Somebody needs to put LeVar Burton in charge of US Schools! The man has ideas - wonderful ideas - of how to reach kids and turn them into readers. For proof, read this interview with LeVar at School Library Journal: Flying Twice as High: Reading Rainbow 2.0 | SLJ Talks to LeVar Burton.

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     Luck o' the Irish Be With Ya!
     Sunday is St. Patrick's Day and I had to share my annual Leprechaun! This year, he be doin' a jig fer us.
     CLICK HERE for more St. Patty's Day coloring pages. And be sure to share your creations in my gallery so I can put them in my upcoming newsletters! (They don't have to be just cards - share your kids' art too!)
     P.S. I've been getting some great requests from all of you lately for custom coloring pages - thanks for your ideas! Be looking for them in the coming weeks!

     Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
     Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

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Full title: LATE BLOOMERS: WHY DO WE EQUATE GENIUS WITH PRECOCITY? by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker October 20, 2008

     Gads I needed to read this! I bet you do too. Most of my writer/illustrator friends are not prodigies. They are not young. They are mid-something, struggling to get it right. Trying this, trying that, frustrated, giving up, starting over. Me too. Turns out - that's okay. There is nothing lost from not coming out of the box a formed genius. It is just the workings of a different creative mind - an experimental vs. conceptual mind...

     Galenson’s idea that creativity can be divided into these types—conceptual and experimental—has a number of important implications. For example, we sometimes think of late bloomers as late starters. They don’t realize they’re good at something until they’re fifty, so of course they achieve late in life. But that’s not quite right.

     The Cézannes of the world bloom late not as a result of some defect in character, or distraction, or lack of ambition, but because the kind of creativity that proceeds through trial and error necessarily takes a long time to come to fruition... ...Cézanne was trying something so elusive that he couldn’t master it until he’d spent decades practicing.

     And Gladwell backs up his argument with examples - tons of glorious examples - of the ages top creators made their masterpieces. Most were older than you'd think.
There's so much pressure in art to blow onto the scene as a young phenom, creators sometimes feel rushed to get it right and FAST. (I did, anyhow.) And phenoms do exist, which just nails the coffin all the tighter. But while these artists are profound and talented, their approach is one of conceptualization - finding. Whereas the experimental artist's approach is one of searching - which takes time. Neither is wrong or less valuable. They are completely different.
     Anyhow - I'm trying to summarize an entire article which may have just changed my life. Experimental vs. Conceptual. I know which one I am, how about you?
     (Click the title to go read the whole article.)

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We all know beautiful art can be made with pencils, but have you ever seen the pencil become the art?
There's two places to see more at Daily Dawdle:

CLICK HERE 1
CLICK HERE 2

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This is an awesome cool light that's folds up like a book. When fully charged, it can stay lit up for 8 hours. It's called the Lumio designed by architect Max Gunawan and is currently a Kickstarter project (already 240% funded)!
Thanks to Colossal for the heads up.

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For World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday I had the pleasure of speaking to students at the International School of Raleigh via Skype! All the students had read my bilingual picture books, Paco and the Giant Chile Plant and Soap, soap, soap and asked informed questions in a quite orderly manner.

     Apparently, they do Skype visits all the time - around the world! Because the students or their parents come from as far away as Japan, Viet Nam, Tanzania, Jamaica, you name it! What a fun mix of cultures and languages. And at their school they're also learning Spanish, hence the interest in Paco and Soap!
     I will forever prefer in-person visits, but Skype visits aren't bad when it comes to connecting with kids you wouldn't be able to otherwise. (And they're cheaper for the schools.) Still, I miss the hugs. Little wee ones give the best hugs. Even so, I hung up with a huge smile on my face.
     I love the questions that aren't questions. Y'know, like, "I have a dog who looks like Bernie but he's a Saint Bernard." Or the comments out of left field when you realize perhaps you weren't quite clear enough, "I'm not allowed to draw on the tv." No, no, you draw while you're watching tv. We learned how to be bunnies, crack an egg on our head, that climbing a jell-o tree would be very hard, and had lots of fun.
     Some days in this crazy career of mine are a little bit better than others...
     Here are the two groups of wonderful kids I got to spend time with in two sessions and their obviously enthusiastic and passionate teachers:


     Many thanks to Anne Aherne-Daly, the head of the school, for inviting me!

