Vincent X. Kirsch

Here comes 2012!

2011-12-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

About Forsythia and Chester

2011-12-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

Visit IT'S ALL GOOD BOOKS to learn more!

Coming soon to a bookstore near you

2011-11-13T12:25:00.001-05:00

Here is the cover for my book about the wonderfully theatrical giraffe family.

Steve Jobs | A life well lived

2011-10-05T20:53:00.001-04:00

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
~Steve Jobs

Derrick Harris

2011-09-07T20:51:00.003-04:00

Whilst googling one thing or another I happened upon this very delightful British illustrator named Derrick Harris.

A trilogy of books

2011-08-31T08:47:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered a fairy tale that I had written in the mid 1990s. When I read it, I was struck by the idea to revisit it as a trilogy of stories.

I thought I would share a short poem that appeared on the title page of the fairy tale:

Each person changes the world.
Some for the better.
Some for the worse.
Someone might build a wall to keep others out.
Someone else might build a house for others come home to.
Someone may step upon a flower.
Someone may plant a garden.
A cruel word might be spoken.
A poem might be written.
Someone might start a war.
Someone else might start to sing a song that passes from person to person to person.

And now... to work on the first book.

FREDDIE & GINGERSNAP

2011-07-15T20:33:00.002-04:00

I am so very happy and honored and humbled to announce that the ink has finally dried on a contract for my next two books. It is with Disney/Hyperion for two books about Freddie and Gingersnap.
Some interesting tidbits:
Of course, you can tell that one of my greatest loves will be acknowledged with the title of these books. A tribute to two entertainers that I have always cherished: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. When I was very young, I used to look for any presentation of a Fred and Ginger movie on a channel from New York City called WPIX. If I noticed that they would be showing one of the films, I would ask for permission to stay up late and watch it. My parents get high scores for allowing me to stay up well past my bedtime to see Fred and Ginger swirl and fly around art deco worlds in every conceivable shade of gray.
Now to the publisher, years ago, long before I had started doing picture books, I told a very wise art director at The New York Times that I wanted to do picture books. He wrote down a name of an art director at Disney Hyperion and said to call them as it was the perfect publisher for me. Nothing happened then but alas, time has proved him right!
An art director at D/H took a meeting with me this past fall and just happened to invite a very talented editor to take a look at my work. The meeting went very well and it was apparent from the start that they understood and appreciated my style and sensibility.
I cannot wait to get started.
For now I am having so much fun finishing up illustrating a book about Noah Webster for Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin in Boston. I am at the color and splotch phase which is always so much fun.
Anyhow, that is where I have been and where I am going!
Cheerio!

My fourth book: The Chandeliers

2010-12-13T22:09:00.004-05:00

Here is the cover for my fourth book, due out in the Winter of 2012.
Published by Farrar Straus Giroux
The book has been created as a theatrical extravaganza in 40 pages!
It features everything: Music, Mystery, Danger, Escape, Beauty, Heroics, Dancing, and an Electrical Emergency!
Get your tickets now!

The Chandeliers, from left to right: Galahad, Granny, Maximilian, Daphne, Grandaddy, Daffodil, (last but not least) Rufus.

Reviews for FORSYTHIA & ME

2010-11-08T18:54:00.000-05:00

The narrator's best friend puts the word "accomplished" to shame. Forsythia can play a piano concerto backwards standing on her head and can paint a royal portrait "from memory with a blindfold on." Her adoring devotee, Chester, a boy dressed like Little Lord Fauntleroy, never grows envious or weary of Forsythia's talents: in every illustration in the first half of this book, he can be seen smiling and admiring, happy with life on the sidelines. But when Forsythia gets so sick that she "had to cancel her sold-out spectacular figure-skating show," Chester's efforts to make her feel better prove that he has talents of his own, albeit comparatively modest ones. Kirsch's (Two Little Boys from Toolittle Toys) spindly ink drawings and lavish detailing (Forsythia's bedroom curtains are splendiferous with individually drawn flowers), along with Forsythia's preposterous achievements, evince an appealingly batty aesthetic. But while readers will almost certainly know peers who are über-talented, they'll get little sense of why Forsythia appreciates the narrator as anything other than a one-man entourage, and it's tough to determine which character better fits the description of "too good to be true."
~ Publisher’s Weekly

