By Julie Downing
Holiday House/ Neal Porter Books
40 pp
March 2023
In Night in the City, author and illustrator Julie Downing cleverly uses multiple panels to follow eight people throughout the course of their busy evening, from waking up just as most people are contemplating bedtime, through the following morning.
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Capitol Choice Best Books
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library, Best of the Best
Horn Book Fanfare
Finalist Cybil Awards
Society on Illustrators, Original Art Show
★ "In a series of lively, inventive spreads, Downing (Cubs in the Tub) pays homage to workers who take up their posts as much of a city heads for bed, drawing building cutaways of people preparing to venture out. . . . Warm, engaging artwork plays the dark indigo of night off warm, golden interior light."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ "Nifty details are everywhere, and crisscrossing narratives add tons of fun. Wisely, the quiet text lets the pictures tell the stories, allowing viewers to discover the connections on their own. . . . The characters’ diversity nicely reflects the big-city setting. . . ."—The Horn Book, Starred Review
"A beautiful introduction to the city at night. "—Booklist
"Will spark curiosity and awe."—School Library Journal
"Readers will close the book feeling that there's joy to be found in every job and every schedule. . . . Will make readers fall in love with the city depicted within."—Kirkus Reviews
By Julie Downing
Holiday House/Neal Porter Books
Spring 2024
Hello, sun!
Goodbye, night!
Sunrise chill,
pale dawn light.
When the sun's rays begin to filter through the trees, sleepy bears, rabbits, deer, and other animals rise from cozy dens and burrows to greet the day. There are acorns to eat, rivers to splash in, and meadows to race through before the blanket of sunset falls again.
★ "Text and images meld wonderfully to bring a fresh perspective to what’s going on in nature during the daylight hours. . . A glorious new exploration of nature’s delights for young readers."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Downing employs soft blues and greens in the flora and fauna to create a pastoral tableau that beautifully complements the rhythmic text."—The Horn Book
By Julie Downing
A Neal Porter/Holiday House Book
32pp
Spring 2021
Hello, moon.
Goodnight, sun.
Night is near.
Day is done.
When the sun goes down and most of us are getting ready for bed, the nighttime animals of the forest all wake up to the light of the moon. It calls to them, from the slyest fox to the tiniest mouse who feasts on leaves and fruits and scurries beneath the brush.
A gentle rhyming text that will appeal to the youngest child is illustrated with soft and dreamy artwork in this perfect bedtime book.
★ "Whether read as Zen nature walk, bedtime story, or gentle science starter, this story begs to be visited again and again."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Downing invites listeners to revel in the night with soft illustrations depicting four nocturnal animals (a fox, owl, mouse, and raccoon) and a complementary series of soothing quatrains describing their routines."—The Horn Book
"A short, sweet, simple book for bedtime. . . . Glowing illustrations support a poetic text for a visit to what goes on while children sleep."—School Library Journal
"Downing adds rich depth to her full-bleed illustrations, dense with background detail and sumptuous, velvety color, while the onomatopoeic text melds seamlessly into the rest of the lines. . . . With an easy poetic tempo and artwork teeming with ambiance and tone, this will be an enchanting pick for storytime."—Booklist
“While her husband, Fred, spent his days working at the Bronx Zoo in the 1940s, Helen Martini longed for a baby. When Fred comes home with a baby one day—a neglected lion cub—it’s not the kind Helen anticipated, but she immediately takes the cub in her arms, names him MacArthur, and gives him round-the-clock care. And like many proud mamas, Helen documents his “firsts” and overlooks the chewed-up shoes and ripped couch for lap snuggles. All seems well in the storylike narrative and endearing, patterned illustrations that reflect both the colors and culture of the time period and the range of emotions felt by Helen, especially when MacArthur is taken away to another zoo. After nurturing more babies at home, this time tiger cubs, and another difficult goodbye, Helen begins to tend to their needs directly at the zoo. She takes mothering other baby animals into her own hands, secretly creating a nursery in an abandoned building. When zoo officials discover her enterprise, they surprisingly approve, and Helen becomes the first female zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo. A concluding note provides more information about this groundbreaking figure and explains how, like Helen, women of this era sometimes had to find quiet ways to break societal and gender norms. A charming reflection of courage and change”. Booklist starred review
"Downing’s sensitive illustrations shine in a rich, muted palette, using sweeping lines and patterned details to conjure cozy, 1940s-era domestic scenes where lions snooze on laps and tigers frolic in bubble baths.” Publisher’s Weekly
By Richard Jackson
Roaring Brook Press
A Neal Porter Book
Spring 2018
By Ji-Li Jiang, Illustrated by Julie Downing
A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all, he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.
