PARENTS Magazine Interview

Thanks very much to Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal who interviewed me for Parents Magazine.

Lauren asked me all about the making of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, my picture book biography of Uvalde victim Alithia Haven Ramirez. I told her the whole story, which includes a lot of support from Alithia’s parents Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez.

The interview was arranged as a cover reveal by my friends at Michael Sampson Books, publisher of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist. Doesn’t the front cover look terrific? It was designed by the publisher.

Click here to read the interview.

Click here to preorder Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist today!

GEMS Podcast

This morning I was interviewed by the lovely Genesis Amaris Kemp on her podcast, GEMS.

We talked about publishing, creativity, inspiration, and following your dreams... and even cures for writers block.

Click here to listen.

If you prefer to watch on YouTube, click here.

GEMS is a fun and inspiring podcast to follow. Whenever I listen, I feel like I'm having tea with friends. Make sure you subscribe!

The 500 Section Lounge Podcast

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-500-section-lounge-podcast/id1481244711

Hi, Everybody!

Yesterday, I was a guest on The 500 Section Lounge Podcast.

The 500 Section Lounge is a fun show, fresh and entertaining. The hosts—three dads who've been friends since high school—talk a lot of sports, so you may be thinking one of two things:

1) I want to hear three dads talk about sports and interview lots of cool sports personalities!

If that's you, no worries, settle down. All you have to do is click here, or use your Google machine. There are many ways to listen and subscribe.

2) What's a children's book illustrator doing on a podcast hosted by three dads?

 Well, let me tell you. The 500 Section Lounge podcast isn't just cool, it's super cool. There is something for everyone. Sam, Matt, and Richey talk to all kinds of people. In my favorite episode, they interview a beekeeper! Check it out, and make sure you subscribe.

The guys asked me all about what it's like to write and illustrate books for kids. They were completely gracious, their questions were insightful, and the experience was overwhelmingly positive. The only thing missing was pizza and beer. Or White Castle. (This is an inside joke... gotta listen to get it!)

I forgot to snap a screenshot during the pod, so this illustration will have to do. :o)

Click here to listen on Spotify... or just Google the show. There are tons of ways to hear it!

Book-Fest Award for "Let's Be Friends"

I'm excited to announce that my latest book, Let's Be Friends, has won Book-Fest's first place award for multicultural children's books that celebrate diversity. Thank you, Book-Fest!

Click here to order your copy of Let's Be Friends, A Lift-the-Flap Book today.

Hooray for "Babies Around the World"

The Best 100 Children's Books of All Time

Thank you, Reader's Digest, for ranking Babies Around the World fourth in your amazing list! Here is an excerpt, written by Molly Pennington, PhD:

4. Babies Around the World by Puck

Age: Baby to 4 years

Bonjour! Hola, amigos! In this adorable 2017 board book, babies from all around the world offer the simplest of greetings: hello. Toddlers and the littlest humans will not only learn how to greet people in other languages, but they’ll also discover the diverse world they’re living in. Cheerful, inclusive illustrations depict happy kiddos engaged in daily life.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to read why Babies Around the World is near and dear to my heart.

And click here to order your copy of Babies Around the World today.

CBI Kidlit Distancing Social

On May 18th, I had the pleasure of joining the amazing Laura Backes Bard, founder of Children's Book Insider, for a live Zoom chat focusing on board books.

Click here to watch the replay.

I told the crazy stories behind my two most recent books, Healthy, Healthy, Love, Love, Love and Let's Be Friends. As luck would have it, I was able to reveal the cover for Let's Be Friends, which will be released by HarperCollins in December. Laura also asked me about The Obamas, A Lift-the-Flap Book, which was released in 2019. 

Dreaming of Writing for Children?

If you want to get into the business of children's books, get to know Laura Backes and Jon Bard, the team behind Write4Kids.org and Children's Book Insider. The couple has spent decades collecting helpful information for children's book writers. If you have always wanted to write for children but aren't sure where to begin, try one of these:

CBI's YouTube channel is a great place to start! There are tons of topics from which to choose. I've listened to every interview, and have learned from all of them.

Write4Kids.org is chock full of helpful info, too. While you're there, sign up for the CBI newsletter, which is amazing! Priceless content, for the price of a cup of coffee.

