Sad endings.

[Patrick Bhaldwraithe]

Hi, the latest threads are too mushy for me. I make deep picture books and I was in despair about the latest one when I read the lose-lose post. Then I thought go draw, why put up with this? I am just about finished with the sketches for the book and next I will go to the zoo and see if I can get some good reference pics of monkeys and tigers. Maybe they'll have a fig tree too? I make the compositional sketches first, then I get the models. The sketches look good to go, but you know the competition out there these days.

I guess this is a "name your favorite" post. So, name your favorite PB with a sad ending...is there one? May have to go back a little?

[Toothpaste]

Have your read The Spider and The Fly? It's a picture book around the already existing poem. The art is fabulous though, by the artist Tony DiTerlizzi (the artist behind The Spiderwick Chronicles). It's gorgeous, all in black and white . . . and yup a sad ending . . . well I guess not if you're on the spider's side . . .

[Kitty Pryde]

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

[Patrick Bhaldwraithe]

Thanks Kitty and Toothpaste. The list is short eh? I guess a PB without a big payoff at the end is about the journey rather than the destination. I am in the middle of making a composition dummy. I draw well, so it looks like a sketch dummy, but wait until they get a load out of me:) I went to Lincoln Park zoo today. I got some good pics but I need a zoom lens. Luckily there are two zoos in my town. Later.

[MsJudy]

Google images is my preferred source for animal pictures.

Sad endings on picture books...I can't think of any off-hand.

[Jersey Chick]

Oh, I love The Giving Tree, and the Velveteen Rabbit - the endings to me are bittersweet. And they are two of my favorites - I read them to my kids :)

[Toothpaste]

Patrick you asked for our favourite, so of course the list will be short, it will be one book . . . you know, our favourite.

Anyway, you're welcome. And btw you never shared what your favourite one was!

[JoNightshade]

I don't know if the END in particular is sad, but I've always loved Dav Pilkey's God Bless the Gargoyles (http://www.amazon.com/god-bless-gargoyles-Dav-Pilkey/dp/0152021043). It's a rhyming book about how gargoyles and angels watch over all the lonely, misunderstood, broken people in the world. This turned out to be the perfect book to read to a couple of my second cousins when they were staying at my house during a seriously messed up family situation. I knew their mother would come and take them back and I wouldn't see them again for years, so this was the perfect way to convey to them that no matter where they were and no matter how bad life got, someone would be watching over them.

[brittanimae]

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Garhh. I always cry when I read it to my boys.

[Patrick Bhaldwraithe]

Thanks for the titles. My favorite PB with a sad ending? I can't think of one other than the Giving Tree. I dig the minimalist illustrations.

I thought about the idea of a PB with a sad ending and following my idea to the end. I was thinking particularly about an idea by a published writer that the end is the most important part of the book. I think that really follows the happy ending PB.

I think my story is more like the saying that life is a journey and not a destination. The beginning of my book is so appealing to children. The tragic loss at the end is melancholy. I guess my book is reverse-structured, happy beginning and sad ending. Oh well, time to finish it and get on with the rest.