Q&A with Loren Long
Interview with Loren Long on the Illustrations for Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt
Q: The art for Angela and the Baby Jesus is a departure from your picture books. How do you approach a text when you begin to draw the illustrations?
A: I think of myself as a movie director who has been given a screenplay. As the director you make choices of what and whom to show. Just as cinematography shows different points of view and perspective, and creates a real world on film, so do the illustrations in a picture book.
Q: What kind of research did you do for this book?
A: I did a lot of research on the internet and I watched the movie Angela's Ashes. The look of the streets and the street lights inform the setting as well. I had to research what a church confessional booth would have looked like at that time. Frank McCourt weighed in on the outfit of the policeman.
Q: What size are your original paintings for this book?
A: I usually work a little larger than how the book will print so for this book the originals are about 10 X 10 inches. If you paint too large, it tightens up too much when it is made smaller to fit the size of the book. I like to see the human element of the brush strokes and the texture of the canvas in the finished book. There is something else about creating the paintings for this book. I recited lines in an Irish brogue in my studio mainly for my own amusement and it was fun to get inside the characters and in the McCourt frame of mind.
Q: You have used a dark palette for this book. What prompted you to do so?
A: I don't really think of this book as dark. Dark to me means something ominous or full of sadness. True, I used a limited color palette, which comes from Frank McCourt's writing. I painted in acrylics on canvas and used Payne's gray, burnt umber, white and black. The outdoor scenes have cool tones, while the indoor scenes have warm tones. I am a fan of McCourt's books, and I see in them a gritty realism mixed with subtle humor. I wanted to capture the setting of the book, the slums of Limerick, Ireland at the time of the story. I was ready to dig into my opinion of what McCourt is all about. This story has warmth, reverence, and some of McCourt's irreverence as well. I think there is a sweetness in the art. Almost everyone can read this story, no matter his or her background, and understand what McCourt is doing. It is a gift book for everyone.
Q: Yes, there is certainly a sweetness to six-year-old Angela as she stands before the nativity scene with those sleek and lovely statues. You get a sense of how she is feeling at that moment, knowing that she is about to take the statue of Baby Jesus. How did you capture that in your illustration?
A: There is a "clunky innocence" to Angela that can be seen in her posture. Her coat is crimson and she is the only character with color to her clothes. It makes her "pop out." Giving color to her coat added personality to her character. I wanted to capture the essence of little Angela and to make this a sophisticated edition for people of all ages. That meant creating some subtleties in the illustrations. For example, if you look at the scenes where Angela is at the wall you will notice she is staring up at it, just as a young child would, trying to figure out how to get the Baby Jesus over the wall. I tried to capture her mood in the way I drew her gazing up. Her cold breath can be seen against the gray stones. Later, when her brother Pat comes out the back door, I only show Pat. Angela's breath can be seen on the left side of the page. I wanted readers to get a sense of how she felt seeing her brother come out of the house. Angela was depicted in the original sketch for the page but I took her out of the final. It is an artistically stronger composition without her. It is a more sophisticated way to depict it than I would have in a picture book for children.
Q: The Scribner edition of Frank McCourt's Angela and the Baby Jesus is marketed to an adult audience. If this book had been marketed toward children, would you have done anything differently?
A: There are three things that I would have done differently. I would have added more images to the story. I would have used a larger format. I would have had a few shots of Angela up close, showing her face more. I would have been more open with her in that regard.
Q: The church scenes do have a reverent feeling to them. I like the way we see Angela from the Magi's and shepherd's perspectives after she has replaced the statue. The sheep appears to be watching her walk away.
A: At the beginning of the story we have Angela looking at the nativity scene. After she replaces the Baby Jesus, at the end of the story, the perspective is from behind the statues. I wanted to show the scale of that tiny girl in proportion to the statues, which, in her mind are real people.
Q: I think Mr. King (in the church) would have had a patched jacket, just as you depicted him. Is that a Christmas package on the pew behind him?
A: Yes, it is a present for someone. I like to make up stories as I draw the pictures. Here I was thinking that Mr. King is taking the gift somewhere. He has stopped by the church to pray for someone in his family. Perhaps he is on his way home to have a cup of tea, as people would have done. Perhaps he will drop off the gift on his way home. In another illustration I put a little mouse under the bed. I don't know if anyone has noticed it. No one has commented on it. Yet, as I worked I also embellished the illustrations with some little details that were not in McCourt's story.
Q: What is coming out next?
A: I will be in New York in early January 2008 for the kickoff of the nationwide tour of Jon Scieszka's Trucktown, a new creation for preschoolers from Simon & Schuster. There are fifty titles coming out and three artists who are illustrating them: David Shannon, David Gordon, and me. I am also working on a Christmas book for next year that I am both writing and illustrating.
Q: Do you have any final thoughts you would like to add?
A: I would like to say "thank you" to the librarians and teachers who care and talk about children's books. I am grateful to them for the work they do so I can make pictures for a living. I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to do so.
Contributor: Sharon Salluzzo for Children's Literature
Find out more about Loren Long and his books at www.lorenlong.com.