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ONE CAME HOME by my bud Amy Timberlake is a powerful story about loss, working through it, discovery, and a natural phenomenon that will blow your socks off! Amy is the author of such classics as THE DIRTY COWBOY (you may recall the recent controversy) and THAT GIRL LUCY MOON. I'm thrilled to have Amy stop by to talk about her latest book...

Q. An obvious question first - HOW did you learn about the amazing pigeon migrations?
A. I'd heard about the passenger pigeon migrations from someone (or somewhere) much, much earlier in life. I actually don't remember when I first became aware of it, but once someone tells you about passenger pigeons the stories stick with you. I mean, billions of birds flying in formation? Flying so close together that they sometimes blocked the sun? Add to that the size of the bird (crow-sized) and the speed at which they flew (60 mph) and it'll leave you slack-jawed. So I guess I've thought about, wondered about, mused about passenger pigeons on and off for at least a decade.
      But ONE CAME HOME was written years and years later after that initial knowing (whenever that happened). So years later, I'm reading A.W. Schorger's history, The Passenger Pigeon, and I literally turn the page of this book and there before me is a map of my home state of Wisconsin. Smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin is this crazy blob shaped like a tipped over letter 'L.' The crazy blob? A plotting of an 850 square mile passenger pigeon nesting that happened in Wisconsin in 1871. (For comparison, Rhode Island is 1033 square miles.) Schorger says in the history that it's possible nearly all the passenger pigeons in North America nested in this nesting. He doesn't say how many that it is, but it could be a billion or maybe more birds . . . Once again -- the size of crows, flying at 60 mph in big, big groups... What?!?! In my home state? Why didn't I know about this?
      Frankly, this sounded more like science fiction to me than actual history. But I liked the challenge of trying to imagine it. So I made the nesting the setting of my story. Plus, I thought it was a great fun to write a historical setting, which sounded (for all the world) like science fiction. There's some weird stuff in the historical record, and I think we writers should make more use of it!

Q. The pigeons are such powerful symbolism in the book - can you explain how they tie into and reflect the plot?
A. Hmmm. I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer this question. Readers could give you a better idea of it, because if I create symbolism I do it on a pretty subconscious level. I will say that this setting felt right, it seemed to be a good landscape for the story I was trying to tell and I trusted that. That said, migration, nesting and moving on is something I was thinking about as I wrote the book. People migrate in and out of lives just as birds do. I also think there was something that felt right about the chaos that the birds created. Also, the mess the birds leave behind after the nesting breaks up felt significant too. But overall, I feel that writers only know part of what of they're doing when it comes to symbolism and that it's the reader that's the expert.

Q. Georgie is one determined young lady, and a sharp-shooter at that. Are there any similarities to her character/hobbies to you?
A. Ha! I hope so!
      I'm not as brave or as stubborn -- though I suppose it takes some determination to try to be a writer. Other things? My dad tried to get me to learn how to shoot a rifle as a child at the local 'Rod & Gun' Club, but I didn't take to shooting. I called that place "The Rotten Gun Club." And my family is filled with business people on both sides. My maternal grandfather started his own company. When he died, my grandmother took over. She ran that company for over thirty years, and she was no nonsense -- she knew what needed to be done and did it. She wasn't a come-over-and-bake-cookies kind of grandmother -- she was a businesswoman, a mover and shaker, a woman with a closet full of pastel-colored power suits and sensible shoes. She got things done. Having Georgie Burkhardt being a young businesswoman seemed natural to me.


