A Tree Full of Stories (voir ci-dessous Un arbre qui raconte)

April 16, 2012 / Zoe Kelsey

Last fall, I was approached by The Jewish Public Library of Montreal to create a permanent signage for their Children's Library. They wanted an image that would underline the importance of a children's library, entice children to enter and celebrate the joy of reading. The illustration would be enlarged and printed on three vertical banners and hung at the entrance to the Norman Berman Children's Library. I have often been invited to give many talks at this wonderful, pro-active, community-oriented library, from presenting at their huge Young Author's Conference to more intimate talks for their Mother-Daughter Book Club. I have always been impressed by the dedication and energy of the librarians who work there. I wanted to represent this energy with a dynamic, vibrant, colourful image. I also wanted it to be playful and humorous. Libraries are full to the brim with stories, so my illustration had to tell a story. I wanted children to stop and immerse themselves in my picture, "reading" it in the smallest details . . .

(click on the image to see a larger version)

Did you notice the little grinning boy wearing a cape and plucking a star from the sky?

What about the boy who should be flying a kite but is actually "flying" a book opened to the "How to Build a Kite" page? Did you see Shelley the Turtle (a much loved resident of the Library), reading Shelley, A Turtle's Life? Or the young girl reading Romeo and Juliet just above a leaf that spells amour?

Books are full of words, so I also decided that I would draw words in the picture in English, French, Hebrew and Yiddish. (I must admit I did have to ask for help with the Hebrew and Yiddish.) I drew the illustration in pencil, painted in watercolour and working with handmade Japanese paper, cut out and painstakingly glued every one of the leaves!

I realize that this is exactly the way I work when I create the illustrations for my books: details and substories abound, every character and animal or object has a role . . .

I think this is the way very young children see the world. Everything has a story to tell.

Un arbre qui raconte...

L'automne dernier, la Bibliothèque publique juive m'a proposé de créer une illustration pour la Bibliothèque des enfants Norman Berman. Ils voulaient une image qui soulignerait l'importance d'une bibliothèque pour enfants, une image qui capterait immédiatement l'intérêt des enfants et qui célèbrerait la joie de lire. Cette illustration serait agrandie et imprimée sur trois bannières verticales et serait placée à l'entrée de la bibliothèque.

Au fil des ans, j'ai souvent été invitée à lire et à faire de présentations dans cette merveilleuse bibliothèque très active et dynamique. J'ai donné des ateliers lors de leur Conférence pour jeunes auteurs ainsi que des présentations plus intimes au Club de lecture Mère-Fille. J'ai été impressionné par l'énergie et le dévouement des bibliothécaires qui y travaillent. J'ai voulu représenter cette énergie par une image colorée et vibrante. J'ai voulu que mon illustration soit drôle et fantaisiste. Les bibliothèques sont remplies d'histoires alors mon dessin devait raconter une histoire... ou plusieurs. Je voulais que les enfants plongent dans mon dessin et qu'ils le lisent dans ses plus petits détails.

Avez-vous remarqué le petit bonhomme souriant qui cueille une étoile du haut de l'arbre? Ou la jeune fille qui lit Romeo et Juliette perchée au-dessus d'une feuille où s'inscrit le mot 'amour'? La famille de lapins-lecteurs? Autant de petites histoires . . .

Les livres sont pleins de beaux mots, de mots étranges ou de mots qui piquent notre curiosité, j'ai donc décidé d'inscrire des mots sur les feuilles de l'arbre en anglais, français, hébreu et yiddish. Mon illustration a été crée à l'aquarelle et au crayon. En travaillant avec du papier japonais fait-main j'ai découpé et collé chaque feuille de cet immense arbre.

Des heures de travail.

En fait, je travaille de la même manière lorsque je crée les illustrations de mes livres. Elles débordent de détails et petites histoires complices des enfants. Chaque personnage, chaque animal, chaque objet ont un rôle. Tous racontent une histoire. Je crois que c'est ainsi que les enfants voient le monde. Qui sait?

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categories / Artwork, Thoughts
tags / jewish public library

Summer in the City: a new book in the Travels with My Family series

March 16, 2012 / Zoe Kelsey

This month, the third book in the Travels with My Family Trilogy, Summer in the City, is coming out. This trio of books was written with my husband David Homel, in the often funny and ironic first-person voice of Charlie, the eldest son. When we wrote the initial book, Travels with my Family, we wanted to tell and relive our family's traveling stories, summer vacations and adventures, when we traveled across Canada and the USA and on to Mexico with our two boys (and our cat), crammed into an old car between suitcases, books and fishing nets.In On the Road Again! we wrote nostalgically about a year spent in a tiny village in the South of France where Charlie and Max discovered with delight the quirkiness and strangeness of French rural life, from being chased by bulls in the village square to being caught in rush-hour sheep traffic.

