I’m sure all of you have favorite authors and illustrators. And when they have a new book coming out, you can’t wait to read it, right? Well, one of my favorite illustrators is Molly Ruttan – and when I found out that her author/illustrator debut picture book was launching in February of 2023, I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. [Correction: not sure how I missed Molly’s 2020 book, THE STRAY. That was her author/illustrator debut – but all that means is there is more Molly Ruttan goodness in the world!)

READY! SET! GO! COVER REVEAL for SOMETHING WILD!

Isn’t that cover gorgeous? So engaging and alive!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page (and YES…the book is available for Pre-Order.
Performance jitters lead to some imaginative what ifs before a little girl finds her confidence.

Hannah loves to play her violin—as long as no one is watching. On the day of the recital, she’s wishing something wild would happen so she won’t have to go. Perhaps a dolphin will jump out of the fountain and carry her away, or a giant rabbit will abscond with her violin. Hannah’s big imagination dreams up all kinds of entertaining scenarios that could change the course of her day, but what actually happens is the most amazing of all!
 
Children and grown-ups alike will relate to Hannah’s stage fright and get a laugh out of all her wishful thinking. Most importantly, they will be right there beside her on recital day when something wild—and beautiful—happens. 

And here’s a little bit about author/illustrator Molly Ruttan:

Molly Ruttan grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, which is filled with trees and banked by the Hudson River. She and her identical twin sister spent their childhood drawing, painting, and creating all kinds of things like stuffed animals, board games, and of course, books! She eventually attended the Cooper Union School of Art in New York, and graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design. She currently lives, works and creates art in the diverse and historic neighborhood of Echo Park in Los Angeles, where the trees resound with wild parrots!   

In addition to being an artist, Molly is a musician. She played violin when she was a kid, and has been playing the drums since she was 16. She has been in many bands over the years, and currently also sings with Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s adult choir, the Silverlake Singers.

Molly’s work is created by combining both traditional and digital media. She creates drawings and textures with charcoal, and then paints digitally. Her background in painting with oils and liquid acrylics influences her digital painting—using scanned pastel “color fields” she has made, she layers and works the color in the same way she layers with paint. She also adds layers of charcoal textures and liquid acrylic washes & textures she has made, as well as other found textures and color.

Molly’s titles include The Stray, (Nancy Paulsen Books 2020) and Something Wild (Nancy Paulsen Books, forthcoming in 2023) and is the illustrator of I am a Thief! by Abigail Rayner (NorthSouth Books, 2019), Violet and the Crumbs: A Gluten-Free Adventure by Abigail Rayner (NorthSouth Books, 2022) and The Yowlers by Stacy Lynn Carroll (Nancy Paulsen Books, forthcoming in 2024).

Website: http://www.mollyruttan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyillo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mollyruttanillustration
Twitter: https://twitter.com/molly_ruttan
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmS4WTZgoc_jRhhRC3DV-Cg.

Thank you so much for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a beautiful week!