If you're looking for a class, CBI has got you covered. Their Writing Blueprints are revolutionary self-paced online courses tailored to various genres, at a very reasonable rate. I'm about to begin my own journey with one of these blueprints, and will keep you posted!

Meanwhile, if you have any questions about board books, give a shout!

Links to More Good Stuff

Click here to read more about my experience with the CBI interview on my WordPress blog.

Want to order some board books? Click the titles to be redirected to the publishers' websites; or, better yet, order them from your local independent bookstore! :o)

The Obamas, A Lift-The-Flap Book

Healthy, Healthy, Love, Love, Love

Let's Be Friends (pre-order now; this book is coming in December!)

Chinese New Year | Healthy, Healthy, Love, Love, Love

Celebrating a New Book!

Healthy, Healthy, Love, Love, Love

Healthy, Healthy, Love, Love, Love was released around the world on Oct 15, 2020.

In this vibrant board book, love triumphs over germs. Concise text and bold illustrations show little ones how to stay healthy in a germy world...

...and how to respond with love when germs win.

Celebrating Chinese New Year!

(The Backstory)

In early 2020, our family of three was living in China when my son experienced an unexpected health crisis. He made a complete and super speedy recovery, thank goodness! I lived with him in the hospital for a week as he recovered from two surgeries. 

He was released on Saturday, Jan 25, Chinese New Year, two days after we first heard about a dangerous new virus that had appeared in Wuhan, 500 miles away. 

Meanwhile...

...the world bristled as the U.S. President insisted on calling Covid-19 "the China virus."

A few pages from my sketch journal. I wrote down stuff that my son said as well as my prayers for him, and many other observations.

Wanting to find a way to channel our experience into a book—perhaps a middle grade chapter book or a graphic novel— I sent a few sketches to my agent. 

Her diplomatic reply steered me back to my wheelhouse. "I think you should stick with what you do best… young and maybe a board-book?  Maybe how to be safe book mixed with tolerance?"

Less than a week later I was able to send her a completely sketched dummy for "Healthy, Healthy: Love, Love, Love." Apparently it's the book I've been training for ever since my baby brought home his first germ from Sunday school. :o)

Our son was scheduled to fly to New Zealand to begin university, but borders began closing all over the world. It was crazy stressful, but he got out, and because of the crazy situation, we went with him.

Working on notes for the book during the flight, on the only scrap of paper I had—an old grocery list. 

The book taking shape as my husband and I floated around New Zealand staying in various AirBNBs.

An early sketch for a title page, which ultimately didn't make it into the book.

With wonderful feedback from HarperCollins's Tamar Mays, the book took shape and was eventually added to Harper Festival's Fall 20 lineup. By the time it was released in October, my husband and I had moved to Malaysia where he is now working.

Goodbye, Year of the Rat...

...hello, Year of the Ox! Happy Lunar New Year, everyone. Sending you lots of love and hope for a wonderful 2021.

________________

Healthy, Healthy Love, Love, Love

written and illustrated by Violet Lemay

edited by Tamar Mays

designed by Rick Farley

published by HarperCollins/Harper Festival 2020

Click here for a list of purchasing options.

________________

Click here to read about the making of the book trailer video on my other blog, Illustories.

Happy News for "TummyTime™: Happy Baby"

TummyTime™: Happy Baby has been making a bit of a splash lately, with two new honors.

babydocbox Review

Dr. Alison Scott, founder of subscription box babydocbox has written a great endorsement for duopress's TummyTime™ series, which currently includes books illustrated by Jannie Ho, Violet Lemay, and Hsping Pang.

When searching for an interactive mirror activity for babydocbox's 4-6 month box, we found the perfect item with duopress's TummyTime™ series. This attenion grabbing book allows babies to practive tunny time and engage visually with morrors—a favorite passtime for babies this age!  ~ Alison H. Scott, MD, FAAP, Founder/CEO of babydocbox.

Across the Avenue

TummyTime™: Happy Baby is included in Across the Avenue's 2020 Holiday Guide. Hooray!

Big thanks to CJ Keller of Across the Avenue, not only for the kind words, but also for the lovely photos.

Follow the link below to be redirected to Across the Avenue. :-)

Across the Avenue: 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Give the Gift of Reading!...: Children's books are at the top of our gift list every holiday season. It's a tradition we hope to pass on through generations as a ...