Q. How do you typically write? In other words, how did the story build for you?
A. I try to write regularly, particularly when I'm working on a novel so I don't lose the threads of the story. If I don't work regularly, I tend to forget what's happening and then I get frustrated -- which quickly becomes a downward spiral ending in regrets, recriminations, and a good wallow into my fantasy of a self-sufficient, log-cabin life in the Adirondacks. (Have you ever read Woodswoman? It's my escape fantasy of choice.)
      I write awful first drafts. Awful! I cannot emphasize 'awful' enough and expect that you won't believe me. Proof? Dialogue like this: "Wow," said Laura. "That's just... wow," said Joel. "Oh wow," said Michele. "Let's go to the top of the hill, shall we?"
      Yeah, you write that and you think, ' It's true -- I am NOT a writer. I should DO something with my life. And who in Wisconsin would ever say 'shall we?'"
      But by powering through that first draft (and all the 'wows'), I get a better feel for the story I'm trying to tell. Out of that first one hundred (or so) pages, I may find a basic-ish story, characters that interest me, an opening event, and if I'm really lucky, a first line. So I'll salvage twenty pages or so from that first draft. I may write an outline then, but I'll give myself permission to veer off it in the next draft (because it'll only be draft two and it's likely that something interesting will happen in a second draft and I need to make room for that). Then I start again. I do lots and lots of drafts. I don't know how many drafts I do, but I'd say seventeen drafts isn't unusual. My best writing appears in revision. I wish it were different -- it's so inefficient -- but it's the way novel-writing seems to work for me.

Q. I always ask... what was your path to publication and are you doing any special promotions for ONE CAME HOME?
A. I read five minutes of my first book, The Dirty Cowboy at an open mic event at an SCBWI-Illinois Retreat Weekend. An editor named Robbie Mayes walked up to me and said he wanted me to send it to his publishing house. THAT was my start. The book was published by FSG in 2003. The illustrator for that book was Adam Rex. It was Adam's first book too -- and he was the perfect illustrator for that story. (That book still sells well, by the way!)
      Before that, I'd been writing creatively for awhile. I took creative writing in high school and college, and I had earned an M.A. in English/Creative Writing. But I'd been focussed in writing for adults. Then I got a job as a children's bookseller and I discovered all those beautiful kids books . . . That's when I started to write for children.
      Special promotions? The Pig & Weasel!!! I am having a local book event in a house-concert venue -- which means, in this friends' home. It is NO ordinary home though -- they've put a stage in their living room. And so, we're throwing a big party for the book and inviting every family and friend we can think of to come. Besides doing a reading and showing this super cool video of bird flight, I'm also going to be baking (best biscotti ANYWHERE, plus some gluten-free baking), and friends are going to play songs they've written. . . My husband is going to sing and play his ukulele and banjo-uke! So it's going to be a great time. You can come too! Want to? [[e: I wish I could!!!]]
      It's going to be Saturday, February 23rd at 2pm. It's in Evanston, Illinois. Here's the link to the Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/206800062798736/
And here's the Pig & Weasel website: http://www.thepigandweasel.com
Yay! Thanks for this interview Elizabeth -- this was fun!

GREAT answers Amy!!!

GIVEAWAY! Win a free, signed copy of ONE CAME HOME (provided by Amy) - leave a comment below. (Must live in the continental US to win.)
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March 6, 2013 is World Read Aloud Day! It's hosted by LitWorld where they have lots of info and activities. How will you celebrate? Tell me in the comments!!

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     It takes some homework to keep a dragon correctly. Or is it that it takes some homework to keep and train a human? Either way, these two friends are trying their best for each other!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. CLICK HERE for more coloring pages. And be sure to share your creations in my gallery so I can put them in my upcoming newsletters! (They don't have to be cards - share your kids' art too!)
     Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
     Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

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I'd like to invite you to take my class "Creating Children's Picture Books" at Binders Art Supply in Atlanta, Georgia from March 15 - March 17th. This is an extended version of the class I teach at the John C. Campbell Folk School each year. (For fabulous testimonials, CLICK HERE and scroll down.)
     For this class, we'll have a full three days to delve into your manuscripts, give and get several critiques (before and after revisions), and learn about some of the tricks to creating a truly tight manuscript. We'll also plot out our stories visually (illustrators are welcome), using thumbnails and dummies to make sure the arc and pacing is working as it should.
      Class size is limited, so sign up soon! The price is $300 (despite what the website says - it will be discounted). Click here to learn more: http://www.bindersart.com/artschool/workshops/creating-picture-books.html.

