July 6, 2009

yay~ Kirkus Starred review~!



Here is what Kirkus said about Only A Witch Can Fly and it is star review!
"If you were a young witch, who had not yet flown, / and the dark night sky held a round yellow moon..." Well, you'd want to fly, wouldn't you? McGhee's gently rhyming direct address coaxes out of readers a yearning they may never have known existed: to "[h]old tight to your broom / and float past the stars, / and turn to the heavens and soar." Yoo's gorgeous, muscular woodcuts, colored in subdued greens, browns and oranges with thick, night-black lines, tell the story of one young witch who, unable to sleep, takes herself outside with the support of her Cat and a brown velvet Bat-and with her little brother as silent witness-and, after a flop in the pumpkins, rises on her broom at last. Like its protagonist, this book soars. (Picture book. 3-7)

May 26, 2009

good news~


The Umbrella Queen was named a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year.

May 7, 2009

cricket piece


I worked on this short story illustration for Cricket Magazine a while ago. It is about Wang Chao-Chun a popular heroine of Chinese. Her story appears in various versions. This story was retold by Phillis Gershator.


May 3, 2009

interview with Grimchek SangSang



I had an interview with a Korean picture book magazine last month and I just received a copy from the editor. Many thanks to Soojung Kim the editor of Grimcheck SangSang. It was great to have coffee with her. 

April 21, 2009

new image





I just finished a short story illustrations for Spider Magazine. Above is one of the color study sketch and final image. This story is placed Asakusa in Tokyo and actually I visited Asakusa temple two years ago. I had a lot fun working on this with some of my photo references.