By Storm Dunlop
World Meteorology Day marks a highly successful collaboration under the World Meteorological Organization, involving every country, large or small, rich or poor. Weather affects every single person (every living being) on the planet, but why do people feel meteorology is not for them? Why do they even find it so difficult to identify different types of cloud? Or at least they claim that it is difficult. The average person, it would seem, looks at the sky and simply thinks ‘clouds’. (Just as they look at the night sky and think nothing more than ‘stars’).
What type of clouds are these?
Is it because they think there are so many — too many to remember? Yet there are just ten major types, and most people can recognize ten different makes of cars, ten different dogs, or ten different flowers. Can’t they? Perhaps not. Some people do have poor visual discrimination: my father for one. Show him a piece of oak and a piece of pine, and he would not know, by sight, which was which. To him, it was ‘wood’. Then some people apparently suffer from a difficulty in transferring what they see in a photograph or illustration to the real world. I can think of an experienced amateur astronomer who cannot match a photograph of the night sky that he has taken to the actual constellations above his head.
There is the old philosophical argument about whether one can even think about an object or concept, without having a name for it in one’s head. Surely, however, one can have a mental image of a physical object, such as (say) a sea-cucumber, without knowing that it is called a sea-cucumber or even a holothurian? As an author, my brain functions with words, not images. I suppose that conversely, perhaps if people are unable to hold a mental image of a cumulonimbus cloud, they cannot assimilate its name.
Or is it the words themselves that put them off? Luke Howard in his seminal work On the Modification of Clouds (1802) introduced Latin terms, following the tradition set by Linnaeus. Scientifically, that was (and remains) perfectly sensible. But is that the root of the problem? It seems to be a modern myth that all Latin is ‘difficult’, and the hoi polloi — sorry, that’s Greek! — (‘the masses’) avoid it in all forms. Perhaps this fear arises because it is no longer taught widely, no longer a requirement for university entrance, and no longer (for Catholics) heard in the Latin mass. But it is at the root of so many languages and so many scientific terms that this phobia is deeply regrettable.
The words for clouds themselves are hardly difficult: terms such as nimbostratus are hardly pronounceable mouthfuls. Do people worry that, like Silas Wegg in Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, who turned the Greek historian Polybius into the Roman virgin Polly Beeious, they will get even these wrong? I suppose I am fortunate, because I did learn Latin at school, and I speak and read various languages, so words, from whatever source, don’t frighten me. And I like to get any pronunciation right. I also have to admit that if I know a word, I tend to use it. That may be why people look at me a bit oddly w
There are very important factors when it comes to being any kind of writer. It covers a whole range of books. As everyone know putting together a children's book has many people involved. It is a team effort that takes many years to master and complete. For the next three days I will take you all on a journey into this event. It is a huge gathering of people in the children book industry and covers a very important idea that every author has to do. This is called networking and creating a platform. The post will be updated daily from 1-27-2012 to 1-29-2012. Each day I will give you guys an inside into this business. So get ready for a wild ride. I blog my experience on this journey enjoy.
Day 1 Writer's Intensive
Today started just like an ordinary gray day, the rain tapped the roads and my journey had began. Strong winds and heavy rains very strange weather for New York State especially in the middle of winter. Only two snow storms so far and that it.
I took the train in from my home town. New York was wonderful like usual. The rains were strong at first but as the day went on it all changed. I started the day psyched to finally have the SCBWI conference, I could not believe it came so fast. Where does this path called time really go? Does it just vanish in a puff of smoke or where does it end up?
So back to business the day started with registration and breakfast not much of a filling one but it was good enough Coffee and Bagels the real New York local food. My nerves shaking and my hands gasping the 500 hundred words we were supposed to bring here. Hundreds of questions inside my hands? Who will I meet? What will the professional say? Is my manuscript good enough? At registration our tables were given to us? I got Table 17 and 18.
When I was getting my food a strange thing happened the hot water was gone. I am usually a tea drinker, but I needed that jolt, I needed that caffeine. I wanted something hot but it was the bitter black stuff we call coffee. I guess many tea drinkers came here? Oh well I guess I had no choice.