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I often tell people, be an artist if you can't not be an artist. It's why I do what I do - write and illustrate stories - I can't imagine not doing it.
     It's the definition of chasing your passion. What's yours?
     Read more about it at Zenhabits: The Work You Love is Waiting For You.

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Kohl's Department Stores is celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday by offering his classic books and plushies for $5 each! And as before, Kohl's will donate 100% of the net profit to children's health and education initiatives nationwide!
     I can personally speak for the Horton and Cat in the Hat plushies - they are soooo soft and awesome huggable! And the stores do run out - so rush to your nearest Kohl's to get you some Seussy love!
     In addition to the merchandise program, Kohl's Cares features a scholarship program, which recognizes more than 2,200 young volunteers each year with scholarships and prizes; the Associates in Action program, which encourages associate volunteerism and has donated more than $61 to youth-focused nonprofit organizations to date; and fundraising gift cards for schools and youth-serving nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.kohlscorporation.com.

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This may sound like an odd connection to make on my blog, but I recently read this article at the Atlantic, "Why Clarence Thomas Uses Simple Words in His Opinions," and it struck a cord with me as a writer.
     Many people, when they finally sit down to write THEIR BOOK, fill their prose with flowery speech, dialogue, set-building, interior thoughts... the list goes on.
     And yet, when it comes to picture books, the art is to relay the most meaning with the fewest words. It's why every word counts in a picture book. None can be spared for anything outside the main purpose of the story. (And preferably for the layers of meanings which reach out to young and old readers alike.)
     Like Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) said, "If I'd had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."
     It takes work to fine tune one's exact meaning in a clear and cohesive way. Truly, I think Clarence Thomas said it beautifully. It's a lesson for picture book writers (and lawyers). Go have a read!

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Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to OLIVER and his creator, Birgitta Sif. Oliver is a charming and memorable character who plays in his imagination all - the - time.
      Boy, can I relate to this kid! I also lived in my head as a child, happy to draw for hours and hours without another sole around. I was perfectly happy with whatever stories were going on in my own head ... most of the time.
      I asked Birgitta, who lives in London, about her new book.

Q. Hi Birgitta, Congratulations on OLIVER! Were you also a child who lived in your imagination?
A. Yes, absolutely! I still do. :)

Q. I love that his friends are puppets and stuffies. Mine all had personalities. I'm betting yours did too? Did any of them make it into the book?
A. None of my stuffed animals make an appearance in OLIVER. But I included some of my little girl, Soley's, stuffed animals. Soley and I spend a lot of time having tea parties and playing forts with them. They are a big part of our lives, with lots of personalities. We even have a lot of cute tiny cloth mice with striped cardigans and cowboy hats, those are our favorite. However, in my next book, my favourite cloth doll (now Soley’s) that I’ve had since I was 3 years old does make an appearance. :)


Q. I'm intrigued by the greys and washed out colors in OLIVER. What is your illustration style and what drove you to make the color choices you did?
A. For OLIVER, I worked in pencil. It’s my favourite tool, I feel like it’s where all my ideas start and makes my characters and places come alive. Kind of like my own personal magic wand that fits right in my pocket. After I’ve drawn everything, I scan and colour digitally in Photoshop. Although, colouring in Photoshop is dangerous for me, there are endless amount of options. :) For OLIVER, colour played a big role. Oliver was always in green, Olivia always in Red and everyone else in a gray blue colour. And the overall colours were muted, with the pink sky when they finally notice each other.
     It's a subtle story, which I felt needed subtle colour. Bright colours would have given the book a different feeling.

