Liz Murphy
A conversation with Liz Murphy
Q: For an illustrator, assignments vary. What was the difference between working on A Dictionary of Dance and Broadway Barks?
A: The difference between the two was similar to putting on a well-worn pair of ballet slippers and a new pair of pointes, or toe-shoes, as you call them here in America.
A Dictionary of Dance was extremely similar to what I usually do—make an individual, one-off painting and move on to the next. For Broadway Barks, I had to develop a character, Kramer, and reproduce him from all angles over 32 pages and in a variety of circumstances. I was evermindful of the fact that the dog at the end of the story had to resemble the dog I drew at the beginning—a task that's much more difficult than it appears.
Q: What is your idea of bliss?
A: My idea of bliss would be to gallop on a wonderful stallion, headlong across a beautiful beach into the sunset!
Q: What was your favorite family story as a child?
A: Without a doubt, my favorite story was The Sound of Music. At first I was a bit frightened, but once I knew there would be a happy ending, I wanted to hear it over and over again (usually on a recording at bedtime). The biggest appeal for me was following a group of restrained children, fleeing across the mountains, and escaping into "self-expression."
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: First and foremost, I wanted to be a mom. Then I wanted to be able to draw and paint to my heart's content. Happy to say I am enjoying both!
Q: Describe your most memorable teacher.
A: She was my lovely high school teacher, Mrs. Medlicot. She was warm and kind and encouraging. She was as tiny as a fifth grader, and bursting with energy and enthusiasm. She believed I had a special gift, and she did all she could to encourage my love of art.
Q: Introduce us to an illustrator you think Americans would like.
A: As a child growing up, I spent some time in Denmark, where I saw the work of Carl Larrson. He had a profound influence on the way I draw and is why I love to paint children in their environments.
Q: What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
A: Porridge, but then again it might be muesli. I do like a crunch for breakfast!
Q: What do you do for relaxation?
A: Exercise, followed by a great book!
Q&A courtesy of Powells.com
Reviews
ABC Dentist
Harriet Ziefert
Illustrated by Liz Murphy
Young children often feel uncertain about a first trip to the dentist. Using the alphabet as a familiar basis, the author seeks to reassure children about the experience of a visit to a dentist's office. Each letter explains a concept, procedure, piece of equipment or body part that is directly related to seeing a dentist. Everything from cavity to jaw to instruments to mouthwash to plaque is explained and illustrated with brightly-colored collage pictures. Even an imaginary question-and-answer session between the dentist and a little girl is portrayed using the letter Q. The book would be more useful if a glossary of terms had been included so that youngsters could have ready access to the pronunciation and meaning of such terms as bacteria, tissue, gargle, and lubricate. Text for the letter K exemplifies an all too common error in writing: using a singular noun (i.e., "person") with a plural pronoun (i.e., "their"). A better choice for this subject is Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Put this on the buy list only if there is a need for more material on this subject. 2008, Blue Apple Books, $15.95. Ages 4 to 6. Reviewer: Sylvia Firth (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-9347-0631-2
ISBN: 1-9347-0631-0
ABC Doctor
Liz Murphy
Murphy's perky text and illustrations are designed to help young children feel comfortable with the ABCs of going to the doctor, with an emphasis on well patient check up routines and routine procedures such as fever (F) and x-ray. Each letter and word gets a page of child friendly explanations such as "Inoculation"--"No body likes to get a shot, but inoculations (getting special medicine under your skin) keep you from getting serious diseases." Some of the drawings are complemented with collage sidebars of anatomical drawings, so that the entry for joints shows arm joints. This could be a useful addition to a classroom library for pre-k, kindergarten, and primary classrooms, ready for consulting as the children deal with the predictable ups and downs of childhood disease. It is too bad there was not room for a few more children of color or for chronic conditions like asthma and ear infections that are almost epidemic in some communities. 2007, Blue Apple Books, $15.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry (Children's Literature).
Liz Murphy proves that she knows how children think when it comes to going to the doctor. Using the alphabet to structure the story, Murphy explores traditional doctor's visit concepts such as F for fever while also throwing in those not so common such as O for otoscope (admittedly I didn't even know this one). Going beyond pure definitions, Murphy gives brief and succinct explanations of each term that are easy enough for children to grasp and understand. She cleverly positions each term within her explanation thus reinforcing the idea. Her cheerful and light-hearted illustrations add to the upbeat feel of this book as children from a variety of ethnic heritages are depicted in colorful settings ranging from the playground to the doctor's office. This makes an excellent classroom book when studying health and easily adapts to individual use for the child feeling a little anxious about visiting the doctor. This unusual presentation of an important subject, makes it a necessary addition to any elementary collection. Highly Recommended. 2007, Blue Apple Books, 36pp., $15.95 hc. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: Deana Groves (Library Media Connection, October 2007)
ISBN: 978-1-5935-4593-2
ISBN: 1-5935-4593-2
Broadway Barks
Bernadette Peters
Pictures by Liz Murphy
Named after the pet adopt-a-thon founded over a decade ago by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, Broadway Barks tells the simple but sweet story of a homeless, nameless dog. The cute canine used to be called Douglas, and used to live in a tall apartment building. For reasons unknown, he is now on his own, and all alone. One day, his luck changes when he sees someone who looks an awful lot like Bernadette Peters on a park bench. The next day she returns and befriends our hero, feeding him biscuits and bringing him to Shubert Alley, where he meets other homeless dogs and cats, then goes onstage in front of a live audience. The Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Douglas quickly loses his stage fright, singing and dancing in his own unique doggie style. Although afterward he fears no one will want him, he ends up with a nice home and a new name from a girl in the audience. Complete with charming mixed-media artwork and a CD featuring Peters reading the book and singing a lullaby she wrote for this story, Broadway Barks is sure to touch the hearts of many young readers, as well as their parents. All the author's royalties will be donated to the Broadway Barks charity. 2008, Blue Apple Books, $17.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Naomi Milliner (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-9347-0600-8
ISBN: 1-9347-0600-0
A Dictionary of Dance
Liz Murphy
The graceful sway of a hula dancers' hips, the energy of a breakdancer spinning on the floor, and the charm of a traditional folk dance are all captured in this alphabet romp through the world of dance. From A for Arabesque to Z for Zones of the body, Murphy translates the language of dance into pictures and words that children can easily understand. Each letter introduces an aspect of dance--whether a type of dance, a particular dance position, or a dance term--and is illustrated with lovable, cheerful characters. Children will naturally want to mimic the body movements they see on the page, making this read an excellent way to incorporate both the ABCs and gross motor movement in the preschool classroom. In addition, Murphy's combination of pencil, watercolor, and collage are a visual treat and can be a study for older elementary students in how to portray the movement and energy of the human body into a two-dimensional form. 2007, Blue Apple Books, $15.95. Ages 3 up. Reviewer: Leah Hanson (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-5935-4613-7
ISBN: 1-5935-4613-0
Added 03/27/09
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