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Alba Garcia, a filmmaker and the director of Fantasiation studio, has launched a crowdfunding venture on Indiegogo. She hopes to raise $42,000 to create a stop-motion animated film based on the title, Dangerously Ever After.

Penguin Young Readers Group released the picture book, written by Dashka Slater and illustrated by Valeria Docampo, back in September 2012. We’ve embedded a video about the campaign above—what do you think?

Here’s more about the project: “We need money to print all the 3-D faces for all the characters of the film, get a camera rig for amazing cinematic movement, a new set of lights to illuminate the HUGE garden and castle set, plus pay our 19 phenomenal artists from all over the world. If we surpass the goal we will use the money to hire more animators, and post-production artists and to apply to even more festivals.”

Have you ever thought about writing a picture book?

Children’s book author Dashka Slater talked about her new picture book, Dangerously Ever After on the Morning Media Menu. She shared advice for aspiring children’s books authors, explaining how she transitioned from writing for adults to writing for kids.

Press play below to listen. Here’s an excerpt: “You really have to learn the form. A picture book is 32-pages, a very tight space in which to work. So you have to use all the tools you employ as a writer, in terms of plot, character, beautiful writing, jokes and everything you know how to do–but you have to do it in very few words. It really helps to read picture books and see how people do it.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The Sea Serpent and Me Dashka Slater; illustrated by Catia Chien

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (May 19, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0618723943
ISBN-13: 978-0618723942

Houghton Mifflin's spring catalog has some wonderful books for children of all ages, and I haven't been disappointed yet with the books I've seen from Girlwood and The Willoughbys to Sisters and Brothers. The Sea Serpent and Me is no exception.

One evening, a little girl is having her bath when a tiny sea serpent slips into her bathtub from the faucet. After playing, the girl promises to take him back to the sea the next day. But the next day it's raining and the next day and the next day. As the sea serpent rapidly grows, the girl and the sea serpent become close friends as they play together, sing songs, and tell each other stories. But the day comes when the now giant sea serpent must go back to where he belongs. But is he ready to leave his new friend and return to the sea?

Children will love the idea of a cute little sea serpent suddenly appearing in the bathtub one day, and they'll be entertained as they see the serpent grow and grow. Catia Chan's soft, yet vivid illustrations give the book a dreamlike and watery feel and create an enchanting atmosphere.

This is a fantastic book that celebrates friendship, courage, imagination, and childhood. I highly recommend it for any child's library.

Note: Why the official publication date is not until May 18, it's available on Amazon.com now.

A new illo for a piece about a typical South African scenario. People returning from exile when the going's good, then when it gets a bit iffy they're on the next plane out.


Some new stuff on my blog

Okay...I promised an update on my best friend's trip to South Africa,
so without further adieu...here's Diana sticking her toe in the Indian Ocean! (pretty impressive, huh?)


Molweni!

Well, I feel just like a celebrity. You know: Where in the world's Matt Lauer and Diana Black!

Mary's so right. The trip to South Africa was life-altering. For example, I didn't have a sinus infection when I left, but I do now...

No, wait. Maybe there is something a bit more profound to glean from the experience.

Like how courageous and resourceful people can be after hearing a life-altering diagnosis or forcibly removed from their homes, their neighborhoods and required to live in "houses" pieced together with metal scraps and discarded window frames.

How people can rise above wrongful imprisonment and continue to struggle against injustices to humankind.

How strong women are, and how much we are alike regardless of cultural differences.

And how everyone loves to laugh. I believe it was Victor Borge who said, "The shortest distance between two people is a smile."

The opportunity to make this trip and share it with Mary's blogger buddies sure makes me smile.

Okay, I think this is where I'm supposed to say how wonderful she is (right, Mary?), and how without her, I would be nothing. That she has made me everything I am, the woman among women I model myself after as should every other woman in the universe. (Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah...) And she's beautiful and a wonderful writer and my bestest bud. (Those last comments? Right from my heart.)

So thanks, Mary, and all of you who expressed an interest in my little jaunt. May each of you succeed with your own individual "trip of a lifetime." Be it that trek to the mailbox with your first manuscript or to a foreign corner of your imagination and/or the earth.

Hamba kakuhle (Xhosa for "go well"),
Diana

Want more pictures? Here's the link to Diana's amazing blog. You'll see amazing pictures of scenery, Diana's "sista sojourners," lions, native birds, and you'll even (almost) see a picture of a giraffe!

South African Sojourn

Krugersdorp

I'm incredibly proud of my best friend. She is, as we speak, on her way to South Africa. The trip is in connection with her former employer, Alive Hospice, Nashville, TN. Diana worked at Alive for 7 years until she moved to Georgia just over a year ago.

She became aware of the wonderful work that Hospice does when her dad became ill and needed assistance. Diana, her sister, and Hospice and Palliative Care of Southern Indiana helped make a difficult situation, bearable. She vowed to "give back" and she did; first by volunteering at Alive and then by becoming a full-time, valued employee.

But, back to the trip. Alive has a Sister Hospice in Krugersdorp. They have, through the years, raised money to send much-needed supplies to South Africa. Diana was supposed to go last year but it conflicted with her move to Georgia. This trip, as last year's, organized by Naomi Tutu, daughter of Desmond Tutu, will help foster even more good will between the two non-profit care facilities.

Diana should be arriving in Capetown in about three hours, after a 22-hour flight! She'll then travel to Johannasburg and then on to Hospice in the West, located in Krugersdorp, to visit with the staff.

Some side-trips include visiting the Krugersdorp Game Preserve, and touring Robben Island Prison, "home" to Nelson Mandella for much of his life sentence. He was finally released in 1990. I'm sure that trip will be a very emotional experience.

Anyway, I'm just so proud of her! At a time when many people our age are choosing to slow down a bit (I'm not judging. You're earned it!), Diana is exploring the world. And, not the world of fine Paris café's, or Greek ruins, or Bahamian white-sand beaches. She's exploring a part of the world that most of us know nothing about. She is reaching far beyond her "element." I applaud her for taking this trip of a lifetime.

So, tell me. How far would you venture from your "element?"

Cynthia's Attic

Author: Niki Daly (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Niki Daly
Published: 1999 Farrar Straus Giroux (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0374437203 Chapters.ca BN.com

Gorgeously expressive illustrations capture the small pleasures of a dreamy preschooler, the chaos of failed judgments and the matchless relief of reconnection in this longtime family favourite.

Other books mentioned:

• Jamela’s Birthday
• Where’s Jamela?

Julie Smith offers some Global Diversity activities based on this book here.

Recently finished this little illo for Reader's Digest SA. It's for an opinion piece about the presidential race currently on the go over here in sunny South Africa - new candidates announce their intention every so often. I was a bit nervous doing this as caricature is something I never got a handle on.



Left to right - Phumzile Hlambo-Ngcuka, Trevor Manuel, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki.

What do you think?


Some sketchbook stuff and a process or two over at my blog