In a worthy if idealistic portrait of True Friendship, narrator Chester delivers a paean to the skills of his omnicompetent buddy. Forsythia can do anything from baking a huge birthday cake and playing a piano concerto upside down to taming zoo animals and performing in both the circus and ballet. Comes a day when she feels so poorly that she has to cancel her "sold out spectacular figure-skating show," however, Chester springs into a series of parallel efforts-crafting a cupcake for her, playing "Chopsticks" on the accordion ("made only thirteen mistakes"), performing a basic pirate jig and so on. These demonstrations buoy her out of bed and onto the ice for a private performance in next to no time. Though Kirsch draws the broadly smiling pair as children, dressing Chester in short pants and Forsythia (the taller of the two) in bright stripes and heart-shaped pink shades, their only character traits are a total lack of ego or self-consciousness-in other words, symbolic figures operating on a moral level to which flesh-and-blood readers can only aspire.
~ Kirkus

Art-cheology

2010-10-25T16:20:00.004-04:00

I recently came across a folder of old sketches on yellow lined paper. I realized that these were sketches from my days when I was designing windows at Bergdorf Goodman (circa 1991-94). When I used to be on the phone at my desk, I would fill these pads of paper with doodles. Often during meetings, I would do the same.
These drawings show where I started with my creatures. They were much more sinister and puppet-like. Over time they morphed into completely different looking creatures. You will even notice a bust form on the top of the page. Part of my job, was moving these bust forms all over the store from floor to floor...
Next, I would usually cut these little drawings out with scissors and stand them on shelves and ledges all over my tiny hole-in-the-wall office.
I remember once when I returned to my office and found it filled with people that were there to look at my menagerie! Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture of that office. It was a little enchanted kingdom hidden away in a tiny office on the eighth floor of Bergdorf Goodman!

What's going on here?

2010-10-18T23:29:00.002-04:00

These are the working sketches for a spread (pages 24+25) from my next book The Chandeliers! I thought you might like a sneak peek! I didn't mean to frighten you!

A visit to KidZoneTV

2010-10-01T17:57:00.002-04:00

I was invited to read my book TWO LITTLE BOYS FROM TOOLITTLE TOYS at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital on the Upper East Side of New York City. I did not know what to expect. Sally Cook, from Project Sunshine who set the visit up, insisted that I would be impressed with the facilities and staff. Was she ever right!
There is an actual television studio set up in a play area of the hospital called the KidZone. There I met Alayna M. Kramer(seen in the pictures above), who is the dynamic Producer of KidZoneTV. She explained that I would read my book and then she would interview me. A program would be put together in post production that would be played in the rooms of children throughout the hospital. What a brilliant idea! The interview was a blast! We spoke about my adventures that lead me to become an author and illustrator of picture books. In the process, some of my 3D creatures got to make their own television debuts!

Here are a few pictures from the visit.
I would like to thank everyone who helped that day! And a special big thanks to Project Sunshine for putting the visit together!

A smart gift!

2010-09-22T21:45:00.002-04:00

Education.com has selected TWO LITTLE BOYS FROM TOOLITTLE TOYS for their gift guide. Which I think is quite nice of them.
Education.com is the go-to web destination for involved parents. From kindergarten readiness through college prep, Education.com gives parents the information they need to help their kids reach their full potential and the ideas they want to make learning together fun. Often called “The WebMD of education”, Education.com offers articles, video content, educational activities, printables, and worksheets, a rich community, and a resource that provides qualitative and quantitative information schools across the country.
Rudy, Ridley and the Giggle-wiggler are honored to have their story on this list!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls!

