When I saw Starbird in the wonderful Sydney bookstore - Gleebooks - I knew it needed to add it to my own shelves - the art is just so special. My copy is the paperback (top image below) but I wish I had invested in the hardcover because it has an even more appealing cover design.
Starbird is a scrumptious production with generous amounts of shiny silver foil on nearly every page. This image doesn't really show the foil but it gives you an idea of the colour palette used by Sharon.
Our young readers do need to hear lots of fairy tales so they can recognise story the repeated story themes and can feel reassured there will be that all important happy ending. Starbird echoes the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale - The Emperor and the Nightingale. You can see the whole book here.
Sharon King-Chai was born in Australia but now lives in London. Her work is influenced by her Chinese-Malaysian Heritage. As you might know I have been sourcing picture books from around the world. Take a look at this fabulous resource where you can find lots of amazing illustrators (sadly Sharon is not featured on this list) many of whom have moved from one culture to another - Let's Talk Picture Books.
Let's Talk Illustrators explores the methods, media, and design elements illustrators use to create visually engaging stories for children. Is the dust jacket different than the casewrap? Are the endpapers decorative, and do they hint at some emotional progression in the story? How do the interior illustrations complement the text, yet project their own narrative? Most importantly, what conversations do these details spark for readers?
I have added Sharon King-Chai's newest book (Due early 2022) to my shopping list. It is an illustrated novel which follows a similar fairy tale motif to the one found in Starbird.
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