Stephen Savage

Cyber-portrait

2012-01-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

My portrait on the cover of this week's New York Times Book Review of sci-fi writer William Gibson, the man who coined the term "cyberspace".

NYTBR

2011-12-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

Today's Christmas edition of the New York Times Book Review features a bunch of my spots.

Connecticut Children's Book Fair

2011-11-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Stefanie, Chloë and I drove up to the University of Connecticut to attend the Connecticut Children's Book Fair, November 12-13. Fair organizers Terri Goldich and Suzy Staubach hosted a wonderful dinner at the Nathan Hale Inn where Mo Willems, Matt Tavares, Wendell Minor, Tommie dePaola and I expressed our gratitude by drawing all over the plates, cups and silverware. Terri and Suzy confiscated the doodled dinnerware and donated it to the Dodd Center.

2011-10-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking, along with Marla Frazee and Paul Zelinsky, at the Society of Illustrators in New York City next month.

Communication Arts Design Annual

2011-09-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

2011 Target Children's Book Festival

2011-08-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be appearing at the Target Children's Book Festival in Minneapolis on September 10, 2011 along with Peter Brown, Nancy Carlson, Bob Shea, and Olympic gold medalist (and children's book author) Kristi Yamaguchi. Yeah, you betcha!

Vacation

2011-07-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

I was happy to get a call last week from Brad Walters, art director of the Health and Science section of the Washington Post. The assignment appears in today's paper.

Double Bill

2011-07-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

I had the great privilege of reading and signing books yesterday at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn with author/illustrator Frank Viva. His new book, Along a Long Road, is just lovely.

My op-ed art is da bomb!

2011-06-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Horn Book ad

2011-05-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Walrus celebrates literacy

2011-05-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

This year, Scholastic launched a global literacy campaign: “Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life”. Yesterday, I had the great privilege of joining 11 other artists marking the event, and we spent the day wining, dining and signing at the company headquarters in New York. Each of us created posters for the campaign, and original lithographs of the images were auctioned off. One of the posters had a Big Red Dog on it... and looked vaguely familiar. That's right. Norman Bridwell, who turned 83 this year, was there in attendance, along with his darling wife, Norma. Meeting the couple was an honor and a pleasure, and I was humbled to discover that Norman created Clifford in 1963— two years before I was born!

The poster posse: L to R: Jon J. Muth (Zen Shorts), Mary GranPré (Harry Potter), Norman Bridwell (Clifford the Big Red Dog), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Bruce Degan (The Magic School Bus), Barbara McClintock (Our Abe Lincoln), Ed Fotheringham (Tony Baloney), David Shannon (No, David), Jeff Smith (Bone), Sean Qualls (Dizzy), Mark Teague (LaRue) and (gulp) me. Photo credit: Stuart Ramson.

NY Times Book Review illustration

2011-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

My work in today's Times is 'Patently Obvious'

2011-04-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn's in the house!

2011-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning at the Brooklyn Public Library, speaking to 200 kindergardeners, first graders and second graders from PS 9 and PS 282. Thanks to my gracious hosts Paquita Campoverde and Judy Zuckerman.

The Fathers Are Coming Home to Bank Street

2011-04-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Last year, I illustrated Margaret Wise Brown's lost text, The Fathers Are Coming Home. I'm delighted to report that the Bank Street College of Education just included the picture book in their 2011 Best Children's Books of the Year.

3 starred reviews for Where's Walrus?

2011-03-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

“Refreshing, captivating, elegant and witty.”

-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The satisfyingly circular ending gives Where’s Walrus? a flipper up

on that guy in the striped shirt.”

-- Horn Book (starred review)

“Younger children will giggle at his visual gags”.

-- Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

“An especially funny and stylishly retro-looking option for this

nursery-school crowd.”

-- The Wall Street Journal

“[Where's Walrus?] allows young readers to feel one-up on the adult who’s supposedly in charge. What more could any child want?”

-- The Washington Post

“It's a thrill of the chase for all.”

-- Chicago Tribune

Library visit

2011-03-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

The kindergartners and first graders of the Brooklyn Charter School joined me in the Marcy Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library last week for a reading. Thanks to my host librarian Bobby Simic.

Word Up Walrus

2011-03-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Walrus at WORDS in Maplewood, New Jersey, 3/12/11.

School Visit

2011-03-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

I paid a visit last week to Columbia Grammar and Prep School in Manhattan. I enjoyed spending almost 2 full days there, and at the end of the visit, was presented with wonderful drawings of Walrus by the kindergartners. My gracious hosts, librarians Nancy Seklir, Naomi Toder and Heather Talty, made me feel right at home.

Love and Money

2011-03-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Carol Edgarian’s new book is called “Three Stages of Amazement”. Here’s my illustration for the book that appears in today's New York Times Book Review.

Talkin' (and drawin') trash on the op-ed page

2011-03-01T08:01:00.001-08:00

I got messy today on the op-ed page of the New York Times today for an article about the University of Arizona's newly formed National Institute for Civil Discourse.

'Reading' Where's Walrus?

2011-02-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Abbey at Aesthetic Outburst posted these wonderful photos of her daughter and Walrus. Who says books need words!

Where's Walrus? On the Town!

2011-02-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

Scholastic launched Where's Walrus? with a wonderful press party on February 17 in the company's greenhouse.

