[click on image to enlarge]
Recently, author Uma Krishnaswami informed me about her upcoming middle-grade novel, due out May 24, 2011, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. She wrote:
“Is your focus exclusively on picture books? [The Grand Plan to Fix Everything] has cover art and wonderful, quirky illustrations by Abigail Halpin, which add marvelous humor and substance to the story…”
Since many picture book illustrators work on middle-grade novels as well, it seems only fitting that we look into this aspect.
Please join us here on May 23 to meet illustrator Abigail Halpin, and Uma. We will also learn about the making of the book trailer by Nikhil Krishnaswamy.
got story countdown 
Anne, you’re so right about the research! There are a couple of completely wonderful little touches in the art that are not cues from the text at all. One is something that the blogger at Brown Paper mentions, Dolly dancing in flip-flops:
The other is the presence of garlands of marigolds hanging in the bakery. Nowhere in the text are these things mentioned and yet they are perfect to the place.
Nee how, Anne! I know that a world traveler like you will especially enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of this book! 🙂
This is a fascinating interview! It’s wonderful that the amount of research into the colors and energy of India was never heavy-handed, but adds so much to the story in a joyous and playful way. And the cooperation between all involved was wonderful to read about, for it too often isn’t there.
Now I’ve got to read the book!
You can go behind-the-scenes of author Uma Krishnaswami’s own journey to Swapnagiri, India at the Cynsations blog.