Apples Approaching
“Mr Peabody’s Apples“, the second of the five children’s books by Madonna, tells a story about the power of words and the importance of teachers.
The story is set in 1949 in the Us town of Happville, a small town where big talk can change people’s lives forever, and teaches an unforgettable lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.
Mr Peabody apples is a 32 page hardback book described as set to appeal to all children over the age of six and in particular boys. As in her “English Roses“, Madonna has also been involved in every aspect of the book, including its design and packaging, art direction and illustration.
The boo is released in 35 languages on November 10, by a team of editors including Callaway Editions in the US, Puffin in the Uk, Gallimard in France and Feltrinelli in Italy.
As Madonnatribe exclusively revelead in July, the book is beautifully illustrated by Loren Long, a brilliant artist from Ohio whose works have been featured in numerous publications as “Sports Illustrated”, “Reader’s Digest”, “Time Magazine”, “Forbes”, “The Wall Street Journal”, “Atlantic Monthly”, “Boy’s Life” and “Land’s End”.
Loren Long grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. He pursued graduate level studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago shortly after graduating with a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Kentucky. Long was an illustrator for the Gibson Greeting Card Company in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1988 to 1992 before setting out to begin a freelance career.
Since then, Long has received numerous accolades for his fluid WPA illustration style, including two gold medals from The Society of Illustrators in New York.
The Tornado, Long’s black and white lithograph print, was sanctioned by the American Red Cross and accepted into the permanent collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum in 1999. In November of 2001 he exhibited work at the prestigious Centro Cultura Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Paintings by Loren Long are included in the permanent collections of the U.S. Golf Association’s Museum and Archives, and the New York office of Sports Illustrated.
Loren Long was one of 22 artists chosen by the United Nations to produce a painting for their “Prevailing Human Spirit” exhibition. At the sole discretion of the United Nations, these artists were chosen for their ability to capture the emotions felt by all of us on that fateful September day.
Loren Long has also worked for the publishing industry and recently released his first book for young readers, “My Dog, My Hero” written by Betsy Byars, and worked on illustrations for several children’s books including “I Dream of Trains” by Angela Johnson.
He now lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife, Tracy, and two sons, Griffith and Graham. An avid baseball fan, he played on a vintage team for many years. Here’s a selection of his previous works.
Article by the Madonna Tribe Staff