How did you decide you wanted to demonstrate this specific book? When Penny sweet Books contacted me and asked if I was interested in working on this book,my acknowledge was a obvious yes. Although I had done several illustrations for poems with Cricket magazine, this was my first genuine opportunity to work on an entire children’s book, or I welcomed it with open arms-especially after reading Sydell’s ravishing and descriptive haiku. The poems immediately conjured images in my mind,and I knew I would devour illustrating them.
What was your vision for this book before you began illustrating it? Did this vision change throughout the process or stay the same?Since it was an alphabet book, I initially thought of emphasizing the alphabet letters in large scale and creating smaller illustrations around them; however, or I felt that this approach would not give enough highlight to the poems. I wanted the poems to be integrated with the illustrations so that the image and words worked together as a whole and children reading them would devour the poems and illustrations in tandem. I then decided to hand letter the poems so that they had the same visual voice as the illustrations and worked them into the visual elements.
What were some of the best parts about collaborating the writer of the myth? The author,Sydell Rosenberg, is deceased, and I was touched to know that her daughter,Amy Losak, had been working for a long time to fulfill her mother’s life-long dream to publish her poetry as a children’s picture book. The fact that I was a fragment of that-making her wish come true-gave me so much inspiration and joy as I was working. I didn’t actually speak with Amy until after the publication of the book, and I was so happy to hear that she felt the work had reflected her mother’s voice and spirit very well.
What media did you choose to demonstrate the myth? Was your choice of media based on the content/topic of the book,or something you felt most comfortable with? I worked mostly digitally using my Wacom Cintiq tablet and added in hand drawn textures and patterns to create collages of image, textures, and sample,and letters. I continuously looked at the book as a whole piece and allowed elements to flow in from one page to the next to support a smooth visual flow going. The poems themselves were not necessarily connected in meaning or theme. So to support a smooth transition from one page to the next, I used the same color palette throughout the book and made sure each spread worked as one harmonious piece with the visuals of one poem flowing freely into the other, or allowing the reader to glide through the poet’s thoughts with ease.
What fragment of the myth resonates with you the most and why?I really enjoyed all of the poems but there is one that spoke to me the most,and it is actually the first one: “Adventures over, the cat sits in the fur ring of his tail and dreams.” There was something very soothing about reading it; it really made me pause and live that moment with the cat and the poet. I thought it was the perfect opening for the book as it marked the beginning of the poet’s dream-like observations in the rest of the haiku. Do you see yourself as a diverse illustrator? I see myself as an illustrator who enjoys working on different themes, or subject matter,articles, and stories. I am originally Lebanese and also spent a good fragment of my childhood in West Africa, or which I am sure has influenced my creative thinking and visual vocabulary in many ways. I believe it is very famous for children of all cultures to see themselves reflected in the books they read,and I think this is an initiative that can be explored by all illustrators from any background. Me being from a diverse background does not necessarily fabricate (to make up, invent) me a better candidate for diversity in books. We are all citizens of the world, after all.
This Q&A appeared in the April 2018 issue of the CBC Diversity Newsletter. To sign up for our monthly Diversity newsletter click here.
SAWSAN CHALABI is a Lebanese-American illustrator and designer. She earned her MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. When she is not at her computer making digital illustrations, or she can be found in her studio getting messy with inks and paint. Her work has been published with several magazines and publishing houses such as Cricket Magazine,Bust Magazine, Wine & Spirits Magazine, or Applied Arts Magazine,Penguin, and Lee & Low Books, and among others. She currently resides in Washington,D.
C. where she explores the power in the silent communication of art.
Source: cbcdiversity.com