David Shannon
David Shannon chatted comfortably with us about his childhood and evolving career at the recent Children's Literature Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Although light-hearted and sprinkled with the engaging humor to be expected from the author of No, David (1998, Scholastic/Blue Sky), the tales he told revealed his artistic strengths and the special character of his creative process.
Not only are there artists in his family background, but "I've drawn since I could hold a pencil, or a crayon," he notes, reminding us that No, David is based on a book he made when he was five, which his mother fortunately saved. His father, a radiologist, brought home the paper in which x-rays were folded for him to draw on, and the fold in the middle prepared him for the future gutters of picturebooks. Among his influences was a Boy's King Arthur illustrated by N. C. Wyeth, evident in both Gawain and the Green Knight (1994, Putnam) written by his brother Mark and Ballad of the Pirate Queens (1995, Harcourt) by Jane Yolen. He also mentions the affect of Disney films, and for the writing, Dr. Seuss.
Raised in Spokane, Shannon finished art school at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and went off to New York "on a shoestring; the struggling, starving artist thing." He began by doing serious political illustrations, working up to the New York Times. It was a piece done for the Book Review on Toni Morrison's Beloved that caught the eye of an editor at Scholastic, who asked him if he would be interested in illustrating Julius Lester's collection, How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? (1989, Scholastic) that got him started. He kept doing editorial work, but the more he did children's books, the more he realized that "it fit me." He realized he was drawing all the things he had filled sketchbooks with as a kid.
When others do the text, he works without discussing it with them. "I can't paint what's in someone else's head; I have to paint what's in mine. Otherwise it kills the life of the illustration." Shannon researches extensively. He starts in the bookstore, because he loves an excuse to buy books, and because he needs them for about six months, so they become overdue if he uses the library. But being in the actual place is extremely helpful. The Acrobat and the Angel which his brother also wrote takes place in southern France. He and his brother stayed in a castle in Carcassone, a medieval village there. "The effect of being in that place, feeling the atmosphere, seeing what things look like, was invaluable."
His editor encouraged him to try his own text, and to "write about what you know." But how could he write as a baseball fan when he had become accustomed to doing dark paintings from his editorial work and didn't feel comfortable with sunny days? So the idea arose: What if there was no baseball, so spring never came? And How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball (1994, Blue Sky/Scholastic) emerged, "a visit from the story fairy" as his editor called it. Shannon notes that he usually doesn't use real people for his characters, but makes them up from "people-watching," but the villainous Boss Swaggert turns out to be his sixth-grade math teacher. And the neighbor in The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza (1995, Blue Sky/ Scholastic) is actually his neighbor Ray from across the street, a retired fireman and folk artist who celebrates all the holidays.
When asked about the appealing heroine of A Bad Case of Stripes (1998, Blue Sky/ Scholastic) Shannon notes that he didn't know exactly where she came from, after he thought about what would happen if you had stripes instead of chicken pox. "She was the start. Usually I wait until I think I have the story done before I work on the pictures. But it wasn't until some of the paintings were done that the story really came together."
Shannon has two books in the works. The charming chickens from The Rain Came Down (2000, Blue Sky/ Scholastic) will be among the animals in a book about a farmyard, inspired by his two-year-old daughter's interest in animals. In the fall, we can expect Rafe Martin's The Shark God, a legend from Hawaii. For this, Shannon feels that his style has changed, from his on-site research and perhaps the influence of the work of Paul Gauguin. And we probably have not seen the last of the young David books. The impish gleam is clearly there in Shannon's eyes.
