Author vs. Illustrator

by Donald Lemke, Bob Lentz (Illustrator)

Overview

At the far reaches of Earth, high upon a mountaintop, a bustling city is under attack by a . . . cute little furball? Wait—what?! That’s not right. The author wrote this book about a “ferocious beast,” not a cuddly critter. Turns out, the book’s illustrator has other plans. Page by page, these clashing collaborators are writing (and drawing) themselves into the story for a full-on creator combat—a bookmaking BATTLE ROYALE! Can the author make a successful book with no pictures? Can the illustrator tell a tale without words? (A picture is worth a thousand of them, he says.) Or will this dueling duo get on the same page at last to create the ultimate happy ending? From Lemke & Lentz (the quirky collaborators behind Call of Doodie and Book-O-Beards) comes a laugh-out-loud picture book about the not-so-simple process of creating a picture book. Full of over-the-top humor and under-the-radar lessons—including the skills of teamwork, conflict resolution, and respect—this book is a must-have for young writers, budding artists, and lifelong book lovers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684469970
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	08/01/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	334,922
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	430L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Donald Lemke works as a children’s book editor and writer. He has written dozens of books for young readers—from board books to middle-grade novels—that often include today’s most popular characters, such as Batman, Superman, Scooby-Doo, and more. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his beloved family, which includes his wife, Amy, and their three growing-up-way-too-fast daughters.

Interviews

Created by Lemke & Lentz, the quirky creators behind buzz-worthy titles, including Book-O-Beards and Call of Doodie;

Editorial Reviews

08/02/2024

K-Gr 4—Serious Lemke, the author, and silly Lentz, the illustrator, demonstrate how the two work together to create a picture book. Going by their first names for this dialogue, mustard yellow Don and blue-colored Bob start a story. Don begins his idea, and readers see Bob create a picture to go along with it; hilarity ensues as they discover the villain and superhero in Don's mind isn't what Bob initially draws on the page, and they must keep working to make the pictures and words become a shared vision. The narrative is told entirely through speech bubbles (Bob's speech in pink and Don's speech in gold), which will be harder for those listening or not yet reading themselves—but it makes for a great choice for readers transitioning from picture books to graphic novels, as full-color illustrations accompany the text. Kids will laugh at the banter between author and illustrator and the burps and roars that come from the characters created in the book within a book, but the serious sentiment of the importance of teamwork will be impossible to miss. VERDICT A laugh-out-loud tale for readers looking for a bridge between picture books and graphic novels.—Carrie Voliva

School Library Journal