Hugo Reading Babybug
We’re so glad Babybug is part of Hugo’s world! Want to share a photo of your little one deep in thought over a magazine? Send it to babybug@babybugmagkids.com and we’ll post it on the blog!
Meet the cover artist: Laura Zarrin
Laura Zarrin, creator of the adorable May/June Babybug cover, always knew she was an artist. But, she recalls, “the trick was how to earn a living doing it.” When she discovered that she liked working with art directors and solving problems, she decided to make her career as an illustrator, earning a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration at San Jose State University. Laura now works from a spare bedroom in the house she shares with her spouse and two sons, aged 10 and 14. To her joy, her studio has a door that allows her to close out most of the world sometimes—but not Cody, her crackerjack assistant (and dog).
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for the May/June Babybug cover and for the poem “Yellow Plane”? What inspired you?
Laura Zarrin:
I love drawing cute animals! I was very excited to receive these projects, because I was allowed to choose any animal. What a treat! For the cover, I needed to find a water animal. I wanted something a bit different, and a platypus is the different-ist animal I could think of! It’s still hard to believe they aren’t made up.
For “Yellow Plane,” I suggested quite a few different animals, including a Chihuahua and an ostrich. I love the silliness of a giraffe flying a plane!
What was your path to becoming an artist? Do you remember when you first became interested in art?
I’ve always been interested in making things. I have sketchbooks from when I was very young, and I learned to sew when I was seven. I also loved making dams and forts. I’m happiest when I’m making.
Laura's studio
What do you like about illustrating for children?
I love that anything is possible! Children’s imaginations are vast and flexible. This allows me a lot of freedom and fun when I’m illustrating. I think that childhood is a magical time. I have very clear memories of my own childhood. It was full of exploration and discovery. I was a big fan of climbing trees, exploring the woods and creeks near my home, and riding my bike.
The artist with one of her sons
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Give them great materials and let them play! Now that I’m adding collage to my own work, I see how much fun it would be to hand them a glue stick, magazines, newspaper, scissors, paint, and anything that can be attached to their piece (like ribbons), and let them go! It should be like playing with no expectations. I’ve seen some wonderful kid art where they’ve done something so unexpected. When they are young they are very brave about creating! As they get older, I hear a lot of “I can’t draw.” That makes me sad. Creating is essential to life.
Did you have any favorite illustrators when you were a child? How about now?
I absolutely loved Garth Williams, who illustrated Charlotte’s Web and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Now I love so many, it’s hard to list just a few. Laura Huliska-Beith, Elise Primavera, Peter Brown, Sophie Blackall, Mary Grandpre, Chris Van Dusen, and Marla Frazee. There are so many more, but you get the idea.
You’ve created some adorable animals for BABYBUG. If you were an animal, what kind would you be?
H’mm . . . probably a puppy. They’re cuddly and playful.
To learn more about Laura, please visit her website, and look for her artwork in the book Who’s in a Family?
Meet this month’s artist: Hyewon Yum
Here at Babybug, we can’t get enough of author/illustrator Hyewon Yum’s striking style, and we especially love her artwork for “Truck Stop” in the April 2012 issue. Hyewon was born in Korea, educated at Seoul National University and New York City’s School of Visual Arts, and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young sons. She took some time to tell us about her approach to art and storytelling, as well as the picture books that are hits at her house.
Babybug:
When did you first become interested in art?
Hyewon Yum:
I’ve loved to draw since I was very little–I don’t even remember when I started. But I always wanted to be an artist.
Do you have a memory associated with your first inspiration (or perhaps a person or another artist who inspired you)?
My first inspiration was the first crayon set Mother gave me. It had 36 different colors. I adored it and I had to use them all.
How did you become interested in writing? When you create a picture book, do you start with the text or the artwork, or do they come together?
When I studied painting in college, I found out I was interested in illustrating stories. Even when I draw a teacup or a tree, there’s always a story I want to tell. The picture book is the perfect medium to tell a story. My first book, Last Night, was a wordless picture book. I thought that wordless picture books could sometimes show you more emotion, like movies from the silent era. And then I learned how text and artwork play together in the book–it’s magic! Most of time, I start with the image, and it becomes a story. Finally the characters start to talk (even though they are not very talkative).
