Comments on: ‘Be Pink! Be Blue! Be Sparkly!’ – But Not for the Reasons You Think

By: Elizabeth Bluemle

Elizabeth Bluemle — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 18:36:47 +0000

Thanks! Am always looking, and love being alerted to titles that haven’t found their way to the database yet!

By: Carol Chittenden

Carol Chittenden — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:06:00 +0000

And why do the people on the covers of classics need to be white? Happy as I was to hear Karen Lotz, Gillian Cross and Neil Packer on NPR this morning discussing the creation and quality of their new Odysseus — the guy on the cover is white. Actually, he’s SO white that he’s kind of a-racial. But the immediate association would be with Caucasian, not Mediterranean, African, or Asian men.

By: Judy Brunsek

Judy Brunsek — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:33:42 +0000

Here are two concept books we publish about Sophie and her beloved little bear:

Where are you, Bear? is an alphabet book that goes from coast to coast in Canada. It also features Sophie’s father as the parent.
https://store.owlkids.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=277
http://www.pgw.com/home/catalogs.aspx?CatalogKey=580348

What’s Up, Bear? is an opposites book set in NYC is releasing this month. It again features Sophie, her bear and her dad.
http://www.pgw.com/home/catalogs.aspx?CatalogKey=10068387

By: Cas

Cas — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:38:38 +0000

Another book for your awesome database – When Titus Took the Train by Anne Cottringer and Sarah Macintyre.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Titus-Took-Train-Cottringer

By: Leigh

Leigh — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 03:39:16 +0000

The Sassy series by Sharon Draper comes to mind–short chapter books, not picture books, but very bright, colorful, sparkly covers!

By: Stacy Whitman

Stacy Whitman — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 23:20:22 +0000

I wasn’t able to make it to the panel the other day, but I hear it was a great conversation. For us at Tu Books (not picture books, but I know what you mean regarding YA books like that too), if the covers are going to be dark & moody, it’s because there’s something sinister happening in the book that has to do with dystopias or Reapers–it has to do with making the covers look fun and exciting for anyone to pick up. Honestly, I’m not sure it would have even occurred to me to make any of my covers brown, for the same reasons you talk about–it makes them look somber. Brown covers are generally considered to be boring (look at 70s covers, such as the orange, yellow, and brown cover of Tuck Everlasting–I never wanted to pick that thing up as a kid, and didn’t discover what a great story was inside until grad school because of it).

By: Amy Sears

Amy Sears — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:05:08 +0000

A picture book that is very popular at my library that is pink and blue and sparkly plus has a little girl of color on the cover is Summer Jackson: Grown Up.

By: Masha

Masha — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:51:21 +0000

Jean Davies Okimoto is the first author that came to my mind. She has long been publishing YA titles of this vein. She recently is re-releasing her titles with bright new covers. (I’m thinking of “Maya and the Cotton Candy Boy” and “Molly By Any Other Name”.)

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:27:09 +0000

What about Lottie Paris Lives Here by Angela Johnson (pink cover!)? Its sequel Lottie Paris and the Best Place (aka the library!) is coming this spring (blue cover!).