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BONUS EPISODE! Shane Cluskey: The Book Cover and Interior Illustrations Artist
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BONUS EPISODE! Shane Cluskey: The Book Cover and Interior Illustrations Artist

Be honest. We all judge books by their cover...at least a bit. Have you ever talked with a cover artist? Well, we did! Listen to our discussion with artist Shane Cluskey and give book artists love.

Our July read, Basil & Dahlia: A Tragical Tale of Sinister Sweetness has an eye catching cover and fun illustrations sprinkled throughout the novel. We decided we had to have Shane Cluskey, the illustrator, on our show. This episode will give you a glimpse into the process of book covers and artwork in books as well as a look at how Shane creates his art. You can also scroll further down to see his wonderful artwork that is featured in the novel.

You can listen to our talk with author, Joy McCullough here:

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

Discussion

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Art Challenge

Recreate a book cover of a favorite book OR create a book cover for your own work. You could use magazines or Pinterest and print images you love to create a collage as your cover or draw, paint, or digitally create. Let down your guard and have fun.

Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Basil and Dahlia: A Tragic Tale of Sinister Sweetness

With interior illustrations by Shane Cluskey

Two orphan siblings with truly terrible luck battle an evil celebrity chef in this uproarious illustrated middle grade romp with the dark humor of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Beast and the Bethany.

It’s hard to imagine things could get worse after one’s parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that is precisely what happens to Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes by jumping off a moving train, only to find themselves wounded (Dahlia) and bedraggled (Basil) and without a soul to care for them. What’s more, they’re lost in the wilds of New York City.

Famished and alone, they wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by Laurel Fox, disgraced celebrity chef with a soft spot for poor, hungry orphans. When she offers them luxurious accommodations and all the éclairs they can eat, Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last. But the savvy reader will know it can’t be as simple as all that! Laurel Fox is out for redemption, and she’ll do anything to get the sinister secret ingredient she requires.

Artwork by Shane Cluskey

Purchase your copy here

Looking Ahead

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Discussion about this podcast

Read to Write Kidlit Substack
Read to Write Kidlit Podcast
Read to Write Kidlit is a bookclub and podcast where we read great books and talk about writing craft with authors! The hosts are two aspiring authors, Brittany and Alexis, who are ready to grow and learn by reading and discussing within the kidlit community. We focus on middle grade literature. Thanks for listening!