Carousel Players, a theatre company for young people, commissioned me to create art for their 2018/2019 season. In addition to a new adaptation of Peter Pan by Fiona Sauder and Reanne Spitzer, Carousel is staging, Whole World by Sean Dixon, and The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito by Tomson Highway. Fifth House/Fitzhenry & Whiteside invited me to illustrate the picture book version of Tomson Highway’s wonderful play, and it is a pleasure to see it staged by Carousel Players!
Aimee Reid, author of the enchanting picture book, Mama’s Day with Little Gray, interviewed me for her blog about children’s books. Check it out and read her other fascinating interviews with children’s authors and illustrators.
Just received a review from the School Library Journal for An African Alphabet written by Eric Walters, published by Orca Book Publishers. More to see at suetodd.com!
An interest in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France propelled me to explore the lives of influential women from the period. I developed an interest in the fascinating life of Josephine Bonaparte and have written and illustrated a graphic novel about her journey from a plantation in Martinique, through the Terror to become Empress of France. The rough dummy is complete and a few pieces of final art, including this scene of a Victims’ Ball. Legend has it that after the Terror victims gathered to dance wildly as a release from the horrors they had experienced under the Jacobins. Women and men sheared their hair at the nape of the neck where the guillotine blade would have fallen. Women purportedly wore red chokers for the same reason. The historical accuracy of these accounts is contentious but it makes for an interesting story.
Coinciding with the launch of An African Alphabet, Orca Books has posted an interview about my linocutting technique, “Learning about Linocutting.” This board book, written by Eric Walters, introduces babies and toddlers to a unique collection of African animals.
Tomson Highway’s magical cabaret is now a 72 page picture book illustrated by me! It was such a pleasure to create 47 linocut illustrations to accompany Tomson Highway’s script about a wingless mosquito from Manitoba. The entire script is here, complete with song lyrics, stage directions, Cree vocabulary and challenging tongue twisters. Published by Fifth House/Fitzhenry & Whiteside.
Sue Todd Illustration 