Traveling has always been a priority for our family. And when we couldn't travel because of work or other reasons, we traveled in our own city of Montreal, discovering anew the place we love.

This is exactly what happens in Summer in the City. Charlie and Max, deprived of their annual trip of wild adventures and mishaps in one part of the world or another, explore the alleyways and backyards, the parks and streets of their neighborhood and its surrounding areas. Charlie, thinking he will die of boredom if he spends the summer in his hometown with his brother in tow, discovers that there are adventures to be had after all. From creating a detective agency for lost cats to a wildly unsuccessful dog-walking business,

spying on aliens, members of the Mafia or hundred-year-old supposed axe murderers, or camping in the wilds of their backyard and skateboarding on a moonlit night,

Charlie also manages to save his brother from jail (after a spectacular bread-truck robbery) and his father from drowning on the expressway during the Storm of The Century...

It was a challenge to write Summer in the City after the exotic adventures of Travels with My Family and On the Road Again! But then I remembered when I was young, how endless summer felt. How glorious! No school, no homework, just days and days of fun stretching out before me. Books to read, games to play, swimming at the pool, picnics in the park or just doing nothing.

This is what inspired Summer in the City, because having time to daydream, to think, to invent stories and adventures feeds children’s imaginations, and leads them to discover themselves and the world around them.

We gave Charlie the time to create his own perfect summer.

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categories / Artwork, New Books
tags / summer in the city, travels with my family series

A new welcome to Marie-Louise Gay's World, en Francais

December 02, 2011 / Zoe Kelsey

Bienvenue! Depuis déjà vingt-cinq ans j’ai la joie d’écrire des histoires pour les enfants et les jeunes et de créer des personnages qui vivent entre les pages de mes livres. À commencer par Stella, Sacha et leur chien Fred qui découvrent le monde avec joie et ravissement, en passant par Caramba et son insupportable petit frère, Henri.Il y aussi Charlie et Max qui vivent des aventures rocambolesques en voyageant avec leurs parents. Ou encoreLoïc et sa petite peste de soeur, Louise, jusqu’à Roselyne Rutabaga, une jeune lapine déterminée à creuser jusqu’en Antartique pour voir un pingouin… Toute une galerie de personnages!

J’adore écrire avec les mots et les images. J’ai lu mes histoires à d’innombrables enfants aux quatres coins du monde et je suis toujours aussi ébahie et ravie devant leur émerveillement et leur imagination sans bornes.

Je crois que chaque enfant devrait avoir un accès facile aux livres ainsi qu’à l’expérience de lire uniquement pour le doux plaisir de lire.

En lisant un livre à un enfant, on partage les mots, les images et l’émotion.

On lui offre le plaisir de lire.

On transforme sa vie…

Welcome to Marie-Louise Gay’s world!

For twenty-five years I have had the joy of writing many stories for children and of creating the characters that live in the pages of my books, from Stella and Sam, to Caramba and his tiny and terrible new brother Henry; from Charlie and Max who have many wild adventures while travelling with their family to Jack and his adoring and pesky sister, Louise and to Roslyn Rutabaga, a muddy and determined young rabbit with dreams to fulfill.

I love to write with words and pictures. I have read to countless children around the world and am astounded at their enthusiasm, wonder and boundless imagination.

I strongly believe that every child should have access to books and experience the pleasure of reading.

Read to a child.

Share the story, the pictures and the emotion.

Change a child’s life.

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categories / Artwork, Thoughts
tags / marie-louise gay's world

This August, CARAMBA will meet his new baby brother, HENRY!

June 08, 2011 / Marie-Louise Gay

“. . . Caramba had always wished for a brother. A brother he could go fishing with. A brother to collect caterpillars with. A brother who would love his cheese omelets A brother who would share all his secrets. But Caramba never imagined a brother like Henry . . .”

Caramba is in for a big surprise . . . But, while we wait for the arrival of my new book Caramba and Henry, I thought it would be interesting to look at a short animation of Caramba’s attempts to fly in the first book as well as the swooping and loop-de-looping antics of Caramba’s friends . . .

I also want to thank all the inventive and enthusiastic first grade teachers and librarians across Canada who enjoyed reading Caramba with their students and created drawing and writing projects to extend the pleasure of reading…

Caterpillar1

A la fin de l’été, CARAMBA rencontrera son petit frère, HENRI!