Q. You also have a wonderful sense of architecture. I wonder if growing up in Iceland influenced your setting?
A. Yeah, I think my background has influenced the places in my stories! Although, we lived in so many countries growing up that I don't know where the houses in OLIVER are from! :) But I sure do love houses and architecture. In Iceland there are so many colourful ones. We lived in an old yellow corrugated iron house, on the 3rd floor. The attic was the playroom and when we moved in, there was a secret tiny side room there that had been covered up and we found old diaries! As a kid, this place was amazing.

Q. You've had a wonderful education to get into children's books, first with a BFA from Cornell in New York, and then with a masters in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art in the UK. You've been all over! What kept you moving about so much and where do you consider home? How did all that influence Oliver's story?
A. Yeah, we moved a lot. Growing up I switched schools almost every year or every other year, mostly for my parents schooling, then work. I think in a lot of ways OLIVER is based on my story. Feeling different whether it’s in a new place or whatever it is, it can be challenging. But in moving so much, I am now lucky to have friends all over the world. You ask, “where do I consider home”, well, that's a tough question. But simply, I’d say “Home” is where my partner, Thor, and beautiful daughter are. It doesn't matter much were you are, I believe that it’s the company that you keep. And they sure are great company!! :)

Q. This is your debut picture book (congratulations!). Can you describe your path to publication?
A. I worked for a little while in New York with some great publishing houses. I worked with teams there designing children's books. From there, I decided to get my MA from Cambridge School of Art. I was incredibly thrilled when Walker Books approached me at my graduation show about making OLIVER into a picture book. I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to work with them. And now I am currently working on my next book with them.

Thanks for stopping by dulemba.com!! And y'all check out this sweet interview with Birgitta:

OLIVER. Copyright © 2012 by Birgitta Sif. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.

GIVEAWAY!
One of my lucky commenters will win a free copy of OLIVER! (Must live in the continental US to win. Winning and review copy provided by the publisher.)
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This was our first year to combine our SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day with our annual Springmingle conference and I have to admit, it was a complete success! The Century Marriott is lovely, a definite notch up on the woosie scale. Our speakers were fantastic: Chad Beckerman, Abrams Creative Director; Dianne Hess, Scholastic Executive Editor; Mark Braught, Illustrator Mentor; and Will Terry, who wowed everybody's socks off with his insightful presentation!

     Chad definitely sold me on Instagram. Apparently he finds artists there sometimes. How's that for a new and innovative way to search for talent?

     Will gave us a quick history of how the business has changed over the last decade or so, and where he believes it's going. Truly - he is an entertaining and great speaker. I wish I could fly to Utah and take his class. His talk was one of the best I've ever heard.
     Dianne went over illustration advertising postcards and websites, giving us a peek into what jumps out to a publisher - invaluable! As was the portfolio reviews session.
     At only 2 minutes per portfolio, it goes quickly, but everybody's work gets seen, and the commentary is a learning experience for everybody.

     The results of Mark's mentoring project were also outstanding! The 12 folks who signed up early enough to work with Mark definitely ended up with some new portfolio pieces! (Click the photo to see it larger.)
     I have to say, the quality level of the portfolios shown during Illustrators' Day gets better and better every year. Along with our Scholarship Winner, Denise Plauché, we had Lori Nichols who has won two runner-ups at the SCBWI National conference portfolio shows, and Heather Lund, the SCAD student who provided our wonderful signage (above).
     The Cocktail Party (sign by Brian Prince) was a hit as well. As I expected, the visitor list was small for our first year, but I have a feeling word is going to spread about this one. (I kept getting emails from folks saying "I want to come!") It was such a great opportunity to mingle and talk shop. All while admiring attendee portfolios and the example portfolios Stuart Shapiro brought from Binders Art Supply to show attendees the sort of options they have.
     Thanks again to Binders for generously hosting the Cocktail Party. I think it was definitely worth their time, as well as ours. I look forward to this becoming an Atlanta industry event! (CLICK HERE to put yourself on the invite list for next year!)
     Be looking for announcements about next year's Illustrators' Day in November or December of this year. This has become an event you don't want to miss!

