Irene Latham is a grateful creator of many novels, poetry collections, and picture books, including the co-authored Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, which earned a Charlotte Huck Honor, and The Cat Man of Aleppo, which won a Caldecott Honor. Irene lives on a lake in rural Alabama.
Praise for Snail's Ark: As the sky darkens and the air swirls, the previous collaborators (Dictionary for a Better World) conjure a snail's-eye view of the desperate in-gathering, written in Latham's rhythmic prose and rendered with visual urgency via Amini's digitally enhanced acrylic-gouache collages. . . A sweet biblical retelling with deep resonance, the creators capture the many emotions of seeing a big event through small eyes. -Publishers Weekly A sweet retelling of the story of Noah's ark, from the snail's perspective. . . Dramatic illustrations of the billowing skies and storm and then serene waters about to recede will seed some exciting story hour discussions. . . This tale has a lot to offer for little-snail-that-could devotees . . . [and] works for children of any faith. -School Library Journal A pair of snails is at the heart of this Noah's Ark story of perseverance and friendship. . . Amini's hand-drawn and digitally layered acrylic-gouache collages convey the rushed forward-movement of the creatures and the progressively darkening skies. The interior of the ark and the animals' faces are full of warmth and golden tones contrasting with the cool and tumultuous storm that rages outside. With loyalty, perseverance, and friendly animals, the story of Esther and Solomon is a refreshing new angle on a familiar tale. -The Horn Book