Contributors: Sylvia and Ken Marantz
Reviews
The Acrobat & the Angel
Mark Shannon
Illustrated by David Shannon
Péquelé is a French boy, born in the middle-ages in a village being decimated by the plague. Sent to live with his grandmother, the two prayed daily together in front of a small angel his mother had made of branches and dried flowers. After his grandmother died, Péquelé was befriended by a monk and taken to a monastery. Since his earliest days, he had been a natural and gifted acrobat, but the Abbot at the monastery forbade him to practice his "carnival ways" in a place of "calm prayer and worship." The Abbot acknowledges the miracle of this little Acrobat of God only when Péquelé puts all his soul into one final dance before the statue of an angel on behalf of sick infant. The angel and Péquelé float into the heavens together and the child is healed. Mark Shannon offers a touching and compassionate retelling of this French folktale; his brother David has painted bright and touching pictures, each one framed like a medieval book of hours. Children will want to take special note of the marvelously expressive faces. Because of the very specifically Roman Catholic nature of the story, teachers may not feel comfortable using this book in a public school classroom, but The Acrobat & the Angel could easily become a favorite on the family or Sunday school bookshelf. 1999, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Ages 5 to 9, $15.99. Reviewer: Karen Leggett
ISBN: 0-399-22918-3
The Acrobat and the Angel
Mark Shannon
Illustrations by David Shannon
Pequele, orphaned by the plague sweeping medieval Europe, loves to make people smile with his handsprings. When he is forbidden to engage in "circus tricks" at the cloister that offers him shelter, Pequele obeys until a sick baby appears. Written by Mark Shannon and exuberantly illustrated by his brother David Shannon, this tale of a miracle wrought by faith and love will appeal to folks of all ages. 1999, Putnam, Ages 0 and up, $15.99. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-399-22918-3
The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza
David Shannon
Illustrated by David Shannon
This book provides a vision of holiday observance gone wild. When Mr. Merriweather places a small string of lights around his front door to celebrate the season, his neighbor Mr. Clack mocks the paltry show of lights, for he's "got seventeen strings of lights and they blink on and off!" Merriweather takes this as a direct challenge, and before long his lawn is planted with overgrown candy canes, gigantic snowmen and a monstrous Santa. There are countless elves, lights, and toy soldiers perched atop his bushes and roof. His neighbors, infuriated by the lights and tourists, gather a Christmas vigilante crew armed with croquet mallets and golf clubs to "slash, bash and trash" everything in sight. In the light of day, his ashamed neighbors apologize and attempt to make amends, but Merriweather, no longer blinded by the holiday lights, has found something he lost while decking his halls-the joy of being with his family and the anticipation of Easter's arrival. 1995, Scholastic, Ages 6 and up, $15.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-590-48090-1
A Bad Case of Stripes
David Shannon
Young Camilla Cream loves lima beans but never eats them. "All of her friends hated lima beans, and she wanted to fit in. Camilla was always worried about what other people thought of her." From the first page, the ending is predictable. It is a rollicking, uproarious journey getting there. Camilla comes down with stripes which spread to spots. Before long every peer, expert and specialist adds another oddity to her appearance. At the story's end, an old woman offers her lima beans and she witnesses Camilla's transformation with, "I knew the real you was in there somewhere." Camilla is a silly antidote for children who live in fear of being different. She allows them to laugh and be heartened by her changes. Read this to children to show them characters who are different but want to be who they are and act in ways they believe to be right even if their choices are doubted by many. 1998, Scholastic, Ages 4 to 10, $15.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-590-92997-6
A Bad Case of Stripes
David Shannon
"Camilla Cream loved Lima beans. But she never ate any of them. All of her friends hated lima beans and she wanted to fit in." Before her mirror, while trying on number 42 of the possible outfits for the first day of a new school year, Camilla develops a striped skin. When a doctor summoned finds no "illness," she returns to school. There, on succeeding days, she become polka-dotted, an American flag variant, and sprouts vines. Physicians come, and go. School finally says, "Too much". One day, "a woman who called herself an Environmental Therapist came with promise of a cure-Lima beans, of course." Camilla rejects them at first, until she realizes that being laughed at is nothing to compared to her dehumanizing experiences. "Wait!" she cries. "The truth is, I really love lima beans." Happy ending and point made. This charming morality tale could, and I think will, became entrenched in the literary folklore of any family fortunate enough to make it part of their picture book experience. 1998, The Blue Sky Press, Ages 3 and up, $15.95. Reviewer: Carolyn Dennette Michaels
ISBN: 0-590-92997-6
The Ballad of the Pirate Queens
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David Shannon
Exquisitely dramatic, and sometimes a little scary, images in the style of N.C. Wyeth illustrate this poem of the capture and freeing of the famous women pirates Anne Bonney and Mary Reade. The strong, memorable verse also continues the tradition of pirate mystique, although very small children will miss the irony of the two female renegades "pleading their bellies." 1995, Harcourt Brace, Ages 5 and up, $15.00. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr
ISBN: 0-15-200710-5
The Boy Who Lived With Seals
Rafe Martin
Illustrated by David Shannon
Martin offers a dramatic retelling of a traditional Chinook Indian tale of a lost boy who was raised by the seals. Lost one day while his tribe is camping near a river, the boy reappears with the seals. He is rescued and returned to his human family. Bold acrylic paintings contrast with the spare text, but are effective in conveying the power of the story. 1993, Putnam, Ages 4 to 8, $14.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-698-11352-7
