Thursday, January 13, 2011

Clever Jack Takes the Cake

Since the holidays, my son and I have been reading Clever Jack Takes the Cake, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The text is quite long, but the adventure story pays off with humor, heart, and beautiful illustrations.

They are rendered in gouache and pencil (and what looks like a bit of cut paper?) and very befitting the fairy-tale setting. It's just a small part of the story, but if you know any little ones with a strawberry allergy, it would be a nice bonus for them too.

6 comments:

Christie Wright Wild said...

Sounds fun! 1384 words is a bit long. And it still got published in 2010! See? Not all PB's have to be under 500 words... I don't know anything about gouache (or a child with strawberry allergies for that matter), but I would love to read the book! Oh, I have an award for ya'll over at my blog, www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com

Hardygirl said...

This looks gorgeous. And, I'm actually looking for books with a little more text to read with my first grader (plus she has a peanut allergy, so she can totally relate).

I use gouache and pencil in my illustrations, but I water them down so they look more like watercolors.

sf

Ann Marie DiVecchia said...

I like G. Brian Karas and Candace Fleming. This looks like a really cute book. Wonderful spread! Miles has good taste! :)

Gina Perry said...

Christie - it IS a long PB, but it makes sense for the story. Thank you so much for the award!
Hardygirl - I liked that the strawberry allergy is just a funny twist, not a big honking message. I love the look of looser gouache, I go really heavy with it myself.
Ann Marie - I know, I should pick up more Candace Fleming. I'm guilty of picking a book by the illustrator most of the time!

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

I can't wait to get my hands on this baby! I have a whole collection of Brian Karas work! I just love him as well as Candace Fleming. I had the the greatest pleasure of being in one of his master classes at a SCBWI conference a few years back. He gave me such a wonderful critique will will never forget. I've been working ever since doing the thing that I love and enjoy. I adore Mr. Karas pencil and gouache technique. I am longing to get back to real media. I enjoy working via computer, but I adore and enjoy drawing with pencil and touching paper and mixing painted and cutting paper pieces for collage. It is the most rewarding. Somehow we have gotten so far away from it. Also the real joy of a good storyteller. Candace works magic with her words. She paints pictures with words. The two of them Candace and Brian are just magical. Thanks for sharing this. I will getting myself a copy or two thanks to you talented people!
V

Joy Chu said...

I love the brisk pacing of the words against the spare wit of the artwork. This is an inspired teaming indeed. And I LOVE that spunky and wise princess! She'll make a superlative queen.