Creator Spotlight: Anna Pirolli

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Anna Pirolli!

About the Creator:

ANNA PIROLLI was born in Genoa and moved to Milan to study illustration at the European Institute of Design. She has worked as a freelance illustrator and art director for companies such as Mondadori, Pearson, Vogue, MTV, Kinder Ferrero, Nickelodeon, Disney and others, following the creative process from concept to creation. She’s also a visiting professor at the Accademia di Brera, where she teaches design applied to the arts. 

Fast Five with Anna Pirolli:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I love the mountains very much even though I was born in a seaside place. In northern Italy, in a valley of the Dolomites, there is a small village where I went for a long time as a child. Right on the edge of the old town, next to a path that climbs up the mountain, there is a small white house that has been uninhabited for years with a meadow in front and a fir forest behind it. In my dreams that is a place where I would like to live … but in real life, I’m very happy where I live!

What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

A handful of olives, or a cat named Micci Fiore who arrived from nowhere a few years ago at my parents’ country house. I love animals but I have formed a special relationship with her and, even though she may make you smile, I consider her my guru.

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Definitely breakfast! Working at home I need to at least go out during breaks or at the beginning of the day. I love going to a small pastry shop in my neighborhood with my partner: we each read our own book, sip a good cappuccino, and eat a croissant. This simple ritual puts me in a good mood. Then I’m ready to go home to work!

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

A concert that is repeated every year from June to September: the concert for crickets in C minor! It’s free and there are lots of unexpected places to listen to it.

If you’re talking about more “traditional” concerts, it was the third time I went to see a Japanese Kodō drum company. The emotion is so great, the vibrations of the drums literally make you get up from your seat with joy.

What is your favorite thing to draw?

Feet, cats, plants, shoes, and sometimes architecture . . . the truth is that if they are in the right arrangement I like to draw everything. It always depends on the thoughts that go around in your head: if the thoughts are “good”, anything is interesting. If they are “bad” or full of fears, even drawing a cute little mouse becomes a nightmare. Ultimately, the true work of an illustrator is precisely this: keeping oneself open to enchantment!

Books by Anna Pirolli:

There Are No Ants in This Book
Written by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881163 | Tundra Books
Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It’s a good thing there are no ants in this book . . . well, maybe there’s only one. Or two. . . . Or ten?? Maybe it’s not so bad. Ants are kind of cool, after all – especially the ones with amazing butts, like the Acrobat Ant that waves its back end around to scare off enemies. Or the Slender Leaf Ant that can glide through the air. Or the Dinosaur Ant, which is the biggest ant in the world! Okay, so a picnic with ants is actually lots of fun! But what if an anteater also wants to join the picnic?

Anonymouse
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735263949 | Tundra Books
Art for the birds.
Art for the ants.
Art for the dogs, cats and raccoons.
Art to make them laugh, make them think, make them feel at home.
But who is creating it?
Only Anonymouse knows for sure . . .
This clever tale mixes street art, animals and gorgeous illustrations to create a meditation on how art can uplift any creature’s spirit – human or animal – when it speaks directly to them. Every page of Anna Pirolli’s stunning artwork is its own masterpiece with its bold pops of color and sly humor, elevating Vikki VanSickle’s subtle but evocative text.

Creator Spotlight: Rosemary Mosco

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Rosemary Mosco!

About the Author:

ROSEMARY MOSCO makes books, articles, cartoons and graphics that connect people with the natural world. Her nature comics were the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit and are collected in a book that was a 2019 ALA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. She co-wrote the New York Times bestseller The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid. She speaks at birding festivals and nature centers and writes for Audubon.

Fast Five with Rosemary Mosco:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would live in a treehouse up in a tall, tall tree. I’d watch birds nesting right outside my window and porcupines chewing on bark. It would be fun to use a zipline to get down to the ground. I’d get back up with a solar powered elevator.

What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Any time I come across a snake, my day is better right away.

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Breakfast! It’s sort of like dessert. I love that you can eat muffins (which are basically cupcakes) and smoothies (which are basically milkshakes) and pancakes (which are basically cake).

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? or What’s your “dance like nobody’s watching” song?

There’s a DJ I love called Kid Koala. He mixes together different songs and does amazing things with a bunch of turntables all at once. His shows have all been amazing. They really get me dancing. But my “dance like nobody’s watching” song is “All the Single Ladies” by Beyonce because it’s my parrot’s favorite song and she loves to groove to it.

What’s your favorite critter (insect, animal, etc.)?

I can’t decide! My favorite insect is probably the Orchid Mantis. For birds, I love the Laysan Albatross. My favorite snake is the Speckled Racer. My favorite moth is the Pandorus Sphinx.