ISBN: 0-399-22413-0
The Boy Who Lived with the Seals
Rafe Martin
Illustrations by David Shannon
In this Chinook legend from the American Northwest, a young boy disappears one day while playing by the water. The People believe that he is lost forever, but his parents refuse to give up hope. Many years later, his parents discover him swimming near an island with seals. When they bring the reluctant boy back to his home, he slowly relearns the ways of his former life. While sitting at the water's edge, he starts carving the most beautiful canoes, paddles, bows, and arrows. At night around the fire, he shares tales of his underwater life with the seals and yearns to return to his friends in the sea. One day when he and his parents paddle across the River, he breaks free of his restraints and dives into the water with the seals. Although he waves farewell to his parents, he shows his love by carving them a beautiful canoe and paddle every spring. Shannon's luminous paintings capture different aspects of life in Rafe's poignant retelling of this classic Native American story. 1993, Putnam, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95 and $14.95. Reviewer: Debra Briatico
ISBN: 0-399-22413-0
The Bunyans
Audrey Wood
Illustrated by David Shannon
In this charming and hilarious tall tale, find out how Paul Bunyan, Babe, Paul's wife, and his two children helped to create some of the most beautiful natural wonders in the United States. Did you know that this family was responsible for the formation of Bryce Canyon, Niagara Falls, Mammoth Cave, and others? Shannon's colorful full-page illustrations will delight all, especially during a read-aloud. Some text is printed on pages that look like a counted cross-stitch sampler with differing designs on each that also relate to the story. The back jacket flap has a small outline of the U.S. with the locations of the natural wonders named in this tale. 1996, Scholastic, Ages 7 and up, $15.95. Reviewer: Mary Sue Preissner
ISBN: 0-590-48089-8
David Goes to School
David Shannon
Oh no! The hero of Shannon's award-winning book, No, David! is at it again, and this time he's in school. Does David's teacher ever have her hands full! We follow David through his school day-as he runs in the hallways, chews gum in class, forgets to come in from recess, and does many other things that only David could or would. Children will find a kindred spirit in David, the boy with a monster talent for getting into trouble, in this good-natured, read-aloud hardcover book. The wonderfully wacky illustrations are drawn from a young child's visual point of view, too. The pages are filled with high-energy lines and eye-popping color. Teachers, parents and kids will all enjoy renewing their friendship with spiky-haired David in his latest adventure. 1999, The Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, Ages 4 to 7, $14.95. Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree
ISBN: 0-590-48087-1
Encounter
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David Shannon
Ms. Yolen has written a fictional story, in picture book format, about the arrival of the Spaniards as observed by a young Taino boy. He is frightened and tries to share his fears with the elders but no one listens. This story is both lyrical and powerful in text and paintings. 1992, Harcourt, Ages 0 and up, $16.00. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman
ISBN: 0-15-225962-7
Encounter
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David A. Shannon
This children's picture book tells about the encounter of the Taino people with Columbus. The story is told from the point of view of a small Taino boy frightened by three dream birds who come to him in sleep. When he wakes, he finds three "great canoes" anchored off the shores of his island and tries to warn his chief. He is ignored and the the strangers are welcomed, much to everyone's eventual sorrow. Yolen may believe that she envisioned life through the eyes of a Taino boy, but the feelings she attributes to him run counter to Taino society. To explain why the boy is ignored, she repeats five or six times, "I was but a child." This makes the story gain power, but it is based on a European, not an Indian model of society. Indian society is built on mutual respect . Yolen's word choices are another slap in the face. She talks of how the Indians "gave" their souls, or "took" European words, as if the victims were to blame. Encounter may have been well-intentioned, but I wonder why it wasn't reviewed before publication by an organization familiar with the culture, such as OYATE. The book is an overly-sentimental, off-kilter story and one more betrayal to Native people. Its half-truths make it more insidious than books that have obvious misrepresentations. 1992, Harcourt, Ages 6 to 13, $16.00. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-15-225962-7
How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball
David Shannon
Imagine a future where we've lost the American tradition of baseball. This picture book features Boss Swaggart, a nasty ballplayer who is caught in a slump and decides to end baseball forever. He convinces the American people that everyone will make money if they build factories instead of baseball parks The public buys the idea and Boss Swaggart forbids baseball, plunging the country into depression and an endless winter. However, when Georgie Radbourn begins to speak, everything that comes out of his mouth is a forbidden baseball term. The book ends as he strikes out Boss and saves baseball. The world then breaks out in spring. I think children wish for a world like Georgie's where right and wrong, hero and villain are crystal clear, and children feel powerful and triumphant. 1994, Scholastic, Ages 6 to 10, $14.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-590-47410-3
ISBN: 0-590-47411-1
Nicholas Pipe
Robert D. San Souci
Illustrated by David Shannon
Spectacular illustrations accompany this story with a classic style. Nicholas Pipe is a merman who can walk on two legs on land, but must touch the sea everyday. Nicholas and Margaret fall in love despite her father's disapproval. Throughout the book, they struggle to find a way to be together. San Souci adapts the story from a 17th century English priest's writings. A great picture book for any collection. 1997, Dial Books, Ages 8 and up, $14.99 and $14.89. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede
ISBN: 0-8037-1764-4
ISBN: 0-8037-1765-2
No, David!