What was your illustration process for the story “Truck Stop”?
the inspiration
I have a little boy who loves trucks. I’m always drawing all kinds of trucks for him. So I had all the scenes in my head already, and I sketched them. And it was done by block prints: first I traced the sketch on the linoleum, and started to carve it out. And I inked it with a roller and printed on the paper.
You often create beautiful and unusual linoleum block prints. How did you discover (and master) this technique?
I learned this technique from Stephen Savage (Where’s Walrus?) while I was at the School of Visual Art. I fell in love with it right away. It’s relatively easy, and I love the colors that layer of ink makes. I did Last Night with this technique.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
You should draw with your child! That’s all you need, like reading with your child makes your child love reading.
What was your favorite book as a child? How about as an adult?
As a child, I loved Snow White and Cinderella. As an adult, it’s really hard to pick. These days (as a mom of two boys), we adore David Ezra Stein’s Interrupting Chicken and Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back.
Hyewon with her children
To learn more about Hyewon, visit her website or look for her books: The Twins’ Blanket, There Are No Scary Wolves, and Last Night.
Ready for Your Close-Up?
There’s nothing we love more than receiving photos of our adorable little readers with a new issue of Babybug! If you have a photo of your child you’d like to share, please send it to mail@babybugmagkids.com and we’ll publish it on the blog.
Meet this month’s cover artist: Constanze von Kitzing
Constanze von Kitzing’s vivid springtime artwork is waiting for you in the March 2012 Babybug. We were very excited when this German illustrator took some time away from her desk—and new baby—to tell us more about her work!
Babybug:
What was your illustration process for this month’s BABYBUG cover and the poem “Grab It, Rabbit!”? What inspired you?
Constanze von Kitzing:
I thought the cover should be fun. I always wanted to have a raincoat like this myself as a child, so now I get to design my own favorite clothes.
Most of the time, I get an assignment and an image appears in my head right away. This image might change a little in the process of actually being painted. I have a picture of my baby brother sitting in the grass and pointing at a snail, and the boy in “Grab It, Rabbit!” is sitting in the same position. As for the rabbit, a young girl in my neighborhood just got a tiny baby rabbit and it looks quite like the one I painted.
What was your path to becoming an artist?
I never wanted to do anything else. I basically spent my childhood at my desk drawing and listening to tapes, and this is what I do today as well. When I grew up, I had to decide on a profession. I was thinking about studying art, or becoming an art teacher, but it didn’t feel right somehow—until I found out about graphic design and the possibility of majoring in illustration. Then I knew what I wanted to do!
What draws you to illustrating for children?
At a book signing.
Maybe I’m still a child inside. . . . I remember my parents reading picture books to me and my five siblings every night and I always thought that it would be so cool to illustrate children’s books.
It also comes naturally to me. When I had a job at a magazine, I was supposed to develop concepts and ideas for the cover. The art director would always say, “Constanze, you know we’re not a children’s magazine, don’t you?” I guess I can’t help it.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
Actually, I think children are totally interested in art already. My baby niece is one year old and when I carry her through the house, she always points at images and pictures. There are so many different picture books, and children are open to all kinds of different styles. I guess the problem is that we tend to think that children are not interested or are overburdened by diverse styles. They are not!
What was your favorite book as a child? How about as an adult?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, all the Brothers Grimm tales (original versions), and Varenka by Bernadette Watts. My favorite illustrators were Bernadette Watts, Eric Carle, and Stepan Zavrel. As an adult, I still like them. I also love all the books by Astrid Lindgren and Michael Ende.
And finally, how would you describe your perfect day?
Well, as I am in a very new situation with my six-week-old daughter, the perfect day would be to see her laugh a lot and then sleep for awhile, so that I can get some work off my desk!
Constanze with her daughter.
To learn more about Constanze’s work, please visit her website, or look for the books she has illustrated. She’s written quite a few, too!
