Saturday, May 19, 2012

Time Out for Monsters

 This is our new book. It's a delightful romp written by Jean Reidy, and published by Disney's Hyperion Books. Our editor is Rotem Moscovich- it was her idea to do the giant 34" four page dragon foldout! I was absolutely delighted when this manuscript landed on my drawing table. This was me as a kid, always in time out, always drawing. I'll post some of the spreads here as a tease, but you'll have to buy the book to get it all.
Here's from Publisher's Weekly:
     Time Out for Monsters!
Jean Reidy, illus. by Robert Neubecker. Disney-Hyperion, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4231-3127-4
Even kids can get the fixer-upper urge—especially when the real estate in question is the time-out corner. “Mom says it’s fine, but I know better. I spend a LOT of time there,” says the refreshingly unapologetic young narrator. So he conjures up a world of excitement that includes a killer view, a fire brigade, a dump truck full of ice cream, and some kingly accoutrements. When Neubecker (What Little Boys Are Made Of) reveals that everything the hero imagines is simultaneously being drawn by him on the walls of the corner, readers won’t have trouble guessing what comes next. Reidy’s (Too Princessy!) descriptive narration (“This corner needs a comfy seat with some pillows... on a throne!”) gets a goose from colorful, comics-style typography. But this is Neubecker’s show, and he’s given plenty of space to let loose. Whether he’s showing a monster and dinosaur–stuffed polka-dotted big wheeler or a landscape filled with cupcakes, spread after spread is a riot of color, goofy fantasy, and well-choreographed freneticism. Ages 3–7.








Here's our cover. Love the royal blue.
Detail from the big 34" Dragon foldout spread.

Inside spread...
Sad but true...giving away the punchline...more time out...

The Monster


Unused Cover doodle

Thumbnail for unused pages.

Thumbnail sketch for dragon spread.

Fred got cut from the final writing....

Thumbnail sketch. I love this story.

Finished pencil sketch for editor's approval.

The big Dragon pencil sketch.


He was almost green! (he's blue in the book, you know, real life...)

 That's all folks. Hope that you enjoy reading and sharing this book as much as we enjoyed making it!

Robert Neubecker,        
 from Iron Mountain in Utah, 5/19/12