Photos from ALA

FREE! Kel Gilligan Wallpaper Designs

Hi Kids,

Here are some awesome Kel Gilligan Wall paper designs for your desktop, iPad and iPhone

Feel free to download them and share them with your friends.

Thanks to Dan Santat for making some kick-ass art!

Viva la Kel!

Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show 

Available 9/1/2012

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bout the book

From Michael Buckley, the bestselling author of the Sisters Grimm and NERDS series, and Dan Santat, author-illustrator of Sidekicks, comes this hilarious picture book starring Kel Gilligan (a.k.a. “The Boy Without Fear”) that encourages kids to laugh at their fears and celebrates the bravery it takes to try new things no matter how ordinary. Narrated by Kel himself as he attempts his “stunts” with Evel Knievel–like flair, the story unfolds as a performance in which readers themselves become part of the audience, encouraging Kel to get dressed all by himself (without a net!), eat new foods like broccoli (eww!), and take a bath (gasp!). Bold, interactive, and downright silly, this is a book to make kids cheer and attempt some “stunts” of their own.

About the author

Michael Buckley is the bestselling author of the Sisters Grimm and NERDS series. This is his first picture book. Dan Santat is the award-winning illustrator of Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, Oh No!, Sidekicks, and Guild of Geniuses. Visit him online at www.dantat.com.

Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show

see larger photo

Authors: By Michael Buckley, illustrated by Dan Santat Imprint: Abrams Books for Young Readers ISBN: 1-4197-0379-X EAN: 9781419703799 Availability: Prepublication Publishing Date: 9/1/2012 Trim Size: 9 x 11 Page Count: 40 Cover: Hardcover with jacket Illustrations: Full-color illustrations

Dan Santat breaks down . . . his compositions

I just came across Dan Santat's blog about how he breaks down . . . his compositions. It's an amazing insight into how he works and is worth a read.

"Recently, a friend of mine asked me to give my two cents on how I compose a page for book illustration. I don't really consider myself an expert on art, design or composition but I figured I'd share my philosophies on the matter for those who may feel they can be a helpful start in illustrating for picture books.

First of all, I should discuss my influences. I learned everything by imitation. I think, for anyone who has started in art you begin by copying those things that interest you and you improve by repetition. For me, I grew up drawing Garfield and VINCENT from the old Disney movie "The Black Hole" (Don't ask) When it came to children's books my infatuation was with the work of William Joyce..."—DAN SANTAT

http://dantat.typepad.com/dantat/2010/10/notes-on-composition.html

ATTACK OF THE FLUFFY BUNNIES offical Mask!

Listen up ya knuckleheads! Here's your chance to look like a real life space bunny!

Mask by DAN SANTAT

Other Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies blog enteries

1. Cover Evolution
2. Interior Sneak Peak

The Evolution of the Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies Cover

One day a year he is Santa Claus, but the other 364 days Dan Santat works as a children's book writer and commercial illustrator. He is also the creator of Disney's animated hit, The Replacements.

Dan graduated with honors from the Art Center, College of Design.

He lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, a cat, a bird, and one rabbit

For some time I had been looking for a project that would be just right for Dan's sensibilities. Crazy giant rabbits from outer space fit that bill.

From the beginning our ideas for the direction of the cover were in sync, vintage monster movie posters! Here are some that we looked at.

Here is some photo research of a giant bunny.

Dan's first sketch

Here is Dan's first sketch. A pretty good start. But something isn't right yet. This book is about crazy giant bunnies. I want to see that bunny big and looming. Kinda like this.

Much better! We tweaked the title a bit and things seem to be going along just fine. But of course we still have some meddling left to do.

After a cover meeting the group felt that the bunny might be too scary. I thought how can bunnies be scary?

Oh. That's how.

Solution shave down his teeth and lessen his angry brow.

Next step Dan then sent in the final art . Only those eye's need some Visine.

Aww moist eyes! With a couple of small tweaks our cover starts to come into focus.

Back cover art

Now it's time to place all that pesky type

Type placed!

