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The 20 films in contention for the vfx Oscar have been announced.

The post Academy Reveals Contenders in VFX Category, Including ‘Rogue: One,’ ‘Jungle Book,’ and ‘Kubo’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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I also attended a session presented by the committee for the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children during which they present their annual list of "Notable" poetry books. That list is published annually in School Library Journal and you can find the 2016 list here. However, this year I learned that they also generate a list of "Notable Verse Novels" and somehow I had missed that previously. Apparently, they've been making that list for a few years and it is published in the New England Reading Association (NERA) Journal, but I can't find a link for that. (Please let me know if you find the link!) I was very excited to hear they were singling out verse novels for a separate "notable" list! The 2016 list of notable verse novels includes:


I spoke first about the roots of the verse novel-- some say as back as far as Homer, and certainly many credit Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology as a seminal work in this form. 
I pointed out these groundbreaking books helped shape the form and build an audience for verse novels-- and it didn't hurt to win a Newbery Medal (Karen Hesse for Out of the Dust).
And that even more recent award winners (Newbery, Newbery honor, National Book Award) were novels (or memoirs) in verse.
I reminded our audience of the many pedagogical advantages of the novel in verse form and how that serves as a motivating advantage for teen and tween readers and as a natural form for performance as readers theater. 
Then we involved volunteers from the audience in performing excerpts from each of our authors' recent works, starting with Finding Wonders by Jeannine Atkins. Jeannine spoke about her process in researching and capturing these women's voices and persona from the past.   
More volunteers helped bring to life an excerpt from Patricia Hruby Powell's Loving vs. Virginia-- complete with a gum-smacking sheriff reader! And Patricia spoke about how this book came to be and about her path from dancer to storyteller to author and poet. 
Another small troop performed several passages from Margarita Engle's book, Lion Island, reflecting multiple characters and inviting the whole audience to chime in on the repeated word, "power!" Margarita spoke about the true story behind her work and the power of language to speak for freedom. 
Finally, we performed "Dracula" by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand from You Just Wait with the whole audience joining in on "shushing" where the poem requires it while two volunteers read the dialogue for Carmen and her sister. 

Here's Janet's poem in response to "Black Ice."
Here's "Future Hoopsters" by Avis Harley, an acrostic poem.
Here's Janet's poem in response to "Future Hoopsters"-- also an acrostic poem, but one in which each initial WORD in each line (rather than the initial letter) creates a new sentence.
Now she's working on new poems in response to other poems for a new book we have in the works. (More on that later.) Janet shared one example of a poem-in-progress with the audience. Here's the initial poem, "'Break-Fast' at Night" by Ibtisam Barakat (who was also at the conference):
 Here's a draft of Janet's response poem:

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The New York Film Critics Circle has voted, and their top animated film of the year is "Zootopia."

The post ‘Zootopia’ Named Best Animated Film of 2016 by New York Film Critics Circle appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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By Carol Coven Grannick
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

This morning I see a child on the early side of toddler, snuggled like a well-placed puzzle piece in his daddy’s arms.

He smiles at me, reaches out with one arm, as if I will be a wonderful new discovery. I reach back…

But, no. The minute I do, he pulls his hand away, squishing himself into the soft corners of a neck, shoulder, chest.

He’ll reach back when he’s ready. Right now I’m too new, too scary.

He’ll begin devoting a great proportion of his time to toddling out into the world, crawling or leaping into courageous experiences, taking risks, feeling exhilarated, yet vulnerable, and then scooting back into the safe spaces of his life for a rest, reassurance, and renewal.

Are we adults really much different?

For me, I’d say the answer is "no" – certainly not when it comes to needing a calm, comfortable, even neutral emotional space between encouraging myself to be courageous, vulnerable, emotionally and intellectually risk-taking in relationships and art.

A Culture of Courage

The concepts of finding the courage to make yourself vulnerable, break out of comfortable patterns and take risks, and create resilience and strength after failure, are not new – but have become increasingly familiar.

When I first heard this kind of language many decades ago in New York psychoanalytic circles, the concept of safety – AKA “comfortable” – was a pejorative term. Safety was a place to challenge, leave behind with other neurotic behaviors, cast aside as one leaped into learning to be vulnerable, take emotional, intellectual, job- and relationship-related risks.

I’d hear things like, You’re in a ‘safe’ job (not challenging yourself) and You’re in a ‘safe’ relationship (too comfortable) – as if there was something cowardly (or neurotic) about being in a certain kind of situation.

At the time, I didn’t have the courage to question this. But inside, I didn’t understand how the need for safety was “bad”. It puzzled me. I certainly understood it intellectually. But emotionally?

