING RECEPTION

Artwork from picture books by illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, MIRIAM COHEN, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY Exhibition: March 2- March 14

LOCATION: 126 Front St. (DUMBO) Brooklyn NY 11201 718.243.9005

* Mar. 6 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents SELINA ALKO and AILEEN LEIJTEN - children's book reading.

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 13 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG and MIRIAM COHEN - children's book reading.

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 14 Sun. 11am - Noon BOOKCOURT presents a panel discussion featuring illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, MIRIAM COHEN, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY.

LOCATION: 163 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 INFO: 718.875.3677

* Mar. 20 Sat. Time: TBA GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents MEGHAN MCCARTHY - children's book reading.

686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 21 Sun. 4-6pm P.S. BOOKSHOP Group Story Time with illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY.

LOCATION: 147A Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 INFO: 718.222.3340

* Mar. 27 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents PAT CUMMINGS - children's book reading.

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

How I Became My Doppelganger

2010-02-01T12:08:00.008-05:00

Before writing and illustrating children's books full-time I made money illustrating in other ways. One thing I did was depict a performer each week for a Las Vegas publication called, "Showbiz Weekly". I did this gig for four years, and never did I miss a week caricaturing such famous (read: washed-up) celebs as: The Smothers Brothers, Phyllis Diller and Wayne Brady. I did hundreds of these portraits. Some likenesses were spot-on and some totally sucked. Such were the challenges of illustrating an on-going column.

One week, right after September 11, 2001, I was asked to do Marlo Thomas. This portrait appeared a week later in the mag. Her sunny smile belies the overwhelming angst the Nation was feeling at the time. But then again that's Vegas for you, a faux fur 'n fabulous place to escape reality!

At the time I was also working with a designer to develop my first website and 'graphic identity'. On a whim, I sent him this portrait of That Girl!, and he used it on my stationary, business cards and website. Just like that, Marlo Thomas became me and I was instantly synonymous with this lovely actress.

And that is how This Girl became That Girl!

Ginger Cloud and Mama Wind

2010-01-28T13:58:00.006-05:00

This week marked the release of LITTLE CLOUD AND LADY WIND, the children's book by Toni Morrison (& her son, Slade), illustrated by none other than my husband, Sean Qualls.

I can't tell you how excited I am. When Sean was first approached to do this book I almost fainted. I mean, Toni Morrison! A literary Goddess of epic proportions, a true Icon of our times, one of my absolute favorite authors EVER. Ever since reading THE BLUEST EYE back in high school, I was emotionally hooked. A few years later I devoured BELOVED and it stayed with me for a very long time. I think about her very real characters in ways that last, and I carry them with me wherever I go.

Luckily Sean felt the same. With a great debt to her brilliance, he took her newest characters -intended for our youngest audiences - and brought them passionately and vividly to life. He infused Little Cloud and Sister Wind with spirit, texture and depth rendered all his own.

To top it off, I am extremely honored that on some level Sean modeled these characters after me and our daughter, Ginger. The book IS dedicated to us, after all. It's nice to know that after 10 years + of being together I'm still his muse, and now our daughter is part of his visual language too.

Brava to Toni and Sean on your stunning collaboration!

Twenty Ten; Future Books

2010-01-04T10:54:00.005-05:00

Making a picture book can take a long time (sometimes several years!) to complete from beginning to end. Unfortunately, I will not have a new book out this year (please hold back your cries of horror and disappointment!) But rest assured, I will be crazy busy making the art for 2-3 new books that will eventually don shelves. They include:

B is for Brooklyn. An alphabet picture book that is all about my beloved borough, Brooklyn.

Every Day Dress Up. An alternative to the princess pantheon; A girl dresses up as strong female icons her mother teaches her about, from Julia Child to Sonya Sotomayor.

Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama. A holiday book that blends Christmas and Hanukkah into one families' seasonal celebration. A first!

I'm happy to say all 3 books are written. Whew! Since my youngest was born almost 2 years ago, I've been busy working on these manuscripts. Right now, I'm doing the sketches for B is for Brooklyn (Henry Holt) and developing the main character for Every Day Dress Up (Knopf). I will probably be working on both of these book dummies over next few months. Making the color art for each project will take the bulk of time this year. Once I turn in final art to the publishers, the design and printing process will take another year. Then for the rest of 2010, I'll probably begin sketches for Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama (Knopf) and maybe, just maybe, begin to develop some new ideas...