I found my table, my mind moving and my body shaking, it was it, the moment I have been waiting for, another year had passed. The session started by a panel on voice. Three editors spoke. What is voice? Each of them had there own view. What I can tell you guys is it needs to be fresh. It needs to be authentic. It has to stand out from the crowd.
The editor panel spoke about the kind of books they buy. Here is just a very quick summary: Characters have to have personality, you have to get into your character's mind, and the story has to stand out for the individual editor and always make sure to do you research. You have to be in the moment and write the best story you can.
Then the time began my table had eight writers at it and one professional. We each were given 12 minutes for our 500 words. The critique process is very important and it is great to have a group of your own. The setting here was much more family like. Every manuscript was discussed by everyone. I have to say I got a lot out of it and had many wonderful suggestions and commends from both critiques. There is no need for
It seems I haven't tired of clouds yet, so they continue to roll out.
I felt like painting clouds today. These are digital, but I'm itching to use real paint soon.
The new picture book,
"Carla's Cloud Catastrophe" has been released. Beth Bence Reinke's delightful, "WHAT IF" kind of story comes from a question that children may often ask. "What if, one day, all the clouds fell from the sky?"
Carla's solution to the problem is the perfect ending to a fun filled adventure. The book is available from 4RV PUBLISHING LLC and Amazon.com as well as any and all bookstores. All you need to do is give your bookstore the ISBN number for them to order the book. OR, you can go directly to the 4RV Publishing site and get your copy.
What on earth will the Mayor of Clarksville do with all those clouds? Carla knows!
I always get excited when a book I was chosen to illustrate is released. This book has great appeal for boys and girls alike. It is always a pleasure for an illustrator to receive a manuscript that has so many ideas for illustrations that you have to choose from the dozens of image that pop into your head as you read the manuscript. It also meant that I had to stretch a bit to create some of the images. My research included asking permission of certain people to use them as subjects in the book. It also meant a trip to our recycling center and town DPW to get photos and sketches of heavy road equipment. I was fortunate enough, at the same time, to have an entire road crew working on our road. The machines they were using were perfect sources for some of the illustrations.
Today I’m floating on cloud nine as I’ve a guest post over at one of the very best blogs I know – The Crafty Crow. I’m reviewing an incredibly beautiful French picture book (in English translation): Journey on a Cloud by Veronique Massenot and Elise Mansot. Do head on over to read what I have to say about this very special book and what it inspired me and my girls to get up to. Then come back here for some more fun activities you could get up to alongside Journey on a Cloud.
Here’s some fun music to go with Journey on a Cloud:
Clouds by Dog on Fleas
Cloudbusting by Neil Halstead (or the Kate Bush version if you prefer)
Cloud Shape Animals by Harley String Band
In the Clouds by Laurie Berkner
Painting By Chagall by The Weepies
J reading Journey on a Cloud
Apart from what we got up to (which you can read about with our review over at The Crafty Crow), here are some other projects that would be great to do alongside reading Journey on a Cloud:
Make your own cloud – some great science projects here including this one on You Tube and this one from Steve Spangler.
Create some Chagall inspired art with inspiration from Art Lessons for Kids.
Pablo Picasso remarked during the 1950s, “Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is”, so this book is a great opportunity to lay with different shades of colour – I love this simple, beautiful stacking game made from paint charts, created by kedublock, found via
©Ginger Nielson & 4RV Publishing LLC
From the new book,
Carla's Cloud Catastrophe, by Beth Bence Reinke... this illustration should give you an idea of what happens when you STIR up a collection of clouds that have fallen to earth mysteriously.
Remember the post I did the other day about finding the "Offerings" book in an unpacked box? Well, it spurred on an idea to make prints using my photos with inspirational quotes for Etsy and the two local shops I'm in. And I have to tell you, I love making them!
I call them "Potent Quotables." I plan to share them now and then on the blog. I already have one for tomorrow with a picture of my friend's cutest cat.
I love lightbulb moments!♥
xo
Lo
The Sun Will Return
(c) by Mary Nida Smith
WIND OF CHANGE
©By Mary Nida Smith
I live the life
of constant motion
like the wind
changing directions
never sustaining
one emotional direction.
I listen
to the directional
mood of the wind.
I stay calm
allowing God
who created me
to blow me calmly
in the right direction.
I listen
I watch
I stay happy
For I will move
when the wind
blows me
where
I have never been
Sometimes it looked like Spilt Milk.
But it wasn’t Spilt Milk.
Sometimes it looked like a Rabbit.
But it wasn’t a Rabbit.
Sometimes it looked like a Bird.
But it wasn’t a Bird.
Sometimes it looked like a Tree.
But it wasn’t a Tree.
Sometimes it looked like an Ice Cream Cone.
But it wasn’t an Ice Cream Cone.
Sometimes it looked like a Pig.
But it wasn’t a Pig.
Sometimes it looked like a Birthday Cake.
But it wasn’t a Birthday Cake.
Sometimes it looked like a Sheep.
But it wasn’t a Sheep.
Sometimes it looked like a Mitten.
But it wasn’t a Mitten.
Sometimes it looked like a Squirrel.
But it wasn’t a Squirrel.
Sometimes it looked like Spilt Milk.
But it wasn’t Spilt Milk.
It was just a Cloud in the Sky.
Oh man. I need to get my third Newbery/Caldecott predictions up and pronto. Now that the Heavy Medal blog has entered the arena again you just know that the debating is about to begin. Already I can see that I’ll have to fight tooth and nail for my beloved One Crazy Summer and that Nina and Jonathan will have to convince me on why a person would want to read a children’s book on playing bridge (no one has given me an adequate explanation of its charms quite yet). Most importantly, can A Conspiracy of Kings stand on its own without a person having read the other books? Which is to say, am I gonna have to read it? Ooo! I love these debates! So much to talk about already. Now I need to finish Only One Year . . .
- Great news came to me yesterday all thanks to Cynopsis Kids. Check it out, Kevin Lewis fans:
“Disney Publishing Worldwide names Kevin Lewis as Executive Editor, Disney Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group. In his new position Lewis is responsible for acquiring and editing picture books, as well as middle grade and young adult novels for Disney-Hyperion. Most recently, Lewis was Editorial Director, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and prior to that as an Associate Editor with Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic.”
This makes me happy. Some of us have been waiting on tenterhooks to hear where Kevin would settle down next. This is the guy who has, in the past, edited folks like Tony DiTerlizzi and Kadir Nelson. We have little doubt he’ll work his magic at Hyperion now. Couldn’t be happier.
- Sick and tired of not getting enough Monica Edinger? Well if Educating Alice doesn’t satisfy you then you might be pleased to learn that our Dalton School blogger has a good looking HuffPo blog up and running as well these days. A smart idea too. It’s always wise to expand your audience.
- RoadsideAmerica.com (“Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions”) stopped by the old children’s room to have a gander at our famous residents. It’s a rather smart little write-up with some facts in there that I myself was not entirely clear on. They get extra points as well for the snarky end to the write-up. Couldn’t agree with them more. Thanks to The Infomancer for the link.
- You can criticize a person’s personal beliefs, clothes, worldly possessions, and general attitude all you want but better keep your hands off their The Giving Tree. Yes, the triumvirate of mediocrity made the news yet again with the New York Times article Children’s Books You (Might) Hate and Silverstein’s weirdo tale is
.jpg?picon=1734)
, I’m totally in love with yours! Definitely following your blog from now on.
.jpg?picon=573)
.jpeg?picon=3306)
Thank you for sharing your inner thoughts. I think writers and illustrators walk through the emotional insecurity path at some point at an overwhelming, large conference.
Last summer, I felt the layer of intense fog the minute I entered the hotel. I brushed off the nerves because my excuse was that it was my first conference.
The fun part was meeting all the new strangers and learning more about your career.