Renata liwska biography of christopher

She likes movies and reading, of course! Renata Liwska has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her old schoolbooks overflowed with sketches and that has continued in her sketchbooks to this day. Renata starts a project by finding a quiet space in which to sketch, and then allowing the characters to do whatever their hearts desire.

She follows her pencil to see where it goes and is often surprised and delighted where it leads her. Her books have been national bestsellers and are award winners including a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators NY and nominations for three Governor Generals awards for Literacy for picture book illustration in Canada. Their newest picture book, Bunny Should be Sleeping , releases on March 5th.

Welcome Amy and Renata,. Tell us a little about yourselves. How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate? I love writing picture books.

Renata liwska biography of christopher

I love writing chapter books for older kids. I love the challenge of writing a story that makes sense! Mostly it looks like this: I write. Day after day, month after month, year after year! In the background, I have to be mindful of using beautiful, clear language. I have to care deeply about my characters so that readers care, too. It can take a year to write a picture book, or more!

The chapter books? Quite a few years! I used to draw in coffee shops but lately I work at home. I have a desk in my living room and another in my bedroom to work on my illustrations. Although when I get nearer a book's due date, I find drawing in my bedroom has less distractions. I know a manuscript is for me when images pop into my head as I am reading the story.

My favorite is when I can see the characters and their antics within the words, and I have already started drawing the pictures in my imagination. That is when I know I found a book for me. When I read, Bunny Should be Sleeping, I saw the little bunny slipping out of bed and feeling satisfaction at the things he went about and did. Thank you for sharing about yourselves and your processes.

It is wonderful to get to know both of you. I like to write on trains, and I have no idea why! I remember drawing a tree in front of the cafe with its own little mailbox, and I added a bird dressed as a mailman delivering some mail. I received a call from my agent asking if I would like to illustrate a short story by Margaret Wise Brown called the Noon Balloon.

It was from a collection of unpublished poems that were discovered in a forgotten chest. It was amazing to learn that Margaret Wise Brown had lived in Greenpoint, and the coincidence was magical! Writing on a train sounds so fun! And that truly is a magical moment, Renata! I got a tutor and studied very hard. We had to submit a portfolio of artwork and even had to go and do some drawing exams from a still life.

We also had to do an interview, write an essay, and do a math test and such. I remember that after the interview I was sure I had flunked out because my answer to most of the questions was, "I don't know! Later, when the results were posted, I couldn't see my name on the list and I was crushed! But my dad stopped by and looked at the list and said, "No, your name is on the list" and I am like Where?

And he points "Right here" and sure enough my name was there! At my previous school I didn't fit in very well, I was different. But at art school I did fit in, because everyone was different! Everybody was like me, they all had big imaginations and wanted to learn to draw and paint. Suddenly I had so many things in common with others which really made learning so much more exciting and easier.

It was amazing to see the growth of everybody. In a very short time we were real artists. There wasn't anything I couldn't do, I was amazingly pumped about life and art. It varies, sometimes it is a specific memory such as "Fire truck day at school loud" from The Loud Book, written by Deborah Underwood. When I was a child there was a fair for international children's day.

At the fair there was a big line up, I didn't know what was happening so I went up to look. Someone just grabbed me and put me in the fire truck basket with other kids and we went all the way up! I was absolutely convinced the basket was spinning around in degrees. I was terrified and screaming at the top of my lungs! But you know before that I had a vertigo problem and was afraid of heights, but after that traumatic incident I think I was cured because I wasn't afraid of heights anymore.

Other times it is more about remembering how I felt as a kid. As an example "Pretending to be invisible quiet" from The Quiet Book is an image that could have been anything, it could have been a very fantastical drawing. But when I drew it I was thinking about when I would have liked to be invisible. I don't remember specifically feeling that I wished I was invisible when it came to getting a needle.

But I was terribly afraid of needles and would have certainly wished I was invisible so they couldn't find me and jab me with it! However it goes, whether it is a fictional situation or more autobiographical, my goal is to make the drawing feel authentic. I try to remember what it was like to feel as a kid, that way children can identify with the feeling and parents can remember experiencing the same sentiment themselves.

I haven't taught for a few years but it was very inspirational. It makes you think about how you create art because you have to talk about what you are doing. And when looking at students' work it clarifies the creative process, you're not emotionally involved which gives you perspective. Yes, I love drawing in my sketchbook whether for fun or work.

Although lately I have been drawing a lot on manilla tags and folders that I cut up because I like the drawing surface. My favourite way of drawing is just to start drawing and see where the pencil leads me. People mention that my drawings are so intricate and finished in my sketchbook but that is not my goal. Read more about this author Read less about this author.

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Top reviews from the United States. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Verified Purchase. My toddler absolutely loves this book. It has helped us so much. After a couple of times reading this book, we implemented timed check ins. First at 15 mins, then 30 mins, and then an hour if she isn't asleep yet, but she almost always is already.

Our toddler also implemented the practice of the baby bunny on her own. It gets her settled, builds trust, and she knows we'll be checking on her to make sure she's OK. I had read a review in the WSJ; the last line, "Sometimes a Dad really needs his little bunny," really hit me. I got this book for my grandson who is almost 2 years old. He loves reading it with his dad.

Renata Liwska has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her old schoolbooks overflowed with sketches and that has continued in her sketchbooks to this day. When she draws, Renata follows her pencil to see where it goes and is often surprised and delighted where it leads her. Her books have been national bestsellers and are award winners including a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators NY and nominations for three Governor Generals awards for Literacy for picture book illustration in Canada.

From Kelsey Gross and New York Times bestselling artist Renata Liwska comes a companion to the stunningly beautiful and lyrical Winter telling the story of a group of animal friends who come together on the Solstice to celebrate the wonder of the summer. The long summer days are here, and in the peace and stillness of the morning, the forest seems quiet and asleep.

But there is always life everywhere if you know where—and when—to look.