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     I'm a lucky woman, I know it. My husband is a fabulous cook. And while he's great at grilling during the warmer months, its his soups in the thick of winter that feed my soul.
     How about you? Do you cook, or have a fabulous chef in your home?
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. CLICK HERE for more coloring pages. And be sure to share your creations in my gallery so I can put them in my upcoming newsletters! (They don't have to be cards - share your kids' art too!)
     Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...



     Click the cover to learn about my newest picture book - Lula's Brew. She's a witch who would rather be a famous chef!

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Katherine Applegate and her husband, Michael Grant, have created a wonderful story which I enjoyed as an audiobook (read by Jenna Lamia and Holter Graham) thanks to their publisher, Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan).
     It was no surprise that I'd love this story, considering Katherine just won the Newbery for her book THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. She's an amazing writer, as is her husband. (Think Animorphs, Gone, BZRK, etc.)
     Eve (Evening) is the daughter of a brilliant and secretive medical researcher. When Eve nearly loses her leg in an accident, her mother whisks her off to recover at the research center. There she meets Solo, a mysterious boy who lives at the research center. To keep her busy, Eve's mother has her design the perfect boy (Adam) using a new software program. But it soon becomes clear that the program is no game...
     There's a great interview of the two authors at The Horn Book: Two and one-half questions for Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant.
     I must admit, of the audiobooks I receive, I rarely recommend them. That's why it gives me great pleasure to highly recommend this one!

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As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend is our SCBWI - Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Southern Breeze region (Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi) Spring conference.
     Along with our speakers for Illustrators' Day, we also have Nikki Grimes (poet), Jill Corcoran (agent), Katherine Jacobs (editor), Carmen Deedy (author), and Beck McDowell (author). Wowsa!
     And here is yet another wonderful poster for the event created by Heather Lund, SCAD Atlanta student.

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Oh my...

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I came across this quote at Justine Musk's "Tribal Writer." She writes great posts about feeding your inner creativity and power. This particular post was called "Dating Advice" (which I'm not looking for, I'm happily married). But it spoke way beyond dating - to being true and kind to yourself.
     This quote from Stephen Cope's THE GREAT WORK OF YOUR LIFE, in which he's talking about work, really stood out to me:

“…the power of nonattachment. Give yourself entirely to your work, yes. But let go of the outcome. Be alike in success and defeat...
     “...clinging to outcome has a pernicious effect on performance,” Cope writes. Clinging (or grasping) of any kind disturbs the mind. And this disturbed mind, then, is not really fully present to the task at hand. It is forever leaning forward into the next moment – …..Grasping, it turns out, is just another form of doubt. ….The mind that is constantly evaluating – “How am I doing?” or “How am I measuring up?” or “Am I winning or losing?” – is the divided mind.”

     Because truly, how many of us writers are guilty of this? As it turns out, it may be one of our greatest obstacles.

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I just got back (Sunday) from seeing Judy Blume's TIGER EYES on the big screen... AND JUDY BLUME herself! The preview was hosted by the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and both Judy and her son, fellow Director/Writer/Producer Lawrence Blume, spoke and answered questions afterwards.
     I went with author Terra McVoy. Sadly, it was so crowded, we couldn't sit together (although we had a great time talking to and from), but we both ended up pretty close to the front. I was in the second row and got to ask the first question - Does she cry when she writes stories like that? Simple answer was, "YES! That's how I know a story is working!"
     Judy's, *ahem*, Ms. Blume's work had such an impact on me when FOREVER was floating around my 6th grade classroom, it was profound to be able to see her in person. She overflows with the emotions she puts on a page, and she is teeny - teeny-tiny, skinny little thing. And so sincere, her son too. Their answers to people's questions were so interesting, I wish they could have talked for much longer than they did.
     I'm so glad I was able to see Judy in person. I never met Garth Williams, I never met Maurice Sendak. I never met Dr. Seuss. But I've sort of met Ms. Blume and that is a big feather in my cap!
     CLICK HERE to learn more about TIGER EYES and like its facebook page.