That Time John Oliver Used my Illustration in a Bit

Pringles Update: 

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

(Web Exclusive)

Yes, it's true. My husband Fred and I were lounging on the couch watching clips from our favorite US late-night shows one night, and John Oliver got to wondering about the Pringles guy; specifically, what his body looks like.

Joe Biden had just been announced as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, and John was feeling good. Earlier in the show he dedicated 30 entire seconds to the marvels of the octopus. It was glorious.

So as we sat there enjoying all of this, my mind got to wondering about the Pringles guy, and somehow put it together with the octopus footage we'd just seen. I sat down to draw an octopus but then thought, Oh wait, I drew one of those for duopress's 2015 book "Hello, Ocean Friends!". I found the art, pasted a Pringle head from the internet over the octopus's body, and voila: the Pringlepus was born. It was gloriously easy.

Five minutes after tweeting the thing to Mr. Oliver, I was alseep. 

I woke to frantic e-mails from my agent, Mela. "Where are you? John Oliver wants to use this image! Is that okay?"

Is that okay? Oh, yes. How fun!!

Thanks so much, John Oliver. Not only for using my art in your clip, but also for your wisdom and clarity. Fred and I are huge fans. Love the show.

All best,

Violet

Chicago Public Library's Best Books of 2020!!

 

Happy to report that LIBRARY BABIES has been selected as one of the Chicago Public Library's Best Books of 2020!!

Click here to see the full list.

And click here to order your copy of Library Babies today! 


The Best of the Best lists represents the library’s choices for the year’s most outstanding titles, books of exceptional quality for a diverse, city-wide readership. The list is widely promoted throughout Chicago, including local news coverage. Extra copies of these books are ordered in various formats to be promoted throughout the city, give them special labels, and to be featured in branch displays and in the catalog and web site. Titles are also presented to staff as great reading suggestions to promote to patrons.

Written by Puck and illustrated by Violet Lemay, designed by Jeff Shake, Library Babies was published by duopress in the spring of 2020.

Doña Rosa

Doña Rosa, a bilingual story series written by Ana Galán that I've had the pleasure of illustrating for the past five years, comes to a close in the latest issue of Highlights High Five. 

As new issues of Doña Rosa have been released over the years, friends have often shared photos of their children are enjoying the stories. I will miss that.

When this illustration project was first assigned to me, I was living in upstate New York. Since then, Doña Rosa has traveled the globe with me. I've drawn her in New Zealand, China, and even Fiji! 

The above photo was taken at a hotel bar in Fiji, where I was sipping coffee (not cocktails) while finishing up art for the 2019 holiday issue.

Thanks for the memories, Doña Rosa! 

Thank you to Ana Galán for writing the stories, thank you to Highlights High Five for including me in this cool project, and thanks to both Kelley Lanuto and Yvonne for all of their great art direction.

To read more about the process of creating all of the Doña Rosa illustrations, click here.

AnyFlip

Click here to check out Doña Rosa and tons of other cool content in old issues of Highlights High Five

I Can Be Like...

I'm pleased to announce the release of I Can Be Like... A Book of Masks of Inspiring Women, by duopress labs, illustrated by Yours Truly, Violet Lemay.

Book, or Mask?

I Can Be Like... is an innovative book that opens up into a mask. Turn the pages to reveal the entire collection of six cool masks, each with a tiny bit of biographical text on the left, and a quote on the right. 

Hold the open book up to your face to pretend to be Greta Thunberg, Megan Rapinoe, Frida Kahlo, Michelle Obama, Emma Watson, or Malala Yousafzai.

I Can Be Like... A Book of Masks of Inspiring Women

by duopress labs
illustrated by Violet Lemay
Available everywhere books are sold. Click here to order your copy today!

Mindset Power: A Kid's Guide to Growing Better Every Day

Announcing the release of another great new middle grade book: Mindset Power: A Kid's Guide to Growing Better Every Day (free spirit Publishing/2020).

Written by Shannon Anderson, with 40 illustrations by Violet Lemay, Mindset Power is full of great advice for kids about how to handle life and become their best, happiest selves.

Many more samples are featured on my website's Middle Grade + page.

Click here to order your copy of Mindset Power: A Kid's Guide to Growing Better Every Day.