2010-09-15T15:39:00.004-04:00

I present to you my next book about two amazing friends!
But you must wait until the fourth of January!
FORSYTHIA & ME

Original Art Show 2010

2010-08-17T12:21:00.002-04:00

Two Little Boys From Toolittle Toys has been selected to appear in the 2010 Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators this fall in New York City. I am so honored. Natalie & Naughtily appeared in this exhibition in 2008. It is a show that must be seen.

ONE LITTLE BOY & TWO LITTLE TOYS

2010-07-21T09:35:00.003-04:00

With the publication of my second book TWO LITTLE BOYS FROM TOOLITTLE TOYS, I thought I would post a picture of myself at five years old with two of my favorite toys Yogi Bear and BooBoo. One of the toys is clearly Yogi but the other bear I had to make do with because my parents could not locate an actual BooBoo toy. My ability to imagine things that were not as they appeared, may have had it's source in such a mental exercise when so young.
My nickname was "BooBoo", incidentally!

Praise for TWO LITTLE BOYS FROM TOOLITTLE TOYS

2010-06-22T17:13:00.003-04:00

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
"The secret to the success of the Toolittle Toy Company is the product testing. Young brothers Rudy and Ridley Toolittle spend their weekends making sure that each toy plays well with children. When the boys arrive at work on a particular Saturday morning, the toys are eagerly waiting to play, but Rudy feels that he might be getting too old for that. He decides instead to take them seriously. He sorts, counts, reads about, and takes them apart until he is surrounded by piles of parts with no idea how to put them back together. In the meantime, Ridley has been following his sibling and hoping to help, but Rudy thinks that his little brother can’t be of any use. The Toolittle little brother saves the day, of course, creating a satisfying ending to this delightful tale. With cartoonlike illustrations done in colored pencil, graphite, and watercolor, Kirsch has created a magical world that any child would long to get lost in. A catalog at the end identifies the toys that can be searched for throughout the book."

From BOOKLIST:
"Rudy and Ridley Toolittle are lucky boys, indeed. Every Saturday, they get to test out toys made by the Toolittle Toy Company. Rudy decides, though, that he is too old to play, and he begins to approach his duties with a studious manner, organizing and taking the toys apart rather than playing with them until, in a whimsical touch, the toys rebel. Ridley comes to the rescue, a turnaround that will please younger siblings, and the brothers rediscover the fun of playing and being together. Kirsch offers a clever story about the nature and rewards of play, and children will enjoy poring over the wild details of fanciful toys in the watercolor-and-pencil scenes, which culminate in a Toolittle Toy Company catalog at the back of the book, which provides a “Where’s Waldo?” element to the story."

From KIRKUS REVIEWS:
"The Toolittle brothers (Rudy and little Ridley) test every toy at the Toolittle Toy Company, making sure each toy loves to play and having good times together on the job. When Rudy decides he must begin to “take toys seriously,” production of toy fun grinds to a halt, the brothers drift apart and Ridley must find a way to get his older brother to play with him again. Gadgets, gizmos and thingamabobs fill double-page spreads, forming great, jumbled mountains of mechanical mayhem. Children will pore over these imaginative, carefully rendered toys, while pondering (and perhaps identifying with) Ridley’s feelings of being left out and left behind. Fewer will sort out the book’s more complicated, and rather adult, theme: what it means to make work play and what happens when you turn play into work. Watercolor, graphite and colored-pencil illustrations allow for both specificity (toy gears, buttons, wheels) and softness (blurry, muted pinks, yellows, greens and blues). The boys, with their miniature business suits and cute hair parts, quickly endear themselves to readers, who will find themselves hoping earnestly that Rudy and Ridley remain playmates."

