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    Books where the main characters are animals are among my favorite.  Charlotte's Web is forever and always the one book I would take to a desert island.  I love the work of picture book authors Kevin Henkes, Carolyn Crimi and Lisa Wheeler, who often place their stories in the animal world.  (If there is a Hall of Fame for picture book authors, those three should definitely be included.)

     I love what I call "talking critter" books, in which the animals are anthropomorphic.  I just can't write them.

    To me, anthropomorphic books are a form of fantasy.  Animals don't talk or go to kindergarden or wear sneakers. Fantasy.  I don't write fantasy. I can't write fantasy.  My creative mind just doesn't work that way. My stories are mostly rooted in the real world of children. I'm a literal sort of person.

    I have published two "talking critter" books.
Surprise Soup was written about little boys. Something about that manuscript inspired the art department and the illustrator to make the little boys into little bears. Changing the species of the character made it a much funnier book...but I can't take any credit for writing an anthropomorphic book.  The illustrator did it for me. (Thank G. Brian Karas!)
     The other book, Camp K-9, was inspired by my dog, Nilla. She was a cocker-spitz mix, with floppy ears, a thick white coat, and a joyful personality.  In fact, Nilla was far more popular with the neighbors than the Downing family.  She was actually invited to parties that we weren't! Nilla was so human-like, it wasn't hard for me to imagine her as a teen-age girl.  My husband and I would invent adventures for her. Nilla as a Laker Girl.  Running up a phone bill.  Hanging out at the mall with her (also imaginary) BFF, Stacy.

     When we traveled, we boarded our "child" at a kennel called Camp K-9, which had a cute logo of a dog toting a sleeping bag and a tennis racquet. That got my imagination going.  What would dogs do at camp? I used my own experiences as a camper and a counselor to put together a day as a "doggy camper." I used a lot of dog puns and references to add humor.  The other "campers" were based on the dogs in my neighborhood.  That was pretty easy.

    After that, I had to find some tension, a problem, that my girl dog might experience with her bunkmates. That was the hard part. I fiddled and fiddled with the story for four or five years. Finally, after many many critiques by my friends and writing group, I felt Camp K-9 was as good as it was going to get. (Fortunately, my publisher liked it.)

     Will I write another "talking critter" book?  I don't know.  I had been inventing "Nilla adventures" in my head for ten years before I tried to write one down, and it was the most difficult thing I've ever written.  Cute one-liners and puns are one thing; shaping them into a coherent story, with a beginning, middle and end. Who knows?  Right now I am "inventing adventures" for my extremely ill-behaved cat, Rosie.  (She's giving me the evil eye right now.) Maybe...

     Don't forget to enter our latest book giveaway for Stephanie Lyons' new book, Dating Down.  The deadline is midnight, May 15 2015, so don't miss out.

Posted by Mary Ann Rodman

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Good Morning:

Well, just as I suspected, the few days of 80 degree weather that we had here in the Southern California desert was short lived. I'm okay with that. It just doesn't seem right to be so warm in February. Our walk this morning was chilly to the bone with a constant goose-bump inducing wind. Was nice to get back home and have that first cup of morning coffee.

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It seems that today is Valentine's Day. Ava (my daughter) is busy in the kitchen making a cheesecake for Gary and me to have as our desert tonight. She's altering the recipe to make a peanutbutter cheesecake, so I'm looking forward to the end result. Later today, I'll run out and buy a bottle of Almond Champagne and set the table for a nice dinner for two. Ava will make dinner for my two sons and herself, and Gary and I will feast on our traditional Valentine dinner of "Pick-Up-Stix". I shan't allow myself to think of the sinful amount of calories that I'll be consuming!!

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I have a new original 4" x 6" collage on canvas listed in My Etsy Shop. Have a look at the old church in the background. I took that photo a few years back in Cuervo, New Mexico. It's a little abandoned town off of Interstate 40. I googled Cuervo not too long ago, and found that there are some interesting stories connected to the town.

SUNDAY MORNING WITH LITTLE RABBIT AND BROTHER BILLY


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Looks like I'm off for the day. I have a few chores that need to be attended to.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Good Morning:

I'm back from my morning walk, and found the squirrels were fresh out of their burrows and the woodpeckers were busy doing whatever it is that they do. My own yard is filled with the chit-chat of thankful birds at my just-filled feeders. I can almost feel myself ready to bloom for spring. BUT...I know better than to jump to conclusions, as it is only February. Although we have had lovely days of 80 degree temperatures, the small and hidden logical part in my brain tells me that we are still in for more winter weather. Alas, with each passing day, spring gets one day closer...

