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Working to incorporate the patterns I have so much fun drawing into fairy dress design. With spring upon us too, tulips and little weed flowers inspire me.

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Happy World Poetry Day!  We’ve been busy working on our latest children’s picture book, Caterpillar Shoes.  This story is about a colorful caterpillar named Patches.  She’s an energetic caterpillar trying to decide what activities to do.  In the end, she doesn’t put any limits on herself and lives her life to the full.  This is our twelfth children’s book and we are so excited for it’s release.  Stay tuned here to learn about upcoming promotions for this book and others.

Th only limit to a paintbrush and a blank canvas is your imagination.

 

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Unleashing the last spirits of winter

Something about spring makes you think of fairies. I think it is all of the new life that emerges. So, I have been doing a lot of them in my sketchbook lately.

The council is in session...

We also just saw Song of the Sea, a wonderful film by the folks who did The Secret of Kells. It was a beautiful film with a bit of a Spirited Away vibe with a dash of Tolkien's Silmarillion (he was greatly influenced by Celtic and other European mythology). I loved the design and the concept.

It is common mythology around the world of spirits being a part of everything... The world does awaken this time of year from a dormant state.

I can hardly wait to get outside to sketch!

The Leaf Litter...

Even at the Krohn Conservatory!

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I couldn’t stand it any longer. Even though we were facing significant snowfall the following day, I put up a springtime themed display on March 1 (several patrons and staff members who were aware of the forecast were amused, but I didn’t care). I had the last laugh, though, because several patrons added a spring book or two to the piles of books they carried to the checkout desk. (Nothing like a good snowstorm prediction to boost circulation statistics.)

Happily, the snow packs are starting to melt, and our springtime books are marching out the door with happy patrons. Here are some of my favorites:

(image taken from Macmillan website)

And Then it’s Spring is perfect for these not-quite-spring days. A young boy and friends are looking for signs of spring, but the grass and trees are rather dull-looking. This is the time to plant seeds, though, and plant them he does. And waits….until the longed-for green appears. Julie Fogliano’s text is poetic but down-to-earth, and Erin E. Stead’s illustrations are the perfect antidote to cold March days.

(image taken from HarperCollins website)

Finding Spring has been an enormous hit at our libraries, ever since we received it in the dark days of February. This little bear cub is in no mood for hibernating and is anxious to experience his first spring. However, he’s too early for spring, as snowflakes are definitely not an indication that spring has arrived.  Bear cubs need to hibernate during winter, so back he goes to Mama Bear, until spring finally finds him. Carin Berger’s text and illustrations are endearing and captivating; this is already on my Caldecott 2016 shortlist.

(image taken from Scholastic website)

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons is another sublime creation by Il Sung Na. Although animals endure the winter in different ways (some hibernate, some migrate, etc), little rabbit’s activities don’t change much throughout the winter. Rabbit’s brown coat reveal at the book’s conclusion shows that the shift in seasons brings a change even to him. This is a perfect choice for a “Rabbit Reads” story time that doesn’t include Easter Bunny books.

Do you have any must-read springtime favorites?

 

The post Sunny Books for Springtime Reads appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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It’s the last day of May, and time for another favorites post! Without further ado:

1. My friends have new books, just released or about to be! Arree Chung’s book, “Ninja!” , Brian Won’s “Hooray for Hat,” and the new edition of Judy Blume’s classic novels, illustrated by the lovely Debbie Ohi!
2. The happy realization that I know so many talented people that I can hardly keep track of what they all are doing.
3. Reading this, which I’m sure you read in high school, but somehow I missed out on a few classics. Also crying at the end of this. (I weep easily.)
4. This red scooter, and the owner who didn’t move it halfway through the drawing session:
   
5. Plein-air painting with my mom!
6. NationSwell, a source of inspiring news stories.
7. This umbrella. (It’s been a rainy spring)
   

The post May Favorites appeared first on .

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By Siu-Lan Tan

It’s spring and about this time each year, a little ritual takes place. After the winter melt, many children encounter their first puddle with the zeal of an explorer discovering a new land.

Indeed, a puddle of water is a microcosm. In it, you find bits of sky, some leaves and a little froth, your own reflection. It is shallow and deep. It records your every step, augments your every move, but eventually leaves no trace that you were ever there. It is both moving and still. A mysterious thing is a puddle, and worth investigating.

After watching hours of YouTube videos of infants and toddlers stomping puddles of different sizes and shapes, I have come up with my list of “Eight Favorite Videos of Kids Discovering Puddles”—and will comment on them briefly as a developmental (child) psychologist. Take a moment to slow down and enjoy this mesmerizing medley, my ode to Spring!

#8   Boy meets first puddle

This toddler does a double-take when he first sees a puddle that has suddenly appeared in the front yard. What is that? He puts his toe in it, gasps, and takes a step back. His mother labels the experience (“Water. Puddle”), encouraging further exploration. He falls into the puddle, and gets back up again. It’s all of life in short review.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#7   Puddle splashing in Cape Breton

Ben, well-equipped in rain-gear, epitomizes Piaget’s portrait of the child as mini-scientist. Discovering a puddle for the first time, he performs repeated “tests” on this new watery universe—just like a scientist would, trying many new things to see the different effects. Piaget referred to these as circular reactions: actions repeated over and over again by the infant because the interesting effects compel the infant to try it again. Through these ‘circular reactions’, he repeatedly explores the shallow borders, touches the water with bare hands, wades into the deep middle, and examines the effects of moving in different pathways and stamping with alternating feet, on the responses of the water. His babbles punctuate his discoveries.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#6   Athena splashing in puddles—Spring 2014

Athena finds a puddle and exclaims “I’ve never seen it before!”. Piaget referred to our earliest kind of intelligence as “sensorimotor” as an infant uses her senses and motor actions to explore, and build a storehouse of knowledge about the physical world. Athena coordinates sight, touch, hearing, and action to examine the new puddle. We witness circular reactions again, this time with very fine variations. She intentionally alters the angle and speed of her foot taps, and is engrossed in observing the effects on the water—the contingencies of her actions, just like a scientist immersed in an experiment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#5   Charlie discovers puddles 

Charlie’s mother gives him time to explore on his own, and then responds to what has seized his interest. Developmental psychologists call this a joint attention episode, as child and parent are focused on the same thing. This’ joint attention episode’ is a natural teaching moment for acquiring new knowledge about the world, as well as developing language and expanding vocabulary—as the child learns all about the shared object of attention from his mother’s running commentary. “You’re in a puddle. Charlie, what does it feel like? Is it hot or cold? Is it wet or dry?”. (Charlie learns about properties of things, and new words, by direct experience). ”Do you see all the ripples you’re making? Just like the rain”. (The focus is now on cause and effect, perhaps a new word ‘ripple’). This is a master class in progress.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#4   Freya’s first puddle

Freya stops stomping puddles intermittently to look up and giggle with pure delight. While adults often dichotomize emotion and intellect, and researchers have focused mainly on the negative effects of emotion on learning, studies are beginning to suggest a link between positive emotions, such as joy and hope, and academic success (see, for example, Reinhard Pekrun). Freya’s gleeful responses show the natural joy that comes with learning, the exhilaration of discovering something new about the world around us.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#3   What if you encounter a mud puddle…when you’re driving your John Deere tractor?

This is an opportunity for Karsen to develop his cognitive skills—problem-solving—with a little advice from his father. Rather than running up to help and rescue the boy, dad instructs him on what to do from a distance. More than just the purely cognitive aspects of problem-solving, Karsen gains a sense of self-efficacy which may boost his ability on future tasks.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#2   Little girl in pink snowsuit discovers ice for the first time

This video has gone viral with almost one million views of the original post. The toddler finds a puddle that has frozen, and experiences ice for the first time. She’s somewhat younger than the other infants, and as she explores the ice patch with her feet and hands, she is constrained by her puffy snowsuit and proportions of her body. At this age, her head is one-fourth of her height (it is 1/8 in the typical adult) and her limbs are still relatively short. The consequences are worth seeing twice.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And the #1 video is…   A Kid, a Dog, and a Puddle.

For this one, please read the commentary after watching.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This remarkable video has gone viral and is approaching eight million views. Okay, perhaps it’s not his first puddle but small bodies of water have not lost their luster for this boy. What’s most striking is the uncanny coordination between the boy (Arthur) and his dog (Watson), a sort of interactional synchrony (a matching of emotion and behavior, which allows for a ‘dialogue’ to take place through action). Arthur does not drop the leash carelessly but places it down gently, looking back at Watson twice—and the dog returns his gaze. The dog seems to sense the boy’s intentions and waits patiently for his companion. Arthur is immersed in sensorimotor activity through circular reactions, repeatedly running through the puddle. But he keeps his loyal dog in mind, and reunites quickly with his pal to continue their journey in step together.

As I sifted through scores of videos of infants and children stomping and splashing in puddles, I was reminded that play is a child’s work. The foundations of everything a child needs to learn across the domains—cognitive, emotional, and social—are learned through play.

This is so beautifully illustrated in a moment of curiosity, discovery, and joy of a child, evoked by a small pool of water left after the rain.

Siu-Lan Tan is Associate Professor of Psychology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, USA. She is primary editor of The Psychology of Music in Multimedia (Oxford University Press 2013), the first book consolidating the research on the role of music in film, television, video games, and computers. A version of this article also appears on Psychology Today. Siu-Lan Tan also has her own blog, What Shapes Film? Read her previous blog posts.

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Image Credit: Jack in Puddle Photo by Robert Murphy. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Robert Murphy Flickr.

The post Splash! What kids discover in a puddle appeared first on OUPblog.

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To all the mothers out there of every species, have a wonderful day!

The post Happy Mother’s Day! appeared first on .

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Mushroom House on Erie Ave. built by architect Terry Brown

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If your young independent reader is looking for a great read with a wonderful girl protagonist, or maybe she's looking for a new series to latch onto, you can't go wrong with either of these two books or their prequels.