Not so much. I’d longed for a sense of safety as a child, and was even more aware of the need for it as an adult…That is, the feeling that I was protected, safe, comfortable – who could ask for more?

Upside/Downside

As I matured (and learned to trust my own beliefs, capacities, and strengths), I found and tried to sustain the courage to be vulnerable, take emotional and intellectual risks, and use disappointments and failures, in relationships and in my writing life, to grow stronger and clearer about myself and my work.

There’s no question that having the courage to experience vulnerability, take emotional and intellectual risks, work hard to find and maintain resilience after disappointments and failures, can be exhilarating, nourishing, deeply meaningful, and exquisitely rewarding.

It can also be terrifying, discouraging, and occasionally even depleting.

So in between the leaps into experiences that may frighten – but ultimately reward – us, I like to think that seeking safety or comfort is important, too.

I believe equally in the benefits of courageous vulnerability and risk-taking in our work and our lives, and the need for emotional safety. I try not to judge one as better than the other, but instead view them as a unit, better together than they are apart.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve worked hard to be courageous and to be a risk-taker in my life and my work. I just don’t want to disregard, dismiss, or disparage, the need for safety, for comfort – between the minutes or days or months of being courageous.

Between "Over" and "Next"

I love those times of safety, during which I often focus on nourishing my spirit and intellect. I heard a replay of an NPR interview with the magnificent Norman Lear. Many of you may have heard or read the original interview.

“I think what I’m saying – and it’s something I’ve come to over a number of years – is I do enjoy the moment,” he continues. “There are two little words that couldn’t be more true – ‘over’ and ‘next.’

"When something is over, you gotta get used to knowing that it is over. Nothing is going to bring it back. It is just a memory. What about ‘next’?

If there’s a hammock in the middle, then that’s what they mean about living in the moment.

I think of that hammock as a safe, comforting place. A place to rock in between periods of intense, deep, vulnerable, and risk-taking work.

Not a place of denial of or defense against being courageous, but a place between.

And, like the little one I saw this morning, cuddling into his parent’s body, I embrace it.

I hold on as long as I need to, gazing out at what might be “next” – then, leap.

Cynsational Notes

More on Carol Coven Grannick

Carol Coven Grannick has been a writer since before her fourth grade teacher told her she was one. Her poetry, essays, and articles have appeared in numerous print and online venues.

She began writing for children in 1999, and her poetry and fiction have appeared in Highlights for Children, Ladybug, Cricket and Hunger Mountain. Her picture book manuscripts have won several awards, and her middle grade novel in verse manuscript, "Reeni’s Turn," was named a finalist in the 2014 Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children's Writing at Hunger Mountain.

Drawing from her skills and experience as a clinical social worker and consultant/educator, Carol also writes extensively about the psychological and emotional aspects of the writing journey, and the essential skills for creating and maintaining emotional resilience. Her column, “The Flourishing Writer,” is archived in the Illinois SCBWI Prairie Wind.

Carol lives with her husband in Chicagoland and treasures her family, friends, and work at an extraordinary early childhood center.

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"Kubo and the Two Strings" has earned its first major honor of the film award season.

The post ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Named Best Animated Feature by National Board of Review appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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The Annie Awards have a problem. But does ASIFA-Hollywood want to fix it.

The post Why Can’t ASIFA-Hollywood Address Its Straight-Ticket Voting Problem? appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for sharing what you were thankful for this Thanksgiving time. Your thankful hearts warmed my heart! I know you've been waiting for this announcement, so without further fanfare, the winner of Pat Brisson's book, Before We Eat: from farm to table chosen by random.org is:   

This week's featured guest, Author Trinka Hakes Noble, is generously donating one copy each of her two beautiful Christmas Books for the comment contest that she will autograph and personalize for the winners. All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment about the post or share a Christmas memory of your own. The winners will be announced on December 6th.

And now, please welcome my dear sweet friend, Trinka!

Christmas Stories from the Heart by Trinka Hakes Noble


Every Holiday Season, bookstores cram their shelves and displays with Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa books for children. These books run the gamut from crassly commercial to deeply heart felt. Many holiday books are given to children as gifts each year, and many adults collect Christmas books. For many families, Christmas books are keepsakes they cherish year after year. So, children’s book publishers make sure they offer new holiday titles on their lists each year. 

Having published two Christmas books and one Thanksgiving Day story, forthcoming in 2017, I feel writing these holiday books comes with a certain responsibility, not only to your young readers and the adults who purchase them as gifts, but to the holiday itself. 

