Thursday, February 24, 2022

I Have a Picture Book Coming in 2023!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm now the author of a picture book biography! Cut!: How Lotte Reinger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation, illustrated by the talented Matt Schu, will release from Greenwillow Books in Winter 2023. Thanks to my Greenwillow editor, Martha Mihalick, for acquiring the book back in the darkness and chaos of early 2020, and to my agent, Barbara Poelle, for helping me embark on this new adventure.  

Here's the official announcement from Publishers Weekly Children's Bookshelf:

Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow Books has acquired world rights to Morris Award finalist C.E. Winters's (l.) debut picture book, Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation, illustrated by Matt Schu. It tells the true story of the career of Lotte Reiniger, the animator and inventor who designed and directed the oldest surviving full-length animated film. Publication is scheduled for winter 2023. Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Literary represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.

I've written the book under the name C.E. Winters to separate my picture books from my novels for teens and adults. I've also launched a new website, cewinters.com, and set up new Twitter and Instagram accounts that will primarily focus on my books for younger kids. 

Who was Lotte Reiniger? She was the creator of the oldest surviving full-length animated film, the inventor of an early multiplane camera, and a revolutionary silhouette artist whose influence can still be seen in the works of artists and filmmakers to this day.  

Here's a snippet of Reiniger's short film Cinderella, from 1922:


While you're waiting for Cut!, I recommend watching these short documentaries:




I'll share more news about the book as soon as I can!