So, I know I’ve blogged already on my love of illustrators, specifically Carson Ellis, but I just wanted to tell you that I’ve found a new favorite. Her name is Julie Morstad, she’s Canadian, and her artwork is wonderful. I first saw her work on the cover of my advanced reader copy of Kevin Wilson’s new novel The Family Fang (coming out this August), but then Emily showed me some children’s books illustrated by Morstad, When You Were Small by Sara O’Leary and Singing Away the Dark by Caroline Woodward. Both of them are lovely and I may or may not have bought both of them as birthday presents to me, from me.
Drawn and Quarterly described one collection of Morstad’s illustrations as “fairy tales infused with dreamlike innocence and a touch of the macabre.” I mean, honestly, who wouldn’t want to look at something that warranted that description?
I like to think of illustrated books as little reminders that sometimes books are beautiful not only for their words 
and stories, but also for the words and stories that they have the possibility of evoking (like this trés eloquent blog post, perhaps? I kid). So, Julie Morstad, I want to thank you for creating these beautiful images. My hope is that they inspire everyone who sees them to write dreamlike fairy tales with macabre touches so that you may illustrate more books that I, in turn, can covet and love. -Kaycie
Check out Julie’s website here.
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