You can’t just hang a story, any old story, on a holiday like an ornament on a Christmas tree. To my way of thinking, the story must be interwoven in an organic way with the holiday, and yet, not totally dependent on it either. I feel that the story must be strong enough that it might be able to stand on its own without the holiday. At least almost. In other words, the story is so captivating and transporting that you might forget that you are reading a Christmas story.

And yet, the magic and wonder of Christmas must somehow be sprinkled into the story like soft snowflakes landing on your tongue.

Trinka's drawing board made by her dad

I like to think that Apple Tree Christmas, which I wrote and Illustrated, is that kind of Christmas story. Not only is it written from my heart, but from my real life as well. I loved to draw as a kid, and one Christmas my father made me the most beautiful, real, professional drawing board I’d ever seen. Right then I knew nothing was going to stop me and I would grow up to be an artist.  

But that Christmas long ago, there were two little words I never said. I never said “thank you” to my Dad for the best gift I’ve ever received.  So, when I did grow up to be an artist and a writer, I decided to say thank you to my Dad in a very special way. I wrote and illustrated Apple Tree Christmas just for him. If you read the dedication, you’ll understand. 

Every illustration in Apple Tree Christmas I drew on that same drawing board my father made for me. It is sitting in my studio today. I probably wouldn’t be writing these words to you right now if my father hadn’t made me that beautiful drawing board so long ago.

Illustration from Apple Tree Christmas

 Ever since its first publication in 1984, Apple Tree Christmas has touched thousands of readers young and old with its simple heartfelt message. Now in a handsome, classic edition, published by Sleeping Bear Press, Trinka Hakes Noble’s holiday remembrance reminds us once again of the strength of family ties and the boundless roots of love. 

Vine swing in the old apple tree

          “So much of Apple Tree Christmas – the vine swing, the old apple tree, Mrs. Wooly, the drawing board, and the little girl who dreams of becoming an artist – is from my cherished Michigan childhood.”

Junior Literary Guild Selection
CBC Book of the Year
Featured in Cricket Magazine
Included in The Golden Books Treasury of Christmas





 
Christmas Spider’s Miracle was inspired by an old Ukrainian tale that touched my heart. My publisher at Sleeping Bear Press handed me a very short blurb describing this Old World tale and asked, “Are you interested?” Well, I was more than interested! My storyteller’s heart was captivated.  

From this short blurb I wrote an original story of two mothers on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve. One was a poor peasant woman who struggled to provide for her children, and the other was a mother spider that also worked hard to care for her little spiderlings. Although different as night and day, these two poor mothers had much in common. 

Mother Spider caring for her Spiderlings

On Christmas Eve, that magical night of nights, they came together in a most heartwarming way with the kindness, compassion and grace that embodies the true spirit of Christmas.

Illustration from A Christmas Spider's Miracle

The illustrator of A Christmas Spider’s Miracle, Stephen Costanza, captured the long ago Old World charm with his beautifully lush artwork.      

Ukrainian Village from A Christmas Spider's Miracle

Reviews for A Christmas Spider's Miracle: 
“The story unfolds smoothly...with lyrical, dramatic text. An appealing story with a magical aura spun by the shimmering illustrations and memorable story.” – Kirkus Review, 2011

“Enchantingly told, the story is enriched by the visual magic of textured compositions.  An excellent choice for lap-sit reading or group sharing.” – School Library Journal, 2011


 A new book coming in 2017, titled Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade, is a Thanksgiving Day story about an immigrant girl who lives in the tenements on New York’s Lower East Side in 1918. Her name is Loretta, but everyone calls her Rettie. In 1918, American was in the grip of The Great Influenza Epidemic and World War I, colossal events way beyond a young girl’s control. In these hard times, Rettie struggles to keep her family together. The only thing that keeps her going is the hope that the Ragamuffin Parade won’t be canceled on Thanksgiving morning. 

Sketch for Rettie and the Ragmuffin Parade

Long ago, the children of New York would dress up like hobos and beggars and parade though the streets of New York with their hands out asking “Have you anythin’ for Thanksgiving?” Then people would give them a penny. Rettie, along with all the tenement children, loved the Ragamuffin Parade because they badly needed those pennies.

History tells us that when Halloween became popular with children dressing up, parading and trick-or-treating for candy, the Ragamuffin Parade fell out of favor. Many of the immigrant children who loved the Ragamuffin Parade grew up to be employed at a large department store called Macy’s in Midtown Manhattan. Some historians believe that these employees asked Mr. Macy if he would put on a parade for the children of New York on Thanksgiving morning. And so, in 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place, and has continued to this day.

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade, coming in 2017, will be part of The Tales of Young Americans Series, published by Sleeping Bear Press. It is presently under illustration by David Gardner. 

