What a wonderful Kirkus review!
(Paired here with my favorite improper contraction.)
"A thoughtful look at life, in all its beauty and strangeness.
...
This delightfully deadpan musing on life urges compassion for others. Howden’s straightforward text is on the philosophical side, though also rooted in the absurd. Hahn’s spare black graphite pencil watercolor, mostly set against a white background, are imbued with humor and empathy for the pickle, with the foodstuff’s expressive eyes conveying many emotions at once. "
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-howden/the-wise-pickle/
THE WISE PICKLE
by Sarah Howden ;
illustrated by Sabina Hahn
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2026
A vibrant, hand-drawn urban sketch capturing the quiet magic of a black cat wandering through a Mediterranean-style alley. Featuring warm orange and yellow hues, loose marker strokes, and a whimsical atmosphere, this piece brings the warmth of a European summer right into your home.
Tada! An art piece of @xavtheidiot 's character, Zane! Hope you like it! I did the cheeks in my own kind of style, as well as the hair. Hope you don't mind. Kept her in the original outfit, too. The reason it took so long is because I am both plagued with school and an ongoing existential crisis.
Something is brewing in my head and I can't get it to stop. Sooooo, I'm thinking a supernatural feel similar to Gravity Falls. I'm not sure where these two are going, but we doing something.
I got fed up with her because she wasn't happy. I don't like it when people find life difficult. It gives me a bad conscience and then I get angry and begin to feel that they might as well go somewhere else.
- Sculptor's Daughter by Tove Jansson
#dailydrawing #tovejansson