So, even though I won't have a published book to show for '10, I'll be busy working in the garden, nurturing and growing my future book crops. Stay tuned!

Ice Cream Flavors & Family Trees

2009-12-01T14:36:00.013-05:00

I'm pleased to report that the Brooklyn Museum Book Fair was a smashing success. This was partly owing to the dynamic craft activities that Sean and I had going on at our booth. Droves of children came by to make self portrait ice cream cones and draw their own family trees. These simple activities coordinated with the themes of our recent books: Ice cream flavors for, I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (Knopf) and family lineage for, Who Will I Be, Lord? (Random House). Check out these awesome kids making art!

3rd Annual Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair

2009-11-16T10:19:00.006-05:00

This Saturday, November 21 from 12 - 4 p.m., I will be signing books at the Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair. Come by and say hello! This is a great chance to get some nifty signed books for the Holidays! There will be book readings and craft activities too! And while you're there, why not visit the Museum's new Egyptian exhibit? Many of my talented author and illustrator friends are participating, including: R. Gregory Christie, Zetta Elliot, Shana Corey, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Lauren Castillo, Paul Hoppe, Meghan McCarthy, Sean Qualls, Shadra Strickland, Peter Brown and David Ezra Stein.

Brooklyn Museum

Rubin Pavilion

200 Eastern Parkway

Saturday, November 21, 2009

12 - 4 p.m.

Delicious Mixed Media

2009-11-01T15:31:00.016-05:00

Being an illustrator and a parent around Halloween is scary pressure for me. Crafty costume makers come out of the closet everywhere and the things people come up with for their children can be pretty darn cool. Last year someone in the neighborhood made a sushi suit for her son. As an artist, it is expected that your children will be THE most original trick-or-treaters in town (in reality, I'm the one who puts these expectations on myself!) This year right off the bat the pressure was off with my eldest, who chose to be none other than Spiderman. Who am I to kill his super-hero dreams? Hey, it makes my life easier... However, since my youngest is still too little to have a say either way, this year she was my creative canvas. I decided my little Ginger would be a gingerbread girl– and her stroller would be a gingerbread house. Pretty yummy, huh? I have to say I had some fun with cardboard boxes (gingerbread), white paint (icing), candy, marshmallows, licorice and, of course, my handy glue gun. After some trial + error (it turns out chocolate doesn't hold well with hot glue!), the house was constructed, and I made cute candy buttons velcroed onto a dress for G to wear. Luckily on Halloween eve, it only drizzled mildly so the stroller wasn't too sticky and Ginger stayed in her dress for the entire night. The funniest thing was witnessing kids completely high on sugar, actually lick the candy right off the gingerbread house. To quote Spiderman, this happened, "for real."

"The Big Talk", X-rated illustrations.

2009-10-26T10:35:00.015-04:00

I got a call a few weeks ago from Time Out New York Kids asking if I was interested in illustrating their cover story on "The Big Talk", teaching kids the facts of life. I jumped at the opportunity to illustrate such a racy subject! The myriad of symbols stimulated my imagination, and I was mentally doodling birds and bees before I finished emailing the art director back. My original concept for the main illustration was changed around a lot and they went with a small sketch of a bathtub scene. Time Out NY was very specific about wanting the illustrations to reflect real New York locations, so the bathroom had to be cramped, cluttered and definitely pre-war. It's been a while since I did an editorial assignment and the quick turn-around time gave me a run for my money. But in the end, at least I learned a thing or 2 about what I might say to my little ones when the time is right!

The November issue of the magazine just hit the newsstands.

Halloween, the BBG & Books

2009-10-19T10:44:00.009-04:00

This Sunday is the annual Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Ghouls & Gourds Festival. It's a super-fun seasonal outing for the whole family, featuring children's book authors and illustrators, a wacky costume parade, recycled junk instruments, live music, crafts and activities. I will be there signing books– so come on by the book barn to say hello! Kids under 12 are free! It's a good opportunity to see the Garden's gorgeous fall colors and a chance to have your child test run his/her Halloween costume (without the trick-or-treating sugar high and inevitable crash...)! Hooray for Halloween, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and books, of course!

