Lois Lenski, The Little Airplane
Not sure I should be calling it a challenge, as I am the only one who participated (ha!), but it IS a challenge to replicate another person’s artwork and add a character of your own (#alligatorinserted) into the image. Every day for a month! A great exercise, but more importantly it’s been a real pleasure introducing others to the work of female illustrators in children’s literature. I am posting each of the pieces this year, including links to help you learn more about each of these fabulous creators in kidlit! Thanks for coming along for the ride! You can see them all on my instagram page, and even quicker in an album on my fb-artist-page.
Jill McElmurry, Pirate Princess
Anne Wilsdorf, Charlotte
Jan Brett, The Mitten
Elsa Beskow, Thumbelina
Trina Schart Hyman, Little Red Riding Hood
Molly Bang, Ten, Nine, Eight
Wanda Gag, Millions of Cats
Esphyr Slobodkina, Caps For Sale
Cecily Mary Barker, Flower Fairies
Margaret Bloy Graham, Harry the Dirty Dog
Barbara Lehman, The Secret Box ?
Britta Teckentrup, Little Mouse and the Red Wall
Sara Varon, Odd Duck
Sarah Bowie, We’re Going to the Zoo
Rashin Kheiriyeh, The Two Parrots
Peggy Rathmann, Bootsie Barker Bites
Judith Kerr, The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Eva Eriksson, Max’s Wagon
Cyd Moore, I Love You, Stinkyface
Yuyi Morales, Nino Wrestles the World
Églantine Ceulemans, Lasco de la grote
Molly Idle, Flora and the Flamingo
Julie Flett, We All Count
Magdalena Matoso, Clap, Clap!
Dorothée de Monfried, Shh! I’m Sleeping
Tor Freeman, Showtime for Billie and Coco
Jen Corace, Telephone
Mini Grey, Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show
More links to some of my favorite female children’s literature illustrators (slides featured on my instagram page!) to follow – just click on their name below:
Marie La France, Lillian Hoban, Carson Ellis, Judy Schachner, Melissa Sweet,
Wendy Wahman, Alison Friend, Iza Trapani, Sang Miao, Shadra Strickland,
Jessixa Bagley, Qin Leng, Laura James, Caitriona Sweeney, Sheena Dempsey,
Robyn Kahukiwa, Eva Muggenthaler, Briony May Smith, Esther Gomez Madrid,
Evangelina Prieto López, Maria Wernicke, Gunnella, Catherine Zarip, Helen Hancocks,
Maria Jönsson, Dorothea Warren Fox, Wendy Wahman, Anne Hunter
Summary: (from my library catalog) Three household adventures in the life of 
I like this book because: it transported me back to my own childhood, growing up just outside of New York City! And considering the pub date, it’s likely that the best librarian in the world, Mrs. Nienburg, read it to us in school. And she would have because it’s well written and funny! I love a book that pushes you to read pout loud from the get go, makes you want to ‘act’ it out in the telling, give it an amplifier. There are not very many of those that do it so well.
Resources/activities: kids love to hear family stories, things they can’t remember themselves, but are fully aware that they exist! Share them! Listen! Take the time and allow kids in a group to share theirs – because, as Simone Weil once said, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog 
Author: Kelly DiPucchio
Summary: (from my library catalog) 
I like this book because: it has such an important and urgent message for kids, that they too can be engaged and do something important or even just something they are passionate about, despite being ‘just’ a kid. The illustrations are warm and endearing, and are unique in the ability to distinguish between the real and imaginary world without skipping a beat.
Resources/activities: Start a clean-up/trash pick-up action in your community, even just around the house or school; discuss responsibility towards others, the environment and what issues bother you right now. What can you do about them?
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog 
Author/Illustrator: Phoebe Wahl
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) A girl searches for 
I like this book because: after a blizzard on Wednesday (they called it a bomb cyclone – it was bad, I don’t mean to joke!), I realized that I am more than ready for lush grean foliage and the magic of finding ANYTHING in my backyard! Already a big fan of Wahl’s art, I did not need convincing, but this is a very sweet story of discovery – and a perfect read, any time!
Resources/Activities: build a fairy garden, a house, a spot in your own yard, and if you don’t have a yard of your own, build one in a public space. And if weather does not yet allow you to get started, design one!
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog 
Author/Illustrator: Kristina Andres
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Heartwarming stories of friendship, fun and going to bed” – That was tooo short…but still true!
I like this book because: it‘s so cute! I need to invite another 5 year old for a read-in. I say ‘another’ because on the inside I am still 5! Just wanna hug all these characters too! Also celebrating female bookmakers this Women’s History Month! See my illustration celebrations on Instagram – 
Resources/Activities: Don’t wait for the other 5 yr old to come over, just READ. Make a fort – yes, even if you are an adult. Include a sturdy lamp or excellent flashlight, a few fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, and your favorite beverage with cookies (milk for me!).
Author/Illustrator: John Burningham
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Each time he does something a little bit bad, 
I like this book because: it‘s a good reminder for us all, and unfortunately we need reminders. I was really lucky to be able to attend (for free through my library) a talk called, An Open Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Close, with Dr. Steve 
Resources/Activities: do yourself a favor and read more Burningham, like The Shopping 
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog 
julie rowan-zoch 