Friends, ‘tis that time of the year again! When the cold sets in as the season changes once again and I pop into your mailbox to say: hey, happy winter! Can you believe we made it to the last season of 2023? I can’t.
Fall was definitely an interesting season for me, filled with early sunsets, soup, and deadlines. I’m excited about the projects I’m working on illustrating at the moment, and I’m excited to be writing again… there’s definitely a shift in the air, I just can’t quite put my finger on it yet.
Right now, I am down in Mexico basking in that warm Mexican sun I wrote about in Magic. When I was younger, I used to wish for cold Hallmark-movie-like winters covered in a blanket of fresh snow… but then I went through a very cold winter, and turns out, I’m not built for it at all. There’s a lesson there about appreciating what you have and about being skeptical of grasses that look greener in the distance. It’s a good lesson all year round, but specially during the holidays. After all, not all that glitters is gold, sometimes it’s just tinsel.
Twenty twenty-three holiday card!
This year’s holiday card was such a special project for me, because I decided I wanted to paint it traditionally!
Making that choice was equal parts thrilling and scary. The truth is: traditional art makes me nervous. I am constantly terrified I will ruin it at the very end and I will have to start all over again. I am the kind of painter that likes “just going for it” - and that isn’t always the right approach to traditional art for me. I had to spend more time thinking and planning, and learning to be less precious with it. It was a fun experiment and I really like how the card turned out!
I think I wanted to paint it traditionally because there is just something so special about having an original piece of art that exists in the physical world, and there is a charm to a final piece made traditionally that is very hard to replicate digitally (trust me, I try all of the time).
Below I made a little graphic about the process of making the card. It’s not extremely detailed, but I think it’s a good overview!
And here, I even made one just for you…
Book updates!
We have so much to talk about! This year I was extremely lucky to have Magic and River of Mariposas in a few fantastic lists for “best books” of 2023!
The Spanish version of Magic, “Magia: En una tierra muy lejana” was included in The New York Library’s best books for kids of 2023. It truly feels UNREAL! Especially since there are so many absolutely stunning books in that list from so many people I deeply admire!!
I was also super thrilled to see River of Mariposas featured in the LAist 2023 Holiday Gift Guide and it landed in the Bookstagang Best of 2023 winner list for best illustrations!! Which is so wild!! AND… it was also picked as a community favorite for best illustrations!!! (if you voted for it, THANK YOU SO MUCH!)
Right now there’s a big sale going on at the Abrams website, River of Mariposas and Magic are on it! So, if you’ve been meaning to get a copy, this might be a great time to do so! And, you can also find MAGIC at 50% off at the link below:
I am so so thankful to everyone who voted and has championed my books. I know I say that a lot, but I mean it. I love what I do and it’s not lost on me that a big reason of why I get to do it is because of people who enjoy my work and go out of their way to support it.
I’m also very grateful for the events I got to be a part of this fall, including the amazing Ready, Set, Read! panel I had the absolute pleasure to be a part of, where I got to hang with incredible picture book makers Danielle Davis, Benson Shum and Andrea J. Looney and AMAZING educators who got to get free books from the Village Well Van!
Lastly… HUGE NEWS, River of Mariposas will be published in Spanish next year!!! (if you know me, you know this is so important for me, because a lot of my family can’t even read these books until they are translated!) You can pre-order Río de Mariposas right now, it will be published April 2023.
On the calendar
This is usually the part where I talk about upcoming events. But it’s December, we’re all just trying to make it to 2024 in one piece. Instead, I wanted to take the time to hype up some of my favorite children literature of 2023!
2023 faves (a book list)
A Crown for Corina by Laekan Zea Kemp and Elisa Chavarri
To The Other Side by Erika Meza
The Walk by Winsome Bingham and E.B. Lewis
Jovita Wore Pants by Aida Salazar and Molly Mendoza
Doodles from The Boogie Down by Stephanie Rodriguez
Super Bobba Cafe by Nidhi Chanani
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom and Steph Littlebird
First Night of Howlergarten by Benson Shum
Too Much! An Overwhelming Day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang
1,2,3 Cumbia by Delia Ruiz and Graziela Andrade
Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
Big by Vashti Harrison
Hot Dog by Doug Salati
The Skull by Jon Klassen
Tabs I haven’t been able to close
☘️ Clover Scout online store! I’ve been a long time huge fan of Loris Lora, so it’s logical that I’m obsessed with her collaborations with Ellen Surrey and Patrick Hruby (whom I also love!).
✨This creator on Tiktok called alisoncotedesign that makes THE BEST vintage inspired graphics!!
🖼️ My picture book art folder on Pinterest. It just makes me smile :)
🎄Three words: Christmas music playlist!! Ever since I was teen, I’ve been in charge of the music at my family’s annual Christmas eve gathering, and I take it VERY seriously. So here, this is playlist my family will be listening to this Christmas: here.
🎙️ I’m listening to: my current podcast obsession, Infamous. It’s hosted by journalists Vanessa Grigioriadis and Gabriel Sherman. They explore pop culture scandals, and I really enjoy how fact driven their investigations are.
📚 I’m currently reading: “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath again. Don’t ask - it’s been a rough winter. I’m also reading “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott, and I recently finished “A Girl’s Story” by Annie Ernaux. I recommend both.
🎵 The song stuck in my head…
P.S.
As always, thank you so much for reading, I had a lot of fun making the graphics for this issue, and I really hope you enjoyed them! It’s been a blast creating this newsletter, and I appreciate all of your feedback and comments!
We’ll see each other again in the spring!
Wishing you a great holiday season and a happy new year,
Mirelle
Love the beautiful card, Mirelle! Happy holidays in sunny Mexico! 😊