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

noon - 6 PM

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

SI Workshop Disclaimer

2009-10-14T12:19:00.006-04:00

Ok. So I may have mislead you about this children's book workshop Sean and I are giving. I sort of billed it as a 'make your dream come true by writing your inner children's story'... since, of course, everyone has a children's book they want to write, or at least an idea that is destined to be a Dr. Seuss-style classic. Don't get me wrong, our workshop should provide would-be children's book illustrators with handy tips & info about the biz, as well as (hopefully) plenty 'o inspiration. Please note: Sean and I are primarily illustrators, and this workshop (held at The Society of Illustrators) is mainly geared toward visual artists. Between us, we have published precisely ONE book that was authored by exactly ONE of us, and that single person just happens to be me. In other words, our writing-for-children expertise is minimal. Truth be told, for the past year or so I've been working on developing a few new stories and it hasn't come easy. Finding my own voice and creating a narrative is a whole new world! I'm used to sketching, making book dummies, painting, gluing down collage and doing all things visual. I have ideas, but the words do not come as easy. Despite my single publication, I hesitate to even label myself an author. In any event, together with Sean we have illustrated over 10 books, and with my experience in writing thus far, we hope to offer some useful advise for newbies out there!

Before you sign up, here are some basics:

- most children's picture books are 32 - 40 pages

- children's book text alone is about 2 pages

- the Publisher likes to match up illustrator with author (unless you do both!)

- SCBWI.org (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) - if you're just starting out this site is a great resource.

Please don't let my disclaimer stop you from coming to our workshop! It's on October 28th, and coincides with the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators. It should be chock full of inspiration... at the very least!

Dime Bag Paintings

2009-06-30T14:06:00.010-04:00

I'll be in a group show with 200 artists this July at Giant Robot NY , curated by Jordin Isip and Rodger Stevens. Each piece of art fits into a 3" x 3" clear dime bag, and will be hung in a grid-like fashion side by side. This is the third show of this sort (Dime Bag 3), and the first that I'll be participating in. With the theme totally open-ended, I had some fun creating on a small scale and was inspired by some key things close to my heart: New York, my family and ice-cream.

I think these work as a series, but I had to chose just one for the show (it has already been submitted). Do you have a favorite?

My Caramel Chocolate Licorice Lollipop Family

2009-05-14T15:52:00.006-04:00

I did a school visit this week at EXPLORE, a charter school in Brooklyn. Here are some amazing pictures that some kids drew of their families after I read, I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother. My favorite is one girl's drawing, which she called 'My Caramel Chocolate Licorice Lollipop Family'.

PEANUT BUTTER is Terrific for Toddlers!

2009-04-30T13:44:00.009-04:00

MAY 2009 Parents Magazine picks I'M YOUR PEANUT BUTTER BIG BROTHER (Knopf) as a book to help teach kids about the world. Yahoo!

The article, 'Around the World One Story at a Time', highlights several books to achieve this goal. "We all want to raise kids who respect people of different races, cultures, and religions. But what if your child doesn't live or go to school in an environment where she can learn firsthand about other ethnicities? That's where stories that celebrate the world's diversity come in... There are so many wonderful children's books that open a window into diverse experiences. We've picked out a few of our favorites." (Page 40)

I love that I am listed along with some of MY absolute fave author/illustrators, such as Karen Katz and Marjorie Priceman. Way way back when I had just graduated from Art School, I was given a copy of Priceman's, "How to Make an Apple Pie and see the World" by an editor at Knopf . She told me to study it, as she said (to the best of my recollection, it was a LONG time ago!) that it was an example of spectacular story-telling. I fell in love with the naive, playful illustrations and the whimsical story of a girl who travels around the world gathering ingredients to make her pie. I have constantly referred to the book over the years for inspiration, and the well worn copy is still on my (and sometimes my children's) book shelves today. You can only imagine how thrilled, and honored, I was when I picked up a copy of Parents Magazine and saw that MY debut book as author/illustrator was included in this awesome book's company!

Just one more quick note before I sign off. I recently read a funny comment from a reader of a blog which reviewed Peanut Butter Big Brother. Maureen wrote: "Oh, I just read this last week! It was a wonderful book. Is it awful to say it made me hungry?"

