While nature quietly breathes its sleepy winter sighs, we humans are experiencing a bit of an awakening. It’s the New Year, after all; a time for fresh starts and exciting beginnings.

Razzle-Dazzle Ruby pop-up book by Masha D’yans

Gazing Back at the Picture Books of 2017

The New York Times recently published its round-up of 2017’s best-rated picture books, and reading it has inspired and sparked remembrances of our own beginnings. From the honest, childlike wonder in Marc Martin’s A River, to the almost hauntingly whimsical imagery in On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna, it’s easy to see how children’s books sparked so much inspiration in a young Masha D’yans.

Children’s picture books represent infinitely more than a simple way to learn to read. We have loved them since we could first look and touch, and they have shaped the course of Masha’s  life and career. Picture books provide a way to enjoy both story and art in four dimensions — adding the element of time to the experience. Time to which you can be transported, and years through which you can hold on to a single story.

Looking Forward To Our Own

sneak-peek of Polka Dot Parade

Now, in 2018, Masha has the pleasure of contributing the visual dimension to two vibrant picture books: Polka Dot Parade: A Book About Bill Cunningham by Deborah Blumenthal, and Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate with Animals by Sara Levine. We’re equally joyful about Color Me Enchanted, a collaboration with Masha’s mother, Gala Lazuli. Released in 2017, this intricate coloring book highlights fairy tales from around the world, allowing the owner to contribute to that visual element themselves.

pages from Color Me Enchanted by Masha D’yans + Gala Lazuli

As we look to the New Year, it’s important to remember those beginnings that shaped us so early in our lives, so that we may honor them and continue in what they started.

We wish a Happy New Year to you all, and hope that this year’s beginnings shape your life in the best ways possible.