Semeli’s Smile, by Marina-Michaelidou Kadi
Jack and the Beanstalk, by Gill Munton
Der kleine Hirte und der große Räuber, by Lene Mayer-Skumanz
Magic Chant, published by EEN Art (South Korea)
Pingouin glace, by Constanze von Kitzing
Dormez-Vouz?, by Constanze von Kitzing
C’est moi, le meilleur!, by Constanze von Kitzing
Cache-Cache, by Constanze von Kitzing
Kinder – Lichter der Welt, by Furi Khabirpour
Selig ist . . ., by Baha’u’llah
Meet this month’s cover artist: Sylvia Long
Admirers of Sylvia Long’s gorgeous children’s books have a treat in store with the February 2012 Babybug, featuring her witty Valentine’s Day cover and a new Mother Goose illustration. We were thrilled to learn more about this award-winning artist’s early work, her creative process, and a love of animals that almost led her to veterinary school!
Babybug:
When did you become interested in making art and writing? Do they go together for you, or did one come first?
Sylvia Long:
Art definitely came first. When I was very young, perhaps five or six, I found that I enjoyed playing with color and line. A new box of Crayolas in my Christmas stocking was my favorite present. As the years passed, the boxes got larger, with more and more colors. Colored pencils and watercolors were added, and I was hooked.
The second of five children, I was shy, quiet, and perfectly situated by relative age and interests to become the “family artist,” creating small “books” to serve as birthday, thank you, and get well cards. I’d paint the cover, and each of my siblings would have a page to write their greetings to parents and grandparents.
A Mother's Day Card from Sylvia
I was praised for my early efforts and I believe that combination (means and encouragement) fostered my interest in visual expression.
While I am able to write competently, given enough time and effort, I consider myself an artist rather than a writer.
Do you have a memory associated with your first inspiration (or perhaps a person or another artist who inspired you)?
Buttercups, painted by Sylvia around age 12
While I have no specific memory, I must have been inspired by nature since most of the early paintings were of birds and flowers.
What was your path to becoming an artist?
Until my junior year of high school, I wanted to become a veterinarian because of my interest in animals. My high school art teacher suggested the possibility of pursuing art as a career. It was a revelation to me that something so fun and rewarding could be considered work! I was fortunate to receive a full, 4-year scholarship to Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore, making that study financially feasible. I worked as a fine artist for many years, showing and selling my work in galleries and museums.
Book illustration came later, after I’d started a family and read children’s books to my sons. A friend, Virginia Grossman, suggested making a book together-“just for fun.” That collaboration eventually became Ten Little Rabbits, published by Chronicle Books in 1991. No one was more surprised than I was when it won Best Picture Book of the Year from the International Reading Association! Chronicle Books’ editor, Victoria Rock, asked what book I’d like to work on next (“Next!?”) and I’ve been illustrating ever since.
What draws you to illustrating and writing for children?
A book’s potential to initiate a positive interaction between child and adult (cuddling in adult’s lap to read) is a powerful incentive. I also hope that there will be something in each book that inspires curiosity to learn and read more.
You’ve worked in many genres, re-imagining fairy tales and nursery rhymes, and illustrating fiction and nonfiction picture books. Is your process different when you work on a classic text, a contemporary story, a science book, etc.?
Regardless of the genre, I try to create enough visual richness to keep a child’s interest and attention through multiple readings. Illustrations should complement and expand on the text–not just say the same thing in a different way.
When working with nonfiction, there is an additional requirement. I spend months researching the subject (almost as long as I spend drawing and painting) to be as sure as I can be that we get the facts right and that the illustrations depict the subject accurately.
In your opinion, what’s the best way to get a child interested in art?
By far, I believe the greatest component is genuine interest and encouragement on the part of those nurturing the child. Ask questions about their drawings and paintings-what were they feeling or thinking about while they were working on it? Praise rather than critique. When there is no obvious object in the painting, you can always say, “I love that shade of blue!” or “I love that curve and all the energy in your lines!” Teach them that their visual ideas are uniquely theirs to express and as such, can’t be wrong.
What was your favorite book as a child?
The A. A. Milne books illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard: Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, and Now We Are Six.
How about as an adult?
My most recent favorite is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I love the title as well as the story.
Your artwork is full of charming animal characters. If you were an animal, what kind would you be?
H’mmm. I’ve had a strong affinity for rabbits since reading Richard Adams’s Watership Down many years ago, but they are very social animals. I’m a more solitary creature-particular, determined, curious-and not inclined towards bursts of energy. Perhaps being a tortoise would suit me best.
