Mr. Pig Live . . . with Louise!

Greetings! Mr. Pig here with another exciting episode of my hit talk show, Mr. Pig LIVE! Today's guest is the star of Kelly Light's picture book masterpiece . . . 

LOUISE LOVES ART!

But before we bring Louise out, let's check out her book. Roll the clip, please!

Brilliant! Everybody, give a warm welcome to Louise!

Hello, Louise. What is your full name? 
My name is Louise Rose Phillips.

What three words best describe you? 
Let’s see. . . . 1. Focused 2. Observant 3. Artistic

Do you have a belly button? 
Why yes, I do. Art calls it his “F-Art button.” Cracks – me – up.

Who is Art? 
He is my little brother, silly! He’s 4. He’s very annoying sometimes, but he is cute. I cut his hair. 

What is the best thing about being you? 
Drawing!

What is the worst thing about being you? 
Sometimes I have to stop drawing and do my schoolwork and chores. So I add drawings to my school work for my teacher! And I fog the windows when I have to clean my room. My drawings are invisible until I re-fog the windows!
 
If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring? 
Paper, pencils, and my BIG book Gardner's Art Through the Ages – it’s got art all throughout forever!! I will memorize every line! Every curve!!
 

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

When do you feel the happiest? 
When I am drawing, of course!! I also love when I am hanging my art shows, and when the cat poses for me!

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? 
I think I will say . . .  invisible!!! It would help me sit and draw people without them feeling all weird like I am staring at them!! Sometimes they look up and notice me drawing so I cross my eyes just to make them laugh.

Do you identify more with Goldilocks or the three bears? 
The bears. I do not like people in my stuff. You hear that, Art!?

What is your favorite word? 
Masterpiece!

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is you least favorite word?  
“Can’t” – never say that. Always say can!!

What is your favorite sound? 
The scratch scratch scratch of a really sharp pencil point on new white paper! Sigh.

What is your least favorite sound? 
That sound when you go to the dentist and you have your teeth cleaned. . . . ooogy. Ooooooo-gy. 

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is your special talent?  
Other than drawing? I am fluent in art language. There are a lot of very complicated words in art! "Chiaroscuro," "juxtaposition,” “goo-wash” . . . See?

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be? 
The Lorax 'cause he’s all cranky like Wilford Brimley, that oatmeal guy on TV. I would love to meet Harold! He has to bring his purple crayon!! He and I would have fun drawing and Art is a big fan. He has a red crayon, ya know. The third is my pal Elliot. He just arrived in August! He always brings cupcakes!!

If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for?  
A trip to Paris!! I want to draw in Montmartre with all of the other artists sitting at their easels! I want to visit the Louvre! I want to see where Renoir and Monet and Toulouse Lautrec and especially Mary Cassatt painted!! 

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now?  
Pencil shavings!!!

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is your most embarrassing moment? 
I don’t want to talk about it. It involved paste. I was very little. I might have eaten some. What was I thinking? Wasting good art supplies like that? 

What is your pet peeve? 
My friends who say they can’t draw! Or that I “can’t even draw a straight line!” Like who wants to draw a straight line!? Draw your line. How does your line look? Everybody’s got one, a line of their own! You won’t know you can draw it – unless you draw!!

What was it like working with Kelly Light?
Oh, she is very, very cool and likes to draw a lot, just like me. I give her pointers!! Lots of art tips! She could loosen up a bit. 

Thanks for visiting, Louise! Please stay for a very, very cool Louise lunch made especially for you by our caterer Nina at Mamabelly's Lunches with Love!


About Kelly Light

Author-illustrator Kelly Light has illustrated Elvis and the Underdogs and Elvis and the Underdogs: Secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee, and the Quirks series by Erin Soderberg. This is her first picture book.  

Kelly was born in 1970 off exit 149 of the Garden State Parkway. She grew up down the shore surrounded by giant roadside dinosaurs, cotton candy colors, and skee ball sounds. Schooled on Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday Funny pages, she picked up a pencil and started drawing and never stopped. 

To learn more about Kelly and see her portfolio, visit www.kellylight.com.
 




About the book
LOUISE LOVES ART
by Kelly Light
Balzar & Bray, September 2014
ISBN: 978-0062248176

Louise loves art more than anything. It's her imagination on the outside. She's determined to create a masterpiece—her pièce de résistance! Louise also loves Art, her little brother. This is their story. Louise Loves Art is a celebration of the brilliant artist who resides in all of us.

“Light . . . is a confident visual storyteller with a gentle sense of comic timing.” —Publishers Weekly

“Budding artists, those not only crazy for art but who have their eyes and heart open, will find a muse and a collaborator.” —School Library Journal

“A fresh and bright sibling tale. . . . Cheerfully art-ful." —Kirkus Reviews