Reviews
Angela and the Baby Jesus
Frank McCourt
Illustrations by Loren Long
Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes, reaches back to his Irish family history for this touching Christmas tale. When his mother, Angela, was 6-years-old, she worried that the Baby Jesus in the local church nativity scene was cold - after all he was left in that manger in swaddling clothes and not much else. Naturally, she decided to take the Baby Jesus home to warm him up. She didn't count on running into her brother Pat in the backyard when she snuck the baby home, but no one believed him when he told them Angie had the Baby Jesus with her. Once her misguided attempts to help were recognized, the family trooped back to the church to return the Baby, only to encounter the parish priest and a local policeman. The resolution of this prickly dilemma is heart warming. Two illustrated versions of this tale are being published this Christmas season; this version is a small format book. Subdued illustrations with extreme perspectives convey the bleak surroundings, dashed with a spot of color from Angie's red coat. 2007, Scribner, Ages 6 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Dr. Judith L. Rowen (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-4165-7470-0
ISBN: 978-1-4165-7470-5
Selected Reviews of Other Books Illustrated by Loren Long
The Day the Animals Came: A Story of Saint Francis Day
Frances Ward Weller
Illustrated by Loren Long
Ria longs for the freedom and animals of her island home. Settled in New York, her parents work, while she is cared for by her neighbor Mrs. Blum. On St. Francis Day, Mrs. Blum takes her cat and Ria to the blessing of the animals at the cathedral. Since Ria is the only one without an animal, she is upset. She chases and captures a runaway dog, but it is immediately claimed by a boy. Now Ria is lost and climbs up on a bronze wolf to find Mrs. Blum. An official speaks to her. Fortunately Mrs. Blum appears. The official, Mary, takes her outside to see the large animals: llamas, horses, cows, and an elephant. Ria opens its cage and a duck escapes. After Ria catches it, Mary gives her a robe for the special ceremony. Although the duck is a handful, Ria succeeds in holding it for the procession and receives the blessing. She begins to realize that if all creatures are family, that all the world is home. The brownish tone of the illustrations produces a sense of gloom. The warmth of Mrs. Blum, who refers to Ria as "bubeleh," is not portrayed. Fold-out pages add to the enjoyment of the procession of animals. At the end an author's note describes the blessing of animals in the cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. 2003, Philomel Books/Penguin Young Readers Group, $16.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2004; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006; H.W. Wilson; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, July 1, 2003; United States
ISBN: 978-0-399-23630-3
Game 1
Phil Bildner
Illustrated by Loren Long
Three siblings follow their mother, disguised as their father, across the country as barnstormers (a group who put on baseball exhibitions for pay). Guy Payne, their father, died in the Spanish-American war as he carried his youngest son's baseball with him. He was the catcher for the team, and now his wife takes his place. At Guy Payne's funeral, his brother, Uncle Owen, returns the baseball, now tattered and torn, to Graham, the youngest son. He shares a cryptic secret with Griffith, the oldest son, and charges him with keeping his family safe, and warns that an unknown danger is coming. The children make a pact to stay together during each of the Travelin' Nine's games, but during game one of the schedule, in Cincinnati, strange images appear on the field that only the children and their team can see. They end up losing the game, but both Ruby and Griffith study the phenomenon and try to piece the mystery together. In book two of the series, the mystery continues to unravel. Sidebars help the young reader to understand the rules and terms of baseball from the turn of the century. The illustrations, drawn in black charcoal, compliment the old-fashioned feel of the text. A unique and clever beginning of each chapter is exemplified by the first letter of the first sentence in each chapter being illustrated with baseball figures to form that letter. 2007, Simon & Schuster, $9.99. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Gail C. Krause (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1863-9
I Dream of Trains
Angela Johnson
Illustrated by Loren Long
Our young narrator, thinks about Casey Jones while picking cotton in the Mississippi heat, listening for the whistle as he dreams about trains. In his mind he rides the engine with Casey across the miles. Johnson's poetic prose depicts the dreams that lift his life. With his papa, the boy visits the scene of Casey's famous wreck. Through daily drudgery his father encourages him to see "the big wide world" beyond some day. He knows he will leave, but he will remember. Long supplies a visual tone poem with his double-page paintings. These are dramatic, theatrical settings. Some are close-ups of the characters but others are more panoramic, describing wooded landscapes and the humans playing their parts. Muted colors, many dark scenes, sculptural shapes all help create a visual spirituality. A note fills in historic background, including the fact important to blacks at the time that Casey worked side by side with black Sam Webb, whom he told to jump before the crash. 2003, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