And finally, what is your favorite way to spend a wintry day?
Well, winter is relative in central Arizona. My favorite way to spend any day is working in my studio, watching and listening to the dozens of birds that come to our koi pond, plants, and five bird feeders right outside the wall of windows in front of my drawing desk.
Western tanager, spotted from Sylvia's studio
I like to have music playing while I’m doing research, but listen to audio books or old movies when I’m drawing and painting. I have a feeling that the background verbal input keeps the literal part of my brain busy, while freeing the more visual, intuitive parts to focus on the creative process. It seems to work for me, in any case.
To continue exploring Sylvia Long’s work, please visit her website. You can also find her books at your local library, or buy them here. A list of books she has illustrated follows.
Ten Little Rabbits, by Virginia Grossman
Most Timid in the Land, by Oliver Herford
Fire Race: A Karuk Coyote Tale About How Fire Came to the People, by Jonathan London
Alejandro’s Gift, by Richard Albert
Liplap’s Wish, by Jonathan London
Any Bear Can Wear Glasses: The Spectacled Bear & Other Curious Creatures, by Matthew and Thomas Long
Hawk Hill, by Suzie Gilbert
Hush Little Baby, by Sylvia Long
Bugs for Lunch, by Marjorie Facklam
Sylvia Long’s Mother Goose
Mother Goose Block Books
Deck the Hall: A Traditional Christmas Carol
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Snug as a Bug, by Michael Elsohn Ross
Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack, Quack, by Barbara Anne Skalak
An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Hutts Aston
A Seed is Sleepy, by Dianna Hutts Aston
Because You Are My Baby, by Jennifer Ward
Thumbelina, by Hans Christian Andersen
A Butterfly is Patient, by Dianna Hutts Aston
A Rock is Lively, by Dianna Hutts Aston (to be published in 2012)
Susan Eaddy Illustrates “The Quiet Mouse”
We loved Susan Eaddy’s adorable illustration of “The Quiet Mouse” in the January 2012 Babybug, and the video she shot while making it.
When we asked Susan to tell us more about “The Quiet Mouse,” she said, “I work all day in my attic studio with my fluffy fat cat who regularly chimes in with his expertise. He was especially interested in this Babybug illustration, since he considers himself an expert on all things rodent.
“Many animals have populated my studio through the years, including my 13-year-old newts, Olivia Newt and John. When I read the poem about the Quiet Mouse living in a quiet house, it seemed only natural that our mouse should live in a library where quietness reigns! And since he is in a library, he should have a book and–of course–a friend he could read to.
“My studio is warm and cozy in the winter, but is unfortunately EXTREMELY warm in the summer, which is when our Quiet Mouse was created. Since the AC and 3 fans can’t keep things cool in a Nashville summer, I have to get creative in warding off the clay melt with my trusty turkey roaster pan. My video shows the work in progress, and a glimpse of my studio in all of its messy glory.”
You can watch Susan create another wonderful illustration for Click, Babybug‘s sister magazine, here. To learn more about Susan and her artwork, please visit her website.
Reader Question: Creating a Love of Reading
I started reading Babybug with my infant at 1 month. As she has settled down, I am making this part of her nightly routine (she is 3 1/2 months now). She likes the pictures and snuggling up to read. Should I limit how much we read each night? Should I read the same story several times? I am a middle school teacher and want to create the love for reading with my daughter.
Also, my husband is German and I recently went on a search for baby books in German. They are VERY expensive so I have tried to get titles that I know I can get in English as well. Do you know of a Babybug-like book in German?
Also, any good scales for free to track my child’s development? When I practiced Audiology, I used the Elm scale, but it is not free. Would like to monitor her development, but since returning to work I have not had the time to research this. I am currently a SPED teacher.
Your daughter is learning the most important lessons possible about reading: She’s discovering that reading is an activity that is not only enjoyable and satisfying, but that the important grown-ups in her life also find valuable. It sounds like you are sensitive to your baby’s reactions and have noticed that she already enjoys the pictures and the snuggling that accompany reading. Continue to watch how she responds. Doing so is the best way to determine how long to make a reading session last—within your own time constraints, of course. You’ve probably noticed that BABYBUG suggests finger plays and movement activities to enrich reading time as your child grows older, but right now the quiet time together sounds ideal. As for reading the same story again and again, babies do thrive on repetition, so continue to repeat her favorites while introducing new selections.