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Let’s celebrate, for no big reason other than I have a new banner on my blog, and want to thank the talented artist, Julie Rowan Zoch, and spring has finally arrived. My first full New York winter, while I appreciate the … Continue reading →

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 Last night I squeezed in twenty miles after school. I didn't feel all that great, and I knew that some exercise would help. It did. It's lovely to be able to ride outside in shorts again!
 And here's Freya down at the creek this morning. Happy girl waded through the water.
Just seven days ago, this was us! How easy we forget!

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Fa la la la la!

Such a beautiful spring day like today makes me want to dance like a… um… a ballerina… ahhhh, pig.

That’s a thing, right?

Why not.

I want to dance like a ballerina pig!

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Welcome to the South! But beware – we have some surprises for you. If you are just passing through on the way to the beach, leave your car parked in Chik-fil-A’s parking lot long enough to get a sandwich and you’ll find it. The yellow nightmare that welcomes spring here every year: pollen.

 

 

We are used to it. We don’t love it, but accept it as one of the few drawbacks of living in God’s Country. I wonder what the Union soldiers thought of the yellow cloud in April of 1864. Did it slow them down or just shock the troops and make them sick along the way? I can’t imagine muskets are easy to aim anyway, but I’m guessing more than a couple Southern soldiers escaped the bullet because of the itchy eyes and runny nose of the enemy.

Despite our ideological divide, the Confederacy was short lived and we are united. This unity allows many Yankees to set up residence here when they get sick of the cold weather and frosty attitudes up north. I’m told they were called ‘carpetbaggers’ back in the day. We have nicer names for them now (when they are in earshot). We sell them our cow pastures at over-inflated prices and say things like “Bless your Heart”, which they think is nice but is actually a veiled insult.

Just kidding (except about BYH) – everyone is welcome here.

I had a humorous run-in with pollen at our first home. It was a cute little starter home that had one issue – when it rained, the run-off from the street came down our driveway and off into the side yard to a retaining ditch. You can never see something like that unless you happen to be visiting in the rain before the purchase. We weren’t and the community real estate agent didn’t share that fact. He was from Connecticut. Anyway, the first time it rained in April, our entire driveway and yard was painted yellow with pollen run-off. Being an inexperienced home-owner and relatively dull anyway, I marched up the street in the rain to confront whoever was spilling yellow paint into my yard. I figured it out fairly soon.

Now I have a new boss moving from New Jersey. He seems like a really nice guy and I look forward to working with him. I wonder how he and his family will feel about Johnny Reb’s revenge. They will mostly likely wait to move until after school is out and will miss it this year. So the question is, should I warn him?  Or let him enjoy the surprise in 2015…

 

 

♦

Photo credits: “I Heart Pollen !” by Brooke Novak & USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA

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Spring is here, the season of regeneration that brings plenty of flowers with nectar which worker bees gather and convert into honey. The Children's Book Review's best selling picture book for this month is full of information on the wonderful and very much under-appreciated honeybees, The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci.

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The bulbs are sprouting, the birds are chirping, and all neighborhood geese and ducks have paired up. It can only mean one thing: it’s spring! Soon the farmer’s market will be back in full swing, the bike paths will be packed with cyclists and moms pushing prams, and the world will transform once again from brown to green. Spring always reminds me of being a kid, perhaps this is because it’s the season for fun things like my birthday, Easter (sometimes both on the same day), poking around in the garden, and finally getting to go around barefoot again.

In case that’s not enough to get excited about, I’m happy to finally be able to share some sweet news: I’ll be working with the great folks at Lee and Low Books to illustrate a new picture book! Woohoo! I can’t divulge too many details at the moment, but I promise to keep you posted on the progress.And now just for fun, a little drawing to celebrate spring.

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parking on both sides,

















Go outside and look.
It's safe now.
Here comes spring!

I had planned to post a poem today about sticking my neck out. As I recall, it had a really good comparison between the way a giraffe might plunge in headfirst and an amoeba slides its foot forward. Alas, I cannot find the poem on my computer. Did I ever even write it, or was it just one of those lingering ideas that never found its way onto paper or from paper to keyboard? Maybe I'll write it one day.

In whatever we write, though, our own experiences shine through. Wisconsin's winter has been the coldest in thirty years or so. Spring? We're so ready!

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at The Drift Record. Enjoy! 

JoAnn Early Macken

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Sketching before seeing Wicked

Although spring is arriving in a sluggish fashion, it has been nice enough to get out here an there. Here are a couple outings.The church next to Washington Park has the wrong date. My desire to move things along was expressed by writing a 4 instead of a 3 on the date. It felt like April that day.

March 14th, not so much... It was WINDY with less sun than I would like when it is in the 50s.

Sketching before seeing Tim's Vermeer

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I have no words for spring, except perhaps bravery.


Joan Lennon's website.
Joan Lennon's blog.

(Photos from in and around Ellenabeich, Seil Island, this time last year.)

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