In closing, my wish this Holiday Season is that a Christmas story touches the hearts of the children in your life, and the child within you. 

A Blessed Christmas to you all,
Trinka Hakes Noble

Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of over thirty picture books including: The Scarlet Stockings Spy (IRA Teachers’ Choice 2005), The Last Brother, The Legend of the Cape May Diamond, The Legend of the Jersey Devil and Apple Tree Christmas, which she wrote and illustrated. Other titles include: The Orange Shoes (IRA Teachers’ Choice 2008), The New Jersey Reader, Little New Jersey, The People of Twelve Thousand Winters and The Christmas Spider’s Miracle. Ms. Noble also wrote the ever-popular Jimmy’s Boa series, illustrated by Steven Kellogg, and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, both featured on PBS’s Reading Rainbow. Her many awards include ALA Notable Children’s Book, Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice, IRA-CBC Children’s Choice, Learning: The Year’s Ten Best, plus several state reading awards and Junior Literary Guild selections. Her latest titles are Lizzie and the Last Day of School (March 2015), and The Legend of Sea Glass (February 2016).
Coming in the fall of 2017 will be a story set on the Lower East Side in 1918, about a young immigrant girl named Loretta, whom everyone called Rettie. The title is Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: A Thanksgiving Story, and will be part of the Tales of Young Americans series by Sleeping Bear Press.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Ms. Noble went on to study children’s book writing and illustrating in New York City at Parsons School of Design, the New School University, Caldecott medalist Uri Shulevitz’s Greenwich Village Workshop, and at New York University. She is on the board of The New Jersey Center for the Book and a member of the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature. In 2002 she was awarded Outstanding Woman in Arts and Letters in the state of New Jersey for her lifetime work in children’s books, along with letters of commendation from the US Senate, the US House of Representatives and the US Congress. She is also the recipient of the Author and Illustrator of the Year Award, 2016, from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians. Ms. Noble currently lives in northern New Jersey. Learn more at her Web site www.trinkahakesnoble.com.

Thank you so much, Trinka, for sharing "Christmas Stories from the Heart" and your beautiful books, Apple Tree Christmas and A Christmas Spider's Miracle. I know we all hope you'll come back next year to share about your Thanksgiving book, Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade. 

On December 6th, my final guest for the year, Author Michaela McColl, will share about the writing of Secrets in the Snow, a YA novel of intrigue and romance featuring Jane Austen!

Merry Christmas!  ~Clara

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     I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the reading I have to do here at uni. Sort of like this mouse. He's trying this book on for size... looking at it sideways... I think he'll be fine, don't you? CLICK HERE for more coloring pages!
     CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
my debut novel, A BIRD ON WATER STREET - winner of six literary awards. Click the cover to learn more!
     When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
     I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.

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With November coming to a close and the end of the year fast approaching, we are nearing the announcement of the 2017 Newbery / Caldecott Awards with every passing minute.  This may be the perfect time to take a step back and think about those winners from years past.  Some of them remain in our collective unconscious but a number of them have been unjustifiably forgotten.  Today I am pleased to introduce a guest post from Fred Guida.  He was kind enough to allow me the chance to feature his piece on one of the more prolific award winners of the past.  Yet as the writer (not the illustrator) of numerous Caldecott Award winners, his is a too little lauded name.

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Rediscovering Alvin Tresselt

by Fred Guida

As is the case in all branches of literature, good books, and even some great ones, go out of print all the time. And some authors, both good and great, have a way of receding into the background; not exactly forgotten, but no longer as prominent as they once were or deserve to be. In the context of children’s literature, the work of Alvin Tresselt is a glaring case in point, and, as such, his books cry out for rediscovery.

Over the course of a career that spanned six decades, he wrote and/or adapted fifty-four books, primarily picture books, for children. Many won awards and high praise. His White Snow, Bright Snow (1947) is a Caldecott Medal winner, and Rain Drop Splash (1946) and Hide and Seek Fog (1965) are Caldecott Honor books. Numerous titles were translated into a wide range of foreign languages, and several were developed into audiovisual productions.

It is also interesting to note that over the course of his prolific career he usually held down a “day job” related to children’s literature. He was the first managing editor of Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, and eventually became vice president of Parents’ Magazine Press and editor-in-chief of its children’s publications. He also worked as an instructor, and ultimately Dean of Faculty, at the Institute of Children’s Literature.