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     What do you suppose this curious cat is reading? Looks like he's up to something to me!! I haven't done a reading coloring page for you in a while - so here's my fuzzy fix!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. CLICK HERE for more coloring pages. And be sure to share your creations in my gallery so I can put them in my upcoming newsletters! (They don't have to be cards - share your kids' art too!)
     Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Check out my books...
     Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

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Milk + Bookies is a non-profit which helps put together birthday parties, class projects, and events for kids to donate picture books to other kids who may not have any. What a very cool idea!

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Today I have a special treat for you. The publicist, Jennifer B., at ACC Distribution recently got in touch with me. This Spring they are launching several books from overseas on our US shores. (UK too.) Three of the titles are illustrated by Russian artist, animated film art director, and illustrator, Francesca Yarbusova. While she has won many awards in Russia, she may be new to many of us here on the other side of the globe. Let's remedy that, because her work is GORGEOUS!!!
     First let's look at HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG written by Sergey Kozlov and Yuri Norstein (her husband). While it reads like a translated book (a little clunky and non-sensical at times) the imagery will suck you in. Owl, bat, horse and snail all appear and disappear into the foggy night. And whatever that creature is in the river, we may never know, but it saves dear Hedgehog who is finally able to join his friend Bear to drink tea and watch the stars. This one line translated beautifully:

"[The Moon] hung over the roof, right behind the chimney. The stars to the right of the chimney belonged to Bear. The stars to the left were Hedgehog's."

     How sweet is that!?

     Next is MISHMASH by Korney Chukovsky who was also a translator, so this one reads fine. Laugh-out-loud fine as all the barnyard animals decide to make the sounds of the other animals instead of their own. Francesca's brush work really shines in this book, as the figures stand out against the white ground. The images remind me of work by the great artists of the early Golden Books: Gustaff Tenggren's; Garth Williams; and Tibor Gergely.

     Finally, my favorite. THE FOX AND THE HARE by Vladimir Dal. This is a Russian folk-tale, a little like a cross between "The Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" although nobody eats that cute little bunny. (Not sure why - or the Rooster, for that matter.) Again, the artwork shines with a folksy feeling and borders that pull you into the scene. They remind me of a modern-day illustrator's work, Julie Paschkis. This to me is how beautiful picture books can be. CLICK HERE to see more of Ms. Yarbusova's work.

GIVEAWAY!
     Each of these titles is cloth-bound and beautifully produced and ACC is willing to give one copy away to THREE of my commenters. How generous! So be sure to enter below... (Must live in the continental US to win.) a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Today I'm off to the Century Marriott Hotel to host our 2013 SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day! (I'm the Illustrator Coordinator for our Southern Breeze SCBWI region.) This is the first year we will be coinciding with Springmingle, our weekend-long regional conference. So, needless to say, it's going to be a crazy, but FUN, weekend!
     I'm excited about our line-up: Chad Beckerman, Creative Director at Abrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet; Dianne Hess, Executive Editor at Scholastic and Blue Sky Press; Will Terry, illustrator and innovator; and Mark Braught, illustrator and mentor. CLICK HERE to see the entire line-up and schedule.
     Even better - this year we're hosting an ILlustrators' Day Cocktail Party to take place at the end of our sessions - hosted by Binders Art Supply! Local Art Directors are welcome to stop by to view our attendee portfolios. (Seriously, if you'd like an invite, just email me at elizabeth at dulemba dot com.) We're still building our invite list, so it will be small this year, but I think this will catch on quickly.
     We also got some help this year from students at SCAD Atlanta who did our awesome signage. How sweet are these?
     Be looking for a wrap-up of the event after I come up for air!

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