David Shannon
Poor David. He is constantly doing things that elicit stern words of discipline. He hears "No David!" when he walks over white carpet with muddy shoes, and then again when he climbs a chair to reach the cookie jar. His mother tells him to "Settle down!" when he gets too rowdy in his room, and to "Come back here!" when he runs up the street without clothes on. Surely, this is how life must seem to a spirited child-always being scolded and always being held back. But David's mother does love him. The book ends on a high note with a mother's reassuring hug and words of love-and a smile on David's face. 1998, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, Ages 2 to 5, $14.95. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati
ISBN: 0-590-93002-8
The Rain Came Down
David Shannon
The vibrant illustrations make memorable characters come to life in this charming picture book by Caldecott Honor artist, David Shannon. Children will be delighted with the story that begins when a drop of rain falls on the chicken and ruins his day. Soon, grumpiness becomes contagious all across the town, from the taxi driver to the painter to the barber to the policeman, and the town is in an uproar. Traffic jams, falling fruit, honking horns and barking dogs set the stage for the next predictable event. The rain stops and along with it the noise and the bickering town folk. The sunshine brings sweetness and fresh air and a rainbow back to the town, and puts smiles back on the peoples' faces. 2000, Blue Sky Press, Ages 4 to 8, $15.95. Reviewer: Sue Reichard
ISBN: 0-43905-02-19
The Rough-Face Girl
Martin Rafe
Illustrations by David Shannon
In this Algonquin Indian tale, the Rough-Face Girl is scarred from years of tending the fire for her family. She is mistreated by her sisters, who go on a journey to find and marry the Invisible Being. The Rough-Face Girl desires to meet this mysterious power and decides to embark on her own search. When she meets up with the sister of the Invisible Being, she is put through a test. After she answers all of the questions correctly, she bathes in the lake. While in the water, her scars vanish and she ends up marrying the Invisible Being. Magnificent paintings and moving prose perfectly capture the beauty of the natural world in this Native American version of Cinderella. 1992, Putnam, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99 and $5.99. Reviewer: Debra Briatico
ISBN: 0-399-21859-9
ISBN: 0-698-11626-7
Sacred Places
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David Shannon
Among Ms. Yolen's twelve Sacred Places are enigmatic Easter Island, where "eyes of stone stare unblinking in the sun's fierce glare," and the Bo Tree, "under [whose] branches/the enlightened rest." The illustrations, acrylics by David Shannon exemplify the synergy between gifted writer and artist. 1996, Harcourt, Ages 10 and up, $16.00. Reviewer: Beverly Kobrin
ISBN: 0-15-269953-8
Sacred Places
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by David Shannon
Be mindful of dreams when you read this book. "Someone's God has stepped here, slept here, knelt here, dwelt here, spoken here of life, of death, of holy things." From Delphi to Four Corners, from the Bo Tree to the Wailing Wall, from Ganga to Uluru of the dreamtime, Jane Yolen's lovely words lead us gently to hallowed ground, combining with Shannon's striking illustrations to transport the reader to some of the holiest places on our planet. This book evokes the sense of reaching back in time that such places engender. It is a creative addition to materials on world religions. Only the Four Corners illustration seems off key, lacking the juxtaposition of red rock and saltbush so characteristic of this piece of North American landscape that is sacred to the Navajo, Hopi, Ute and others. Still, to borrow Yolen's words, "there are...many cries between the arrow and its prey," and this is a fine beginning look at the multiple facets of divinity that people have found in these sacred places. 1996, Harcourt Brace, Ages 8 to 12, $16.00. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami
ISBN: 0-15-269953-8
Added 2001
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