Visit to PS#87

2010-06-17T09:36:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, I was invited to spend time with seventy five second grade students at PS#87 on the Upper West Side of New York City. I, for one, had a blast!
I told the story behind the story of Natalie&Naughtily, introduced some new upcoming books and some new never-seen-before characters. We played guessing games and we talked about our dreams and best friends. Then we played a very thought-provoking game and there were prizes galore!
I already miss those clever and curious kids. Here are some snapshots of what I am speaking about.
Special thanks to my powerpoint manager and photographer, Jill Davis.

Pre-Order The Two Little Boys From Toolittle Toys Today!

2010-05-31T14:38:00.002-04:00

from Amazon.com

Making books

2010-04-11T22:00:00.004-04:00

Today, I was thinking about the time long ago when I first began to make books.

Now that I have been working with publishers, I thought to go back to the very first book dummy that I ever made. (Here is the title page from that book.) It was a important turning point for me because, I used to start things and never finished them before moving on to the next idea. This book about a curious creature was that project I saw all the way to a completed mocked up book. It was so much fun to create and as soon it was finished, I got to work on another. It became almost an obsession to make books of all shapes and sizes for my own delight. I loved to leaf through them and smile at the process of creating a wondrous object, something alive in it's own way.
It is still at thrill seeing a finished published book, picking it up, turning pages and holding it in my hands. The thrill started all those many years ago.
Books are such precious objects.
I hope they never go out of style.

From the sketch file box / circa 1994

2010-03-30T16:41:00.002-04:00

Moomin-mania

2010-03-18T16:03:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago when I was visiting a second grade class, one of the students asked me what some of my favorite books were. Without thinking twice, I replied "The Moomintroll books!" My answer only got blank looks in return. The only person in the class who knew what I was talking about was the teacher Ms. June Moon Lees. Curiously, the students did want to know what I was talking about so I tried to explain. But anyone who knows the books will know it is not something easy to explain.
"Just read the books." I instructed the students.
Well, now I have come to find out that one of my publishers Farrar Straus Giroux is repackaging the many, many chapter books. I saw a Moomin picture book on the shelf at Barnes&Noble on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and now comes word that there will be a 3D animated film!
Oh joy, for those of us who know what I am so excited about. If you are not, then read the books as soon as they hit the shelves this Spring!!!
You will not be sorry!

~vxk

A visit to Mount Kisco Elementary School

2010-03-11T16:31:00.002-05:00

On Friday, March 5th, I found myself in the wonderful company of Ms. Minda Lee's second grade class at Mount Kisco Elementary School in Mout Kisco, New York.
I answered some excellent and thought provoking questions, heard students read why they were more like Natalie or Naughtily Nopps, read my next book Two Little Boys from Toolittle Toys and showed sketches from next book projects.
It was so much fun.
It is so nice to meet readers and discover how much they like to read!

NOW APPEARING ON MY DRAWING BOARD

2010-02-24T17:16:00.003-05:00

The story of this eccentric family of theatrical giraffes has been written. The characters have been designed. I am now at work on the art for my next book with Farrar Straus Giroux to be published in February 2012!
Look out world! Here they come!

~vincent

2010-02-10T21:52:00.001-05:00

A visit to Schneider's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY

2010-02-03T16:26:00.002-05:00

Here are some images from my visit to this wonderful children's hospital on Long Island.
I was videotaped and the hourlong program was transmitted to the rooms of many patients. I spoke about how I work with my publishers to create a book, read Natalie & Naughtily, and then read my next book Two Little Boys From Toolittle Toys. It was great fun to meet the staff and most importantly the patients to perhaps inspire them a bit on their roads to feeling better.
Thank you to Sally Cook at Project Sunshine and to everyone at Schneider's Medical Center.

Project Sunshine

2010-01-25T17:23:00.002-05:00

On Monday, February 1st, I will be visiting Schneider's Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York with my book Natalie & Naughtily. The visit was arranged through my great friend Sally Cook at Project Sunshine.
Project Sunshine Book Club volunteers brighten the lives of children in hospitals throughout the New York Metropolitan area.
I am so honored to be among the authors and illustrators who get to donate our time and talent to visit children in group settings, at their hospital beds and through closed circuit television.
Would you like to learn more about Project Sunshine?
Visit their website!