“. . . Caramba a toujours rêvé d’avoir un petit frère. Un petit frère qu’il emmènerait à la pêche. Un petit frère qui chercherait des chenilles de toutes les couleurs avec lui.

Un petit frère qui adorerait ses omelettes au fromage et partagerait avec lui tous ses secrets. Mais jamais Caramba n’aurait pu imaginer un frère comme Henri . . .”

Il va sans dire que Caramba sera très surpris! . . . Mais en attendant de lire les aventures de Caramba et Henri, j’ai pensé qu’il serait intéressant de voir Caramba en action . . . (voir le petit vidéo ci-dessus)

Je tiens aussi à remercier les enseignant(e)s et bibliothècaires à travers le Canada qui ont lu Caramba avec leurs élèves de première année et ont su explorer les dessins et l’histoire en créant des projets fabuleux avec leurs élèves, prolongeant ainsi le plaisir de lire . . .

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categories / Artwork, Books, New Books
tags / caramba, caramba and henry

Photo gallery

March 21, 2011 / Zoe Kelsey

Filming a special video at home for Teaching Books: [slideshow]

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categories / Photos

How Stella and Sam became TV stars

March 11, 2011 / Zoe Kelsey

I have been asked quite often how Stella and Sam became TV stars. What was my role in their transformation? How did I participate in this transformation? Am I happy with the results? It certainly wasn’t done overnight! About 10 years ago, Groundwood Books and I started receiving offers to do an animated series with my Stella and Sam characters and stories. At that time, there were only two Stella books: Stella, Star of the Sea and Stella, Queen of the Snow. For various reasons, these deals fell through. One thing was most important for me: I wanted to have creative approval and work with the production, especially at the beginning.

I also did not want to sell book publishing rights based on the drawings and stories in the animated series. And I wanted a production company that would respect the books that I had created and would choose to stay as close as possible to the original concept.

But in retrospect, the most important reason was that I had just started my series of books and had not sufficiently developed my characters and ideas. When Radical Sheep Productions came along and professed their interest and enthusiasm, I had, by then, written and illustrated four Stella books and two Sam books. I had created their world and fleshed out their characters and their relationship to one another. Fred had taken on a more prominent role. Stella and Sam inhabited their world fully, had a unique language and an original perspective of the natural world around them. I had developed Stella’s creativity, her imagination, her love of nature and discovery. I created Sam’s curiosity, his timidity, his secret fears and his sense of wonder. Stella and Sam were ready to leave their first home and explore other places.

The first thing to do when creating a TV series (apart from finding money to finance it) is to write what is known as the “bible.” This bible is a precise compilation and description of the characters, their personalities, their qualities and faults. It is also a description of the world they will live in, the type of adventures they will have. The writers as well as the animators will consult this bible. I very much wanted to be involved in the creation of the bible since it sets the tone for the whole series. And I did collaborate extensively on it. At a certain point and after much debate, it was decided that we also needed new characters that were not in the original books. I then created Felix, Ivy, Owen and Pattycake and we wrote them into the bible. Here are the color sketches I did of them:But how do you translate very detailed pencil, watercolor and collage illustrations that lie quietly on the page, waiting to be read and poured over and over again by small children, to another platform where computer images are created to move and talk and dance and play — all this without betraying the original concept? I guess the answer to that is to find artists who will respect the original work. Mercury Filmworks created the computer images of the characters, the landscapes, the colors, the movements and the visual identity of the show. They stayed as close as possible to the art in my books. For example, they scanned some of my watercolor washes and incorporated them into the computer images. The same was true for the handmade Japanese paper I used for collage and texture in my illustrations: they were scanned and used as tree or bark textures, tablecloths, carpets, wallpaper or even Sam’s iconic pith helmet. But Mercury also had to create the backgrounds: the landscapes and houses and interiors, part of which did not exist in my books. Again, I was called upon to approve these images.

Stella profile #4C

Mercury Filmworks, of course, had my books as examples to work with, but I also provided more detailed sketches with many comments, probably too many, and directions:

It is important, when you create an animated character, for him or her to be able to turn 360 degrees, so Mercury Filmworks designed the turnarounds from my sketches:

And they studied the different movements or positions:

At the same time, we had to create size line-ups so that we could compare the characters’ proportions to each other and with the background: While all the visuals were being created, the stories started coming in. First the premises (a general idea, a synopsis), the outlines (a developed 3 to 5 page synopsis), then the first, second and third drafts. At this point, I was reading and commenting on the outlines and first drafts. For one season, there had to be 26 eleven-minute scripts. This kept me busy as I was also revising and commenting on the visuals. Simultaneously, as the scripts were finalized, storyboards were drawn:

At the same time, Radical Sheep was auditioning for the voices of Stella and Sam and the other characters and sending me samples of the best voices. Since we really wanted to have children’s voices, it was important to find unique and original ones. Rachel Marcus, with her lovely, clear and joyful voice, got the role of Stella, and five-year-old Miles Johnson with his cute, hesitant rhythms plays Sam. In fact, the only adult voice in the show is Fred’s, cleverly barked, whimpered and growled by Tony Daniels. (You can see and listen to a video of the actors recording in studio . . .)

