culture chest: asian food

Sharing Culture Chest's subscription box from last month.  With the theme being Asian food, we received a trio of Asian snacks and two wonderful stories—Cora Cooks Pancit and Bee-bim Bop.  In many cultures, the countless hours that go into cooking are an expression of love for one's family.  Growing up in a Filipino family, pancit was a staple at almost every Thanksgiving gathering.  Believe it or not, it went well with turkey!  And sometimes there was buko pie (made from young coconut) next to pumpkin in our holiday spread.  Anyone else have any unique food traditions to share?

diy abc

This brilliant alphabet book gets kids truly engaged in learning their letters by drawing and doing.  A is for Ants — fill this anthill with lots of ants!  E is for Elephant — draw the elephant that’s been smashing up this room!  V is for Village — turn to the back of the book and use the square and triangle stickers to build a village in the valley.  This one wins the award for smartest alphabet book ever.  B for Bravo!

DIY ABC is by Elonora Marton and published by Cicada Books.

today + five questions with julie morstad

What will today bring?  In her latest book TODAY, in her natural and effortless way, Julie Morstad shows us the beauty of the quotidian, its moments of whimsy and its potential to surprise us with something extraordinary.  But how?  She helps us revel in the possibilities of today.  What should we wear?  What should we eat for breakfast?  Porridge or pizza?  Where should we go?  For a walk in the woods or to the museum?  How will we get there?  By bike or dancing our way there?  She reminds us that each day is remarkable in its own right.

Julie's work resonates with children and adults alike.  Hers are the stories full of wonder that you read to your kids at bedtime and are the same ones that you want to sit down with on your own and linger over, during those last quiet moments of the long day, well after your kids have drifted off to sleep.

Julie graciously stopped by to chat for a bit and answer five questions for us.

 

How do you come up with ideas for the books that you author and illustrate?

A lot of ideas come from my kids and the other kids I know.  The way they see things.  I also get inspired by everyday things like leaves on the ground, or the moon … random thoughts, art and textiles.

 

Which illustrators or artists have most influenced your work? 

How can i choose?  Hmm....Alice and Martin Provensen, Gyo Fujikawa, Kenojuak Ashevak, Maurice Sendak, Remy Charlip, Roger Duvoisin, Miroslav Sasek, Ingrid Vang Nyman, Tove Jansson, Evaline Ness, Sonia Delaunay, Saul Steinberg, Paul Klee, Tomi Ungerer, my kids’ drawings.

 

What drew you to illustrating picture books?

I have alway loved picture books as a medium.  I had a son quite young and we spent a lot of time at the library.  I learned a lot about illustrators by hunting through the library sale tables…treasure!!

 

What’s a day in the life like for you?

1. Get the kids to school 

2. Get down to work!  I work from home so I have to try hard to stay focused in my house!

 

Any new projects that you're working on that you can tell us about?

I’m working on a new book with Kyo Maclear (we made Julia, Child together).  It's a picture book bio about Elsa Schiaparelli, the great 20th century fashion designer.  It's super fun.

 

Thank you, Julie, for stopping by!  You can see Julie’s beautiful work on her site and keep up with her latest on Instagram.

who built that? bridges

It's amazing to consider the significant role bridges play in connecting people.  They are part of what makes travel possible.  In the third installment of the Who Built That? series published by Princeton Architecture Press, designer/illustrator Didier Cornille explores ten of the world’s most important bridges including the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the Iron Bridge in Shropshire, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Peace Bridge in Calgary.  He introduces the engineers and architects behind these innovative structures and their main design and engineering concepts.  He also includes the bridges' narratives—some history, background and stories about the building process—which are fascinating and make for a more meaningful experience for the reader.

One more piece of exciting news.  Princeton Architectural Press is offering 35% off on their books and free shipping with the code FRIENDS until 12/5, so be sure to check out their Who Built That? series and their diverse collection of art books.