the MELVIN wall

MELVIN art progress is slow but steady. I look forward to when ALL the art will be hanging on this wall, because that will equal completion :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Kirkus = kind

Here's another very nice review of That's Papa's Way!

Father and daughter head out to fish in the early dawn; Papa picks up
the earthworms with his fingers, while the narrator scoops them with
her shovel. He whistles as he rows, "because that's Papa's way," and
she sings "Whoosh" with the waves, because that's her way. Banks's
gentle, present-tense narration captures the specificity of the moment,
as Papa lands a fish and narrator holds her breath, hoping she'll get a
bite. Their understanding of each other is deep and intimate, evident in
both text and Castillo's illustrations. Her soft, reassuringly thick
outlines contain this happy pair, even as they are cradled within their
boat, which in turn is held gently by the waves. Thick, matte stock
completes the warmly rumpled look of this loving snapshot.
(Picture book. 4-7)
--Kirkus reviews