As soon as the voices were recorded for each episode, a leica or animatic was produced with the storyboard stills adding voices and sound effects.

Then the animation could begin…the music was created…and voilà!

Two years later you have a show!

As you can see, I was quite involved as a creative consultant every step of the way. I enjoyed the experience of working with a team instead of working by myself as the author and illustrator of my books. I also appreciated the learning curve because even if I had studied animation when I was in college, and understood the underlying principles of animation, the technological progress was staggering and there was a lot of catching up to do.

I am very pleased with the result. I feel that a very special show has been created for children. A show that focuses on imagination and creativity and the natural wonders of the world. Stella and Sam and their friends play outside, they have adventures, they create new worlds and they interact with each other. Children will not see any technology in Stella and Sam’s world: no TV, iPod or electronic games. But they will see books, crayons, paper and glue and cardboard boxes. They will see flying kites and paper airplanes, mountains being conquered and oceans being crossed. They will examine insects and spy on rabbits and foxes. They will watch Stella and Sam run and skip, roar with laughter and ask questions about the world. Stella and Sam have many exciting adventures, but sometimes they’ll just sit and watch a sunset. That to me is the most important aspect of the Sam and Stella show: there is time for a slower rhythm, a time for introspection, a time to lie back and breathe and look at the snowflakes falling . . . (credit: from Stella, Queen of the Snow)

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categories / Artwork, Stella and Sam TV Show

TD Book Giveaway Program

February 01, 2011 / Zoe Kelsey

I was absolutely delighted and surprised to learn in the fall that my picture-book Caramba was chosen for the TD Grade One Book Giveaway Program. Imagine! My book would be given to every child in Canada who entered first grade last fall. Children living in Nunavut or Montreal, on the Magdelene Islands or the Queen Charlotte Islands, children in Inuvik or Great Whale. Children who speak French or English and others whose native language might be Cree or Ojibway, Mandarin, Tamul or Creole. In all, more than half a million children received my picture book, brought it back to their home and read it with their family. Who would have thought that my rather plump and worried little cat would travel from sea to sea without ever having learned to fly?

Then I had the pleasure of being invited to tour across Canada and meet with hundreds of enthusiastic Grade One children to promote the pleasure of reading, to read Caramba, sign their books and answer their questions. My tour started off in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, then off to Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Newmarket, London, Montreal and Moncton.

I would start my presentations by explaining how I wrote and illustrated Caramba:

How I was inspired by my very old, fat cat who has never managed to fly . . .

How I started sketching Caramba in pencil . . .

then with a bit of colour . . .

How I rewrote the story dozens of times, how I created the storyboard, and finally created the artwork in watercolor and pencil . . . About a year’s worth of work.

Then I would read Caramba, which is the story about an ordinary, rather plump cat with soft fur and a long stripey tail. He has only one problem in his life: he is the only cat in the world who cannot fly. I would also show the kids how Caramba has traveled around the world.

His story is read in China . . .

. . . in Serbia . . .

. . . in Japan as well as in Brazil, Portugal, Holland and Germany.

Strangely enough, I met a lot of children during this tour that had never seen a flying cat! I know, I know, it is hard to believe.

One young boy at the Hamilton Public Library even told me:

We don’t have flying cats in our community.

Which started me thinking, have you seen any flying cats in your neighborhood? If you have, could you draw me a picture of one and send it to me?

I would love to show some of your drawings to the kids who haven’t seen a flying cat. Maybe that will convince them that they do exist . . .

>> Here's how to submit your child's artwork

* * *

Cet automne, j’ai été absolument ravie d’apprendre que mon livre Caramba avait été choisi pour le programme TD Un livre à moi! Pour le plaisir de lire.

Imaginez! Mon livre serait donné en cadeau à tous les enfants du Canada qui entreraient en première année en septembre… Des enfants du Nunavut ou de Montréal, des Îles-de-la-Madeleine ou des Îles-de-la-Reine-Charlotte, d’Inuvik ou de Tête-à-la-Baleine. Des enfants parlant français ou anglais, mais aussi d’autres ayant comme langue maternelle le cri, l’ojibway, le mandarin, le tamoul ou le créole.

