Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Featured Illustrator: Meilo So

Meilo So is an incredibly talented illustrator with a loose, flowing, and easily recognizable style. There are several of her stories that I share every year with my students (Tasty Baby Belly Buttons is a perennial favorite), so I was delighted to find many more example of her work that were new to me!


This first post featuring here covers some of her modern stories, while the next one will feature her traditional tales.

Modern Stories and Parables


Follow the Moon Home: a tale of one idea, twenty kids, and a hundred sea turtles (2016) by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Meilo So. Inspired by true events, this picture book tells the story of a classroom of activists who use their observational skills to identify a problem in their sea-side town: baby sea turtles mistaking house lights for the moon and dying before making it to the ocean. This is a great one for teachers to inspire their own activists - and their own towns!


By Day, By Night (2014) by Amy Gibson and illustrated by Meilo So. This lovely, rhythmic book tells the story of a day around the world, and the illustrations highlight an incredibly diverse range of people and children in all different countries and situations. There is a subtle focus on books too, with many favorite titles popping up in the illustrations as well. This is a great story for celebrating all people.


The Tale of the Heaven Tree (1999) by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Meilo So. This ecological parable contains echoes of The Lorax. The story begins at the beginning with the planting of the various gardens of the world. In the middle, the people and their greed take over, building larger and bigger palaces to outdo one another. Only when a little girl plants a seed does a tree grow tall enough to reach up to the clouds. Meilo So uses her palette wisely to contrast the various scenes and situations in this story, which strongly reinforces the story's central message.


Hurry and the Monarch (2005) by Antoine Ó Flatharta and illustrated by Meilo So. This charming book tells the story of the annual migration of the monarch butterflies from Canada down to Mexico and back, but the story is told through the eyes of Hurry, the tortoise. This juxtaposition of perspectives makes for an entertaining read, and Meilo So's artful brushwork is a wonderful fit for the explosion of butterflies on the move.


My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me (2013) by Julianne Moore and illustrated by Meilo So. I really wanted to like this book, and I was excited about the concept - a celebration of children whose moms immigrated to the US from another country. However, the rhyme is absolutely abysmal and the constantly changing font is odd and interrupts the flow. (I spent time attempting to analyze it, and the differences in font do not appear to correlate to a specific mom/child, which would be the only reason I can see for using them.) I also found it odd how many of the mom/child pairs do not actually look genetically related, but this is supposed to be a book about family histories. Kids of immigrant parents may be able to see themselves in this book, but I really was hoping for more.

Poetry


The Beauty of the Beast: poems from the animal kingdom (1997). Poems selected by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Meilo So. This excellent collection of animal poetry features a wide- range of poems, poets, and featured animals. The book also includes an index by title and by author for easy navigation.


Water Rolls, Water Rises = El agua rueda, el agua sube (2014) written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Meilo So with Spanish translation by Adriana Domínguez and Pat Mora. This is by far my favorite of the bunch. Water Rolls, Water Rises = El agua rueda, el agua sube is a gorgeous poetry tribute to water and the role that it plays in the lives of all people, plants, and animals on our planet. I love how the author and illustrator relied on different locations around the world as the basis for the illustrations, and the style is so fun-loving and free. Another amazing book to share and read aloud.

Click here to read about more books by Meilo So or click the "Featured Illustrator" tag for more incredible illustrators.

7 comments:

  1. Wow I will have to come back later and make sure I add these to my to read list. Thanks

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. You will not be disappointed!

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  2. I pinned two of these! My son has been in love with butterflies lately, and we have a tortoise... so the monarch butterfly one is a MUST! As we speak Spanish here at home, the bilingual poetry book also seems to be a fabulous fit. Gorgeous illustrations! Visiting from the @KidlitBlogHop

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    1. Thanks, Erika. Those are both great books. I actually purchased a personal copy of Water Rolls, Water Rises = El agua rueda, el agua sube, I love it just that much!

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  3. Meilo So definitely has a unique style. I love the cover of "Hurry and the Monarch" - gorgeous! Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop!

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    1. Thanks, Renee! Some of her favorites are the traditional tales, which I'll be reviewing later in the month.

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  4. I think my grandson would love the butterfly book. Thanks for sharing!

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