Happy Book Birthday to Voices From The Underground Railroad from Kay Winters and illustrator, Larry Day. I met Larry last year, along with his writer wife, Miriam Busch, at a book signing at Second Star To The Right Bookstore. We chatted about their work and how I was involved in a kidlit enthusiast group called Storymamas. They both were kind enough to follow us on social media. Larry began tagging Storymamas while in the process of drawing this book. We loved every sketch, draft and drawing he showed. We knew that as the publishing date got closer, we wanted to help spread the word about this wonderful book. The final copy of the book is magnificent. The colors, details, and facial expressions Larry has created is spectacular. Kay writes this book using several points of view. The two main voices are, Jeb and Mattie, who are escaping slavery to seek freedom through the underground railroad. Kay’s text is so powerful and the pictures Larry has drawn make you feel all the emotions these characters are going through. It is a fabulous book to teach readers about the historical events during this time. We hope you will add it to your home, school, or classroom libraries.
Here is the book trailer! Check it out!
Larry was also kind enough to answer 3 questions about the book and 3 questions about himself.
3 ?s about Voices From the Underground Railroad
What are three words you’d use to describe this book?
Escape. Running. Freedom.
The colors, the facial expressions, and details on the page are truly spectacular. What was the process for getting each page the way you wanted it?
What a good question!
Normally, I draw expressions without thinking. Detail comes naturally. Expressions come from a respectful appreciation of the subject.
What was the collaboration like with Kay? Did she see your drawings through the draft phase? Did she send you information on what she envisioned?
I always share with authors. There are times when an author’s information is crucial to the visual story. One never knows.
3 ?s about You
If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you want to be and why?
Another great question!
Sometimes. I think about losing the capability to draw.
If that happened, I would write.
What is one book that has stuck with you since you’ve read it?
How about four, instead:
What is one item in your fridge that tells us about you?
Blueberries!
Thank you Larry for chatting with Storymamas. We are excited about all your upcoming projects, including a collaboration with Jerry Spinelli, publishing by Holiday House in 2019!
To learn more about Larry feel free to visit his website or follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
I’ll add it to our list. This sounds like a must read.