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Original pencil sketch for Knuffle Bunny Too R Michelson Gallery is the country's premier gallery for children's illustration and I'm quite lucky to have them both as my gallery and my neighbors. The team has just put together a new website of my available work, including an in depth look at the Red Elephant and proposals for other large-scale work. If you're ever in Northampton, MA, the

PechaKucha Event at ASC Erlang House - Ellis Nadler: The Placebo Tarot from ideologio on Vimeo.

This is a short video of the talk I gave about my Cards of U'ut at the recent event at ASC Gallery. I delivered the presentation in my magic robe and hat, so try to visualise it when watching the video.

Do you think all bookstores do this at night?
Thanks to Elizabeth Wilson for the heads up!

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Congratulations, Sara Grant, on the launch of your novel, DARK PARTIES. Exciting!



Sara Grant, Sara O'Connor and I occasionally meet up as posse of American Sarahs. (We even went to a Sarah Party together!) So it was super exciting to see Sara's first novel come out at last. Sara's been very active in the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, which have been a huge help to us in learning about and networking in the industry. So SCBWI was out in force, it was great to see everyone, and hear about so many of them who are having books published. Here's Sara on the left (@AuthorSaraGrant on Twitter), with YA book blogger Sister Spooky (@sisterspooky).



More launch pics! From left: writer, sometimes artist, amazing blogger and unofficial photographer Candy Gourlay; fab writer Christina Vinall; marvellous book person, writer and reviewer Liz de Jager; Foyles organiser, art, fashion and design dude Neal Jackson; Writer, illustrator and puppeteer Sue Eves; lovely writer and editor Sara O'Connor, some chick with pointy specs, loads-of-fun Orion publicist Nina Douglas. Find out more about DARK PARTIES on Sara's website!

I've been to quite a few book launches lately and eaten a bit too well. I'll let Twitter do the talking here, after I tweeted a picture of the lovely, sparkly cupcakes.

Head on over to the PaperTigers website to enjoy a feast of artwork from gifted artist Ed Young, including images of the amazing fold-out collages in his recent book The House Baba Built. If you missed our interview with Ed in December, then do read that too – he gives some fascinating insight into how he works, as well as his views on the future of books.

i mentioned yesterday how mobile phones and gadgets have been a great avenue for designers who can really add personality and style. take these lovely examples from designer tad carpenter. tad teamed up with case-mate to become one of their featured designers. so far there are 6 designs in the series, my fave being the bold flowers (above and below). you can see lots more of tad's projects online

lilesadi is the label of emerging german textile and surface designer dinah smutny and her twin sister sarah smutny. their studio was formed in february 2011 and is based in rotterdam in the netherlands where they have collaborated with photowall to create a wallpaper collection. the girls also have an etsy shop featuring cushions, prints, and accessories.

We’ve been toiling away to get everything set up for this years New Jersey SCBWI Conference registration. We’ve got a lot of cooks in the kitchen trying to get this feast on the table. Since every detail of what is going to happen during the conference will be on the online registration form, it has brought things up to the beginning that we would have done in April and May. Thus, the heavy lifting started in November. It’s more than just putting in the schedule. Example: Lots of applications had to be filled out so you could pay as soon as you register. One of the hold ups is on the approval end of making this happen. Meanwhile, we are working on the set up.

You will be able to click a button and read the bios for each faculty member and see their likes and dislikes before clicking the button to sign up for one of the times still available.

Each workshop will have a detail button that will describe the session.

I have set up an email for everyone on the faculty doing critiques, so this year you will not have to spend money mailing in your manuscript, because you will be able to e-mail it anytime before the deadline to the e-mail provided on the registration form. In years past, some of you had made plans for a vacation with your family, which made it hard to submit your manuscript in on time. This method eliminates these problems and it also reduces the amount of manuscripts we have to juggle. I think we had close to 300 critiques last year, so many hands had to be available to get them out the door and in the right hands.

There have been corrections on the schedule from last week. I have made some of them, but check again on Friday. I should be able to check and correct what I put up, so you can get ready for opening day. Also, I made a few changes in the individual faculty schedules. This was made with an eye for trying to put as many critiques on the schedule that would not take you out of a workshop. There still are some, but many less than last year. Also check the individual schedules later this week. I am working to get more information about their likes and dislikes on each schedule.

If you sign up for an Intensive, the three critique option, take a consultation spot, register for a First Page Session, do a pitch, and sit with a different editor/agent at lunch on Saturday and Sunday, you will meet 9 different editors/agents without even counting the workshops, Pitch Critique Session, and other networking available.

We are including a box lunch with the Intensive Workshops on Friday. The editors and agents will be eating their lunches with you before the start of the workshop. This provides another opportunity to network. This year we have included a beginners level Children’s Book Writing 101 for all the new people starting out. There is so much to learn. Most of us have spent years learning all the things we need to know. You should be able to cut off a few years by attending this 4 hour session. Anita Nolan is teaching it and she does a great job. If you are new to the field, you will learn so much.

Last year we had our first Mix and Mingle with all the editors, agents, art directors and authors. It was a tremendous success. I personally introduced members to editors and agents. I know of two where I made a match, so you should try to attend. It is fun on top of providing a lot of time to talk with everyone.

You can sign up to do the Writer’s Critique Group on Saturday night after dinner. The only thing I ask is that you do not sign up if you do not plan to do the critiques for the other people in you group. It is very disappointing to the other member who have spent their precious time to critique your writing and then not show up.

I started thinking, what about the poor illustrators? Why haven’t I planned a group for them in

In addition to my latest DI ad is my latest in Picture Book.  This year's directory reflects the downturn in children's book publishing. The book is about half the size it was last year.  Good news is, I'm happy with how the ad turned out.  Let's see if it bears any returns.

The Donkey Band play thursdays at the Seabird Saloon. And every thursday’s different – like the seasons have gotten all jumbled up and the tiny world inside that warm bar, is sometimes turbulent, sometimes peaceful as daisy fields, but always, always, it’s like you’ve stepped into a different world completely.

The singer, Donkey, plays ukulele, sometimes while dancing wild as wood fire. She fills the room with sounds and smiles. Drinks get spilt, but people stay grinning.

Lokey on piano only comes out his small shed-house to play here on thursdays. Then he soars, he can make a piano sound like wind, rain and all your best memories. He won’t talk though, but likes to be given a tot of berry gin at the end of the night. Rumours frill around the edges of the saloon that he loves Donkey bigger than that mountain ten miles east. But there’s nothing coming from his mouth about it. He just flicks his moustache and looks far away and a bit impatient.

Tantan plays flute. You swear it twists and bends like a snake when he plays. He’s always been tall, even when very young and loves studying those other amazing creatures who also sit high and proud above the rest. His home is thin and tall. Murals of giraffes and camels line the hallway. He talks the most. Usually it’s facts, snippets of obscure information about rare birds’ eggs, or how tea is taken on mondays by the schlurper bird in the forest.

Tonight’s a good night. Two mermaids have come in to hear the band. Their delight is immense. The feeling in this saloon is like all the best bits on the first day of travelling somewhere new.

Shhhhh! Donkey’s about to sing her best song: when there’s no more daisies in Yondoddle Meadow, I’ll pack my bags and fly…