Sean + Selina at the Hootenanny

2009-04-02T16:52:00.014-04:00

Hootenanny Art House is featuring original art work and prints from our books. Sunday was the opening party and overall it was a blast! At times overwhelming, but mostly just a thrill for Sean and I to share our work and sip wine (+ juice boxes) with the neighborhood community. This is the first joint show we have ever done, and I must say it was pretty cool to put the whole thing together. The Hoot is a local Art House in Park Slope where kid's music, movement and art classes, birthday parties and other events take place. It's a cozy neighborhood space with owners Kira + Pete (dancer/musician team) behind the scenes. The work stays up through July. Prints, original art and children's books are for sale.

Hootenanny Art House

15th Street, 8th Avenue

Park Slope, Brooklyn

7 Kicks in March

2009-03-11T11:22:00.018-04:00

I will be featured on 7 KICKS; 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast's Blog this Sunday, March 15!

I'M YOUR PEANUT BUTTER BIG BROTHER (Knopf, $17, ages 4-8) debuts!

The Absolutely Mindy Show interview on Sirius Radio aired on March 10, and I didn't freeze-up!

The terrific write-up in TimeOut NY Kids (a tasty read, p 44) is on magazine stands!

PB Big Brother's BOOK RELEASE PARTY (March 13, 7 PM) and a kid-friendly reading (March 15, 11 AM) are both at Book Court!

My new + vastly improved WEBSITE (www.selinaalko.com) is LIVE!

Sean & I are doing our first joint show EVER at the Hootenanny Art House (15 St, 8 Ave. S. Slope, Brooklyn)! Opening reception: Sunday, March 29 4- 6 PM.

TimeOut NY Kids; a tasty read!

2009-02-23T16:23:00.006-05:00

Here's my interview in TONY Kids! I will post a link when it appears online in March. For now this scan will have to do (click on image to enlarge). I have to say, I am pretty thrilled with this bit of press and hope that it inspires people's interest in my latest book I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (Knopf, $17; ages 4-8)

While I have your attention, please save the date Friday, March 13th for I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother's book release party at Book Court! Beginning at 7 PM, rub shoulders with - and get books signed by - the author/illustrator (ahem), and kick-off the week-end with some fine wine & cheese. FYI, we were going to have some fancy peanut butter hors d'oervres, but decided not to take the chance of accidentally poisoning anyone who might show up!

If you can't get a babysitter or you chose to leave the kids behind for the book's Friday night shin dig, bring them instead on Sunday, March 15th, for a special child-friendly reading @ 11 AM, also at Book Court.

Book Court

163 Court Street, Brooklyn NY

Chapter Books; a whole new world!

2009-02-04T17:36:00.018-05:00

Last week, at Books of Wonder, I was on a panel with a bunch of cool folks who write chapter books. Until last week, I knew next to nothing about chapter books. That evening I discovered, much to my delight, it's quite a different beast! Like an older, more sophisticated, distant relative to children's books. Still, like picture books, chapter books tell stories for a young audience. I was completely captivated as my colleagues revealed tales about their characters and how they came to be. I sat with Jackie Longstead (of the Sister's 8 series), Bruce Hale (his latest, From Russia with Lunch) and Charise Mericle Harper (Just Grace books fame). The second coolest part of the evening for me, next to hearing all of their back-stories, was discovering that Charise Mericle Harper not only writes and illustrates books (like me!), lives in the NY area w/ her 2 kids (like me!), but is from Vancouver, B.C., (like me!), AND went to Prince of Wales high school (like me!! - only we missed each other by a year). What are the odds of that? I discovered I absolutely adore Charise's work. Her main character, Grace, has the super power of empathy! How cool is that? I love the fact that even though I was probably misplaced on the panel to begin with (ie/ Greetings from the 50 States is not exactly a chapter book!), it was totally worth the effort to make that random connection and to learn just a bit more about the world of chapter books! Rebecca Sherman (my agent), my daughter Ginger and I are featured above at the Cupcake Cafe in Books of Wonder.

Peanut Butter Promotion

2009-01-26T16:02:00.013-05:00

My debut as AUTHOR begins this spring with the publication of, I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (which I also illustrated), but getting the word out for the book has already begun! My wonderful publicist at Knopf has been busy setting a few things up, helping me get into the spirit of self-promotion.

