Evan Turk: Illustration

(September 19, 2023, Abrams)

*A loving profile of one of the world’s most renowned contemporary artists. A perceptive, thought-provoking, winning introduction.

―Kirkus Books, Starred Review

*The Horn Book, Starred Review

*Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

From award-winning creator Evan Turk, a stirring biography of world-famous artist David Hockney that celebrates seeing beauty everywhere

“It’s the very process of looking at something that makes it beautiful.” —David Hockney

Growing up under the gray skies of England during World War II, David Hockney used art to brighten his world. He discovered that the more he looked and drew, the more he could see beyond the surface to find beauty, possibility, and new perspectives. In the most ordinary things, whether a splash of water, a changing landscape, or the face of a friend, David always found something to love, uniquely capturing the vibrancy and life of his subjects.

Lyrically written and breathtakingly illustrated by award-winning creator Evan Turk, To See Clearly tells the inspiring story of a groundbreaking artist who has shown the world a new way to see.

(April 11, 2023, Chronicle)

Written by Matthew Burgess

This moving and radiant story of the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter, and the joy and promise passed down between them, begins one quiet dawn . . .

A gift, waiting for the right moment to be opened again.
At once lyrical and profound, this enchantingly illustrated book is a joyful celebration of intergenerational relationships and of the secret treasures of childhood. Young readers and adults will delight in the memories and magic tucked away in the red tin box.

(September 20, 2022, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

"Turk interweaves three elements with skill and care: a slow, thoughtful examination of a commonplace yet miraculous phenomenon; rich language in which to discuss it; and color and texture that capture the infinite reaches of the night sky and the bond shared by a close-knit adult and child." ― Publishers Weekly

"Loose lines and expressive faces convey the closeness between the child and caregiver. . . striking angles and perspectives keep each spread vibrant and eye-catching. Learning, empathy, and wonder in an ever shifting luminous landscape." ― Kirkus Reviews

Hello, Moon!

You look so beautiful tonight!

Do you mind if we sit with you?

In this joyful celebration of a child’s sense of curiosity about the world, a parent and child explore the wonder of the changing moon together. Because sometimes all you need is someone to share the silence with.

by David Elliott

(February 8, 2022, Abrams Kids)

“A visually interesting concept book, full of wonder and lightsomeness, that’s useful for teaching young ones about colors.”―Kirkus Reviews

"Via rhyming lines and many-hued lines and textures, the creators show how attention to the natural world can offer endless change and variation."―Publishers Weekly

Red, big / red, small / Red sits on my garden wall. / Blue, low / blue, high / Blue has taken to the sky....

This tender and stirring read aloud uses the beauty of birds to invite readers to observe primary and secondary colors. With lyrical rhyme and striking pastel artwork by rising star-illustrator Evan Turk, Color the Sky masterfully captures childlike curiosity, wonder, and joy. Not only does it beckon readers to answer the call of exploring the outdoors, it encourages children to embrace the differences within themselves and the world around them.

by Cynthia Levinson

(April 20, 2021, Abrams Kids)

WINNER of the 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

*Booklist, Starred review

*Publishers Weekly, Starred review

*Kirkus Reviews, Starred review

*BCCB, Starred review

*Horn Book, Starred review

A lyrically told, exquisitely illustrated biography of influential Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn

“The first thing I can remember,” Ben said, “I drew.”

As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees—and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers’ rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too.

So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what’s right. As he grows, he speaks for justice through his art—by disarming classmates who bully him because he’s Jewish, by defying his teachers’ insistence that he paint beautiful landscapes rather than true stories, by urging the US government to pass Depression-era laws to help people find food and jobs.

In this moving and timely portrait, award-winning author Cynthia Levinson and illustrator Evan Turk honor an artist, immigrant, and activist whose work still resonates today: a true painter for the people.

(August 18, 2020, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

*Booklist, Starred review

*Publishers Weekly, Starred review

*Kirkus Reviews, Starred review

2020 Junior Library Guild Selection

"Evan Turk’s illustrations are brilliant. Though books are only ink on paper, this art manages to conjure the heat of the furnace and the ethereal delicacy of Murano glass."

- The New York Times Book Review

This gorgeous and empowering picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Evan Turk paints the portrait of Marietta Barovier, the groundbreaking Renaissance artisan who helped shape the future of Venetian glassmaking.

Marietta and her family lived on the island of Murano, near Venice, as all glassmakers did in the early Renaissance. Her father, Angelo Barovier, was a true maestro, a master of glass. Marietta longed to create gorgeous glass too, but glass was men’s work.

One day her father showed her how to shape the scalding-hot material into a work of art, and Marietta was mesmerized. Her skills grew and grew.

Marietta worked until she created her own unique glass bead: the rosetta. Small but precious, the beautiful beads grew popular around the world and became as valuable as gold. The young girl who was once told she could not create art was now the woman who would leave her mark on glasswork for centuries to come.