Elves heading back to Planet Santa

2010-01-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

At last!

2009-11-26T13:02:00.005-05:00

I am a tremendous Fred Astaire fan. I have been since I was a very little chap.
There is a film called Royal Wedding. In that film, Fred Astaire does this dance where he dances around the room: first on the floor, then the walls, then the ceiling, back down the other wall and around and around again. The film was shot with a complicated set up involving the room rotating in front of the camera and Fred managing to make it look to be the simplest thing.

First here is the actual scene as it appeared in the film.

Then here is the what it looked like as the room rotated around.

I have been wanting to see this ever since I saw the film long, long ago.
I hope that you will enjoy it too!

A look at Forsythia & Me

2009-11-07T15:51:00.002-05:00

Next Christmas my book Forsythia & Me will be published by Farrar Straus Giroux.
It is a book about a little boy named Chester Pfinch who finds a way to amaze his amazingly impressive best friend Forsythia Mayweather. The character Forsythia was inspired by Lisa Bell, one of my best friends when I was growing up in upstate New York (no, very very upstate New York). She was a few years older than me and did everything so well. She was an extremely talented artist, a very smart student and got to paint a mural at the public library that dazzled everyone in town. While she was painting it, I was paid to be one of those people who put books on the shelves where they belong. I remember wondering how lucky I was to have her as friend. Years later, I was so happy when we found each other on Facebook. I am not certain if Lisa would do the things that Forsythia can do, but I am certain she could if she wanted to!

The final cover of my next book

2009-10-30T00:30:00.002-04:00

Due out in the Spring of 2010.

Coming soon to a drawing board near me!

2009-10-01T12:54:00.003-04:00

The artwork for my next book Forsythia & Me is underway. Here are the character sketches for Forsythia Mayweather and Chester Pfinch. I work with a set palate of colors.
This time the book is going to have an old fashioned look. I will be using variations of yellow and blue for the two central characters. The world they live in will be made up of shades of gray, like a Hollywood black and white movie.
Now, back to work (play actually) for me!
Cheerio!

Rudy & Ridley Toolittle getting ready for their big entrance

2009-07-08T16:11:00.004-04:00

Here is peak at my next book THE TWO LITTLE BOYS FROM TOOLITTLE TOYS. I know that it quite a title but it is quite a book!
It takes place in the world famous Toolittle Toy laboratories and has a supporting cast of over 30 specially designed, brand new Toolittle toys. Plus, Natalie and Naughtily Nopps make an Alfred Hitchcock-style special cameo appearance. This illustration will have to keep you wondering for the time being!

The book is due to appear in bookstores in the Spring of 2010!

A delightful new review

2009-05-27T23:41:00.002-04:00

From: The PlanetEsme Plan: The Best New Children's Books from Esme's Shelf.

Even the lapdogs have names

2009-04-14T14:54:00.003-04:00

I am often asked, if I had bothered to name the lapdogs that are Natalie and Naughtily's companions throughout the the book.

Of course!

From left to right, the names are as follows: Daffodil (a pug), Oodles (a poodle), Bauble (a powderpuff dog), Pickle (a dachshund), Cricket (a very tiny dog) and Albert (a king charles spaniel). {The mouse just happened to be passing by and did not give it's name.}

2009-04-11T01:10:00.000-04:00

2009-03-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

Hiding toys

2009-02-20T10:37:00.003-05:00

Creating a book about a toy company is so much fun! Here I am hiding 18 Toolittle toys in the pages of my upcoming book The Two Little Toolittles & The Toolittle Toys.

Love is in the air!

2009-02-15T23:29:00.001-05:00

And here!

