It’s a question that gets an enthusiastic answer at a Calgary daycare: “Does anybody here like puppies?”
Kim Smith smiled as her young audience responded with a chorus of ‘Yeahs,’ with one four-year-old boy adding, “My puppy always licks me!”
Smith was visiting the daycare to read from the children’s book, The Great Puppy Invasion.
“I made all the pictures for the book,” Smith told the kids.
It’s one of 12 children’s books the Calgary artist has provided illustrations for.
Among the books she’s most proud of are those featuring kid versions of classic family movies.
Part of the Pop Classics series put out by a Philadelphia publisher, Smith has done illustrations for books based on ET: The Extraterrestrial and Home Alone, with one based on Back to the Future just completed.
“It’s really exciting to be part of it,” Smith said. “Because these are movies I’ve grown up with.”
The books are gaining popularity with international audiences: Home Alone is available in French, Hungarian, Latvian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Serbian, with versions in Chinese and Korean on the way.
“So people all over the world can enjoy the stories,” Smith said. “It’s kind of neat.”
As Smith prepares to start work on illustrating the Pop Classics version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she treasures a special copy of her ET book.
It’s signed by Steven Spielberg, the legendary director who created the movie.
“They showed it to him and apparently he said he really liked it,” Smith said. “So you can’t really get a better compliment than that!”