Tresselt was born in 1916, in Passaic, New Jersey and, as a child, spent a short time on a farm, an experience that may well have planted a seed that eventually blossomed in his writing about nature for children. He later moved to New York City and worked in several design firms and department stores, including B. Altman & Co., where he was involved in display and copywriting. In 1949 he married artist and educator Blossom Budney, herself the author of several books for children. After living for many years in Connecticut, he retired to Vermont where he died in 2000.

His writing career began in the mid-1940s under the mentorship of the legendary Margaret Wise Brown, and under the influence of New York’s progressive Bureau of Educational Experiments, the forerunner of today’s Bank Street College of Education, which staunchly advocated for creative realism in children’s literature. He was also influenced by Brown’s close friend, illustrator Leonard Weisgard. He was in heady company and was, in a very real sense, a witness to the early years of the modern era of American picture book publishing. He was, in fact, part of it.

So what kind of books did Alvin Tresselt write? To begin with, there are a few interesting one-shots like The World in the Candy Egg (1967), a rare excursion into fantasy, and the delightfully cartoon-like The Smallest Elephant in the World (1959). However, the majority of his work can be divided into two main groups of roughly equal size.

The first group is comprised of picture books that explain and celebrate various aspects of the world in which children live. In this context, he is often a “nature specialist,” ultimately a realist, and a pioneer in that genre alternately known as creative, narrative, or literary nonfiction. These are books that are heavily influenced by Bank Street’s famous here-and-now philosophy – i.e., books that are rooted in the real world, as opposed to the more traditional children’s world of fairy tales and fantasy.

And within this group, there is an overlapping subgroup of what might be termed philosophical forays into the heart of childhood. Timothy Robbins Climbs the Mountain (1960), The Wind and Peter (1948), What Did You Leave Behind? (1978), and How Far is Far? (1964) are such books. And I Saw the Sea Come In (1954), a book that is ostensibly about a day at the beach, celebrates the fact that all a child really needs to find enjoyment is a sense of wonder and an imagination.

One can also add another subgroup in which, primarily at the end of his career, he returned to six of his earlier books and released them with revised text and new illustrations. His goal was to freshen each title and make it more accessible and relevant to a new generation of readers. For example, in Wake Up, City! (1990), an admittedly dated cop on the beat is replaced by a pair of modern police officers, one of whom is an African-American woman.

The second main group is comprised of his adaptations, primarily of stories and folk tales, most of which were published by Parents’ Magazine Press. A few, like Stories from the Bible (1971), originated in English. However, most were originally published in book form outside the United States: Germany, Ukraine, and Switzerland, but primarily Japan. Working with copy that had been translated into English, he adapted them for American children. And while they do not necessarily employ the kind of poetic prose found in his original books, they are nevertheless rich in atmosphere – and they tell wonderful tales, and tell them well. The most famous and successful of these books is his 1964 version of The Mitten, the first American picture book edition of this perennially popular tale.

It is largely on the here-and-now picture books that Tresselt’s reputation rests. In short, they are noted for their gently poetic and lyrical prose, their rich atmosphere, emotion, and evocation of mood, and the almost subliminal manner in which they convey information – including factual information. As the biographical blurb in the revised edition of Wake Up, City! notes, “his books have awakened thousands of readers and listeners to the many small miracles of life.” And, to put a finer point on it, consider the promotional dust jacket blurb in the original edition of Sun Up (1949) which states that “children will linger over the pages and return to this book again and again – for it has transformed an incident of everyday life into a pastoral poem.” The same basic sentiment applies to many titles, whether rural or urban in setting.

Consider the very first words of his first book, Rain Drop Splash, written in 1946, which initiated a fruitful, nearly fifty-year publishing relationship with Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. These words clearly indicate an author who is acutely attuned to the sounds and rhythms of language:

Drip drop splash,
drip drop splash,
drip drop splash
went the rain all day.

(The book also reveals an author who is in touch with the rhythm and pulse of nature as it follows the progress of rain drops from puddle to pond to brook to lake to river and finally to the open sea. And along the way we are shown the effects of the water on all the living things that are touched by it.)

Indeed, his is a world rich in aural imagery, a world in which chipmunks chatter, snowflakes whisper quietly, the laughter of children sparkles, catbirds scold, and hay balers go gunka ka CHUNG, gunka ka CHUNG, gunka ka CHUNG.

And it is a world equally rich in visual imagery. For example, there is White Snow, Bright Snow, the first of eighteen highly successful collaborations with illustrator Roger Duvoisin. In it we enter a world in which automobiles “looked like big fat raisins buried in snowdrifts,” and in which houses “crouched together, their windows peeking out from under great white eyebrows.”

