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During my senior year in high school, I applied to four art colleges in New York City. Only Pratt Institute accepted me, so I left East Northport for Brooklyn. I've always loved New York City. Sometimes it exhilarates me; other times I find it fiercely depressing. But it always affects me. I expect the same from paintings, movies, and music. I don't have to like what I see or hear, but I want to be affected. I hope to do the same in the picture books I write and paint: to leave the reader with something to think about. When I illustrate another writer's text, I want to extend the words by adding new ideas into the art. My pictures stray from the words but not from the story. I enjoy illustrating stories that are ethereal, airy, and emotional, not locked into a specific time and place. I think an illustrator also needs to recognize what not to paint. Some lines of text are so poetic and perfectly descriptive that a picture would dilute their effect. Metaphors and similes are important things not to illustrate. I don't think we ever need to see someone's "heart beating like a hammer." In several books, I placed the title and credits after the story began, a format I always find very appealing in movies. However, I only do it when it feels right for the story. an idea can become a gimmick if used at the wrong time. Most people I meet in schools, libraries and bookstores are excited to see a new format. A few people have told me that they find it confusing. I'm just glad I affected them. I believe a good book doesn't explain everything. It's a springboard, an open door. It gives readers some space to make their own choices and connections. To laugh. To cry. To be affected. |
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Price: $6.95 "Solomon Singer is a middle-aged man who lives in a hotel in New York City....Catalanotto's signature watercolors have never been more affecting....This title will be of great value to libraries." Starred review, School Library Journal AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK NCSS/CBC NOTABLE CHILDREN'S TRADE BOOKS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL STUDIES PARENTS MAGAZINE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR |
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Catching the Sun Price: $16.95 (hardcover) Dylan gets a special present for his fifth birthday. In the middle of the night, his very pregnant Mom wakes him up (while Dad is still "honk-snoring"). It's the last day of the family's annual summer visit to Cape Cod and Dylan and Mom walk to the beach. ..as they cross the bridge on the way home, Dylan waves goodbye to the waves and, along with Mom, closes his eyes again, catching the sun. Paratore's slightly lyrical prose is well-matched to Catalanotto's muted watercolor illustrations, many of which (by virtue of offbeat composition and perspective) look like paintings to frame. Warm and winning. Publishers Weekly |
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Celebrate! Stories Of The Jewish Holidays Price: $8.99 "A year of Jewish holidays, including Shabbat, Sukkot, and Purim, is introduced with stories adapted from the Bible and other sources. Sections entitled "What We Celebrate" and "How We Celebrate" and suggestions for holiday-specific crafts and recipes accompany each well-told story. Watercolor illustrations highlight and complement the text" The Horn Book |
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Christmas Always... Price: $6.95 LIMITED QUANTITY Lying in bed on Christmas eve, wiggling a loose tooth and listening to party sounds coming from downstairs Katie awaits Santa. To her surprise, it's not Santa who comes...." Booklist |
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Dylan's Day Out Price: $7.99 Dylan, a bored dalmation, steals outside to freedom one morning. While galloping towards country meadows, he is upended by a soccer ball....Dylan tends goal for the penguins and leads them to victory....Catalanotto is a talent on the rise." Booklist |
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Emily's Art Price: $17.99 "As with all inspired artists, Emily's paintings reflect her unique perceptions. T he child paints her beloved teacher with golden wings and her dog with exceptionally large ears, "Because Thor hears everything." The story, however, really begins before the title page with a provocative classroom discussion of the upcoming art contest-and the process of singling out an entry as the best.....Whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece." School Library Journal |
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Happy Birthday, America
"In a small town, which could be Anywhere, USA, a young boy narrates as three generations of family gather to spend the day celebrating July 4th. A pet parade, some time staffing the popcorn and pizza booth, a performance by his sister's dance class, then antique cars, and carnival games....As the fireworks light the sky, the children see shapes in the glowing sparks, and the young boy whispers, "Happy birthday, America," as he blows out the stars on America's birthday cake. These ordinary events add up to a surprisingly emotional story." Kirkus Reviews |
