Our Tundra Illustrator Studio video series is now live! We visited the studios of three of our summer 2018 picture book creators who work in non-traditional formats to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at their work spaces, processes, and learn about their inspiration.
Acclaimed paper artist Elly MacKay illustrates a lovely family narrative through the use of weather aphorisms in Red Sky at Night, creating a beautiful and informational story which will appeal to children’s timeless fascination with the natural world.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_o9wRTQZ34]
Red Sky at Night
Written by Elly MacKay
Hardcover | 40 Pages
ISBN: 9781101917831
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. And, the next morning, when the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass. These are the perfect conditions for a grandfather to take his grandchildren out on a fishing trip. Especially since, as the saying goes, when the wind is from the West, then the fishes bite the best. The family takes a boat out on the lake, fishing and swimming and eventually camping out on a nearby island, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. But the next day . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! The family ventures back home just in time to avoid a rainstorm. But not to worry — the more rain, the more rest. Fair weather’s not always best.
Check out the activity kit too!
Praise for Red Sky at Night:
“With MacKay’s dreamy cut-paper collage art featuring two siblings exploring outdoors, the old-fashioned approach to weather is oddly reassuring.” —New York Times
“[T]his makes a perfect fit for primary weather units.” –starred review, Booklist
“A curated collection of old-timey weather sayings is artfully brought to life in this exquisite informational picture book.” –starred review, Quill & Quire
“Distinctive, luminous illustrations delight the eye.” —Kirkus Reviews
“MacKay . . . once again relies on inventive, diorama-style artwork to create a moving story.” —Publishers Weekly
“A wonderful resource for nature lovers and for any classroom, especially for art and science curricula.” —School Library Journal
“[T]his transfixing picture book will teach something new to cloud-watchers everywhere.” —BookPage
Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers is exhibiting at 
Clara can’t believe her no-nonsense grandmother has just up and moved to Florida, leaving Clara and her mother on their own for the first time. This means her mother can finally “follow her bliss,” which involves moving to a tiny apartment in Kensington Market, working at a herbal remedy shop and trying to develop her so-called mystical powers. Clara tries to make the best of a bad situation by joining the newspaper staff at her new middle school, where she can sharpen her investigative journalistic skills and tell the kind of hard-news stories her grandmother appreciated. But the editor relegates her to boring news stories and worse . . . the horoscopes.