Carson Ellis – illustratör

There's dreadful news from the symphony hall-the composer is dead! If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians are most certainly guilty of something. Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting a bit too boisterously? In this perplexing murder mystery, everyone seems to have a motive, everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But the composer is still dead. Perhaps you can solve the crime yourself. Join the Inspector as he interrogates all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording featuring Lemony Snicket and the music of Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.

Includes excerpt from: The mysterious Benedict Society and the perilous journey.

Prue McKeel is keeping out of trouble. Or trying to. Then her baby brother is abducted by crows and hauled off to the woods beyond the city. It is up to Prue to bring him back. On her mission she is plunged into the world of Wildwood and there she meets more trouble - and magic - than she ever thought possible.

Ever since Prue McKeel rescued her brother from the wicked Dowager Governess and returned home from the Impassable Wilderness, life has been pretty dull. But when dark assassins, a dangerous businessman and a freezing winter all threaten the residents of Wildwood, Prue is drawn back in to their world. Together, she and her friend Curtis will face their greatest challenge yet: to save themselves and the lives of their friends, and to bring unity to a divided country.

A young girl's midnight séance awakens a long-slumbering malevolent spirit . . .A band of runaway orphans allies with an underground collective of saboteurs and plans a daring rescue of their friends, imprisoned in the belly of an industrial wasteland . . .Two old friends draw closer to their goal of bringing together a pair of exiled toy makers in order to reanimate a mechanical boy prince . . .As the fate of Wildwood hangs in the balance.The third book in the Wildwood Chronicles is a rich, moving, and dazzling story, by turns funny and profound. Both Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis are at the height of their gifts with Wildwood Imperium.

Rediscover a tale of gold spun with lies . . . Once upon a time there was a clever girl with a not-so-cleverfather. When her father claims she can spin straw into gold, theking forces the girl to perform this impossible task. She has otherchoice than to accept a strange deal from a mysterious littleman.But when he arrives and attempts to collect the debt, the fiendishtrickster Rumpelstiltskin discovers that heis the one who has been tricked!"An absolute treat." - The Times Children's Bookof the Week The second book in the groundbreaking new collection of fairytalescrafted by one of today's most celebrated and esteemed authors,Mac BarnettWith stunning illustrations from the acclaimed and award-winningcreator, Carson EllisWith Barnett's signature pacing and wit, his subversive storytellingstyle, and narrative voice and Ellis's stunning and folk-artstyle, this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin will introduce thisclassic story to a new generation of readers!If you liked this, check out The Three Billy Goats Gruff

"A soul-warming treat." - BooksellerInfluential artist Carson Ellis makes her solo picture-book debut with a beautifully imaginative tribute to the many possibilities of home.The picture book debut of Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of the Wildwood series and Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead, this is a gorgeous, imaginative celebration of the many possibilities of home. Home might be a house in the country, a flat in the city, or even a shoe. There are clean homes, messy homes, sea homes and bee homes. Home resides on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist's own studio. This loving look at the places where people live brims with intriguing characters and is a visual treat that demands many a return visit."With the turn of every page, the definition of “home” broadens." - John Lithgow, New York Times Sunday Book Review"Visually accomplished." – Kirkus Reviews"Every page opening is a surprise and a delight, and even after many viewings, this panoply of dwelling places continues to enthrall and intrigue the viewer." – Children’s Books Ireland"Ellis presents a dreamy, painterly meditation on the diversity and range of dwellings around the world and across time and imagination." – The Horn Book Magazine

So the shortest day came, and the year died...As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again... Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper’s poem The Shortest Day captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before – and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illuminated by Carson Ellis, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!

From the Caldecott Honor–winning creator of Home and Du Iz Tak? comes a gorgeous and quirky tale of an extraordinary room where everything is a half.The half room is full of half things. A half chair, a half cat, even half shoes – all just as nice and weird and friendly as whole things. When half a knock comes on half a door, who in the world could it be? With her trademark touch of magic and whimsy, Caldecott Honor winner Carson Ellis explores halves and wholes in an ingenious and thought-provoking picture book. The lightly rhyming text is soothing yet spirited, revealing the many absurdities and possibilities to be discovered in this irresistibly fanciful home. Ink and gouache illustrations featuring wry detail and velvety textures conjure a dreamlike mood while leaving space for imagining. A celebration of the surreal and the serendipitous, and the beauty of the two together, this brilliant picture book will have readers seeing the joys of halves with whole new eyes.

From the Caldecott Honor–winning creator of Home and Du Iz Tak? comes a gorgeous and quirky tale of an extraordinary room where everything is a half.The half room is full of half things. A half chair, a half cat, even half shoes – all just as nice and weird and friendly as whole things. When half a knock comes on half a door, who in the world could it be? With her trademark touch of magic and whimsy, Caldecott Honor winner Carson Ellis explores halves and wholes in an ingenious and thought-provoking picture book. The lightly rhyming text is soothing yet spirited, revealing the many absurdities and possibilities to be discovered in this irresistibly fanciful home. Ink and gouache illustrations featuring wry detail and velvety textures conjure a dreamlike mood while leaving space for imagining. A celebration of the surreal and the serendipitous, and the beauty of the two together, this brilliant picture book will have readers seeing the joys of halves with whole new eyes.

A tender, funny tale celebrating all forms of love from award-winning and bestselling author-illustrator duo Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis. “What is love?” a young boy asks. “I can’t answer that,” his grandmother says, and so the boy goes out into the world to find out. But while each person he meets—the fisherman, the actor, and others—has an answer to his question, not one seems quite right. Could love really be a fish, or applause, or the night? Or could it actually be something much closer to home? A CLASSIC LOVE STORY: A wonderful narrative voice and spectacular pictures give this book the feel of a modern classic. A BOOK THAT KIDS AS WELL AS PARENTS WILL ENJOY: This book begins from the child’s perspective, and it’s funny and unexpected in ways that children can relate to, while being thoughtful in ways that adults will appreciate. A STORY GRANDMOTHERS WILL LOVE: The boy’s grandmother is an essential part of this story. Grandmothers everywhere will appreciate what this book says about their wisdom and affection.A BOOK ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF: The boy’s journey takes him to many different people, whose descriptions of what love means to them is very much about how they see themselves and their lives.A GREAT READ-ALOUD: The engaging text is full of surprises and the distinctive voice of the narrator invites audiences to respond.STAR TALENT: Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author and Carson Ellis is a Caldecott Honor–winner and illustrator of some of the most interesting and beautiful children’s books published today.

“Feels like reading a love story that doesn't quite know it's a love story yet, and a success story that doesn't know it’s made it.”—Emma Straub, New York Times–bestselling author of This Time TomorrowAward-winning, beloved children's book author and illustrator Carson Ellis makes a stunning adult debut with an illustrated memoir that evocatively captures a specific cultural moment of the early 2000s and in her journey as an artist. In January 2001, the young artist Carson Ellis moved into a warehouse in Portland, Oregon, with a group of fellow artists. For the first week she lived there, she kept a detailed diary full of dry observations, mordant wit, hijinks with friends (including her future husband, Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy), and turn-of-the-millennium cultural touchstones. Now, Ellis has richly illustrated this two-decade-old journal with extraordinary new paintings in the signature style that has made her an award-winning picture book author today.This beautiful volume offers a snapshot of a bygone era, a meticulous re-creation of quotidian frustrations and small, meaningful moments, and a meditation on what it means both to start your journey as an artist and to look back at that beginning many years later.