David Wiesner

On Friday, I posted that I had been doing some research and ran into more of David Wiesner's books.

David Wiesner was born and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. He has illustrated several books including The Loathsome Dragon, which he retold with his wife Kim Kahng. He is the author / illustrator of several books published by Clarion Books.

June 29, 1999, is a story about a girl named Holly, who has great expectations for her science project when she sent seedlings into the ionosphere, she never expected the results she received on such an enormous scale. Holly has trouble imagining that she was responsible for the events of June 29, 1999. She just might be right!

http://www.amazon.com/June-29-1999-David-Wiesner/dp/0395727677/ref=pd_sim_b_3

Tuesday, is a story about a group of frogs that go out on the town. The events that happen this particular Tuesday evening are verified by an undisclosed source to have happened somewhere in the USA, on a particular Tuesday.

http://www.amazon.com/Tuesday-David-Wiesner/dp/0395870828/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Flotsam, is a story about found objects on a beach. The definition of Flotsam is: something that floats. If it floats in the ocean, it may wash up on the beach. A boy finds these objects and shares his discovery with someone else.

http://www.amazon.com/Flotsam-Caldecott-Medal-David-Wiesner/dp/0618194576/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248121641&sr=1-1

These are a few of the books of David Wiesner that particularly enjoy! I love the fact that the stories are so imaginative. They take a modern, normal event and the outcome is an exploration of the improbable. A lot of times, I think "why did I not think of this?" It's brilliant!

As I have come to know David's work, I have always related him to a Caldecott Medal. Tuesday and Flotsam are Caldecott Medal winners and probably my favorite of his books. This has been inspiring for me in my own work as David has successfully planted a seed within me, to reach for the gold and someday be awarded the Caldecott Medal.

He uses Arches watercolor paper for his pieces. I have a strong feeling that it is hot press paper, usually a little more smoother and less textured paper than cold press. This would allow him to get a beautiful, smooth wash without many "bumps" and extra un-invited texture!

As I build my collection of children's picture books, these will be among them:
Flotsam, Tuesday, The Three Pigs, Hurricane, Free Fall, Sector 7, hopefully the list will go on!