A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED CHILDREN'S LITERARY SALON ON MAY 1 AT THE NYPL BERGER FORUM

Olivier Tallec and Oliver Jeffers are both avid world travelers and authors whose bold and colorful children’s books are bestsellers in the US. Join them for an animated conversation at the New York Public Library, moderated by Pamela Paul, Children's Book Editor of the New York Times Book Review.

Olivier Tallec’s books are as colorful as his travels. After graduating from the École Supérieure d'Art graphique in Paris, he worked as a graphic designer in advertising before devoting himself to illustration. His work has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines and he has illustrated over 50 books for children, including Waterloo and Trafalgar (Enchanted Lion Books) and the well-known series ‘Rita and Whatsit’ (Chronicle Books). In 2010, Big Wolf & Little Wolf was chosen as a Batchelder Honor Book.

Oliver Jeffers brings a strong sense of artistry and whimsy to his books. Originally from Northern Ireland, he graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Visual Communication. He is widely known for his picture books for children, including How to Catch a Star, The Great Paper Caper, and This Moose Belongs to Me (Philomel).  Lost and Found received the Blue Peter Book Award in 2006 and The Incredible Book Eating Boy was named Children’s Book of the Year at the 2007 Irish Book Awards.  He now lives and works in Brooklyn.

Dates: May 1, 2013 | 6pm - 7pm
Place: New York Public Library, Berger Forum
Moderated by Pamela Paul

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This event is part of the series: Picture This! Conversations with illustrators from Paris and NY organized by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

This event is presented in partnership with Enchanted Lion Books and the New York Public Library's series: Children's Literary Salon:Talks on Contemporary Children's Illustration.

GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RED ROOM

Last night, Mike and I went to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) for a meal and a look around. It's a great night to go because it's free and there's lots of good people-watching. I saw one of my favorite Matisse paintings, The Red Studio. It reminded me of the famous children's picture book, Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. Interestingly, this exerpt from Ellen Hauler Spitz' Inside Picture Books brings The Red Studio and Goodnight Moon together:

"Goodnight Moon absolutely refuses speed. It cannot be hurried through. In this sensee it works as a welcome antidote to the pressures we impose on our childen. Children who have been rushed though the day can relax into it. Confidently, they know what will come next; and yeg, as they trace the antics of the little mouse or encounter a new word or observe a new form, they are learning as well. They can feel, in this imaginary space, the pleasures of satisfied expectations, the meeting of hope with fulfillment. Thus, never static, Goodnight Moon is also a site of exploration. It creates a world which reminds me of an artist's studio, where familiarity become the locus for growth. Think, for example, of Matisse's painting The Red Studio (1911), with its similar electric Chinese Red; its touches of green and flecks of gold; its wine glass, chair and chest; its framed and unframed pictures; and its possible clock and window. How like an artist's studio is the bedroom of a small child? Filled with highly invested possessions, this room is also a dual locus of security and discovery, of work and of rest.