Society of Illustrators, Original Art Show
School Library Journal, Best Picture Books of 2016
School Library Journal, "K-Gr 2–Lotus lives near a lake with her grandfather, a basket maker. While the setting is unspecified, the students’ red scarves suggest China during the Cultural Revolution. The protagonist has been ignored by her classmates since a “winter illness” rendered her speechless. Her grandfather mourns another kind of solitude: the absence of animals in their wetlands habitat, which has been “ruined by greedy fishermen and hunters.” A single crane, and the offstage hunter who wounds it, transforms everything. The girl’s ability to communicate in other ways reveals her resourcefulness, as when she pounds on a pail to scare the gunman away. Downing’s watercolors are atmospheric: muted blue-grays, greens, and purples blend, creating a foggy, mystical backdrop. Varying page designs manipulate focus or indicate passing time. The color red (in the child’s clothing and the bird’s crown) visually connects the girl and the animal. Lotus carries the wounded crane home, where he is tenderly nursed back to health. Feather becomes a beloved companion, following her to school and dancing to her reed whistle in the falling snow—to the delight of the students. His crowing warns the sleeping family and then the villagers, saving everyone from rising floodwaters caused by a distant earthquake. Because a wild creature must heed the call of migration, there is an inevitable parting, but a stunning finale shows the crane’s return, his family and flock descending upon the water. According to the jacket flap, this book is based on actual events. VERDICT Elegant storytelling and arresting compositions combine for a deeply satisfying emotional and aesthetic experience. Best shared one-on-one or in a small group so that children can pore over the lively and engaging artwork."
By Caryn Yacowitz
Illustrated by Julie Downing
Candlewick 2021
32pp
In the time of the pharaohs, a loving mother saves her son by tucking him into a basket and setting him afloat on the wide, wild Nile River. Over one long night, the creatures of the Nile
Curious Ibis, Mama Hippo, Mighty Crocodile watch over Moses, nudge him on his way, and keep him safe through catching reeds and a raging storm, until, as morning breaks, the river delivers him safe and sound into an unexpected safe haven—the welcoming arms of the pharaoh’s daughter.
School Library Journal, Best of Fairy, Folk and Religious Tales
The story of the Exodus from Egypt begins for the very young. The full-bleed watercolor illustrations depict a lush and detailed setting of flowers, butterflies, and fish. . .Sweet and pretty.
—Kirkus Reviews
. . .As Moses floats toward yet-unknown safety, Yacowitz’s gently rolling rhymes and Downing’s inventively framed watercolors—rendered in washes of emerald, citrine, and lapis—he enters a world far more benevolent than what he faced on shore. . .By the time Pharaoh’s daughter lifts Moses from the water in this quietly beautiful story, it seems that all of nature has determined to protect the infant.
—Publishers Weekly
The simple yet beautiful lyrical poetry and Julie Downing’s soothing wildlife illustrations give both adults and children a sense of God’s peace. It’s a creative retelling that parents and children can read together again and again.
—WORLD Magazine
By Jane Feder, Illustrated by Julie Downing
Scarlet is a feisty little Vampire, and her best friend, Igor, is a roly-poly little Mummy. Together, they star in three humorous, heartwarming stories about two friends who never agree on anything. That is -- until they discover different ideas can become even better ideas when they cooperate!
Starred Review: Kirkus Reviews, "Vampire Scarlet and mummy Igor are very good friends. 'The trouble was, they could never agree on anything.' In the first chapter, the two friends' interests rarely mesh. 'If Igor wanted to read, Scarlet wanted to sing. If Scarlet wanted to nap, Igor wanted to dance. / When Igor made a tall tower, Scarlet made it short.' It comes as no surprise that they want different kinds of sandwiches when it's time for a snack. Alternating shouts for 'gooseberry jelly' and 'chestnut butter' grow increasingly louder until the friends hit upon the obvious solution. The second chapter finds them heatedly debating what name would be perfect for their pet cat's new kitten. When they discover a litter of eight, all the names they have come up with are put to good use. The final chapter is one of artistic differences. After an art duel that produces colorful shapes and a 'tree with branches,' they arrange their separate pieces to form a lovely display that has one last blank spot. Readers will cheer when they see how the two buddies have filled it. Feder masterfully employs repetition of the more challenging words throughout the perfectly paced text, while Downing charmingly captures every mercurial emotion in the detailed ballpoint pen, watercolor and digital illustrations. Move over, Frog and Toad, to make room for this delightful new title."
School Library Journal, "This is a great selection for those looking for delightful rather than frightful Halloween books, titles on friendship or general early-reader collections."
