woolly mammoth boogers . . .

"When you drink water through your trunk, does it taste like boogers?" -- Ice Age 4



. . .


If you haven't been following Rob Sanders' Picture This blog, you don't know what you're missing. This week it's all about First-Book Deals, so far we've heard from Fred Koehler and Aimee Reid.



My own book, Rabbit Surprise, had been rejected like 10 or 12 times (or maybe more), and I had given up on it, filed it away some place . . . and 2 years later . . . I get this phone call . . . where a slush-reader had liked the story, had not been able to convince the powers-that-be, had saved the story and now that she was working at a different publishing house and was one of the powers-that-be herself (Thank You Tracy!) . . . well, that's my story.


. . . 


and here's a little article I enjoyed reading: The Dot and Ish by Peter H. Reynolds


. . .

kiss a frog, eat a bug

"There is no way I'm kissing a frog and eating a bug in the same day." - Princess Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog

. . .



Listen to Elizabeth Ellis and Brother Wolf talk about how Story helps develop empathy and build a solid foundation of ethical behavior in children at The Art of Storytelling.


. . .


Check out the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Chat Board at Verla Kay's Website, I found the thread entitled 'rising above the slush' particularly insightful. 


. . .


and, sadly, an obit: Else Minarik, 91, author of ‘Little Bear’ picture books


. . .


and this youtube, brought to my attention by the amazing Donna Washington:

I don't eat cats . . .

"Chill out, man.  I don't eat cats... Too much fur." -  Dodger, on first meeting Oliver.

. . .



July 16 . . . my birthday! all I really, really want is a Book Contract ! lol. 4 manuscripts in the mail, 2 additional stories going through final revisions and 3 more stories in the creation process.


. . .


and this tip from Kathy Temean's blog, Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children, lots of good stuff here, be sure to pay the site a visit.


"This should turn as light on for a smart published picture book author. Getting your book’s illustrator featured on Illustrator Saturday is a great way to drum up more publicity for your book."


. . .


and a great article on one author's journey in creating, revising and getting published. Go read about Amy Timberlake and "The Dirty Cowboy" on Harold Underdown's fabulously informational The Purple Crayon website.


. . .

gravel in the bed . . .

"If kids like a picture book, they're going to read it at least 50 times. Read anything that often, and even minor imperfections start to feel like gravel in the bed." -- Mark Haddon 

. . .

and this morning i stumbled across this:

Network with PEOPLE in the children's book industry
700+ Children's book-related BLOGS
Database of 900,000+ CHILDREN'S BOOKS
reviews of books on Members' BOOKSHELVES
Database of 200,000+ CHILDREN'S BOOK CREATORS
Book Videos (Trailers, Interviews, Readings, and more)

JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults 


. . .


Author and historian Leonard Marcus discusses children's literature from colonial times to present day. His colleague Audrey Niffenegger muses on her own interaction with childrens books and the impact they've had on her work. Donna Seaman moderates.

becoming real . . .

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." -- Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

. . .

i just discovered Southern Breeze SCBWI . . . serving Alabama, Georgia & Mississippi . . . check out their homepage and while your there read their newsletter!

. . .

interesting BEA podcast entitled BEA Selects: Reader Centric Publishing – Bringing Authors and Readers Together some really interesting stuff here on what publishers are doing to help bring authors and readers together using the various forms of social media.

and a whole pageful of brief picture-book author interviews from BEA (BookExpo America).

. . .

and this really, really, cool youtube of Oliver Jeffers reading STUCK:

commonplace language, startling power

“It's possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things—a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman's earring—with immense, even startling power.”  ― Raymond Carver


. . .

I've stumbled upon another awesomely amazing blog: Kimberly Lynn! She's got lotsa pictures, information, insight, links and . . . well, i'm still working my way through the archives. Stop in and check it out.


. . .


picture book news:


from publisher's weekly
CafePress Partners with Penguin Young Readers Group



and from licensing biz: 
Angelina Ballerina UK 'mousical' confirmed


. . .


Candlewick's 'We Believe in Picture Books' (which i discovered via Kimberly, thank you!) . . . 365 days, 365 stories, 365 videos! . . . starting in August. I can't wait . . . but it gets better . . . you can submit your own video! how cool is that. check out the submission guidelines.

He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

"Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters, sometimes very hastily, but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother, and she said, 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. . . . He saw it, he loved it, he ate it." -Maurice Sendak in an interview on NPR's "Fresh Air"


. . .


Yesterday I was listening to a DNTO podcast with an interesting talk to Marc Kuly of the  Storytelling Classroom, and that's just one of the interviews in What is the Real Power of Story?


. . .


Be sure to check out Rob Sanders' final segment in his interview with Frances Gilbert, Editorial Director at Doubleday Children’s Books, Random House at Picture This!


. . .

mental squint

 “When you are describing,

 A shape, or sound, or tint;
 Don't state the matter plainly,
 But put it in a hint;
 And learn to look at all things,
 With a sort of mental squint.”
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll)

. . .

an excellent picture book writing tip to remember from Linda Garner at Paper and Parchment.

. . .

and another amazing post from Rob Sanders in his interview with Frances Gilbert, Editorial Director at Doubleday Children’s Books, Random House on his blog Picture This.
. . .

Storytelling Stuff

“I believe that a good children's book should appeal to all people who have not completely lost their original joy and wonder in life. The fact is that I don't make books for children at all. I make them for that part of us, of myself and of my friends, which has never changed, which is still a child.”  ― Leo Lionni

. . .


I just listened to an interview with storyteller Donna Washington onThe Art of Storytelling podcast, she explains her views on age-appropriateness for scary stories, as well as a good explanation on one of the roles of repetition in children's stories: The Anatomy of a Ghost Story


and I enjoyed listening to Donna so much that I searched her out on youtube, lots of entertaining performances to watch. Here's a good example:





. . .
Also be sure to check out the next installment of Rob Sanders' interview with Frances Gilbert at Picture This.

where the trembling stops

"The life i touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt." — Frederick Buechner

Mo Willems is an amazing performer:




and a virtual author visit from Jarrett J. Krosoczka:





and check out Rob Sanders' interview with Frances Gilbert, Editorial Director at Doubleday Children’s Books, Random House: Picture This!


and pay a visit to a storyteller's blog, Karen Chace's Catch the Storybug

Sharing Bread Crumbs

"Moments are like bread crumbs to the bird that always sings. The point is to sing and share our bread with one another." --Vincent Tripi







And this, amazing, awesome, stupendous blog: The Art of Storytelling Show by Brother Wolf . . . I've been listening to his interviews (they can be found in the archive section) or through itunes . . . I just can't recommend it enough.

Tellers of Tales

"Since the beginning of time,
the hours between
the coming of night
and the coming of sleep …
Have always belonged
to the makers of music
and the tellers of tales."
from the homepage of the Southern Order of Storytellers


In my quest for examples of authors promoting themselves and videos of authors giving presentations I found Marsha Diane Arnold's webpage, which has a nice lay-out. I recommend you check it out, and while there, take note that she offers Virtual Classroom Visits and make sure you read her insightful blog.



I also found this youtube of Marsha reading a bit of Roar of a Snore:








Also pay a quick visit to Rob Sanders' blog Picture This for his frequently-updated insights into writing picture books.

From Terry to Root!

Yesterday I listened to a podcast at Living on Purpose Radio. It was an interview with picture book illustrator Will Terry. This is a VERY INSPIRING story, check it out: "Illustrating Success"

and while you're at it, check out Will's Blog, it's both insightful and informational.

I also have to mention that yesterday's trip to the library led me to discover the books of Phyllis Root, my favorite of hers thus far being 'Mrs. Potter's Pig' . . . very amusing.

While looking for information on Phyllis I found this quote: "One of the things I've learned about myself, is that when I get really stuck and can't seem to get writing, it's because I've forgotten to take time out to play." on her Bio page at Candlewick Press.

Creating, Storytelling and a Request !

I'm always interested in learning about how others create and work. I found this on the work routine of a picture book creator: Chris Raschka: The Habits of an Artist; a Hornbook article.



Also, I wanted to see and hear examples of storytelling as a performance art and came across this wonderful video by Sarah Kay, Founder of Project V.O.I.C.E:





And stumbled across this website that has a few videos of actors/actresses reading picture books at Storyline Online.


I'm searching for outstanding examples (passionate performances/rockstar readings) of picture books read out-loud. Suggestions? 

In Picture and In Words

I just stumbled across two Kindergarten teacher blogs discussing their use of 'In Picture and In Words' by Katie Wood Ray. They are interesting reads with insight into the interaction between children/picture books/and the creative process. I've added Katie's book to my Reading-Wish-List.



Growing Kinders




Mrs. Wills Kindergarten

Generating Picture Book Ideas

Reading Rob Sanders' Character/Situation Mash-Up reminded me of a tool I used to use to generate ideas for picture books. I took 3x5 index cards (cut in half because I write small, and they don't require many words) and divided them into three catagories, Who, What, Where . . . kinda like the board game Clue (the butler in the dining room with a candalabra). On the 'Who' cards I'd write a character, person, animal, etc.. Examples might be Chicken Little, Cow, Duck, Magician, Teacher, or Mad Margaret. On the 'What' cards I'd write a situation or event, examples might be Appreciation Day, Jump-Rope-athon, or Grandma Serving Tea. On the 'Where' cards I'd write things like Under the Table, Backyard, Crowded City Street, or pumpkin patch. Then shuffle each catagory and draw a card from each stack. I'd end up with something like: Rhino, At the Breakfast Table, Alien Invasion . . . just enough to tickle my imagination (oh yeah, a tiny flying saucer zips through the window and makes a splash down in my bowl of cheerios) and let my pen start scribbling!

India-Based Author Takes a Virtual Tour
By Judith Rosen
Click Here.

 This article originally appeared in PW's Children's Bookshelf.
To sign up click here (it's free).

Publisher's Weekly Article: 

'Where the Kids Are: Marketing Online '
Spring and Summer Online Marketing Campaigns
Click Here!

Picture Book Trailer!

Mo Willems' The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?

Heather Ayris Burnell's (Frolicking through Cyberspace blog) Monster List of Picture Book Agents:



Click Here!

Eric Carle Museum, Virtual Tour:

Click Here!

On the Awards and Grants page of the SCBWI website are two articles on the recipients of the 2011 Book Launch Award winners and how they used their prizes to promote their books.

Click Here.

Stumbled across this article: 'Children's author encourages students to find their muses'




Which led me to: Patrick Jennings' Blog.




and to his picture book trailer!!!

In 1993 I had my first picture book published (Rabbit Surprise, Crown, illustrated by Dominic Catalano, editor Tracy Gates) . . . but I was too shy and had a romantic (but misdirected) notion of art and humility . . . so I failed to promote the book  . . . and, of course,  my picture book ‘career’ faded into obscurity . . . In 2006 I self-published a book of haiga (haiku and photographs) and did book-talks and interviews, workshops for children and photo-gallery exhibitions . . . and most importantly . . . I have come to  understand the extreme importance and necessity of an author to promote themselves and their books.

 I can’t stress this enough: Promote, Promote, Promote!

Perhaps that’s why the title of this little article (by Dorothy Thompson.) caught my attention:

Are You Prepared to be an Author? . . . well, are you?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-Prepared-to-be-an-Author?&id=244269

A wonderful, helpful, blog here:

Picture This by Rob Sanders.
Check it out!
http://robsanderswrites.blogspot.com/

Video interviews with Jane Yolen:



http://www.adlit.org/authors/Yolen/

"But I need to step back a minute to explain how a writer falls into a book. Because–at least for me–that tumble down the rabbit hole of verse or story is a necessary part of writing.

 I have often told anyone who would listen to me that the Japanese have a word for it: saku-taku-no-ki.

 Saku–the special sound a mother hen makes tapping on an egg with her beak.

 Taku–the sound a chick makes tapping from within.

 No-ki–the moment the tappings come together.

 Saku-taku-no-ki–the instant a chick pecking on the inside and the mother pecking on the outside reach the same spot. The egg cracks open. New life emerges.

 In just that way a story begins, with a physical tapping on the outside: a line of a song that won’t leave your head, an article in the newspaper that strikes a chord, a fragment of conversation that loops endlessly, a photograph or painting that touches you deeply, a repeating dream. And then the answering emotion that taps within, sometimes days, weeks, years later. The moment they come together, the story starts."

-          -    Jane Yolen

http://janeyolen.com/wellesley-speech/

How I Got My Agent: Sue Fliess

blog post by Julie Hedlund

“ ‘Frederick, why don’t you work?’ They asked. ‘I do work,’ said Frederick, ‘I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days.’ . . . Frederick seemed half asleep. ‘Are you dreaming?’ They asked reproachfully. But Frederick said, ‘oh no, I’m gathering words, for the winter days are long and many.’ “ – Leo Lionni

Best Children's Books of the Year So Far from Shelfari.

"My life is half over and I don't even know if I' m black with white stripes or white with black stripes!" - Marty the Zebra in Madagascar