My artistic meeting with John Updike

2009-01-28T00:19:00.002-05:00

While I was doing illustrations for the New York Times Book Review, I was assigned to do a spot illustration for John Updike's book Gertrude and Claudius. It was such an honor to get that assignment. This is the spot illustration in a black and white style that I have not been able to play with for many, many years.

Coming from BloomsburyUSA in the Spring of 2010

2009-01-16T11:30:00.002-05:00

The two little Toolittle boys, Rudy and Ridley, who were last seen wandering through Nopp's Department Store in my first book Natalie & Naughtily, will have their own picture book next Spring. Rudy and Ridley Toolittle just happen to be the littlest members of the family that runs the world-famous Toolittle Toy Company.

2009-01-06T22:58:00.002-05:00

I am asked, over and over, whether I am more like Natalie or Naughtily Nopps. Well, here is my desktop in my studio... What do you think?

2009-01-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Something wonderful

2009-01-02T18:19:00.002-05:00

Before we embark on a new year, I thought that I would share something quite unusual that was done in 2008. Click here to see what I mean.

Seen in December 2008 TimeOut Kids

2008-11-20T17:26:00.001-05:00

The time of our lives

2008-11-17T00:24:00.004-05:00

When I was a little boy, I was always breaking one arm or the other.
On one of the occasions, I happened to have a broken arm at the same time when Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy visited my hometown. It must have been the Autumn of 1967 or so. I have this one photograph that was taken by the local newspaper to record the event. The look on my face and on my father's, standing behind me, shows the excitement and hopes that America felt at the time for the future of America. The image reflects the excitement and hope that America is feeling now after the election of President-elect Barack Obama.
I was a tremendous fan of Robert F. Kennedy. He was a hero to me because of the great things that he promised for America. I remember standing behind the curtain before making my appearance for this photo op. I was so excited and nervous. I knew that I did not have anything to do but step forward and meet my hero. But meeting a great hope is so thrilling. As I stood there all alone wondering what was happening in front of the curtain. Someone stepped forward and stood by my side. I looked up and there was Robert F. Kennedy. We were alone for an instant. He smiled at me and I must have looked to be in a state of shock. I remember he asked me how I broke my arm. I do not recall what I told him. Then he assured me that there was nothing to worry about. I told me him that I would not be worried if he said so. Then we stepped out in front of the curtain and he signed my cast.
Just look at me then. That is the expression that I feel now as America is about to begin a time in history that great things might just happen. The great thing about heros is that sometime they are just speaking about the jitters of appearing before a crowd but we believe that they are speaking about the future of the world.

Are you a Natalie? Are you a Naughtily?

2008-11-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

So, you have your very own Natalie & Naughtily button! Great!
I first got the idea to produce these buttons before I visited Ms. Lees' second grade class in Mount Kisco, New York. After reading the book, I asked the class to think about whether they were more like the helpful and well-intended Natalie Nopps or the mischievous and clownish Naughtily Nopps. Some students knew who they were right away. Others needed more time and some coaching from their friends. Once they were in two groups, I handed the button to the Natalie Nopps group with her face upward and the title right side up. I handed the very same button to the Naughtily Nopps group with her face upward and the title appropriately upside down.
Now, I hand the buttons out at class visits and signings. Let me know if you want one of your very own.
When you have your button, you can wear it depending whichever face up depending how you're feeling that day!
Have fun!

~vxk

Book Signings: Come & bring your friends of all shapes and sizes

2008-11-05T09:05:00.004-05:00

Treat or Trick

2008-10-28T22:33:00.003-04:00

For Hallowe'en, Natalie decided to dress up as Naughtily and Naughtily decided to dress up as Natalie. But who can tell which is witch?

Quiet Please! The School Library Journal would like to speak.