About the book

When Joules and Kevin Rockman’s parents drop them off at Camp Whatsitooya on their way to an International Spamathon, the twins expect a summer of marshmallows, campfires, and canoe trips. What they do not expect is to defend the earth from an invasion of sugar-addicted, murderous, seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy. Happily, the Rockman twins, veteran watchers of the Late, Late, Late Creepy Show for Insomniacs, are unusually well-prepared for dealing with monstrous beings from outer space. If only their fellow campers were so lucky.
Andrea Beaty, author of several very funny picture books and a mysterious novel, here reaches new heights of hilarity and verbal dexterity in a novel sure to become a camp—ba-dum-dum—classic.

About the author

Andrea Beaty was raised in a small southern Illinois town, where her family ran a tiny grocery store. When she wasn’t roaming the nearby fields with her brothers and sisters, she was reading Nancy Drew mysteries up in the branches of a maple tree. Andrea now lives outside Chicago with her family. She is the author of When Giants Come to Play, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, and Iggy Peck, Architect, illustrated by David Roberts. Andrea blogs about funny books for kids at www.ThreeSillyChicks.com. Learn more about her at www.AndreaBeaty.com. Dan Santat’s Guild of Geniuses (2004) won the Marion Vannett Ridgeway Award for best debut author/illustrator. He has since illustrated The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, by Barbara Jean Hicks; the Otto Undercover series, by Rhea Perlman; The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch, by Anne Isaacs; and Chicken Dance, by Tammi Sauer. He is also the creator of the Disney animated series The Replacements, and is at work on a graphic novel, The Domesticated Four. He lives with his wife and two children in Southern California. Visit him at www.dantat.com.

Art Preview! Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies

A Sneak Peak at the art of ATTACK OF THE FLUFFY BUNNIES

(even though Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies is in-stores as of Mid-May)

Illustrated by
Dan Santat


Story by Andrea Beaty

http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Attack_of_the_Fluffy_Bunnies-9780810984165.html

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies

Authors: By Andrea Beaty

Imprint: Amulet Books

ISBN: 0-8109-8416-4

EAN: 9780810984165

Availability: In Stock

Publishing Date: 5/1/2010

Trim Size: 5 1/4 x 7 1/2

Page Count: 192

Cover: Hardcover

Illustrations: 15-20 B&W illustrations

About the book

When Joules and Kevin Rockman’s parents drop them off at Camp Whatsitooya on their way to an International Spamathon, the twins expect a summer of marshmallows, campfires, and canoe trips. What they do not expect is to defend the earth from an invasion of sugar-addicted, murderous, seven-foot-tall rabbits from another galaxy. Happily, the Rockman twins, veteran watchers of the Late, Late, Late Creepy Show for Insomniacs, are unusually well-prepared for dealing with monstrous beings from outer space. If only their fellow campers were so lucky.
Andrea Beaty, author of several very funny picture books and a mysterious novel, here reaches new heights of hilarity and verbal dexterity in a novel sure to become a camp—ba-dum-dum—classic.

About the author

Andrea Beaty was raised in a small southern Illinois town, where her family ran a tiny grocery store. When she wasn’t roaming the nearby fields with her brothers and sisters, she was reading Nancy Drew mysteries up in the branches of a maple tree. Andrea now lives outside Chicago with her family. She is the author of When Giants Come to Play, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, and Iggy Peck, Architect, illustrated by David Roberts. Andrea blogs about funny books for kids at www.ThreeSillyChicks.com. Learn more about her at www.AndreaBeaty.com. Dan Santat’s Guild of Geniuses (2004) won the Marion Vannett Ridgeway Award for best debut author/illustrator. He has since illustrated The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, by Barbara Jean Hicks; the Otto Undercover series, by Rhea Perlman; The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch, by Anne Isaacs; and Chicken Dance, by Tammi Sauer. He is also the creator of the Disney animated series The Replacements, and is at work on a graphic novel, The Domesticated Four. He lives with his wife and two children in Southern California. Visit him at www.dantat.com.