The Seven Imp Interview! Coffee! Pictures!

I'm pleased as punch to point you over to the great Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog for a breakfast-themed, detail-heavy, picture-riffic, interview with yours truly. Make sure you check out her interview archives... essential reading.

SEVEN IMP!

Apology/PSA

This baby eagle is here to tell you that despite appearances, I have not abandoned my blog. April was a deadline month, and I was feverishly at work finishing a new picture book (more on that later). But I promise to start posting regularly again ... with some big stuff coming up.

Until then, if you are anywhere within a reasonable distance of Philadelphia, you should get down to the Rosenbach Museum to catch the extraordinary Sendak exhibit that closes on Sunday! Go, go! It's rainy today so there really is no better time to go to a museum, right? Right-ho.

Top 100... I mean, Top 3 Picture Books

Fuse #8 has posted the first ten books in her list of the Top 100 Picture Books as voted on by readers. Although I didn't get around to submitting my picks, today's 10 inspired me to chime in because book #94 on the list, The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small, would certainly be in my Top 3 books. It's perfect.

The other 2 would be The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present by John Burningham which are also, in my opinion, perfect picture books.

Can't wait to see the rest of the list.

Seven

So, I was tagged recently by Susan to fess up seven things about myself. However, I do believe my foot was touching base, so instead I'll offer seven sources of creative inspiration.

1. Buster Keaton. Not only the greatest of the silent comics, but film's purest genius. He was also the best director of the silent era. Watch The General and think about his editing, pacing, and composition. Also, it's hilarious.
2. Orson Welles. The sound era's genius. Yes, Citizen Kane is that good. Also check out his radio work..all of Welles' stuff is about rhythm. Extra genius points for his sketching abilities.
3. Charles Schulz. I grew up devouring the Peanuts on Parade books and I think Schulz has had the greatest influence on what I find funny. His drawing is superlative. Huzzah to Fantagraphics for reprinting the complete works.
4. Ernest Shepard. One of my favorite children's book illustrators. The Pooh books and The Wind in the Willows are simple perfection.
5. The Beatles. Creativity, energy, and confidence. Listen to all of A Hard Day's Night and hear four guys who know they're the best band ever. And they're right.
6. King Kong. Of course I mean the original. No other movie has the power to instantly make me a kid again. Remains one of the greatest adventure movies of all time.
7. Jim Henson. Originality and conviction. The Muppets are one of the great creations of the twentieth century. Orson Welles thought so, too. Extra genius points for Henson's drawings. There's a reason the Muppets haven't been good since he died.