If you can find an inexpensive German version of Mother Goose, it would be both familiar to you and similar to a number of the selections in BABYBUG.
One of the very best resources for infant development is the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. You might want to explore the Early Development part of the Behavior and Development section at their website, www.zerotothree.org. It’s free–and reliable!
-Sally Nurss
You can ask Sally your own questions here, or in the comments.
Reader Question: Separation Anxiety
Are there any ways to gently calm my baby’s separation anxiety? I can’t even put my 11-month-old son in the crib without him screaming when I leave the room.
-Judith Sullivan, NC
Right when a baby becomes more mobile–crawling efficiently, taking his first steps–separation anxiety arises. His new-found mobility makes him aware that he really is separate from you, that he really does need you, and that he definitely wants to know where you are. To make matters even more complicated, one-year-olds now understand object permanence. They know that objects—and people—still exist even when they’re out of sight. Your son knows that when you walk into another room, you must be somewhere. He just doesn’t know when you’ll be back, or if you’re ever coming back. It’s an awful feeling, as you can imagine. So he howls and tries to follow you.
As you point out, the real question is how to gently calm this anxiety. Time and experience help, of course. But in the meantime, you may also want to try these suggestions to help your son cope with brief, daily separations in your home:
Say a confident good-bye, or something like “I’m going into the kitchen now” rather than slipping away. (Otherwise, he’ll worry that you could disappear at any time unless he watches you.) Add cheerfully, “I’ll be right back.”
Call out to your child so that he feels like he’s in contact with you when you have to be out of sight for a moment.
Respond to his need to have you near. The more you resist, the longer his anxiety will last. Consider carrying him in a baby sling during those times when he wants to be carried but you need to have both hands free.
When your son crawls or toddles off to explore in a safe environment, stay in one place so he can easily look back to find you.
Read him stories about separation. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson is a reassuring one. When Mama Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli is another.
Play games like peek-a-boo often. It’s a way for your baby to become comfortable with having you disappear and, more importantly, reappear.
You can ask Sally your own baby questions here.
Reader Question: Choosing Board Books for Babies
Black and white patterns are perfect for newborns.
Here’s another reader question from Sally Nurss. You can ask Sally your own baby questions here.
There are so many baby board books out there. How do I choose the best ones?
-Judith Sullivan, NC
When choosing board books for babies, it helps to consider what they can see. Thinking about what babies are drawn to visually in the first year can help you decide which books to choose.
If you’ve ever looked at a catalogue of toys for newborns and young infants, you know that they contain lots of toys with black and white patterns. This is because infants up to two or three months are very interested in contrast. Color doesn’t seem to matter so much to newborns; they are more likely to be drawn to the contrast between dark and light. For very young infants, choose board books with big, simple contrasts in the illustrations.
By 6 to 8 weeks, babies become more aware of color and are increasingly attracted to shapes and angles. In these early weeks, look for board books with illustrations that show lots of angles, true colors and clearly defined edges.
At about three months, babies start to scan the environment. They’re searching for moderate novelty—something that is familiar enough to be reassuring and different enough to be interesting. That, of course, will vary from baby to baby, but it helps to think about what your baby sees every day, what he or she stops to stare at, and look for books that reflect those interests. Most babies are attracted to board books that show pictures of dogs and cats or familiar objects like spoons and cups and clothing—especially shoes! You’ve probably noticed that Babybug always includes everyday objects and activities among its selections.
From "New Shoes," art by Dawn Beacon, in the January 2011 Babybug.
Throughout babyhood, children are fascinated by faces. Very young babies will spend time looking at the outside edges of faces—perhaps it’s the contrast with the background. As the weeks go by they work their way in toward a face’s features. Be sure to offer your child lots of books with pictures with faces and clear pictures of eyes, noses, and mouths.
Above all, look for board books that you find attractive. Not only are you more likely to read them again and again, your baby will quickly pick up on your enjoyment and realize from the beginning that books are a source of pleasure—an idea that matters most of all.