The first thing came to me a few weeks ago while my family was vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii. I received an email asking if I was available to do an interview for Sirius Radio for an All About Kids segment with Sesame Workshop. It was a LIVE interview set for 9 AM est, which is (yikes!) 4 AM Hawaii time. But who I am to pass up an interview? After all, it's my very first book that I have both written and illustrated, I need all the press and buzz I can get! Who cares about relaxation! Who needs sleep? Forget the fact that I'm not really sleeping anyway, since my 11 month old has been in our bed most nights anyway! So I said, bring on the interview! When the dark and ungodly hour arrived, fresh brewed Kona coffee in hand, notes from my talking points in front of me, I waited for 'the phone call'. Apparently, it was the-call-that-could-not-get-through, since no-one was at the condo's reception area to receive it AND they had misplaced my cell #! In retrospect I guess I can say it was good practice... the live interview is rescheduled for February 27th! Now I have plenty of time to let people know about it, plus it's closer to the release of the book.

The second blog-worthy promotional event for, I'm Your Peanut Butter big Brother is a PRINT interview, which will be in this March's: Time Out New York Kids. Last week, fresh off the Aloha Jet I met with Maureen Shelly from TONY Kids at the Cupcake Cafe midtown. Always welcoming an opportunity to get out of my studio and head into the city, I chatted with Maureen about the makings of Peanut Butter. It was a really enlightening conversation covering everything from the original inspiration for my story to the current political culture. We talked about how completely thrilling Obama's Inauguration Day was (since it was the same week!) and for me, especially, the significance an African America President has on my biracial children. I am looking forward to seeing the interview in print and will, of course, post it when it comes out in this March's issue of Time Out New York Kids.

And finally, there will be a BOOK RELEASE PARTY for I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother at Book Court in Carroll Gardens, on Friday, March 13th. Should be the event of the season! Come alone or bring a date, your kids, nieces, nephews, mother-in-law, etc., for an evening of wine, cheese and schmoozing. Would love to see each and everyone of you for my big debut! By the way, there is also supposed to be a day time reading at Book Court on Sunday, March 15th especially for kiddos, so the book release party might be a nice opportunity for a night out -- sans the little ones.

50 States Chapter Book Fun!

2009-01-23T12:54:00.003-05:00

I'm kicking off 2009 with an event next week at Books of Wonder. Join me and a few other distinguished authors on Thursday, January 29th for an evening of CHAPTER BOOK FUN! I will be presenting Greetings from the 50 States, fielding questions and signing copies. This time I promise not to put the audience to sleep by reading from the book! (unfortunately it does not read well out loud, so I learned from the Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair... yet it IS a great companion for kids learning their states, and also makes for a fairly handsome adult coffee table book!)

5-7 pm

(ie/happy hour; when cupcakes should be half price. But since they're not, if you make the monumental effort to show up, I will happily treat you to one!)

Books of Wonder

18 West 18th

between 5th and 6th Avenues

Brooklyn Museum's Children's Book Fair

2008-11-13T13:46:00.011-05:00

The 2nd annual Children's Book Fair will take place this Saturday, November 15 from 1-5 PM at the Brooklyn Museum. My husband Sean Qualls and I, along with about 30 other Brooklyn authors and illustrators, will be sitting at a booth with our latest books. On the agenda is a special reading from Greetings from the 50 States at 2:30 by yours truly... so come on by and check out my latest book! I will be talking about how recently the states have captured the imagination of our nation in ways that we've never seen before. Last week's historic election highlighted interest in formerly sleepy states such as: Alaska, Illinois, Hawaii and Kansas. Not to mention, the states that swung blue this time round: Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado- and so on. For children just learning their states this is a completely unique take on the states module for the classroom. Buy your kid the coolest new states book in town - better yet - get it signed by the illustrator, and begin the process of educating your child about all 50 of this great countries' states! By the way, it kinda gives me the chills writing things like, 'this great country' now... GObama!

Ghouls, Gourds & Books

2008-10-24T13:26:00.012-04:00

Halloween comes early this Sunday for kids and adults alike at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Time to show off those costumes, carouse with colossal puppets, create recycled junk instruments, carve pumpkins and, of course, chat with celebrated children's book authors and illustrators! I will be there signing books and would love to see familiar friendly - and scary - faces. This is a picture of my son, Isaiah as a Taxi Driver and his friend, Levi the lion from a few years ago. It was around when My Taxi Ride came out, so I made his stroller into a taxi cab. Fortunately, he was young enough, and not yet highly opinionated, to impose my artistic vision onto!

