An Interview with Art Director Sharismar Rodriguez

The Marvelous Midwest Conference is just a few weeks away. Registration is full, but luckily another member of the faculty has agreed to be interviewed for our blog. Today we welcome Sharismar Rodriguez. 

Sharismar Rodriguez is an Associate Art Director at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books
for Young Readers where she designs and art directs children’s books for all ages, from
Picture Books, Middle Grade and YA novels to Non-Fiction volumes. She started her
career in children’s publishing right after obtaining her BFA in Visual Communications
from Parsons School of Design.

Some of her work includes award winning and noteworthy titles such as New York
Times bestseller Greenglass House by Kate Milford, illustrated by Jaime Zollars; Bridget Heos’s Mustache Baby series, illustrated by Joy Ang; Maybe Something Beautiful, an ALA Notable Children’s Book recipient, by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez; among many others.

In your intensive, “The Picture Book: A Puzzle–How To Put the Pieces Together To Create Your Picture Book Dummy” you plan to discuss good storytelling. How does that apply to visual art?

As a picture book artist you have the task to depict the written words in a compelling way that excites and motivates the reader to turn the pages. However, a manuscript is only the beginning of the visual storytelling, you must use your creativity to add layers of interest and information. The less “clues” about the characters and settings the text gives you, the more opportunities you have to create a parallel story with your art.

In the intensive, we’ll explore ways to enhance the experience of your picture book from choosing the right format, thinking about your characters in different ways, how to achieve a successful arc, among other concepts. 

You worked on the book Maybe Something Beautiful. In it, art transforms a neighborhood. Can you talk more about the power of art?

Art is ideas that are transmitted in different shapes and forms that connect with us on a human level, whether it’s a poem written on a napkin, a masterful symphony, a mural in a busy city street or simply a stick figure next to the words I love you. To me, art is everything and anything that moves us and makes us feel something.

Maybe Something Beautiful, by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, is based on the true story of Candice and Rafael Lopez, a Graphic Designer and an Artist respectively, who had a vision not only to bring beauty through art to their neighborhood but to bring a community together and uplift it. I believe there’s an artist in each and every one of us and we all have the responsibility to use the power of art to create positive changes.

As art director at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, what’s your favorite part of your job?

I’m lucky to work on a wide range of projects, many times in collaboration with outstanding illustrators and designers; I art direct and design covers and interiors for YA and Middle Grade novels, I also work on Non-fiction books and Early Readers, but nothing gives me more pleasure than working on Picture Books. 

As you can see from the title of my intensive, to me Picture Books are big puzzles that need to be solved and completed in a timely manner. The pieces are supplied by writers and illustrators, and with wise editors by my side, we start shaping the story and making sure each piece fits with the next.

The picture book is a complex object because it is a blend of literature and art that also has to be commercial and accessible to its audience, and striking the right balance is the ultimate goal. There’s no denying that everyone wants to be the next best-seller, but there’s something very gratifying to know you had a part in books that change and transform young lives for the best. 

Many thanks for this opportunity.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights. We look forward to hearing more from you in May!

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Jane Kelley is the blog editor for SCBWI-WI. She is the author of many middle-grade novels, including The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, which was honored by the CCBC in 2014. Her most recent work is the chapter book series, The Escapades of Clint McCool. For more information, see http://janekelleybooks.com

Choices Day 2019 — by Maria Parrott-Ryan

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center: Choices Day 2019

Reading Rainbow: This year’s Choices cover is a lovely shade of purple.

On March 2^nd, I had the pleasure of attending the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s annual Choices Day in Madison. This event celebrates the publication of CCBC Choices, an annual best-of-the-year listed created by the CCBC librarians. I love Choices Day, because it’s just fun to watch some of the nation’s foremost experts on children’s literature absolutely gush about the books they loved from the past year.

Just a few of the books that the librarians chose as their favorites of the past year.

Distinguished Special Librarian (and CCBC Director) K.T. Horning began by sharing a few of the kidlit publishing trends that the CCBC librarians noticed in 2018. Of note were an increase in diverse books that are, as K.T. put it, “by people who have lived the lives of stories they’re telling.” The librarians were especially impressed by the great crop of diverse debut authors, and they were also excited by what they called a “renaissance of middle grade fiction.”

K.T. Horning looks on as Maddie Tyner talks up THE FIELD, by SCBWI-WI’s own Baptiste Paul!

Next came the traditional “Is it a book?” portion of the presentation, in which K.T. shared a few of the oddest items the CCBC receives from publishers. First prize for weirdest went to the actual potato (complete with stamp!) that was intended to promote a picture book called, naturally, POTATO PANTS.

Seeing the wacky marketing gimmicks was fun, but the best part of the presentation came next, when the librarians introduced us to a few of their favorite books published in 2018. The current edition of CCBCChoices features 258 books, but only 28 were highlighted on Choices Day.

Merri Lindgren watches as Megan Schliesman reads from Marla Frazee’s LITTLE BROWN, which is also the recipient of the CCBC’s 2019 Charlotte Zolotow Award.

It was really remarkable to hear the librarians talk about the books they loved. Their descriptions elicited laughter, gasps, groans, and many other displays of emotion from the audience. We were also treated to a few short read-alouds. (They really could call the event “Storytime for Grownups.”)

But the reason I attend Choices Day each year is to hear about excellent titles that escaped my notice. As usual, the librarians came through. Here are a few I’ll be seeking out solely because the CCBC librarians convinced me of their greatness:

• ALL THAT TRASH by Meghan McCarthy
• DRAGONS IN A BAG by Zetta Elliott
• FAKE BLOOD by Whitney Gardner
• BLOOD WATER PAINT by Joy McCollough

I highly recommend paging through CCBC Choices 2019, asI know you’ll find many books to add to your list. To get a free copy, consider joining the Friends of the CCBC. Find more information here: https://www.ccbcfriends.org/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

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Maria Parrott-Ryan has an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has published several nonfiction articles in Cricket Media’s MUSE magazine. She was the recipient of SCBWI-WI’s 2018 middle-grade mentorship.