2008-10-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

Natalie & Naughtily
“Twins Natalie and Naughtily live in a house on top of Nopps, the world’s greatest department store. Though they are supposed to stay out of the way on busy shopping days, they decide to go downstairs to see if they can assist the customers. Natalie appears conservative in her blue skirt and matching hair ribbon. Naughtily is a free spirit, wearing fairy wings, a clown nose, and high-top sneakers. Floors one through nine are each depicted on a two-page painting rich in whimsical detail. The story is well paced as most pages end with the girls heading to the next floor up, seeking another way to help out. On the fourth floor, for example, there’s a sale on leftover winter wear: Natalie sells “two coats for the price of one,” while Naughtily sells “one coat for the price of two.” Kirsch’s watercolor and graphite illustrations are a balance of bright, lively hues and dreary gray tones. The book ends with a list of Natalie’s favorite things floor by floor, which are actually hidden in the preceding pages. Fans of O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy will delight in the humor and mischief found within Nopps.”

"I love libraries!" ~vxk

How I got my first book

2008-10-21T23:00:00.002-04:00

I have been asked just how I got my first children's book.
This is the illustration that my editor at BloomsburyUSA had noticed in The New York Times Book Review. It was an illustration for a book called I'll Steal You Away by Niccolo Ammaniti and Jonathan Hunt. I had been doing regular illustrations in the Book Review and somewhere in the correspondence with Steven Heller, the Art Director, I had mentioned, in jest, that I wanted my next illustration to have something to do with Italy. I never expected that it would come to pass.
What is intriguing about this illustration is the two brothers in opposition. Who would have guessed that a book about two sisters would come of it? There are elements of my next book in this illustration too. The book is to be announced soon.
The lesson that can be garnered from this, is that you never know who is watching what you are doing. So get out there!

Naughtily Nopps's easy-to-use map to the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show

2008-10-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

Natalie Nopps's excellent directions for how to get to the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show

2008-10-16T10:31:00.007-04:00

When we were old enough to know better.

2008-10-12T22:22:00.004-04:00

I have known for a very long time that we know a great deal about what will make us happy. I believe that the secret for each person is present and very obvious when we are little persons. I say "persons" and not "children" because we have always been ourselves from the very start.
When we were very little, we each carried with us a secret fascination that we cherished more than any other. That fascination was often called "play", but it did indeed make us very happy.
I thought of this today while I watched my partner Jeff at work sewing costumes for an upcoming performance. He was very engaged and involved in the work at hand. He stopped working and said "I love sewing!" Just like that, for no reason other than to say, "This is what I love to do". When he was a little boy, he loved to sew but did not know what to do with it. But he knew than and knows now what he loves.
Happiness can be found by reaching back to that person we have always been.
When I was a little boy, I was in a Christmas pageant. I played one of the three kings. While my mother helped me on with my costume, I asked her what they called what I was doing.
She said "Make Believe."
I think I replied "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!" If I did not say it, I knew it.
The luckiest of us are free to do what we love for a living. Even luckier is every one of us to remember what we love and do it for the rest of our lives. It will feel like doing nothing more than "play".
~vxk

Isaac Mizrahi loves Natalie & Naughtily

2008-10-02T11:37:00.003-04:00

Isaac Mizrahi wrote about Natalie & Naughtily:
“Your book is so WONDERFUL. I ADORE it. Incredibly beautifully drawn and so clever and so classic and modern at the same time. I'm gushing with happiness and praise. CONGRATULATIONS ! ! ! I will recommend it freely to everyone I know. So excited about the upcoming Two Little Toolittles. Again congrats on creating one of the most lovely books out there.”

Natalie & Naughtily wrote about Isaac Mizrahi:
"We truly are the greatest fans that Mister Mizrahi has and cannot wait until his book titled HOW TO HAVE STYLE comes out next week! We will each get our own copies! Perhaps one day he will design clothes just for us!"