(June 4, 2019, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

*Booklist, Starred review

*Publishers Weekly, Starred review

*Kirkus Reviews, Starred review

*BookPage, Starred review

*Shelf Awareness, Starred review

2019 Junior Library Guild Selection

Award-winning author and illustrator Evan Turk showcases the beauty and importance of the National Parks in this gorgeous picture book that takes readers on an amazing tour across the United States.

Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,
and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,
from every river, star, and stone
comes the eternal refrain:
you are home.

In simple, soaring language and breathtaking art, acclaimed author-illustrator Evan Turk has created a stirring ode to nature and nation. From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, You Are Home reminds us that every animal, plant, and person helps make this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.

June 12, 2018

*Booklist, Starred review

*Publishers Weekly, Starred review

This cinematic picture book follows the life of a baby whale from birth, to song, to silence, to a new song of compassion and hope for a brighter future.

Two hearts, one song.

A young whale and her mother sing together.

Heartbeat.

Then the mother is gone.

One heart, one song.

The young whale swims, alone and lonely,
for days and years and decades…
until one day a little girl hears her and joins her song.
Together, they sing of hope for a brighter future.

One world, one song,
one heartbeat.

by Michael Mahin

*Booklist, starred review

*BCCB, starred review

2017 Junior Library Guild Selection

A picture book celebration of the indomitable Muddy Waters, a blues musician whose fierce and electric sound laid the groundwork for what would become rock and roll.

Muddy Waters was never good at doing what he was told. When Grandma Della said the blues wouldn’t put food on the table, Muddy didn’t listen. And when record producers told him no one wanted to listen to a country boy playing country blues, Muddy ignored them as well. This tenacious streak carried Muddy from the hardscrabble fields of Mississippi to the smoky juke joints of Chicago and finally to a recording studio where a landmark record was made.

Soon the world fell in love with the tough spirit of Muddy Waters. In blues-infused prose and soulful illustrations, Michael Mahin and award-winning artist Evan Turk tell Muddy’s fascinating and inspiring story of struggle, determination, and hope.

www.thestorytellerbook.com

*Kirkus, starred review

*Publisher Weekly, starred review

*Booklist, starred review

*School Library Journal, starred review

Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection

Wall Street Journal Best Book 2016 List

NPR Best Book 2016 List

Center For the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book 2016 List

Aesop Accolade from the American Folklore Society

2017 Best Book for Children by the Children's Africana Book Awards

Long, long ago, like a pearl around a grain of sand, the Kingdom of Morocco formed at the edge of the great, dry Sahara. It had fountains of cool, refreshing water to quench the thirst of the desert, and storytellers to bring the people together.

But as the kingdom grew, the people forgot the dangers of the desert, and they forgot about the storytellers, too. All but one young boy, who came to the Great Square for a drink and found something that quenched his thirst even better: wonderful stories. As he listened to the last storyteller recount the Endless Drought, and the Glorious Blue Water Bird, he discovered the power of a tale well told.

Acclaimed illustrator Evan Turk has created a stunning multidimensional story within a story that will captivate the imagination and inspire a new generation of young storytellers.

*School Library Journal, starred review

Junior Library Guild 2016 Selection

Green Earth Book Award Honor Winner

CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book

by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

In this breathtaking companion to the award-winning Grandfather Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, with Bethany Hegedus, tells a poignant, personal story of the damage of wastefulness, gorgeuously illustrated by Evan Turk.

At Grandfather Gandhi’s service village, each day is filled, from sunrise to sunset, with work that is done for the good of all. The villagers vow to live simply and non-violently. Arun Gandhi tries very hard to follow these vows, but he struggles with one of the most important rules: not to waste.

How can throwing away a worn-down pencil hurt anyone? How can wastefulness lead to violence? With the help of his grandfather, Arun learns how every wasteful act, no matter how small, affects others. And in time he comes to understand the truth of his grandfather’s words: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

*Kirkus, starred review

*Publisher Weekly, starred review

Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor Book

Marion Vannett Ridgway Awd Honor Bk

Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title

CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book

CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)

Capitol Choices List (DC)

Eureka Nonfiction Gold Award (CA)

NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Texas Bluebonnet Master List

by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson tells the story of how his grandfather taught him to turn darkness into light in this uniquely personal and vibrantly illustrated tale that carries a message of peace.

How could he—a Gandhi—be so easy to anger?

One thick, hot day, Arun Gandhi travels with his family to Grandfather Gandhi’s village.

Silence fills the air—but peace feels far away for young Arun. When an older boy pushes him on the soccer field, his anger fills him in a way that surely a true Gandhi could never imagine. Can Arun ever live up to the Mahatma? Will he ever make his grandfather proud?

In this remarkable personal story, Arun Gandhi, with Bethany Hegedus, weaves a stunning portrait of the extraordinary man who taught him to live his life as light. Evan Turk brings the text to breathtaking life with his unique three-dimensional collage paintings.