Illustrated by Susan Gal and published by Scholastic, Awe! explores A. W. E., an Awesome Wondrous Empowering emotion! When chills travel down your spine, and sudden tears surprise your eyes. When your heart exclaims, “Ooh! Ahh! Whoaaa!”, that’s when you know you’ve found AWE.
Susan Gal and author Chana Stiefel celebrated the book’s launch together with One AWEsome Day in NYC, finding awe in New York landmarks and monuments throughout the day.
The author and illustrator were also interviewed together by Laura Fineberg Cooper for the Writer’s Rumpus blog:
“I tried to make the art as rich and inspiring as I could possibly paint it. I wanted the reader to feel those chills that you feel when experiencing awe. The paintings had to flow and be expressive and sometimes that meant repainting a spread several times until I felt that I got it right.
I draw and paint with many mediums: watercolors, acrylics, crayons, pastels, ink, etc. on paper. I love those little discoveries and happy accidents that can happen with paint and paper. Working traditionally helps me to be spontaneous and pushes me to bring life to the spreads.“
— Susan Gal