By Beverly Gherman and Julie Downing
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson's mother ran a plantation by herself, or that Abraham Lincoln's mother was a wrestler? James Madison's mom called him "Jemmy" and made his shirts while he went to college, and Woodrow Wilson created Mother's Day to celebrate all mothers--especially his. Join Beverly Gherman and Julie Downing in this celebration of the women behind the White House. Gherman delightfully dishes fun facts about each mother, and Downing's lively illustrations are sure to enthrall and entertain.
Publishers' Weekly, “Craftily mining the personalities of each woman, Downing contributes watercolor and colored pencil portraits of the mother s on their home turfs, humorously underscoring their many diverse eccentricities.”
School Library Journal, “Young readers will enjoy perusing this engaging and utterly browsable collection of quick facts about these little-known, but very important women.”
Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year
Interview: https://kidsbiographer.com/2012/10/03/meet-the-illustrator-julie-downing/
When Felix gets in trouble for playing ball in the house, his mother takes the ball away for the rest of the day. So Felix decides to take something away from his mother—hugs. “No hugs till Saturday!” he declares. But then Felix finds out Saturday is a whole week away, and both he and Mama soon realize that just one day without a hug can be a very long time.
This is a terrific way to introduce young children to the names and order of the days of the week, and Julie Downing’s wonderfully expressive dragon characters capture all the tenderness, humor, and everyday drama of life with a preschooler.
School Library Journal “...The soft-edged paintings show a lovable green dragon and humorously depict his antics. Featuring a believably childlike protagonist, a cozy parent-child relationship, and a satisfying resolution, it is a delightfully warmhearted choice.”
By Liz Rosenberg, Illustrated by Julie Downing
When they decide to fix breakfast together, Nobody suggests chocolate meat loaf, but they settle on pancakes, and cook up a storm . . . and a mess. Eventually order is restored, and pancakes are served. And Nobody eats more than anybody. Filled with clever wordplay that tells a story true to so many children’s experience, Nobody will soon have many friends.
School Library Journal, “Color pops off the page with playful illustrations done in watercolor, colored pencil, pastels, and china marker. Downing cleverly contrasts Nobody in black and white. The visual impact is strong but simple and underscores the tightly written text, and the facial expressions are priceless. Perspective is creatively used, particularly in a spread where George and Nobody are exploring the contents of the refrigerator. Kids and their parents will love this one.”
By Linda Sue Park, Illustrated by Julie Downing
Set in 19th-century Korea, this story centers around an actual bonfire signal system. Every night, when Sang-hee's father sees that the ocean is clear of enemies, he climbs the mountain to light his fire, setting in motion a chain reaction of blazes that eventually reaches the peak closest to the palace and assures the king that all is well in the land. When Father breaks his ankle, his son must ascend alone into the darkness with a bucket of burning coals. During a dramatic pause, he contemplates the consequences of inaction and his secret desire to see the king's soldiers.
APALA Best Illustrated Book 2004-2005
Irma Black Silver Medal Bank Street College 2005
CCBC Pick of the Lists
2008 Nominee Monarch Award
* "Suspenseful...Assured, empathetic storytelling involves readers in Sang-hee's inner conflict...Downing amplifies the tension with dramatically composed watercolor-and-pastel illustrations ...fascinating" PW starred review
By Ursula LeGuin, Illustrated by Julie Downing
Publishers Weekly, "Text and artwork of extraordinary beauty highlight this stirring tale of a girl who rescues her brother after he is captured by trolls.
School Library Journal, This story is a real gem that demonstrates the value of determination and that one's sense of satisfaction in a task completed is reward enough. Bravo to such a creative work".
CCBC Pick of the List
Parents Choice Award
Best Books for Girls, Parenting Magazine
NY Public Library Best Books
Like most children, Sami puts off going to bed for as long as possible. But reading a story about Little Bear's bedtime ritual inspires Sammy, just as the young reader will be inspired by this soothing story and clever book-within-a-book concept. A bedtime book that both parent and child will relish reading one more time, Don't Turn the Page! features a surprise ending that reinforces the sense that it's bedtime for everyone.
"A charming, metafiction good night." — Kirkus Reviews
"Downing’s (Spooky Friends) illustrations shift between cozy scenes in Sami’s tree-trunk home and equally snug images of the mother bear and cub in the book. There’s more: Sami has a toy bear, the bear in her book has a stuffed hedgehog, and both animals are reading the same book that (human) readers are holding. That final touch is an oft-seen visual Easter egg, but in this case, it underscores a reality-bending connection between reader and text, especially after the last pages reveal that the bear family may not be fictional after all. Gentle yet clever stuff." Ages 3–8. (June) — Publishers Weekly