Books by Rosemary Mosco:

There Are No Ants in This Book
Written by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881163 | Tundra Books
Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It’s a good thing there are no ants in this book . . . well, maybe there’s only one. Or two . . . . Or ten?? Maybe it’s not so bad. Ants are kind of cool, after all – especially the ones with amazing butts, like the Acrobat Ant that waves its back end around to scare off enemies. Or the Slender Leaf Ant that can glide through the air. Or the Dinosaur Ant, which is the biggest ant in the world! Okay, so a picnic with ants is actually lots of fun! But what if an anteater also wants to join the picnic?

Butterflies Are Pretty . . . Gross!
Written by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Jacob Souva
36 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265929 | Tundra Books
Butterflies are beautiful and quiet and gentle and sparkly . . . but that’s not the whole truth. Butterflies can be GROSS. And one butterfly in particular is here to let everyone know! Talking directly to the reader, a monarch butterfly reveals how its kind is so much more than what we think. Did you know some butterflies enjoy feasting on dead animals, rotten fruit, tears, and even poop? Some butterflies are loud, like the Cracker butterfly. Some are stinky – the smell scares predators away. Butterflies can be sneaky, like the ones who pretend to be ants to get free babysitting. This hilarious and refreshing book with silly and sweet illustrations explores the science of butterflies and shows that these insects are not the stereotypically cutesy critters we often think they are – they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated, and amazing creatures.

Expedition Backyard
By Rosemary Mosco and Binglin Hu
128 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593127346 | Random House Graphic
Each day, Mole and Vole venture out into the world – never forgetting their nature journal! – to see what they can find in their own backyard. From pigeons and jumping spiders to swamp milkweed and maple trees, these two explorers get to know every part of their local environment. But after an accidental move from the country to the city, Mole and Vole worry that everything will be different. As they explore, they discover plants to look at and animals to meet in their new home as well. The story of these two best friends brings to life a nonfiction adventure of finding wonder in nature everywhere – no matter where you live. This book concludes with fun activities for kids to do at home.

Flowers Are Pretty . . . Weird!
Written by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Jacob Souva
36 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265943 | Tundra Books
Flowers are beautiful. They have bright colors, soft petals and sweet nectar. Yum! But that’s not the whole truth. Flowers can be WEIRD . . . and one bee is here to let everyone know! Talking directly to the reader, a bee reveals how flowers are so much stranger than what we think. Did you know that there are some flowers that only bloom in the nighttime? Some flowers are spooky, and look like ghosts, or bats, or a monster’s mouth. And while most flowers smell good, there are some that smell like dead meat, or even horse poop! This hilarious and refreshing book with silly and sweet illustrations explores the science of flowers and shows that these plants are not always stereotypically pretty and harmless as we often think they are – they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated and amazing.

Tuesdays with Tundra

Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!

On a Mushroom Day
Written by Chris Baker
Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882580 | Tundra Books
A mushroom day is a day of exploring together and discovering some of the most incredible lifeforms on earth: fungi. In this lyrical, informational picture book structured around a walk through a summertime wood, a child and their caregiver share the sights, sounds and smells of the forest as they observe and identify different varieties of mushrooms. On a Mushroom Day encourages curiosity and a love of fungi in young children and normalizes safe, chaperoned joyful exploration of the fungal queendom all around us. Filled with fun, fascinating fungi facts and a visual catalogue of mushroom species so that kids can enjoy their very own mushroom day in the pages of this book!

The Island Before No
Written by Christina Uss
Illustrated by Hudson Christie
56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735272415 | Tundra Books
When you’re a walrus living on an island where the answer to every question is YES, life is pretty simple, especially when that’s all you’ve ever known. It’s great when you want a slice of birthday cake for breakfast . . . and not so great when someone asks you to wear an itchy shirt. But one day, a kid shows up, brandishing an entirely new word: NO. NO is heavy like a bookcase, solid as a boulder. It’s not shaped like YES, but somehow, it’s still an answer. The kid calls his friends to come visit the island too, and it’s not long before they’ve eaten up all of the yummiest food without sharing. What’s worse, none of them bring their own toothbrushes . . . It becomes clear that what the walruses all need is to find their own NO . . . not only to hold back the rampaging horde of children – but for their own sakes as well. The Island Before No is a hilarious new picture book that blends its zany fun with an important message about respecting and setting boundaries.

There Are No Ants in This Book
Written by Rosemary Mosco
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881163 | Tundra Books
Nothing can ruin a picnic faster than a bunch of ants. It’s a good thing there are no ants in this book . . . well, maybe there’s only one. Or two. . . . Or ten?? Maybe it’s not so bad. Ants are kind of cool, after all – especially the ones with amazing butts, like the Acrobat Ant that waves its back end around to scare off enemies. Or the Slender Leaf Ant that can glide through the air. Or the Dinosaur Ant, which is the biggest ant in the world! Okay, so a picnic with ants is actually lots of fun! But what if an anteater also wants to join the picnic?

We can’t wait to see you reading these titles! If you share these books online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.

Tundra Book Group