Book Trailer Premiere: The Field by Baptiste Paul and Jacqueline Alcántara

Hi, Baptiste Paul and Jacqueline Alcántara! Thank you for allowing me to reveal the book trailer for The Field. 

Baptiste, please share two things about The Field before everyone watches its FANTASTIC book trailer.

1. It’s about a group of kids who play on despite many obstacles playing the game of soccer.

2. The idea came from playing outside in the rain with my kids.

Jacqueline, what was the most exciting thing about illustrating Baptiste’s manuscript?

It was all exciting! I mean there's the vibrant Caribbean colors, the lush tropical island setting, cute kids, soccer, a dramatic change in weather - all my favorite things to draw! But since I have to choose, I really enjoy drawing movement/motion so it was a lot of fun to research different soccer poses, kicks and tricks and draw the characters just having a great time. Next I really loved thinking about and illustrating the change of colors and feel of the setting before, during and after the storm.

Baptiste, what ran through your head the first time you saw the finished illustrations?

I cried. The world I envisioned was now a reality. The illustrations are spot on. As I flipped through each page key details that Jackie captured in the illustration unlocked specific memories. I find myself time traveling — I still do each time I read the book.

Jacqueline, what would we see if we visited your studio?

Oh my studio is my favorite room in my home. It's super cozy, filled with lots and lots of stuff - if feels like my grandpa’s basement. I have a beautiful old wooden desk/flat files from my grandpa, tons of frames on the walls (I used to be a framer), a huge old map of the world, a floor to ceiling tapestry from Burkina Faso, tons of supplies, paper, and every kind of adhesive you could ever want. Boxes, brushes, books, scraps of notes everywhere. I have a proper collection of tools, lots of things laying around that I've been meaning to fix, current projects hanging up. Probably there would be some snacks on my desk, definitely my computer and notebook, highlighters and pencils, and finally my dog curled up on a pillow.

Baptiste, please finish these sentence starters:

Soccer is universal, it’s life's ups and downs in 90 minutes. It was my escape from the hardships I faced as a child.

Picture books are tools we use to introduce the diversity of our world to children.

Jacqueline, please finish these sentence starters:

The Field will make you want to jump up, grab a ball, find some friends and go play - rain or shine!

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me… well I really loved your questions actually!  But maybe, "when was the last time you played in the rain?”

Look for The Field on March 6, 2018.