And as an indication of his genius for synthesizing aural and visual imagery into pure poetry, consider the closing words of Johnny Maple-Leaf (1948), a stunningly beautiful book that depicts the cycle of the seasons as told from the perspective of a maple leaf:

The bare branches whistled as the wind blew harder. He was cold and lonely. Where were the birds and the rabbits, the flowers and leaves that had lived with him all summer? Still the wind blew, and Johnny let go, sailing down, down, down …

The other leaves seemed to make room for him, and he wiggled his way in. Here it was warm and he wasn’t lonely. Gentle little snow flakes fell softly over him, and Johnny Maple-Leaf decided this was the best place in the whole world for him to be, and he went off to sleep.

And as a not insignificant aside, it is interesting to note that several of his books contain an undercurrent of poignant meditation on the passage of time, and in so doing exhibit a wistful quality that cannot escape the attention of any reasonably sensitive adult. This is particularly true of Johnny Maple-Leaf, and also of Bonnie Bess the Weathervane Horse (1949).

Alvin Tresselt was effectively a pioneer of poetic, lyrical, evocative, mood-rich prose for children. (His style has in fact been described as what might be termed “mood writing.”) Nevertheless, when one looks at the past sixty years or so of American picture book publishing, he has certainly had his share of competitors and imitators. However, one thing is certain: he perfected this style and took it further than anyone else. Simply put, and notwithstanding a debt in this area to Margaret Wise Brown, no one has ever done it better.

And as for the content, the “meat,” of his books, it has been observed that many appear to be simply a series of plotless and characterless vignettes or impressions that may be peppered with factual information. On the surface, there is a grain of truth here – and yet only up to a point. The real truth is that they are rich in atmosphere and emotion. And there is always underlying action, always a subtle story, always something to learn, always movement toward some quiet destination.

In a sense, many of his books are indeed abstractions – and yet they are, once again, always rooted in reality. And they do not simply parrot Bank Street dogma; they are original. Their language is simple yet not simplistic, and there is always a highly individual voice that speaks clearly and directly to readers and listeners of all ages. Even in books about rabbits and robins, they are never cloying or cute. They are honest. Never didactic or preachy. And while they do frequently educate and inform, they do not teach in the conventional sense of the word.

All of this suggests a very interesting body of work. However, the sad fact is that all but four of his books are out of print.* This is particularly disturbing in light of the fact that, as a practical matter, many of them can be broadly grouped under the umbrella of nonfiction. In this regard, as a way of addressing the current call for more nonfiction in schools and libraries, particularly within the context of the Common Core State Standards, it has been suggested that schools and libraries adopt more creative or narrative nonfiction. As such, is there not room for books that can, once again, introduce young children to the cycles of water and the seasons? Or to the realities of life in the country or in a big city? Or to how a rabbit lives? Or to the power of the wind? Or to the effects of a heavy fog. Or to the impact of beavers and decaying trees on ecosystems? And it must be noted once again that this dissemination of information is always handled in a very subtle, non-didactic manner. (It is also worth mentioning here that some of these titles may be relevant within the context of the life sciences component of the STEM initiative which stresses education in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.)

And what about his retelling of those foreign stories and folk tales? To put the matter bluntly, multiculturalism is an important part of the discussion concerning today’s children’s literature.  Yet, with the obvious exception of The Mitten, these books are essentially forgotten.

So where do we go from here? Thankfully, most libraries usually have a few well-worn copies of various titles; occasionally, a particular library will have more. And while one can always turn gratefully to the treasures that are available through the interlibrary loan system, many titles are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to find in any given geographic area.

It is a most unfortunate situation. In response – and notwithstanding the realities and vicissitudes of the business of publishing books – one can only cry out that surely there must be a market for the work of an author with an almost fifty-year track record of success.

The process of bringing an out-of-print book back to life can be very difficult. The Lothrop, Lee & Shepard titles have made their way to Harper Collins. And Scholastic acquired Parents’ Magazine Press some time ago; this backlist includes some excellent originals as well as the foreign adaptations. Hopefully, some of these books will one day be given a chance to speak to a new generation. There’s not a bad book among them, and many are simply brilliant.

And so, toward this end, how about it lovers of great children’s literature? (A group which, of course, includes librarians, teachers, parents, and booksellers.) How about making a little noise? Can’t we all use a little more poetry in our lives? And, more importantly, don’t our children deserve it?

 

 

Fred Guida is a retired film studies instructor, and the author of A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: Dickens’s Story on Screen and Television. He also moonlighted for six years in the children’s department of his local Barnes & Noble.

*As of this writing, four Alvin Tresselt books are in print: White Snow, Bright Snow (1947); The Mitten (1964); Hide and Seek Fog (1965); and The Gift of the Tree (1992). The latter is a revised edition of The Dead Tree (1972).

