Inside the Studio with Tom Lichtenheld, Illustrator of Mighty, Mighty Construction Site

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7 years ago

The Children’s Book Review | March 3, 2016

Inside Tom Lichtenheld’s Studio

This is what my studio looks like, but it never looks like this.

1_StudioWide

The most special thing about my studio is a priceless collection of gifts from fellow book creators and little things I keep for inspiration.

This one of a kind cutest ever dump truck was given to me by Melissa Manlove the editor of Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site when the book first hit the NYT bestseller list

This quip on a print from Eric Rohmann refers to my belief that nothing is funnier than an elephants behind

I got this Dan Santat drawing at a doodle exchange with other illustrators at a conference Dan ended up with some chicken scratching of mine he definitely got the short end of the deal

The singularly brilliant Amy Krouse Rosenthal sent me this Groovy Cup of Joe to commemorate the release of my first Groovy Joe book

An exquisite little painting from Julia Sarcone Roach

A shellpencil from Beth Ferry I hope to do another book with her so I can put this to use

Overcoming procrastination is a daily struggle Once I realized its a way of avoiding failure if you dont start you dont fail I wrote this reminder to myself

Speaking of reminders this is a one word mantra about making stories and pictures for kids adjacent to a man who did it better than anyone

A few reminders to give it all youve got from David Shannon Andrea Pinkney and Patrick McDonnell

The engine room of the studio A drawing board Ive had since college two computers slightly newer and a cabinet full of stuff to make marks on paper

The cabinet has a drawer for each medium here colored pencils

A book at the finished sketch layout stage Everything goes on one big board so I can see it as one piece and keep track of progress

A menagerie of critters because I never know what kind of animal Ill want to draw and kids are particular about details like how many digits a T Rex has

Tom Lichtenheld’s Creative Process

My process is: drawing, editing, more drawing, designing, collaborating, and coloring.

Fortunately, I get some help.

Goodnight from the studio!

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Mighty, Mighty Construction Site

Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Publisher’s Synopsis: At last—here from the team behind the beloved international bestseller comes a companion to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site—this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small! Down in the big construction site, the crew faces their biggest job yet, and will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Working as a team, there’s nothing they can’t do! The millions of fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are in for a mighty good time!

Ages 3-6 | Publisher: Chronicle Books | February 14, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1452152165

Available Here:

About Tom Lichtenheld

Tom Lichtenheld is the illustrator of #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train, created with Sherri Duskey Rinker, as well as Duck! Rabbit! and I Wish You More, created with Amy Krouse Rosenthal. He lives near Chicago, Illinois.

Discover more books like “Mighty, Mighty Construction Site,” written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, on The Children’s Book Review by following along with our articles tagged with American History, Civil War Books, Debbie Levy, Gilbert Ford, and Non-Fiction. And be sure to check out more authors and illustrators featured in our Inside the Studio column.