Children’s Books
Writing and Illustration
Carpenter Collective partner, Tad Carpenter has written and illustrated over 20 picture books in the market today. His first book, Sad Santa which he wrote and illustrated was praised for it’s unique take on the holidays and received numerous accolades from the likes of Print Magazine, Society of Illustrators and The New York Times. Carpenter continues to write, illustrate and speak around the world on the value and importance of children’s literature.
Monster’s New Undies
Orchard Books/Scholastic
Uh-oh! Will monster ever find the perfect pair of undies? This book is filled with hilarious rhymes from the celebrated author, Samantha Berger, and bright and innovative hand drawn illustrations from Tad Carpenter. This bouncy tale of self-reliance is full of warmth and humor. Tad created all the illustrations in this book with a #2 pencil—a risk that Scholastic championed.
“Carpenter’s chunky retro illustrations join Berger’s bouncy verses in a product reminiscent of Dr. Seuss.”
Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop!
Abrams
This humorous ode to stalking, sneaking, spying, and scheming is sure to be read over and over again. The fast-paced rhymes by author, Todd Tuel pair nicely with Tad’s bold, bright illustrations. Young readers will be drawn to this lively, heartwarming adventure.
Ninja, Ninja Never Stop, written by Todd Tuel and Illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Published by Abrams.
Who’s That Book Series
Sterling Children’s Books
Who’s That?! board book series (When I Grow Up, Barnyard Friends, Arctic Animals and On the Go) is written and illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Sterling Books was looking for a series that emphasized interaction, featured strong community helpers and was a fun read-outloud experience. Each book promotes learning through the exploration of large, die-cut interior flaps.
“All will enjoy turning the flaps of this sturdily constructed book. Beautiful, smart, and entertaining.”
The Who’s That!? board book series flaps are large and sturdy and add to the illustrations when lifted and explored. The illustrations have a cubist flair and off-primary color palette that set them apart from typical board books. [When people are shown] Skin tones are not always realistic, but they are varied, and there is careful gender distribution among the professions. —Kirkuk Reviews
Trick-or-Treat
Beach Lane Books
Trick or Treat, A Happy Haunter’s Halloween is a collection of fifteen sweet, silly, and seriously fun rhyming poems, written by author Debbie Leppanen. Young readers will meet hungry ghouls, sneaky ghosts, and frisky skeletons, all who love partying in the moonlight. Illustrations and book design are by Tad Carpenter who had a spook-tacular time working on this book.
Pantone Color Puzzles
Abrams Appleseed
In this interactive book illustrated for Abram’s Appleseed, children learn to match shades of six basic Pantone colors in a self-correcting format. Each spread focuses on variations of a single color category (such as purple), featuring a full-bleed illustration by Tad Carpenter on the left side of the spread and a grid of Pantone shades on the right. It’s never too early to start teaching future little designers about Pantone colors.
Tugboat Bill
Harper Collins
Fans of boats, ships and barges will love this lyrical, heartwarming story by Calista Brill, brought to life by Tad Carpenter’s bright and lively illustrations. Perfect for readers who can’t get enough of things that GO!
Tugboat Bill and the River Rescue, written by Calista Brill. Illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Published by Harper Collins Books.
Sad Santa
Sterling Books
For Santa, December 26th was a horrible, awful day. It was THE WORST DAY OF THE YEAR. Santa gets the post-holiday blues. When the toys are all made, the presents handed out, the Christmas cookies eaten, and the stockings unhung from the chimney with care… Santa is miserable. In this very first book written and illustrated by Tad Carpenter, he aims to create a new holiday tradition for families by keeping the spirit of the season alive on December 26th.
Sad Santa, written and illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Published by Sterling Books.
Bitty Bot
Simon & Schuster
Bitty Bot is a mischievous, smart little robot. Instead of going to bed, Bitty decides to build a rocket and go on an intergalactic adventure! Sweet and fun to read aloud, this bedtime book written by Tim McCanna is perfect for tots and bots of all varieties. Tad Carpenter’s illustrations thoughtfully shift colors as Bitty hops from planet to planet.
Bitty Bot, written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster.
Zoom! Zoom!
Simon & Schuster
From the TING-A-LING-A-LING of an alarm clock in the morning to the SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH hush of evening, these exciting and lively sounds of the city are vibrantly expressed by author Robert Burleigh. Illustrated by Tad Carpenter in true CMYK colors. Custom, animated typography and playful illustrations create an almost jazz-like rhythm to Burleigh’s story. This interactive picture book is ideal for reading aloud.
“Any child obsessed with trucks or backhoes or trains or steam shovels should get a jolt of pleasure from the vehicular energy on display here by Carpenter.”
