The Beacon News, January 18, 2006
Aurora artist featured in children's book series
By Jan RammingSpecial to the Beacon News
As the Chinese Year of the Dog draws near, arriving on Jan. 29, it is celebrated by a new book featuring an Aurora artist's work.
The Year of the Dog, the first of a new series of children's books based on the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, features lively and original illustrations by Aurora artist Jeremiah Alcorn, who's quite pleased with the finished product.
"For me it's the first children's book that I've had the opportunity to do," he said, "so I'd say the final product has turned out very nice."
Alcorn is originally from Jacksonville, Fla., and studied fine arts at Montevallo College in Alabama. He worked for Warner Brothers and DreamWorks, and was the 2003 winner of the ACME animation competition, a nationwide art contest. He currently works for WMS Gaming Company in Chicago.
Author Oliver Chin credits Alcorn for doing a "fantastic job" on the book, and he has entrusted him with illustrations for the next book in the series, The Year of the Pig. A dozen such books are planned to be released by publisher Immedium.
"We think a combination of really great artwork and modern stories for modern families will be successful," said Chin.
Unlike other children's books about the Chinese New Year that retell folktales or mythological stories, The Year of the Dog is an original tale of a modern-day puppy named Daniel. The adventuresome pup exhibits all the traits inherent to those born in a Chinese dog year: loyalty, honesty and trustworthiness.
"I'm not trying to create stories that are good for you, but by making a story about the year of the dog, it makes it more accessible to more families," Chin said. "There are a lot of different audiences that will relate to different parts of it."
Chin expects that the network of American families who have adopted Asian children will have a special appreciation for the books because it will allow them to give their children something from their own culture.
A 1991 Harvard graduate, Chin has worked for a number of different media companies, including Simon and Schuster and the Children's Television Workshop. His familiarity with the book market and publishing gave him the urge to create original stories for a new generation.
"I'm trying to create a high bar for imaginative story telling teamed with premier artists," he said.
That's not to say that there's anything wrong with characters like Elmo and SpongeBob, he added.
"But I do think there need to be stories out there as alternatives."
The Chinese New Year arrives on Sunday, January 29, although Year of the Dog can be enjoyed all year long.
Artist Jeremiah Alcorn will be reading this book at a special event at Barnes & Noble, 47 East Chicago Avenue in Naperville at 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 29. For more information, contact the store at (630) 579-6920.