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Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue Price: $15.95 "Named for colors in a box of crayons, 16 kittens pair off with as many community workers and residents in this ingenious cousin to Matthew A.B.C. (2002) and Daisy 1, 2, 3 (2003). Catalanotto lines up Sophia the cat's calico offspring and then sends them away wearing colored collars to help new owners in their own way. Red kitten looks on as Dave the red-hatted firefighter contemplates a dog stuck in a tree, for instance; Green kitten poses for Paul the landscaper's verdant topiary... To brighten the color highlights, the artist renders each lively, humorous scene in neutral tones, and closes with a chromatic blast, as the kittens reunite, with confetti and identifying balloons, for a parental visit..."Kirkus Review |
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Matthew A.B.C. Price: $16.99 (hardcover) "Mrs. Tuttle's kindergarten class has 25 students, all named Matthew, and most with jug ears and gap-toothed smiles. How does she tell them apart? Matthew A. is affectionate and Matthew B. is fond of Band-Aids. C. has a wild cowlick, and D. believes he's a duck...When a new boy is introduced to the class-Matthew, of course-his pants and jacket are blazing with zippers. Just what the class needed. A stunning play of art and verbal imagination" Kirkus Reviews |
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Mother to Tigers Price: $17.95 (hardcover) "Arresting art illuminates Lyon and Catalanotto's tribute to Helen Martini, founder of the Bronx Zoo's animal nursery...the story cannot miss its mark as animal lovers appreciate Helen's love for and commitment to saving nature's newest members." Publishers Weekly PARENTS' CHOICE SILVER MEDAL 2003 BEST 'INFORMATION PLEASE' BOOKS, NICK JR. MAGAZINE JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION |
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Mr. Mumble Price: $7.99 "The success of this book hinges on the element of surprise and the humor readers find in Mr. Mumble's strange predicament: he awakens one morning with a mysterious throat complaint that results in a series of miscommunications and unbidden results. Intending to buy a dozen bagels he receives a dozing beagle, a panda bear instead of a pound of pears etc....Impressive" School Library Journal |
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My Mother's Voice Price: $15.99 (hardcover) "The cover image, of a young girl and her mom in the kitchen using serving spoons as their microphones while they sing, is a key to this resonant and openhearted paean to the sound of a mother's voice... Catalanotto captures light and shadow magically; his grounded figures with their sculptural solidity, well-worn colors and edges blurred by the softness of memory inhabit a real world of remote controls and regal house cats. Supple, sweet and satisfying." Kirkus Review |
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No Dessert Forever! Price: $16.95 (hardcover) Have you ever been blamed for mischief your brother has caused? Did you get mad? Well, so does the girl in this book about a brother who pesters, and a sister who objects -- big time. In their spirited words and pictures, favorite friends George Ella Lyon and Peter Catalanotto have a fine time righting the wrong of this familiar family injustice. |
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No More Pumpkins Price: $15.95 (hardcover) "Emily is tired of pumpkins. At school she and her friend Vincetta Louise have been doing pumpkin math, pumpkin field trips, and pumpkin writing. Can't they just carve jack-o-lanterns? But even this ends up being an assignment: the kids have to turn their pumpkins into self portraits." Then something happens to Emily's jack-o-lantern, and her friendship with Vinni is tested. Will the two girls get past their quarrel? And will they ever want to see a pumpkin again? |
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The Secret Lunch Special Price: $15.95 (hardcover) Meet Emily, and her new friend-sort of . . . Emily loves her shiny black lunch bag - the jewels, the way it sparkles. But one day a new school bus picks her up, and in the confusion she forgets her lunch bag on the bus. Will she get a ticket, like that loud girl Vincetta Louise said? Or will Emily be forced to eat the Secret Lunch Special? From fickle friendships to mystery meat, kids everywhere will identify with Emily as she navigates the rough waters of second grade. |
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We Wanted You Price: $16.95 A husband and wife want to become a father and mother, so they decide to adopt a child. They wait a long tine-hoping, watching, preparing. At long last, the day arrives...and so does Enrique. With humor and love, We Wanted You tells the story of how two becomes three. Best of all, it tells the child what he most wants to know. We wanted you so much back then, and we still do. |