Original Art at The Society

2008-10-20T16:09:00.018-04:00

Last Thursday I attended the The Original Art Show opening at the Society of Illustrators. It's an annual show of art from about 150 selected picture books published within the past year (usually around 650 are submitted). I must say that this year's show was stunning! It stood out for me from past years partly because the Society has made some changes. For one, they got rid of that awful carpeting on the walls and painted them gallery white. The art really pops, and quite a fabulous, diverse selection of art at that! My husband, Sean Qualls, got both of his books in the show: Phillis's Big Test and Before John Was a Jazz Giant. His beautifully textured modern folk paintings hang along with Mo Willems' witty graphic, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Ana Juan's lovely trippy, The Elephant Wish and Kadir Nelson's hauntingly realistic, We are the Ship (which took him 7 years to complete!). Another new addition to the show is the inclusion of video clips, showing interviews and artistic processes. For example, there is a cool video next to William Steig's art; he was awarded the posthumous lifetime achievement honor. At the reception (since we don't get a night out nearly often enough!), it was fabulous to shmooze with editors, art directors, our agent and colleagues... but I will definitely have to go again during the day to spend more time really looking at the art - and the BOOKS. Yes the actual books. All of the picture books will be on display and it's always a treat to see them next to their real live art counterparts on the walls! FYI, the selected illustrator gets to chose which spread (or spot or single page) from their book will go in the show and is responsible for framing it his/herself. It's always interesting to me to see which image the illustrator choses as THE image to frame and display. I've been in the show twice and believe me, I know how hard it is to decide. The show is up until mid November and is totally worth checking out!

Society of Illustrators

63rd and Lexington

New York City

Greetings From The 50 States

2008-09-17T15:58:00.014-04:00

Newly released from Scholastic: Greetings From The 50 States; How They Got Their Names.

My latest illustrated book by Sheila Keenan is now in book stores and online! From extensive research, detailed sketches to final art work, this 112 page book took me about 2 years to complete. I'll bet I got to know more about US geography than your average Canadian New Yorker, not to mention fellow American. Now if only I could vote in the next election... but that's another issue.

I will be taking part in 2 Brooklyn based events this Fall to promote "50 States" along with other local children's writers and illustrators. Mark your calendars!

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Gouls and Gourds Festival

Sunday October 26

noon - 4:30

The Brooklyn Museum

Children's Book Fair

The Rubin Pavillion

Saturday November 15

1 - 5 PM

In the mean time grab a copy now - I promise to sign it next time I see you!

BUY HERE at B&N.com - Greetings from the 50 States

7 Months Later

2008-09-16T15:10:00.006-04:00

Ginger Molly Viva Qualls arrived on Valentine's Day 7 months ago and it's like she's been with us forever! These past months feel a bit like a hazy fog stumbling back to my own work post-birth. I've done the interesting challenge of trying to get some work done with the baby around. This was somewhat successful when she was a newbie and slept a lot during the day. I actually completed a manuscript for my next children's book, which is pretty cool! I wrote in cafes on the go, whenever Ginger nodded off and inspiration hit. Now that she is growing and awake much more it's become clear that I need the time to work when she is being cared for adequately and attentively. So it is not without some separation anxiety that she off to day care now for just 15 hours a week, during which time I frantically get what I can done! My current to-do list includes: creating content for (exciting, new, upcoming!) website, as well as coordinated blog, developing manuscripts and dummies for at least 2 new books and promoting my latest illustrated book, Greetings From The 50 States - oh and did I mention the endless errands? But hey, it's real good for me to be back to my creative, productive self. It makes me a happier, more fulfilled mom for when I am around my kids.

Peanut Butter Art

2008-02-08T13:58:00.010-05:00

I am due to give birth to my second child this Sunday. I am relieved and overjoyed that 'she' didn't come early, as I had a book deadline right around now! I made it. In fact, I just gave birth to the art for my first book, which I both wrote and illustrated called, I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (Knopf). It will be out in Spring of 2009, when my real life child passes her first birthday. Ah, publishing! Impatience aside, it really was the perfect project for me to work on throughout this pregnancy, as it is a story about an little boy imagining what his soon-to-be-born baby sibling will look like. The protagonist is my beautiful son, Isaiah; the model of Peanut Butter Perfection. And so the story flowed, as did the art's creation. I can't wait for both baby Q number 2 and Peanut Butter Big Brother to make their appearances!