I have been fairly busy in my studio lately and have managed to finish 2 collage ACEOs (2-1/2" x 3-1/2" miniature art)

BENNY AND THE SUMMER STORM (sold)


AMELIA BABYSITS THE NEIGHBORS (this is the 3rd "Amelia" aceo in the series).

(Check out the pouting little girl with the blue pixie hat on. That's me when I was a little girl, just getting ready to have one of my royal tantrums)!

I just love working with these vintage photos of "Amelia". I don't know who she is, but I have lots of photos of her, as I adopted a musty box of her family photos at the flea market. I only know her name is Amelia because that's what the back of her pictures say. In each and every photo, she is happy and smiling. I will continue to make more "Amelia" pieces. I am honored to be able to give her photos a new life.

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I have a handful of little "chores" to do today, but will have time to finish the current collage I'm working on. Gary is home from work today, as it's Lincoln's Birthday. Although he isn't able to enjoy his day off, as he has a terrible cold.

Thanks for stopping by
Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Good Morning:

Well, it's been over a week since I've made my way to my blog. Filling the big, white, and blank page seems such a heavy task, yet when I do have the words, I enjoy it so. Although I haven't many words lately, I have managed to finish two new collages. They are both listed in My Etsy Shop.

The first collage is a second piece in my "Fiona" series. It's a 5" x 7" on canvas:

FASHIONABLE FIONA




The second collage is another in my "Rabbit" series. It's a 4" x 6" on canvas and I like to classify it as "story art", as there is a story to the piece. It goes like this:

"What you get with this collage is a lovely summer afternoon somewhere in the English countryside. The kind of warm day with miniature breezes that call you to laze about. But on this day, Rabbit had an unexpected visit from her dear friend, Dog. Dog felt that the day was so warm and fresh that a party was in order. Dog brought hats and tea and scones. A nice time was had by all...BUT, something was amiss. There was a static in the air and a low howl far in the distance....

Now, you get to fill in the blank. The end of the story belongs to you!!"

RABBIT'S UNEXPECTED PARTY



Both of these pieces will, eventually, be offered in print form in my Etsy shop. If you are interested in either of these collages or a print of either one, but you don't have an Etsy account, feel free to email me for details. You can do so by going to the top left hand corner of my blog and click on the email button.

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As much as I loathe using my blog as a simple marketing tool, that must be what I use it for today, as I'm off to another busy day. Meds for my mom and picking up some medical records for her as well.

As always, thank you ever so much for stopping by and having a look at my new work. I truly appreciate it.

Until Next Time
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Title:The 100 Dresses
Written by: Eleanor Estes
Illustrated by: Louis Slobodkin
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Ages: 9-12
ISBN: 0-15-205260-7
Publication: September 1, 2004 (Reissue Edition)

The Hundred Dresses may have first been published in 1944, but the story is still of utmost importance today.

Wanda Petronski wears the same blue dress to school everyday. That’s why nobody believes her when she says she has 100 dresses in her closet at home. All the girls tease Wanda because it’s just too easy not to. Peggy, the most popular girl at school, especially loves to tease Wanda. She asks her about the dresses just to get a laugh:

“Wanda,” Peggy would say in a most courteous manner, as though she were talking to Miss Mason or to the principal perhaps. “Wanda,” she’d say, giving one of her friends a nudge, “tell us. How many dresses did you say you had hanging up in your closet?”

“A hundred,” said Wanda.

“A hundred!” exclaimed all the girls incredulously, and the little girls would stop playing hopscotch and listen.

“Yeah, a hundred, all lined up,” said Wanda. Then her lips drew together in silence.”

Maddie is Peggy’s best friend, but she doesn’t think the teasing is okay. She listens to all of teasing but she never joins in. She knows it isn’t right but she can’t find it in her to stand up to Peggy. And, Maddie is sure that Peggy isn’t trying to be mean on purpose. Maddie wonders why Wanda lies about having so many dresses, when it was obvious she only has one?

This special story confronts readers with the harshness of bullying. Does Maddie ever find the courage to stand up to Peggy? Whatever happens to Wanda and what is so special about her story of the 100 dresses? You’ll have to read it to find out! The story is solid, the language is rich, and the lesson is life-long!

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Reviewed by Sylvia C. Hall

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