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Thank you, Fred, for this great piece.  And thank you to the readers out there, that wanted to know more.

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Nominations for the 44th ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards were announced this morning, and Disney’s Zootopia led the way with 11 nominations. Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings was close behind with 10 nominations.

The leading performance by the Walt Disney Company comes one year after Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out scored a record-breaking 25 nominations and the Walt Disney Company won 75% of the categories in which it was eligible, sparking widespread complaints that the Annies do not accurately reflect the accomplishments of everyone who work in the animation industry.

Across its various divisions, the Walt Disney Company took 38 nominations this year. It’s a curious turn of events considering that the Walt Disney Company claimed that the Annie Awards voting was rigged and pressured ASIFA-Hollywood to overhaul the awards voting process just a few years ago. In 2010, Disney Animation and Pixar president Ed Catmull, along with John Lasseter, withdrew all of Disney’s productions from the Annie Awards in protest that Kung Fu Panda had won too many awards the previous year.

“We believe there is an issue with the way the Annies are judged, and have been seeking a mutually agreeable solution with the board,” Catmull told Variety at the time. “Although some initial steps have been taken, the board informed us that no further changes would be made to address our concerns.”

Catmull and Lasseter’s strong-arm tactic eventually led to the ouster of ASIFA-Hollywood’s president, Antran Manoogian, who was replaced by the duo of Frank Gladstone and (Cartoon Brew co-founder) Jerry Beck. An advisory committee of feature animation studios was formed, and numerous changes were made to the voting procedures to ensure that voters would judge categories on the merits of individual accomplishment rather than voting for a single popular film.

This year, three of the five nominees for best animated feature were Disney productions—Moana, Zootopia, and Finding Dory. Shockingly, Mark Osborne’s The Little Prince, which won France’s Cesar Award earlier this year for best animated feature, was locked out of nearly every category, garnering just two nods for production design and music. On a positive note, The Red Turtle picked up five nominations, and My Life As A Zucchini picked up thre.

On the shorts side, four of the ten films shortlisted by the Academy this year were also nominated for Annie Awards: Theodore Ushev’s Blinda Vaysha, Patrick Osborne’s Pearl, Alan Barillaro’s Piper, and Rob Valley’s Pear Cider and Cigarettes.

Below is a list of all of 2016’s Annie Awards nominees:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Feature – Independent

• Long Way North – Produced by Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes
• Miss Hokusai – Production I.G
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions
• Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films

Best Animated Special Production

• Audrie & Daisy – A production of AfterImage Public Media in association with Actual Films for Netflix
• Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll – DreamWorks Animation
• Little Big Awesome – Titmouse, Inc. / Amazon Studios
• Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life – CBS Films/J.P. Entertainment/Participant Media
• Pear Cider and Cigarettes – Massive Swerve Studios and Passion Pictures Animation

Best Animated Short Subject

• Blind Vaysha – National Film Board of Canada
• Deer Flower – Studio ZAZAC
• Path Title Sequence – Acme Filmworks
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures
• Piper – Pixar Animation Studios

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial

• Duelyst – Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc.
• LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer – Plastic Wax
• Lily & the Snowman – Hornet
• Loteria ‘Night Shift’ – Passion Pictures Ltd
• The Importance of Paying Attention: Teeth – Bill Plympton Studio

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children

• Ask the StoryBots – Episode: Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth? – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• Peg + Cat – Episode: The Disappearing Art – Problem – The Fred Rogers Company/ 9ate7 Productions
• Puffin Rock – The First Snow – Episode: 59 – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House
• The Stinky & Dirty Show – Episode: Squeak – Amazon Studios and Brown Bag Films
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children

• Adventure Time – Episode: Bad Jubies – Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios
• DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender – Episode: Return of the Gladiator – DreamWorks Animation Television
• Elena of Avalor – Episode: A Day to Remember – Disney Television Animation
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Episode: Trans-Dimensional Turtles – Nickelodeon
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: My Fair Hatey – Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob? – Bento Box Entertainment
• BoJack Horseman – Episode: Fish Out Of Water – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
• Long Live the Royals – Episode: Punk Show – Cartoon Network Studios
• The Simpsons – Barthood – Episode: Barthood- Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television
• The Venture Bros – Episode: Hostile Makeover – Titmouse, Inc.