In 1900, an African American Mississippi boy dreams of leaving, of being somewhere else, as he picks cotton with his family. Evoking this feeling is the lonesome and exciting passage of Casey Jones, Sim Webb, and their locomotive that frequently passes by the farm. While he works, the boy imagines driving the train and blowing the whistle. One April day, he learns of Casey's death, and he and his father walk to the place where the wrecked train came to rest and Casey was found still holding the brake. Papa explains to the grieving boy that there will be other trains, and other places the boy will see. The boy continues dreaming and as the last picture reveals, he will head out to find "my place in the big wide world." While the publisher suggests this book for five-to-seven-year-olds, it will take some adult patience and maturity to help children understand all that Johnson has aimed for. This is especially true for those who developmentally can't imagine ever leaving their families to adventure. An author's note explains how Casey's black assistant, Webb, was undoubtedly an inspiration to African Americans who were looking to leave the South for better jobs during the ensuing Great Migration. Long's richly tinted acrylic illustrations lushly depict the scenery in summer and winter, show the rushing train from a variety of perspectives, and dramatically place the people and action on the page. The inviting deep color has the texture of pastels lavishly used. Without the author's note, the story is enigmatic rather than expository, but with it, the book evokes a coming change and the boy's anticipation. In the final illustration, two smoky question marks curl from the smokestacks of the departing train as the now-adult boy leaves, as if to ask: what will happen next? What does the future hold? 2003, Simon & Schuster, $16.95. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2004; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006; H.W. Wilson; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, September 1, 2003; United States
Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, 2004 ; NCTE Children's Literature Assembly; United States
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2004; National Council for the Social Studies; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, October 20, 2003; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
The Golden Kite Award Winner 2003 Picture Book Illustration United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Volunteer State Book Award, 2006-2007; Nominee; Grades K-3; United States
ISBN: 978-0-689-82609-2
The Little Engine that Could
Retold by Watty Piper
Art by Loren Long
When a train full of toys breaks down, no other trains are willing to help it get to town until Little Blue Engine, a small engine used to switch trains, helps the train and toys get to the boys and girls in the town. This story of determination and cooperation is well known for its "I think I can" chant. The original story, captured in words by Watty Piper, remains classic, but this edition, wonderfully illustrated by Loren Long, will have a whole new generation chanting those words with characters and colors that seem to leap off of the page. It is definitely worth the money to add this title and edition to the collection. Category: Picture Book. 2005, Philomel Books, $17.99. Ages 8 to 9. Reviewer: Karen J. Wanamaker (The Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2007).
Best Books:
Best Children's Books, 2005; Publishers Weekly; United States
Children's Choices, 2006; International Reading Association; United States
Children's Editor's Choice, 2005; Kirkus Reviews; United States
Educators' Top 100 Children's Books, 2007; NEA Survey; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books , 2005; Kirkus Reviews; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, August 15, 2005; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, August 22, 2005; Cahners; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
ISBN: 978-0-399-24467-4
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
Walt Whitman
Pictures by Loren Long
Walt Whitman has enjoyed a well-deserved popularity in children's picture books this past year. First, with a biography, Walt Whitman: Words for America by Barbara Kerley, and now with an interpretation of his famous poem, "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." This is a subtle, soft poem about a young boy's experience as he attends a lecture given by a renowned astronomer. It is only when he ventures away from the hall and out into the starry night that he realizes the difference between knowing something scientifically and knowing it in your heart through experience. Long's illustrations fit the poem perfectly. When the child leaves the lecture hall and goes out on his own in the "mystical moist night air," you see it and feel it in the magnificent, rich acrylic paintings. While it is true that the world around us has science at the heart of it all, it has wonder and awe and astonishment as well. This book is a wonderful homage to Whitman and it succeeds beautifully. 2004, Simon & Schuster, $16.95 Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars, Nov. 15, 2004; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2005; H. W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006; H.W. Wilson; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, November 22, 2004; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
The Golden Kite Award Honor Book 2004 Picture Book Illustartion United States
Parents' Choice Award Gold 2004 Picture Books United States
ISBN: 978-0-6898-6397-4
Wind Flyers
Angela Johnson
Illustrated by Loren Long
Told through the eyes of the great-great-nephew of a Tuskegee Airman, this story reveals how an early passion for flying propelled one young man into a successful career in the air. When the narrator's great-great-uncle was little, he jumped off of a chicken coop and later off of a barn because he loved the feeling of flying. At eleven, he paid seventy-five cents for a ride with a flying barnstormer and cried when they had to come down "because then he knew what it was like to go into the wind, against the wind, beyond the wind." As an adult, Uncle joined the 332nd Fighter Group, which was formed in 1942 because of pressure from the NAACP and other groups on the U.S. Government to enable African American Army Air Force pilots to fly and fight. Uncle's squadron, which fought in WWII, gained acclaim for being "the only escort group that never lost a single bomber to enemy fire." This beautifully illustrated picture book makes an important piece of American and family history interesting and accessible for young readers. Loren Long, who recently re-illustrated Watty Piper's The Little Engine that Could, brings the same sense of whimsy and a similar palette of striking colors to this title as to the earlier one, making the story both informative and warmly inviting. This is a picture book that should be in every library that caters to kids. 2007, Simon & Schuster, $16.99. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, Supplement, 2007; H.W. Wilson; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, December 15, 2006; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, November 20, 2006; Cahners; United States
ISBN: 978-0-689-84879-7
Added 12/17/2007
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