Halloween Illustration – Spinelli Autumn Poem – Top Ten Picture Books 2013

This Halloween illustration was created by Mark Meyers. Mark was featured on illustrator Saturday on October 5th. You can read more about him by using this link: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/illustrator-saturday-mark-meyers/

Autumn Light by Eileen Spinelli

Is it the sun rising orange

like a great gourd?

Or the moon

stored like a shallow bowl

behind the clouds?

Is it the glint of

a crow’s wing?

The hint of gold on speckled

husks of corn?

Or zinnias

late-born and bright?

Is it the starry-night lake?

The yellow leaf caught

in the rake by the door?

Or the low lantern flickering?

Is it love that matters?

Or wisdom?

Or simply being found?

Yes…and yes.

Happy Halloween!

The New York Times Book Review has announced its annual 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2013. The books will be featured in the November 10Sunday Times Book Review in a special Children’s Book section. 

The Book Review’s 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books for 2013 are:

• “My Brother’s Book,” written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Michael de Capua Books/HarperCollins Publishers)
• “Ballad,” written and illustrated by Blexbolex, translated by Claudia Z. Bedrick (Enchanted Lion Books)
• “Jemmy Button,” written and illustrated by Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali (Templar Publishing/Candlewick Press)
• “The Dark,” written by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Little, Brown and Company)
• “Holland,” written and illustrated by Charlotte Dematons (Lemniscaat)
• “Journey,” written and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Candlewick Press)
• “Fog Island,” written and illustrated by Tomi Ungerer (Phaidon Press)
• “Jane, The Fox and Me,” written by Fanny Britt, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)
• “Locomotive,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca (Richard Jackson/Atheneum)
• “Nelson Mandela,” written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins Publishers)

The children’s books editor for The New York Times Book Review is Sarah Harrison Smith. This year’s panel of judges included Caldecott medalist Brian Selznick, who has twice won The New York Times Best Illustrated award for “Walt Whitman: Words for America,” by Barbara Kerley, and “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”; Elizabeth R. Bird, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library who is the author of the picture book “Giant Dance Party”; and Steve Heller, longtime art director at The Times who is co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author Department and Special Consultant to the President of SVA for New Programs as well as Visuals columnist for The New York Times Book Review.

Since 1952, the Book Review has convened an independent panel of three judges from the world of children’s literature to select picture books on the basis of artistic merit. Each year, judges choose from among thousands of picture books for what is the only annual award of its kind. Lists of past winners of the Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award can be found on NYTimes.com/Books, along with a slide show of this year’s winners.

Have a great Halloween!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy