Whew, I just got done uploading my digital oil portfolio to the website, due to popular demand. I’m sticking with an animal focus with this style; it’s what I love to do best and it’s too difficult to find willing child models to pose! There’s really nothing better than a cute animal wearing clothes. Can’t wait to make more!
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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 07, 2012 is:
bruit \BROOT\ verb
Examples:
Did you know?
: report, rumor usually used with about
Word of his imminent dismissal was bruited about.
"In Iraq, the mission of the remnant of U.S. forces the number 3,000 has been bruited will, [Leon] Panetta says, include counterterrorism actions 'working with the Iraqis.'" From an editorial by George Will in The Washington Post, September 18, 2011
Back in the days of Middle English, the Anglo-French noun "bruit," meaning "clamor" or "noise," rattled into English. Soon English speakers were also using it to mean "report" or "rumor" (it applied especially to favorable reports). We also began using "bruit" as a verb the way we used (and still occasionally do use) the verb "noise," with the meaning "to spread by rumor or report" (as in "the scandal was quickly noised about"). The English noun "bruit" is now considered archaic, but the verb lives on.
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for July 07, 2012 is:
bruit • \BROOT\ • verb
: report, rumor — usually used with about
Examples:
Word of his imminent dismissal was bruited about.
"In Iraq, the mission of the remnant of U.S. forces — the number 3,000 has been bruited — will, [Leon] Panetta says, include counterterrorism actions ‘working with the Iraqis.’" — From an editorial by George Will in The Washington Post, September 18, 2011
Did you know?
Back in the days of Middle English, the Anglo-French noun "bruit," meaning "clamor" or "noise," rattled into English. Soon English speakers were also using it to mean "report" or "rumor" (it applied especially to favorable reports). We also began using "bruit" as a verb the way we used (and still occasionally do use) the verb "noise," with the meaning "to spread by rumor or report" (as in "the scandal was quickly noised about"). The English noun "bruit" is now considered archaic, but the verb lives on.
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By: Dain Fagerholm,
on 7/6/2012
By: Dain Fagerholm,
on 7/6/2012
Get Involved | RAINN | Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
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By: Cathy Butler,
on 7/6/2012
Buying books for adults – it can be a puzzle, can’t it? Adults have such strange, changeable tastes. Things that seem hugely interesting to you may be matters of indifference to them, and vice versa. They’re passionate about the LIBOR rate one week, and before you know it they’ve moved on to the next “very important subject”. No wonder, then, that when it comes to birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I have so many children consulting me about what and how to buy.
The first thing to remember is that adults are at an age when they’re trying to establish and maintain their own place in the world. They may like to give the impression of being independent and mature, but they always have one uneasy eye on what the next adult is doing, scared of standing out (too much!) from the crowd. So, it's a good idea to find out about the latest buzz books amongst the adults around you. Take a peek at what your adult’s friends are reading, or look at the posters in bus and railway stations. A word of warning, though. Crazes can be very intense, but they can also disappear with baffling rapidity, never to be seen again. Your adult won’t thank you if you buy them The Bridges of Madison County or The Da Vinci Code when the “in” crowd is reading Fifty Shades of Grey!
One question I always ask customers is: are you buying for a man or a woman? It’s important to understand that men and women like quite different things, which is why in my shop I have separate sections marked “Books for Men” and “Books for Women” – just as children's publishers sometimes have separate lists of Books for Boys and 26 Comments on Recommending Books for Grown-Ups - Cathy Butler, last added: 7/10/2012
By: Claudette Young,
on 7/6/2012
Flashy Fiction Prompt Photo
The Gleaning
Soon the pickers will come; their baskets covered and darkly empty. Who will survive this season’s harvest? How many can we get to safety in the caverns below? And how many will survive the terror of remaining below until the sky homes are again safe?
Our new leader perches, grasping his branch of authority so tightly his talons have sunken into the bark, almost heartwood deep. Families gather to hear his plans for leaving our sky homes for burrowed havens during this time of The Gleaning. Not even sky’s soft breath disturbs the silence holding our attention.
“This night will see us gone from these homes. Each parent pair holds responsibility for their young ones.”
Fledglings tuck up against parents’ sides, beneath sheltering wing power. Feet shuffle and scrape bark with restless talons. The scouts must have reported the pickers on their way to the forest.
Leader spreads wings to call order and flips them again to his back.
“Our fasting will begin at full dawn. The hardship of the season is upon us. Feed well before entering the burrows. It will be the last for a foot of moon rises.”
The sound of his last instruction faded. Leader departed to get his own charges on the ground and fed before dawn. Each small group moves forward to launch.
Fledglings balk, hesitating. They are shoved off for their first flight. For them the dark unknown rushes to meet them, not caring that this is new and frightening for these small feathered bodies. Moss hummocks and short leaf blades cushion their landings and bounces. One parent accompanies each new flyer and examines for injuries at the landing spot.
As soon as able-bodied fledglings are grounded, parents roam the sky homes looking for stragglers. Here and there weak calls come from homes, where those too weak or ill have been left behind. Their sacrifice will ensure that the fit will survive The Gleaning.
As the sun begins to streak the forest with its rays, the people begin to stuff last meals down their gullets. Many will be too weak and malnourished to hunt after The Gleaning. Designated caretakers go through the crowds before each burrow, marking the ones to watch for when the safety call comes from the watch patrol.
Thank the Great Winged One, the watch patrol will be gathering larger meals for that unearthing time. Calls from overhead alert those who need to hide. Young ones are pushed into burrow entrances, followed closely by adults. In moments only the patrol remains; covering entrances with harvested mosses t
By: Mary Voors,
on 7/6/2012
ALSC personal members are invited to suggest titles for the 2013 Randolph Caldecott Medal given to the most distinguished picture book for children published in the United States during 2012. Please remember that only books from this publishing year are under consideration for the 2013 award.
You may send recommendations with full bibliographic information to Chair Sandra Imdieke at simdieke@nmu.edu.
The award will be announced at the press conference during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January 2013.
For more information about the award, visit the ALSC website at http://www.ala.org/alsc/. Click on “Awards and Grants” in the left-hand navigation bar; then click on “ALSC Book & Media Awards.” Scroll down to the “Caldecott Medal Home Page” to learn more specifics about the award.
By: ADK,
on 7/6/2012
Welcome!
Thanks for visiting the official site of children’s author Artie Knapp!
Where Alligators Bowl, Roosters Moo, and Elephants work at car washes!
COPYRIGHT © 2012 ARTIE KNAPP
Use of any of the content on this website without permission is prohibited by federal law
By: Betsy Bird,
on 7/6/2012
And now the results of the Top 100 Chapter Books Poll. Like what you see? Don’t like what you see? Now’s the time to say it. If you would like this list in a lovely PDF, suitable for handing out to patrons, friends, teachers, parents, etc. you can sign up for it here. Et voila!
#1 Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (1952)
#2 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1962)
#3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)
#4 The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)
#5 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)
#6 Holes by Louis Sachar (1998)
#7 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (1967)
#8 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (1908)
#9 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978)
#10 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1977)
#11 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2009)
#12 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (1999)
#13 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1997)
#14 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1938)
#15 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
#16 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (1975)
#17
0 Comments on Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results as of 1/1/1900
By: Laura Zarrin,
on 7/6/2012
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By: Jennifer DeDonato,
on 7/6/2012
By: Kathy Temean,
on 7/6/2012
This week we have author/illustrator Roger Roth with us. He comes from a creative family, where his great uncle painted sets for the New York theater at the turn of the century, his mother went to art school (she later became an elementary school teacher) and his dad was a writer. He’s been interested in art since he was young, and actually, by 1st grade kids were paying him to draw their portraits! When he was 15, his parents sent him to Saturday art classes at the Philadelphia College of Art (now called University of the Arts) and he studied under Milton Feldman. Roger says this was very important to his development as an artist and when he published his first children’s book (The Giraffe That Walked to Paris), he dedicated it to him.
When he is not working on a children’s book, visiting a school, or doing an editorial illustration, you can find him at the University of the Arts, where he is a senior lecturer in the illustration department.
His wife Darlene, is a writer and editor, and they worked together on Star of the Week. It’s a story about a girl who resembles their wonderful daughter, Eden and inspired by her story. Roger, Darlene, Eden, and their dogs, Dobo and Drizzle live outside of Philadelphia.
Roger graduated from Pratt University in 1980, with a degree in fine art and has been a working artist ever since. He’s done everything from painting murals in restaurants to illustrating a column in the New York Times (He did that for 4 years). He’s been illustrating children’s books since 1982.
He has written and illustrated two children’s books, both came from real life experiences. He used to work as a sign painter, and the man who owned the company, Clarence, was the inspiration for The Sign Painter’s Dream. He loves to go ice fishing with his friends, Chris, Ed and Rick, so that theme turned up in Fishing for Methuselah.