Walrus Spotted!

2011-02-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Walrus has been spotted at Scholastic's offices in Manhattan. Looks like they put him to work.

Bowled Over

2011-02-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

"American exceptionalism is alive and thriving on Super Bowl Sunday...", wrote Robert Lipsyte on the op-ed page of the Los Angeles Times last Sunday. This was my accompanying illustration.

Where's Walrus? Book Trailer

2011-01-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

Steve Heller blogs: "My favorite illustrated children’s book of the year (I know we’re only a month into it) Stephen Savage’s Where’s Walrus? (Scholastic) is a delightfully graphic romp through the city with a runaway walrus. And here is an equally delightful video of Savage’s errant beast. Take that Waldo!" (the trailer was created by David Franklin of Artisanal Television).

My dog, My Illustration

2011-01-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Trinka, my faithful Belgian Shepherd, served as the model for the dog in my illustration that appears in today's business section of the New York Times.

Sketchbook Paintings

2011-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

My sketchbook paintings are featured in Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World's Great Graphic Designers, by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico.

Where's Walrus?: Warehouse!

2011-01-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Favorite Books

2010-12-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

Scholastic's David Saylor edited and art directed my first picture book, Polar Bear Night (written by Lauren Thompson), as well as my forthcoming title, Where's Walrus?. I asked him recently what his favorite picture book was growing up. "I loved a book called The Little Red House, by Grace Skaar", he said. "It presented an orderly world where a mother and father built a house, made a home, and then had a family. Something about the simple progression of orderly building and growing was soothing to me".

Merry

2010-12-25T17:32:00.001-08:00

2010-12-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

The New York Times Week In Review asked me to tackle higher education this week.

Death and Taxes

2010-12-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

Nothing is certain in the illustration field, except that after a few years in the business, you'll probably have to tackle the subjects of death and taxes. Got 'em both yesterday on the New York Times op-ed page!

Where's Walrus?

2010-11-16T19:09:00.000-08:00

My new book Where's Walrus? comes out in February.

Bookfest 2010

2010-10-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Bank Street College of Education hosted Bookfest 2010 today. Here I am along with (L to R): Bank Street's Ellen Greene, author/critic/historian Leonard Marcus, illustrator Wendell Minor, author Jon Scieszka and author Florence Friedmann Minor.

A New Wrinkle In Time

2010-10-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed channeling Dali’s Persistence of Memory for an article on the decline of the wristwatch for the November issue of the Atlantic Monthly.

10-10-10

2010-10-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

ASSIGNMENT: 10 travel icons for 10 itineraries in honor of 10-10-10. DEADLINE: 5 days :(

Showing the Love

2010-10-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last month I received a wonderful e-mail from Hank Holman of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mr. Holman wrote:

"I write in praise of your fascinating illustration for "Three Stations" that appeared in last Sunday's New York Times Book Review. I called it to the attention of my artist wife, Jan, and she was as taken with it as I was. I printed a copy and we oohed and ahhed and discussed it at some length. One reason it appealed to her so much is that it reminded her of a spooky experience she and our daughter had late one night in a deserted train station in Germany. Jan is a prize winning quilter who has produced dozens of quilts through the years. I suggested she make a quilted wall-hanging from your design and she has done so. I attach a photograph."

Thank you, Jan, for your stunning work. I am flattered and touched.

2010-09-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

OK. I'm ready to make friends with the Kindle. This advertisement that ran in yesterday's New York Times features my August 15 Book Review cover.

2010-08-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

New York Times letters piece: "The Mosque, the Imam and the Politics".

2010-08-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Martin Cruz Smith's mystery thriller "Three Stations" is the subject of my Book Review cover.

2010-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Eric Rauchway novel "Banana Republican" is the subject of my New York Times Book Review illustration in today's paper.

Out of Order

2010-07-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

I did today's New York Times op-ed illustration. The article is on judicial activism (that's when higher court judges overturn the rulings of lower courts).

My Studio...

2010-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

... is located in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

I drew this for my dad in 1970.

Moving Day

2010-06-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

My family and I moved last weekend from Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, across the Gowanus Canal to Park Slope. I'm pleased to report that it went just as smoothly as this scene from the Golden Book, A Year in the City, by Lucy Sprague Mitchell, pictures by Tibor Gergely. Although, I did notice the movers broke something in the Golden Book.

2010-06-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

My new picture book, The Fathers Are Coming Home (text by Margaret Wise Brown), is Readeo's Book of the Month for June. What is Readeo you ask? Daily Candy calls it "Skype meets story hour". Jenny Brown interviewed me for the site. Click here

Saylor Man

2010-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

David Saylor is my editor and art director at Scholastic Press. Here he is with Stefanie and I at Pravda in Manhattan this evening. It's his birthday today!

Signings and Appearances

2010-05-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

The Fathers Are Coming Home

text by Margaret Wise Brown

APRIL 29, 6pm

Launch Party, Abilene Bar

Brooklyn, NY

MAY 2, 11am

Bookcourt

Brooklyn, NY

MAY 15, 11am

Eric Carle Museum

Amherst, MA

MAY 19, 4:30pm

RJ Julia Booksellers

Madison, CT

JUNE 13, 1pm

Books of Wonder

New York, NY

JUNE 13, 4pm

Powerhouse Arena

Brooklyn, NY