The Drawing Book

The first review of Sophie has come out; here it is;

THE FOLLOWING BOOK RECEIVED ITS FIRST STARRED REVIEW IN THE OCTOBER 1, 2009 ISSUE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR THE REVIEW:

SOPHIE PETERMAN TELLS THE TRUTH!
Written by Sarah Weeks
Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
(Beach Lane Books; ISBN 9781416986867; November 2009; Fall catalog pg. 271)

Straight shooter Sophie Peterman gives readers the lowdown on babies: They are your “worst nightmare.” With a cocked eyebrow and a clear, authoritative voice she lists reasons why you can’t trust a baby. They leak, they smell, they swallow (and eventually return!) your favorite marble, they rummage in your drawers and they devour your hidden Halloween candy. While not the first book about a disgruntled older child and the arrival of a cooing, burping bundle, this effort finds success through Sophie’s fresh voice. Never whiny or petulant, she deftly delivers deadpan observations that evoke smiles. Neubecker’s vivid artwork pops as he uses his bright palette and unique perspectives to create facial expressions that perfectly capture Sophie’s annoyance, her mother’s frustration and the baby’s clear-eyed joy. Oversize, all-caps, hand-lettered portions of narration add emphasis and allow Sophie’s voice and the artwork to seamlessly merge. When Sophie finally warns that you can go from hating baby to liking baby, she offers truly touching anecdotes that make her transition believable: Upon hearing a tiny voice call out, “Soapy!” to her, she just melted. Readers will too.
(Picture book. 4-8)


Wow. How great is that. Never would have happened, of course, without Sarah's wonderful manuscript- having spent the last few years cleaning up baby poop and getting barfed on, I jumped on this as soon as my wonderful editor, Andrea Welch, offered it. Also much thanks has to go to Lauren Rille, my art director, who put me through five sets of sketches. I would do it again tomorrow. Her type and design is as good as it gets! Go buy this book!