Fan Art: From Sheinkin to Wicks
Here’s an idea for a series on this blog: Authors and illustrators paying tribute to other authors and illustrators in the form of fan art. Oh, it could work. Why do I think it could work? Because that’s what we’re doing today, folks.
Consider the author Steve Sheinkin. You may know him from his award winning nonfiction books (with the occasional Newbery Honor tossed in for spice) or you may know him from his Walking and Talking series here on the blog. What you may NOT know is that he is capable of fan art. Particularly in the case of Maris Wicks and Human Body Theater. But I’ll let him do the explaining:
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Maris Wicks is an absolute master at the tricky art of combining information and entertainment. I’m a big believer that nonfiction books should not get extra credit for being healthy, and that’s the genius of her work – she doesn’t need it. My son David (age 6) and I are such huge fans of Human Body Theater, we were inspired to collaborate on this fan art, based on one of the drawings from that incredible book!
Since I’ve a four-year-old daughter who also went gaga for the book, I concur. Here is the art:
Thank you to Steve and David as well as Gina Gagliano for setting this whole thing up. And, of course, a big thank you to Maris Wicks for her delightful graphic novel. If you haven’t read it, you’re missing out.
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: Sheinkin is a national treasure.
Thank you so much for shining a light on the whimsical world of fan art, Betsy! As a fanartist myself I’ve seen the transformation of fan art from being totally frowned upon, to being accepted across all different communities. It’s great to finally see the children’s book community accepting this type of art, and hopefully it will continue for many years. This is another way for kids and teens to express themselves based on their favorite books and characters! I know from experience that it helped me a ton! So thank you for this!