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Book NO LONGER AVAILABLE "This oversize picture book, really an illustrated free verse poem, pays tribute to books and reading. The full page paintings embrace both the words and the spirit of the text and bibliophiles will find themselves in complete agreement with the author's exalted view of books and reading..." Judy Katsh, Children's Literature Reviews BOOKLINKS BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 1999 |
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NO LONGER AVAILABLE The trauma of separation is sensitively explored in a Civil War setting in this evocative picture book.....Well worth serious consideration." Starred review, School Library Journal |
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Circle of Thanks NO LONGER AVAILABLE "The drama and interconnectedness of the natural world swirl through this luminous picture book set on the Alaskan tundra....Catalanotto's delicately lit art fluidly renders the beauty of a rugged wilderness in both summer bloom and winter snow." Publisher's Weekly |
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Dad and Me NO LONGER AVAILABLE "Catalanotto's watercolors deftly capture both Tommy's disappointment and his longing for adventure; the period of the 1960s is poignantly evoked. Tommy's nearly overwhelming excitement comes through clearly-in fact, some pages are almost explosively joyful and expressive."Kirkus Reviews BOOKLINKS BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 1999 |
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A Day at Damp Camp NO LONGER AVAILABLE Megan and Sarah begin their camp experience as loners and end it as supportive friends....Extraordinary work is what we have come to expect from these collaborators, and the promise is once again delivered." School Library Journal |
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Dreamplace NO LONGER AVAILABLE "Children are treated to a vision of the past, this time among the ruins of an Anasazi village....This book is both art and literature of a quality that is rarely seen and should be cherished." Starred review, School Library Journal AN AMERICAN BOOKSELLER KIDS' PICK OF THE LISTS |
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The Dream Shop OUT OF PRINT One hot summer night, a cousin's words transport Pip to a strange and unexpected place, where cowardice and courage are for sale. The choice is hers. A writer whose words sparkle with imagination and an illustrator who dazzles with inspiration combine their talents in bringing this mysterious tale to life. |
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The Longest Wait NO LONGER AVAILABLE "During a treacherous winter storm, a family anxiously awaits for their mail-carrier father to come home....Through the narrative and illustration technique two stories emerge (one of family togetherness, and another of a dedicated, hardworking hero)." Kirkus Reviews |
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My House Has Stars NO LONGER AVAILABLE "Children from widely different cultures have one thing in common--all of their homes have a view of the night sky. Full-page watercolor paintings in soft, misty colors reflect the awesome quality of the universe as viewed by youngsters throughout the world." School Library Journal IRA/CBC TEACHERS' CHOICE NCSS/CBC NOTABLE CHILDRENS TRADE BOOKS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL STUDIES |
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The Painter NO LONGER AVAILABLE "A child's description of her relationship with her father begins even before the titile page and reveals their enjoyment of one another whether they are cooking breakfast, reading the comics, or dancing.....This delightful work of art deserves a place in every collection." Starred review, School Library Journal |
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The Rolling Store NO LONGER AVAILABLE "Catalanotto's golden pencil-and-watercolors paintings shimmer with the haze of memory and are dappled with summer sunlight and shadow." Pointer, Kirkus Reviews AN AMERICAN BOOKSELLER KIDS' PICK OF THE LIST |
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Who Came Down that Road? NO LONGER AVAILABLE A lovely beautifully crafted book." Pointer, Kirkus reviews AMERICAN BOOKSELLER KIDS' PICK OF THE LIST |
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Author and Illustrator Current Location: Doylestown, PA Honorarium:
Program Description: Peter's school programs focus on the writing and illustrating process. With slides, he takes the students through his entire creative process, from inspiration to finished paintings. The children learn how to get ideas and how to develop them. He also draws in every session, showing tips and techniques the students can use. His program will make each child feel they can write and draw, too. |
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