Category Archives: new books

Susan Gal’s “Day by Day” Receives a Starred Review from Kirkus

It can be a nerve wracking experience waiting for those first reviews to roll in, but what could possibly be more encouraging than a starred review from Kirkus?

Susan Gal’s “Day by Day,” which she both wrote and illustrated, is a heartwarming tale that follows an adorable pig family in their quest to build a home and become a part of the fabric of their Society. Here is what the reviewer had to say:

“Day by day, brick by brick, a community is built in this winning tribute to fellowship and family.

Across a golden prairie, a family of pigs heads west. Their small actions grow in significance as bricks become a house, beloved paraphernalia create a home, neighbors are welcomed and friendships begin. With each handsome spread, the author rephrases the proverb she was inspired by: â€œlittle by little, the bird builds its nest.â€ Words flow on a curvature that matches the lyrical nature of both text and artwork. Sophisticated, digital illustrations done in a pastel color palette dazzle the senses, allowing readers to feel the vastness of sky, the heat of summer; to smell the scent of flowers and fields; and to hear the slow dance-floor melody as they safely drift to sleep. Gal skillfully employs the computer to create a handmade, collage aesthetic. Through her application of textures, she creates a world thatâ€™s rich in pattern, color and, most of all, love. As pigs gather around a table, under a festive tree at twilight to enjoy the bounty they have grown, they give thanks.

A luminous celebration of family, food and home. (Picture book. 4-9)“

The lovely news was shared with us by Random House’s Nancy Siscoe, with whom Susan collaborated. She sent us an enthusiastic, “I love this book!”

We sure do, too.

Congratulations, Susan!

You can click here to see a brief presentation of this wonderful tale.Â Why not see what all the fuss is about!

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The MGI Weekly News Roundup

There has been an awful lot going on behind the scenes, and we have been looking forward to sharing this week’s post with you!

Victo Ngai recently traveled back to her native Hong Kong, where she was selected to receive two silver medals and one judge’s pick for the Second Greater China Illustration Awards – a competition that includes illustrators from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mainland China. She explains that this particular accomplishment means a lot to her, as it is the first time that she has won an award in her homeland. She wrote a little bit about the experience on her wonderful blog, which you can read by clicking here. And congratulations, Miss Victo!! She keeps reeling them in.

Here is Victo, third from the left, bottom row:

The awards:

Victo also received a wonderful acknowledgment from CommunicationArts, which featured a brief interview with the artist, along with some of her works. Take a peek here!

One of Victo Ngai’s featured pieces:

We were also thrilled to receive some very exciting press. Recently, we announced a very high-profile collaboration between Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and our very own Raul Colon. Dr Biden’s first children’s book, “Don’t Forget, God Bless our Troops” is a touching story told through the eyes of a child dealing with a parent fighting overseas, and we were thrilled to receive an announcement from Publisher’s Weekly celebrating its release (click here). It goes without saying that we are rather confident that we’ll be hearing an awful lot about this book in the months to come.

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And finally, we would like to congratulate the MTA’s Arts for Transit program, with whom we have had the joy of collaborating on several occasions. They have just announced the release of the Arts for Transit on Meridian App, a virtual gallery of all of the mosaics, installations, paintings, posters, art cards and more that pepper the lives of New Yorkers every day. Now, wherever you are in the world, you can always enjoy a little piece of NYC. Take a moment to view a little video announcing this interesting development here.

Here is a poster that was created for the MTA by Sylvie Daigneault:

Dave Calver created this beauty for the program:

And a mural created by Raul Colon:

Sarah Hollander Works Out her Autograph Hand

Sarah Hollander’s heartwarming illustrations recently breathed life into the adorable children’s book “The 12 Days of Christmas in Washington DC,” and we are pleased as punch that her hard work has been so well received.

The artist was recently involved in a successful book signing at “Hooray for Books” in Alexandria, Virginia. Take a look at these lovely photographs that were taken by the author, Candice Ransom – what a doll (Sarah’s on the right)!

sarahblog sarahhblog We would also like to take this opportunity to brag about two of the other Morgan Gaynin artists, as we have been fortunate enough to have 3 of our talented illustrators selected to work on this fun project that tackles holiday traditions and fun facts from all 50 states (and, of course, our lovely capitol!). Congratulations are also in order forÂ Lisa Adams, who illustrated “The 12 Days of Christmas in New York City,” and Judy Stead, the artist behind “The 12 Days of Christmas in North Carolina”.

Congratulations, Ladies!

“Night Lights” Nominated Once Again

Susan Gal must be getting pretty excited for Sunday’s Awards Ceremony! Her charming picture book “Night Lights” has been nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Children’s Literature as one of the best works by a northern California author published in 2009. Say that 10 times fast!

The 29th Annual Northern California Book Awards will be held April 18th at Koret Auditorium in the San Francisco Main Library at 1pm. Good luck, Susan! We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.

(ceeeeeelebrate good times, come on!)

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Last Minute Christmas Gift Suggestion

The timing is perfect to announce that Wendy Edelson’s interpretation of the “Nutcracker” has been published as a boxed set, arriving at Barnes and Noble in the nick of time for Christmas. This special gift includes the Nutcracker figurine which Wendy also designed:

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Illustrated with Wendy’s vintage-y signature style, this beautiful package presents two versions of the original tale: one by E T A Hoffman and another by Alexandre Dumas.

Lisa Adams’s Successful Opening

On Tuesday, December 8th, the children’s book section of TriBeCa’s Barnes & Noble looked like a baby stroller parking lot. There must have been 75 little ones with nannies or moms in tow, all there for Lisa Adams’s book signing for her delightfully illustrated “The Twelve Days of Christmas in New York City”. Unfortunately, Vicki got delayed on the downtown subway just long enough to miss the nursery school set’s rousing sing-a-long to Lisa’s version of the classic tune’s lyrics.

Gail took over as our MGI presence at the after-party…an elegant and congenial affair for adult fans and friends at Lisa’s friend’s nearby loft.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas in New York City” is one of a series of books by Sterling Publishing about Christmas time in various cities throughout the US.

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Lisa Adams Book Signing

Lisa Adams recently completed a vibrant and fun fact-filled version of the “Twelve Days of Christmas in New York City,” and will be available to sign a copy just for you! Please join Lisa (and see if you can spot other MGI’ers) at Barnes & Noble in Manhattan’s TriBeCa area on Tuesday, December 8th at 4 pm.