:: Top 28 Picture Books #4 ::

Book #4 "Extra Yarn" by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

A whimsical story of a young girl who finds a mysterious black box filled with yarn of every color. She shares her special gift in a cold little town with unexpected results. Pure Picture Book Delight! Best book of 2012.

:: Top 28 Picture Books #3 ::

Book #3 "Zen's Shorts" by Jon J. Muth

A beautifully crafted tale about a panda who befriends three siblings and tells each a parable that allows them to discover their own zen. The absolutely fantastic art shines and compliments the layered story perfectly.

:: Top 28 Picture Books #2 ::

#2 “Lost and Found” by Oliver Jeffers

A heartfelt tale about two strangers finding friendship unexpectedly. Gorgeous artwork. Wonderful story. This perfect picture book is my inspiration.

UPDATE! I was one of the 500 lucky fans that got to meet Oliver at Small Print Toronto's Totsapalooza today, which was totally fantastic! My brother and I created these tribute origami bookmarks to give to Oliver Jeffers.

:: Top 28 Picture Books #1 ::

As a childrens' book author and illustrator, I am often asked which picture books are my favourites. Well for the entire month of February I will be posting my Top 28 Picture Books List! And there's more! I will also be sharing them as 8 bit Lego pieces. Let's get started...

#1 "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.

This simple yet poignant picture book tells a beautiful story about selflessness, sacrifice, and unconditional love. It will always have a special place in my heart, especially now as a new father.

I did not read this book until my teenage years, but I fell in love with it instantly. How can something so simple and sweet be so meaningful? The theme of appreciating parental sacrifices moves personally me to this day. I still can not read this book without reflecting on my own parent and of course shedding a tear or two or three or ten.

:: Monster Math ::

Monsters, Inc. was released 11 years ago on my birthday. My friends and I celebrated these overlapping events by dressing up (as monsters) for a dinner and movie.

We had an absolute blast and thoroughly enjoyed the film. I especially loved the beautiful relationship between Sulley, Mike and Boo.

It was an unforgettable birthday and this film will always have a special place in my heart.

The tribute above is for the Threadless loves Monsters, Inc. contest. Everyone was invited to create a t-shirt design inspired by Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.

Please feel free to vote for my design here!

:: happy new year ::

Hello everyone! My 2013 New Year's Resolutions include being more involved with SCBWI, as well as creating and sharing more artwork. My 8-bit friends would like to say, "Happy New Year and I hope that your 2013 is filled with love & laughter!" Cheers!

This album is devoted to all my 8-bit Lego creations. This Christmas, I plan to collect them all into a picture book for my newborn son.

Tomie dePaola Award + Mark Twain Secret

Many of my favourite picture books while growing up were written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. His delightful stories and wonderful art were staples during my childhood story-time. So you can just imagine my excitement when I discovered The Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award!

Wow, The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators has provided me an opportunity to show my artwork to The Legendary Tomie dePaola! #HappinessOverload!

This year's theme is "black and white", and the subject is a passage from one of these classics:

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain

“The Yearling” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Super tough choice , as all three are such great stories. But I have a connection with Tom Sawyer, because at his age I too was quite the troublemaker. I wasn't as sneaky per se, but let's just say trouble always found me.

For me, the passage that best embodies Tom's character is the iconic fence painting scene. The scene is so perfect. I can envision Mark Twain's delight as he penned the precise moment that Tom turned the situation around so that Ben actually wanted to do Tom's chore for him. Hopefully you can envision this too (hint: tree branches!).

Originally I wanted to create a paper-cut design, but after exploring several different compositions, textures, and styles, I went with a mix of traditional watercolour and digital painting.

I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did creating it!