En tout, plus d’un demi-million de petits ont pu rapporter mon livre illustré à la maison et lire Caramba avec leur famille. Qui aurait cru que mon petit chat grassouillet et inquiet voyagerait d’un océan à l’autre sans même savoir voler?

Par la suite, j’ai été invitée à voyager à travers le Canada pour rencontrer des centaines d’enfants enthousiastes par jour afin de promouvoir la lecture, de leur parler de mon album Caramba et de leur signer des dédicaces. Cette tournée a débuté à Ottawa au Musée de la civilisation et s’est poursuivie à Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Newmarket, London, Montréal et Moncton.

Je commençais ma présentation en leur expliquant comment j’avais écrit et illustré Caramba :

Inspirée par mon vieux chat Miro (voir sa photo ci-dessus), j’ai esquissé Caramba au crayon . . .

puis avec mes pinceaux . . .

Ensuite, j’ai écrit et réécrit cette histoire des douzaines de fois et enfin, j’ai créé les illustrations à l’aquarelle et au crayon . . .

Puis, je lisais Caramba, l’histoire d’un petit chat tout à fait ordinaire, qui n’a qu’un problème dans la vie : il est le seul chat au monde qui ne sache pas voler . . .

Curieusement, lors de cette tournée, j’ai rencontré plusieurs enfants qui n’avaient jamais vu un chat volant!

Je sais, je sais, c’est à peine croyable. D’ailleurs, à la bibliothèque publique de Hamilton, un jeune garçon m’a même affirmé avec le plus grand sérieux du monde :

Nous n’avons pas de chats volants dans notre quartier.

Il ne me reste qu’à vous le demander : avez-vous des chats volants dans votre quartier? Si oui, pourriez-vous me les dessiner et me les faire parvenir? J’aimerais bien en montrer quelques-uns aux incrédules . . .

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categories / Artwork
tags / caramba, td book giveaway

HAPPY NEW YEAR / BONNE ANNÉE!

January 10, 2011 / Zoe Kelsey

Along with my first drawing of the New Year 2011, I would like to wish all of you a year of reading for pure pleasure reading to discover new worlds and new words reading with passion and anticipation reading in the bathtub reading on the bus reading at the library reading at school reading under a shady tree or under your blanket with a flashlight reading before you go to sleep or while you’re eating your breakfast reading with your parents to your children with your friends or to your dog reading . . .

Pour accompagner mon premier dessin de l’année 2011: Je vous souhaite une année de lectures passionnantes et envoûtantes, des livres colorés et tendres, des bandes dessinées hilarantes, des livres d’aventures et de mystère, des livres qui vous ouvrent des portes sur le monde et sur vous-même. Je vous souhaite surtout de lire pour le plaisir de lire.

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categories / Artwork
tags / 2011, happy new year

WELCOME to Marie-Louise Gay's World . . .

November 01, 2010 / Zoe Kelsey

. . . my brand new website, where you will meet the characters who live, breathe, laugh, run and dance across the pages of my books. I hope you will enjoy reading about My Life So Far, taking peeks inside my books, downloading stickers, and discovering what I am working on and where you might hear me read from my books.

Bienvenue à l’univers de Marie-Louise Gay, mon tout nouveau site web où vous risquez de rencontrer tous les personnages qui vivent, respirent, rient, courent et dansent entre les pages de mes livres. Amusez-vous à feuilleter mes livres virtuellement et à découvrir Mon parcours en quelques mots.

This fall continues to be very busy for me. In September, I read at the lovely Flying Pig bookstore in Shelburne,Vermont, spent a week in Whitehorse, Yukon, giving talks at the Inspiring Writers Conference, reading to kids in schools and admiring the eagles soaring over the Yukon River and the mountains covered in bright yellow trees. I read at the Kingston WritersFest and also at the Wild Rumpus bookstore in Minneapolis, where the competition to be heard above the animals roaming in the store is fierce. The bookstore is the home to thousands and thousands of books, of course, but also chickens, chinchillas, ferrets, cats, rats, a tarantula, and various birds and fishes! Ethel the chicken is a retired travelling circus performer . . .

In November, I will embark on the TD Giveaway Tour, where I will be meeting kids from Calgary to Moncton. I can’t wait to tell them about how I created Caramba . . .

Speaking of which, in between all these activities, I will sit at my drawing table in my studio in Montreal and write and illustrate the new adventures of my next Caramba book . . .

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categories / Tour
tags / caramba, flying pig bookstore, td book giveaway, wild rumpus bookstore