Meet the illustrator Sophie Blackall

Today my friends and I went along to the wonderful Gleebooks in Sydney to hear and meet the equally wonderful Sophie Blackall who has been visiting Australia over the last month. This shop event was her only official Sydney children's book event and I was super excited. Sophie is the illustrator of over fifty books. Here is her web site. Sophie Blackall was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Sophie talked so eloquently about her newest book Farmhouse. I am desperate to talk about it too but you will have to wait to hear from me because this book has been entered in our CBCA Book of the Year awards and as a judge I am not allowed to share this book here just yet but be patient - my comments will appear eventually.

In the meantime here are other books by Sophie Blackall - many of which I explored here on this blog:

What a discovery - Sophie did the cover for the book from 2004

Clair de Lune. I wonder if she perhaps went to uni with Cassandra Golds?

There are two books in this funny series - they are out of print 

but are sure to be in a well stocked library. Read more here.

The Beatryce Prophecy If there had been time I would love to have talked to Sophie about this wonderful book and her excitement when she was asked to create the illustrations. 

I saw somewhere how, when this book arrived in a parcel, she just sat down 

and read it all in one sitting and did not head out for an appointment. 

Sophie is, like me, another huge Kate DiCamillo fan.

A Giraffe for France

Ruby's Wish winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award in 2003

Hello Lighthouse - Sophie told us today the inspiration was a lighthouse 

on an island off the coast of Newfoundland. This book won the 2019 Caldecott Medal.

If you come to Earth

Pecan Pie Baby

Things to Look Forward to

The queue for book signing stretched right across the shop so there really was no time for questions but here are some I wish I had asked:

• Can you describe your feelings when you were asked to illustrate books written by Kate DiCamillo, Jane Yolen and Jacqueline Woodson?
• Do you still feel Australian even though you have lived in the US for many years?
• Can you talk about the dust jacket for your book Farmhouse and the surprise that is hiding underneath?
• Has winning the Caldecott Medal twice influenced or changed the way you approach your writing or illustrating?
• Do you wish more Australian children's picture books were available in US stores and schools? How do you think we can improve this?
• I also wanted to ask about Farmhouse and The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (but of course I am not allowed to talk about Farmhouse).

You might like to watch Sophie's acceptance speech for her 2019 Caldecott medal (begin around the 10 minute mark). 

Take a look at the delicious poster Sophie designed for the New York Subway. 

Along with the twelve Ivy and Bean books by Annie Barrows you should also look for these:

Winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2016

Here are the books Sophie wrote and illustrated:

• Things to Look Forward To (2022)
• If You Come to Earth (2020) Best Children's Book of the Year for 2020 New York Times
• Hello Lighthouse (2018) Winner of the 2019 Caldecott Medal
• The Baby Tree (2014)
• Are You Awake? (2011)
• Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found (2011) an adult book

I have added this book to my enormous to read list. It contains art from so many wonderful illustrators such as Emily Winfield Martin, Melissa Sweet, LeUyen Pham, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad.

Sophie Blackall loves the work of Barbara Cooney: