Great news! The Day the Universe Exploded My Head has been nominated for a 2022 Beehive Book Award by the Children’s Literature Association of Utah. Founded in 1980 by professors at Brigham Young University, CLAU is an organization that “promotes literacy and a love of reading, and serves as a resource for excellence in children’s literature.” I’m thrilled that our book continues to get into the hands of more kids. For more about the Beehive Book Awards, CLAU, and to see the other nominees, click here.
Saturday Stories at the Society of Illustrators
Ever wonder how a picture book gets made? On Saturday, July 17th, I’ll be giving a free, kid-friendly, virtual presentation at on of my favorite New York institutions, the Society of Illustrators.
Presented monthly, Saturday Stories invites guest illustrators to lead children and their adult companions in a read-aloud Zoom workshop related to the wide range of materials and processes that illustrators use to create their picture books.
Join me at 10:30 AM–noon EST, on Saturday, July 17th for a workshop about children’s publishing, including a behind-the-scenes look at my illustration process, a read-aloud, and a character-building craft activity. I’ll present what happens when I first receive a story idea to illustrate, and how I get to know the characters through brainstorming and sketches, long before I put paint to paper. Focusing on the main character from A Big Surprise for Little Card, I’ll do a reading, followed by some step-by-step crafting using common household materials.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Little Card character:
1 letter-sized piece of paper cut in half (to approx. 8.5” x 5.5.5”)
2 pipe-cleaners (or 2 strips of paper, approx. 11” x .5”)
drawing materials (crayons, markers, pencils—your choice!)
scissors
tape
a pom-pom and glue (optional)
The program is free, but an RSVP is required. You can register online here.
Little Card on "Let's Learn, NYC!" on PBS
We kidlit creators miss in-person school visits terribly. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need creative, new ways to connect with our readers. So when I was contacted by the NYC Department of Education to team up with the local PBS station for a read aloud and drawing demo, I jumped at the chance. My segment on “Let’s Learn, NYC!” aired Monday morning on Thirteen/WNET and Channel 21/WLIW. Just as I’ve done classrooms in-person, I read A BIG SURPRISE FOR LITTLE CARD (written by Charise Mericle Harper, published by Candlewick) and showed kids how to draw the main character step-by-step.
Support Indie Bookstores with a #KidlitArtSurprise!
Independent bookstores are having a tough time of it these days, but children’s book creators, Ruth Chan and Elisha Cooper came up with a great idea: what if a band of children’s book illustrators created a little something that the stores could slip into the books people ordered? Behold #kidlitsurprise! It’s a great way to thank both the stores and readers who have been so supportive over the years. As for these creatures pictured here, if you order something from Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, NY, The Curious Reader in Glen Rock, NJ, or Rakestraw Books in Danville, CA, you might wind up with a fancy-frocked hippo, a stripey snake, a self-satisfied pooch, a suspicious cat, or my specialty, a freaked out bird. Thanks indie bookstores, and thanks Ruth and Elisha for organizing us!
A Pandemic Sketchbook
I don’t know about you, but with everything that’s been going on in the world, I haven’t felt much like being creative. At the start of the pandemic, we temporarily relocated from our small NYC apartment to my brother’s house in Providence, RI where we had a little more space. It took me weeks to pick up a pencil or brush, but after a while I found inspiration in our daily social distancing walks around town. We’re back home now, and I thought I’d share few of these paintings in a sketchbook section here. Thanks for stopping by—I hope you are staying safe and healthy out there.