Reviews
Lots of 5-star Reviews
UNICYCLE DAD
"Unicycle Dad" shares the inherent struggles and quiet joys of a single-parent, impoverished household. Raised by a single, teenage father in poverty, author Sarah Hovorka grew up in a family structure lived by many but seldom represented in children's books. Illustrator Alicia Schwab captures the story with warm, expressive art. Entertaining and thoroughly appropriate for children ages 5-9 on the subject of homelessness and poverty, "Unicycle Dad" is a very special and unreservedly recommended pick for family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections.—Midwest Book Review
The house we sheltered in
“That pair of illustrations (by Alicia Schwab) stood out for me too because the general scheme of the book was that each cell illustrates one line of the poem…So I thought that was very clever.”—Freeman Ng, author and poet.
Awww!
Thank you, Alexis. I like babies and cats, too.
AWEtober 2021
Together, we can make a difference! Last October, I was joined several illustrators to help my friend Shirley Ng-Benitez raise over $7200.00 for environmental causes in the @AWEtober Art Auction/Fundraiser.
University of Minnesota
John Owens, Instructor at UofMN
”Thank you all so much for your participation in last semester's roundtable discussion on illustration.”
A note from Deb Haaland, Sec. Dept. of the Interior for TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL.
From SOLBERG CREATIVE: “Alicia’s work is magical. She brings life and passion to her subjects.”—Kerry Solberg
TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL by Tara Perron is on sale at the Native-owned, Friedli Gallery. The Friedli Gallery is a new, inclusive gallery and community space in St. Paul, Minnesota. Heather Friedli hosted an Indigenous artist exhibition November 1-12, 2021.
TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL: Children’s Books teach, entertain, and inspire “A glossary at the end translates the 12 Dakota words used in the story, from Takoza (grandchild) to Tate (wind.) This is a very sweet story of generational ties and love. The illustrations by Alicia Schwab will hold a child’s interest as Takoza learns the importance of seeds, gifts from the Creator, and nurturing.” (full text here)—The Circle: Native American News and Arts
THE MUKLUK BALL: Top 10 Picture Books Guide “A young bear sells blueberries to make money for mukluks – and then worries that he’ll be hibernating during the midwinter mukluk ball. An entertaining tale of cooperation and fun, with illustrations that place the bear and the dance in a place the looks a whole lot like Ely.”—Star Tribune
THE MUKLUK BALL: Teachable Moments for Young Readers "Put this “up north” picture book at the top of your Christmas gift list…There’s lots of hugging and happiness in this book that will make readers of all ages smile.”—Pioneer Press
THE MUKLUK BALL: “…By dint of blueberry (and bear hug) sales and an owl alarm clock, his careful plan culminates with his becoming the belle of the ball: “ ‘Conga time!’ Everyone lined up behind Karhu. They all shimmied and shook.”—Publishers Weekly
THE MUKLUK BALL: "Karhu (which translates to “bear” in Finnish) is an anthropomorphic black bear who lives near Finn Town, in a setting that evokes northern Minnesota albeit in an alternate reality in which animals and humans interact as peers." —Kirkus
Good Grief, Finding Peace After Pet Loss "One of the things I receive rave reviews on about my book is the cover art, so beautifully rendered by the talented artist Alicia Schwab. From my babbled description of what my intent was with my book, she created my touching, poignant cover." —Sid Korpi
(Food Packaging Illustration) “Alicia Schwab is a unique creative force with excellent skills. She's easy to like and brings a worldly and whimsical presence to all her work. We were always delighted with her work and working with her.” —Deb Grossfield, Controller at Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd.
St Catherine University: Guide to Reflective and Intentional Giving "The clients (and) several others are all just blown away by (Alicia's) illustrations. The colors, texture and composition surprised and delighted them. However, the most impressive is that, to a person they all commented on how (Alicia) really understands us." —Carol Evans-Smith, Art Dir. at St. Catherine's University.