In celebration of a beloved Maine children’s book’s 20th anniversary, The Portland Public Library will be celebrating with an art exhibit entitled “Still Lugubrious: 20 Years of the Book, Alicia Has a Bad Day.”
Opening on First Friday November 7, 2014 from 4:00-6:00 PM, the picture book’s artwork by Portland, Maine author/illustrator Lisa Jahn-Clough will be on exhibit through November in the Children’s Room. Lisa Jahn-Clough will appear at the event and sign books and art prints for sale by Longfellow Books.
The picture book Alicia Has a Bad Day has remained popular with children for 20 years because it depicts the “generally very happy person” Alicia having an absolutely miserable day. After moping around the house, the girl in her signature red dress goes outside and writes her “favorite miserable word” in her notebook. The weighty word “lugubrious” defines the “dark and dreary” feelings in her heart. The day is finally saved by a lick on the cheek by Alicia’s dog Neptune.
“Alicia manages to delight even at her most miserable,” says Portland children’s book consultant Kirsten Cappy of Curious City, “There are endless books for children that help them identify their feelings or depict the hard circumstances in children’s lives. What makes Alicia Has a Bad Day a unique hit with children is the acknowledgement that some days are sad and we have no idea why. We simply are and then with a turn, we are not.”
Alicia Has a Bad Day was first published in 1994 by the legendary children’s book editor Walter Lorraine of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Lisa Jahn-Clough had sent Walter Lorraine the spiral-bound miniature books she had been creating as Arm-in-Arm Press and successfully selling in small shops in Portland, Maine and throughout the Northeast. The word “lugubrious” was one of the things that never changed from the original, spiral-bound books to the finished picture book. It was inspired by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, “A Rainy Day.” Walter Lorraine published ten more of Jahn-Clough’s books including two more with Alicia and Neptune. Over 10,000 copies of her books Little Dog and My Friend and I have been given to Maine children through the Raising Readers program.
“Kids respond strongly to Lisa Jahn-Clough’s art,” says Portland Public Library Children’s Librarian Mary Peverada,”Her bold colors, her solid black lines, and child-like paintings portray emotion directly and honestly. We are delighted to be hosting the original art from such a classic book!”
So far, Lisa Jan-Clough has published sixteen picture books and three young adult novels. She has an MFA from Emerson College where she tidied with Jack Gantos and has taught both writing and illustrating at Emerson, Maine College of Art, Vermont College of Fine Arts, and Hamline University. She currently heads the Children’s Writing program at Rowan University in southern New Jersey.
“Alicia is the most fun since Eloise went to the Plaza!,” says Newbery award-winning children’s book author Jack Gantos, “Alicia is never dull and the illustrations compliment the clever writing.”
Lisa Jahn-Clough returns to her little yellow house in Portland’s West End as often as her out-of-state teaching allows. Portland families recognize her and dog Happy both for themselves and for their resemblance to her characters Alicia and Neptune.
“Alicia is a bit of an alter-ego,” says Lisa Jahn-Clough, “She is happy when I am not, she is miserable when she feels the need to be, she celebrates anything she can, and she most certainly loves her dog.”