Original sketches of Natalie and Naughtily

2008-09-29T00:35:00.004-04:00

I have been asked over and over how the characters came to be.
The first character that appeared in my sketch book was Natalie, looking very prim and proper. She was named after a very good friend and brilliant fashion designer named Nathalie Seaver, who has a shop in Los Angeles that bears her name. For some strange reason, the name "Natalie" inspired me to change it just enough to "Naughtily". I was not even certain if it was a real word. Who would have guessed that it became a name!
These tiny two drawings remained hidden in my sketchbook until an editor at BloomsburyUSA noticed them. She wanted to know their story. A week later, I delivered the first draft of the story of sisters who live in a house above the greatest department store in the world.
I often scribble the date when a new character appears. Naturally, it then becomes their birthday.
~vxk

NATALIE & NAUGHTILY visit the Children's Bookwatch!

2008-09-28T23:33:00.002-04:00

The Midwest Book Review had nothing but nice things to say about the book in their Children's Bookwatch.
See for yourself.

"Natalie & Naughtily is a whimsical children's picturebook about two young girls (Natalie always does things one way, and Naughtily always does things another way) who live in a house on top of the greatest department store in the world. They love to play in the many-storied department store, but one day their butler hands them a note from their parents, reading "Today is going to be a very, very busy day. It would be a great help if you did not play in the store." So the girls resolve that today they will go to the store to help out! But being helpful isn't as easy as it seems, and they're told to move on at floor after floor - until they find just the right people to help out after all! Colorful artwork of the happy-go-lucky girls and a kid-friendly narrative style distinguish this charming tale." September 2008 Issue

What Kirkus Reviews has to say

2008-09-22T22:40:00.002-04:00

Here is my first review from Kirkus Reviews. It will appear in the October 1st 2008 issue.

O>O

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NATALIE AND NAUGHTILY
"Twin girls as disparate in disposition as their names live atop their family’s grandiose department store. Traditionally barred from the store on sunny days, the duo is ecstatic when they awake to rainy weather. Conscious of their parents’ dictate not to play in the store, they decide to “help” instead. Kirsch’s insider perspective—he worked at a renowned department store—adds authenticity to the tale, as the girls lead readers on a comical romp through the prestigious, stuffy establishment. From the ladies donning designer dresses on the second floor to the robotic, gadget-filled fifth floor, each child demonstrates her unique take on what it means to help, with hilarious and chaotic results. The intricate, jam-packed watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations are the highlight of this work. Meticulously detailed, each page is a child’s wonderland of discovery; repeated examinations are bound to uncover some new delight. A witty and fanciful exploration of a timeless childhood fantasy.”

I am delighted that they like the book!

NATALIE & NAUGHTILY ARE HERE

2008-09-17T20:37:00.000-04:00

An Appearance at the Society of Illustrators

2008-09-02T11:03:00.002-04:00

Natalie and Naughtily has been selected to be one of the titles to appear in the Original Art Show 2008 at the Society of Illustrators. The show features the best of illustrated children's books for the past year.

The show will open on October 16th and will run through November 26th. The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd Street just west of Lexington Avenue.

www.natalieandnaughtily.com

2008-05-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

I have launched a temporary book website for Natalie and Naughtily. Much much more is yet to come. But for now this is a fine start, with links to my publisher BloomsburyUSA and websites where the book can be ordered such as Amazon and Barnes+Noble.

Take a look!

New Website launched

2008-03-28T10:33:00.002-04:00

Today my new and improved website has launched. Hopefully the new site will shed a little more light on where I am, how I got here and where I might be going. Quite a lot of time, work and thinking are needed to get a site up and running. I could not have done it without the usability guidance of Cathline Marshall at Studio K&M (www.studiokandm.com) or the programming genius of Paul Gosselin at the Gosselin Internet Group (www.4gosselin.com). I cannot recommend their services enough.

My blog will be a new opportunity for me to keep in touch with anyone who might want to know what is new in my world. I will try my hardest to keep it lively and fun with thoughts and sketches and news.

I hope you will be back soon.

spring sketch

2008-03-17T14:25:00.002-04:00