News

Arrivederci, Crocodile –20 years in the making– has arrived!

It is our indescribable pleasure to announce that Arrivederci, Crocodile, the long-awaited sequel to I, Crocodile has finally arrived. The official publication date was September 10th, 2019. Fred had completed the story, the page layouts, all of the sketches, and half of the finished illustrations when he died in 2001. It seemed more than unlikely that the book would ever see the light of day. But thanks to Holly McGhee of Pippin Properties and Caitlyn Dlouhy of Atheneum Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, and the incredible talent and enthusiasm of the French illustrator Eric Puybaret, here it is!!

Arrivederci, Crocodile
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
First edition (September 10, 2019)
Hardcover: 40 pages
Buy Arrivederci, Crocodile on Amazon

Publishers Weekly: Fred Marcellino’s “Crocodile” Resurfaces

From Publishers Weekly, December 1, 2016:

Illustrators often bemoan how long it takes for an idea to become a finished book. But few titles will ever rival the prolonged gestation of Arrivederci Crocodile, a sequel to the late Fred Marcellino’s award-winning I Crocodile, which will be published in September 2019, exactly 20 years after the publication of the original book. An unusual deal, recently brokered by Marcellino’s agent Holly McGhee, involved working with two publishers, recruiting a new artist to finish the illustrations, and winning approval from Marcellino’s family.

“We could not be more delighted,” said Jean Marcellino, who manages her late husband’s estate with their son, Nico. “We continued to have hope that it would see the light of day in some fashion, but after all this time it still feels like a great surprise.”

Read the full article from Publishers Weekly

Fred Marcellino Exhibition at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA

Renaissance Man: The Art of Fred Marcellino
Exhibition Dates: June 30 – October 25, 2015

From the Eric Carle Museum:

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art proudly announces its forthcoming exhibition of award-winning art and illustrations by Fred Marcellino. A Renaissance Man: The Art of Fred Marcellino will be on view from June 30 to October 25, 2015. The exhibition comprises over 90 works and shows the full range of Marcellino’s talent, from his youthful experiments in Abstract Expressionism, to his celebrated album cover and book jacket designs, to his children’s book illustrations, the crowning achievement of his career…

Read the full article from the Eric Carle Museum

The Wainscott Weasel has been re-released by Atheneum Books

True love, undying loyalty, and a daring rescue fill the pages of Tor Seidler’s beloved tale, rightfully compared to Charlotte’s Web by the New York Times.

Bagley isn’t your typical trouble-making weasel—and he doesn’t mind if his non-weaselly ways prompt teasing from his friends. For while other young weasels dance under the pines, Bagley thinks about Bridget, the mesmerizing fish who lives in a pond down the brook from his den. As the two unlikely friends grow closer, Bagley realizes that there is big trouble in Bridget’s future. Only a true hero can save Bridget from the gruesome fate that awaits her, and this is exactly what Bagley, much to his own surprise, proves himself to be.

Tor Seidler’s “engagingly imaginative story” (Kirkus Reviews) has been a treasured favorite since its original publication in 1994, and this edition features refreshed prints of Fred Marcellino’s “exceptionally expressive art” (Publishers Weekly).

The Wainscott Weasel
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Reissue edition (November 11, 2014)
Hardcover: 208 pages
Buy The Wainscott Weasel on Amazon

Fred Marcellino Exhibition at the Greater Denton Arts Council in Denton, TX

Dancing By The Light of The Moon: The Art of Fred Marcellino
Exhibition Dates: November 17, 2013 – January 17, 2014

From the The Greater Denton Arts Council:

Marcellino achieved early success as an illustrator and designer of record album covers, reflecting a diversity of musical and artistic styles. He began making his mark on the publishing world in the mid-1970s, and was soon regarded as the preeminent designer and illustrator of elegant, eye-catching book jackets. His subtly painted images created an alluring graphic identity for works by many prominent authors, including Tom Wolfe, Margaret Atwood and Anne Tyler. Simultaneously, his interest in the art of children’s book began to emerge.

Read the full article from the Greater Denton Arts Council

Fred Marcellino Exhibition at the Joslyn Museum of Art in Omaha, NE

Dancing By The Light of The Moon: The Art of Fred Marcellino
Exhibition Dates: July 14 – September 29, 2012

From the Joslyn Museum:

Celebrated artist and designer Fred Marcellino (1939-2001) changed the look and feel of book covers for contemporary fiction before becoming an author and illustrator of award-winning children’s literature. This exhibition features drawings and paintings for nine picture books including Puss in Boots; The Steadfast Tin Soldier; The Wainscott Weasel; I, Crocodile; and The Pelican Chorus and Other Nonsense — a collection of Edward Lear tales, among them The Owl and the Pussycat from which comes the sweetly familiar line: “They danced by the light of the moon…”

Read the full article from the Joslyn Museum