His editorial work has appeared in many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Barron’s and he has also done a lot of work for advertising agencies.
Over the years, his work has drawn a lot of positive attention. His editorial work has been selected for the Best of Newspaper Design Annual, the International Graphic Annual of Advertising and Editorial Graphics
11 Comments on Illustrator Saturday – Roger Roth, last added: 7/8/2012
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By: Claudette Young,
on 7/6/2012
Flashy Fiction Prompt Photo
The Gleaning
Soon the pickers will come; their baskets covered and darkly empty. Who will survive this season’s harvest? How many can we get to safety in the caverns below? And how many will survive the terror of remaining below until the sky homes are again safe?
Our new leader perches, grasping his branch of authority so tightly his talons have sunken into the bark, almost heartwood deep. Families gather to hear his plans for leaving our sky homes for burrowed havens during this time of The Gleaning. Not even sky’s soft breath disturbs the silence holding our attention.
“This night will see us gone from these homes. Each parent pair holds responsibility for their young ones.”
Fledglings tuck up against parents’ sides, beneath sheltering wing power. Feet shuffle and scrape bark with restless talons. The scouts must have reported the pickers on their way to the forest.
Leader spreads wings to call order and flips them again to his back.
“Our fasting will begin at full dawn. The hardship of the season is upon us. Feed well before entering the burrows. It will be the last for a foot of moon rises.”
The sound of his last instruction faded. Leader departed to get his own charges on the ground and fed before dawn. Each small group moves forward to launch.
Fledglings balk, hesitating. They are shoved off for their first flight. For them the dark unknown rushes to meet them, not caring that this is new and frightening for these small feathered bodies. Moss hummocks and short leaf blades cushion their landings and bounces. One parent accompanies each new flyer and examines for injuries at the landing spot.
As soon as able-bodied fledglings are grounded, parents roam the sky homes looking for stragglers. Here and there weak calls come from homes, where those too weak or ill have been left behind. Their sacrifice will ensure that the fit will survive The Gleaning.
As the sun begins to streak the forest with its rays, the people begin to stuff last meals down their gullets. Many will be too weak and malnourished to hunt after The Gleaning. Designated caretakers go through the crowds before each burrow, marking the ones to watch for when the safety call comes from the watch patrol.
Thank the Great Winged One, the watch patrol will be gathering larger meals for that unearthing time. Calls from overhead alert those who need to hide. Young ones are pushed into burrow entrances, followed closely by adults. In moments only the patrol remains; covering entrances with harvested mosses t
Not even 7am and I'm smiling. This is just brilliant, Cathy!
Brilliant! Spot on. Thank you :-)
fantastic.
Wise words - maybe we should see about some legislation insisting that every adult gathering place has its own bespoke library? No action is too unimaginable to protect this vulnerable group.
Thank you, Penny, Stroppy and Polly!
Joan, I agree. There is a reading crisis amongst today's adults. When compared to the rest of the population, adults read very few books indeed. I don't know whether there is an easy answer, but I feel increasingly that the time has come for the Government to appoint a Tsar to tackle the situation head on. That should sort it.
As long as those readers are tested first and understand apostrophe's?
(Yes, it's a deliberate mistake.)
Cathy - so funny! Thank you!
ROFWL!
Have tweeted this.
I love your irony, but would like to bet that many of our dear fellow-citizens will take it in earnest...
Just wonderful, a perfect read to make you smile on a really soggy day. Thank you
Brilliant! Love it..
Great post, Cathy
Well said that writer!!!
Excellent stuff! On the subject of a Reading Tsar - not Gove...anyone but him...
Great! I usually say something like this when asked silly questions during drink receptions and table conversations. Especially about Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina. I also use King Lear for those suffering from age anxiety. Will pinch some fo your wording. Thank you
Absolutely wonderful, thank you!
Ha ha1 Love it. A perfect blog.
And remember, it doesn't matter what they read as long as they are reading. Try offering them a car maintenance manual...or the Argos catalogue...
Great!
Powerful and funny; brilliant!
Cathy, you are a genius. And I don't say that very often.
Cathy, you are a genius. And I don't say that very often.
Thank you all for your kind comments! I'm only glad to have been able to bring this neglected group of readers to wider attention.
Absolutely brilliant. Thank you Cathy.
This is possibly one of my favourite posts ever. Marvellous.
Excellent!