Best Student Film

• Citipati – Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg
• Fishwitch – Adrienne Dowling
• The Abyss – Liying Huang
• The Wrong End of the Stick – Terri Matthews
• Twiddly Things – Adara Todd

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Lead Effects Artist: David Horsley, CG Look Development Lead: Eric Wachtman, Senior Compositor: Timur Khodzhaev, Compositor: Daniel Leatherdale, Lead CG Lighter: Terrance Tomberg
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Effects Sequence Lead: Matt Titus, Effects Sequence Lead: Jeff Budsberg, Effects Sequence Lead: Carl Hooper, Effects Sequence Lead: Louis Flores, Effects Sequence Lead: Jason Mayer
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Head of Effects Animation: Marlon West, Effects Lead: Erin V. Ramos, Effects Lead: Blair Pierpont, Foundation Effects Lead: Ian J. Coony
  Effects Lead: John M. Kosnik
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Special Effects Supervisor: Mouloud Oussid
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Effects Lead: Thom Wickes, Effects Lead: Henrik Fält, Effects Animator: Dong Joo Byun, Effects Animator: Rattanin Sirinaruemarn, Effects Animator: Sam Klock

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production

• Deepwater Horizon – The Rig – Lionsgate – Effects TD Supervisor: Raul Essig, Digital Artist : Mark Chataway, Lead Digital Artist : George Kuruvilla, Digital Artist : Mihai Cioroba
• Dr. Strange – Mirror Dimension – Marvel Studios – FX Supervisor: Georg Kaltenbrunner, Digital Artist : Michael Marcuzzi, Digital Artist : Thomas Bevan, Digital Artist : Andrew Graham, Digital Artist: Jihyun Yoon
• Ghostbusters – Iloura – Animator: Terry Bannon, Animator: Nicholas Tripodi, Animator: Daniel Fotheringham, Animator: Matt Weaver, Animator: Julien Boudou
• The BFG – Amblin Entertainment Walt Disney Pictures – Lead Effects TD: Claude Schitter, Senior Previs Animator: Benjaman Folkman, Senior Effects TD: Gary Boyle, FX Supervisor: David Caeiro, CG Supervisor: Luke Millar
• Warcraft – Magic – Legendary/ Universal – FX Supervisor: John Hansen, Lead Artist : George Kuruvilla, Lead Artist : Alexis Hall, Lead Artist : Gordon Chapman, Lead Artist : Ben O’Brien

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Atomic Puppet – Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor – Character Animator: Barry Kennedy, Character: Disastro, Phil Felt, Joey Felt, Old Man, Atomic Puppet, Mookie, Vivian Felt, Smoke Monster, Principal Wartickle, Sword Sister (Paulina), Were-chicken, Chicken, Mr. Inkwood, Cornelius (Octopus), Atomic Android, incidental characters
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Becoming, Part 1, DreamWorks Animation Television, Character Animator: Mike Chaffe Character: Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!
• The Snowy Day – Amazon Studios and Karrot Entertainment – Lead Animator: Rob Thomson Character: Peter, Mom, Nana + all characters included in reel
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Thinking Outside The Hoop / Fig’s Hay- Maze-ing Wander – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment – Lead Animator: Dan MacKenzie Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Okra, Maple, Pine, Buckeye, Gourd, Chickens
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having A Ball – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment – Lead Animator: Joe Heinen Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Buckeye, Pine, Beetles

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios – Character Development and Animation: Erick Oh Character: All Characters
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Animator: Jan Maas Character: Multiple
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Animation Supervisor: Ludovic Bouancheau, Character: Various
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Dave Hardin Character: Judy Hopps, Stu Hopps, Bonnie Hopps, Chief Bogo, Nick Wilde
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Chad Sellers Character: Mr. Big, Koslov, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Flash

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production

• Captain America: Civil War – Spider-man – Marvel Studios – ILM Animation Supervisor: Steve Rawlins, CG Lead Artist: Ebrahim Jahromi, Associate Animation Supervisor: Cedric Lo,
  CG Lead Artist: Stephen King, Digital Artist: Yair Gutierrez
• Games of Thrones Battle of the Bastards – Series 6 Episode 9 – HBO – Visual Effects By Iloura: Nicholas Tripodi, Visual Effects By Iloura: Dean Elliott, Visual Effects By Iloura: James Hollingworth, Visual Effects By Iloura: Matt Weaver
• The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures – Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. Jones, Animation Supervisor: Peta Bayley, Animation Supervisor: Gabriele Zucchelli, Character Supervisor: Benjamin Jones
• The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures – Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. Jones, Senior Animation Supervior: Paul Story, Animation Supervisor: Dennis Yoo, Motion Editor: Eteuati Tema, Senior Facial Modeller: Andrei Coval
• Warcraft – Orcs – Legendary/ Universal – Animation Supervisor: Hal Hickel, Digital Artist : Jee Young Park, Digital Artist: Kai-Hua Lan, Animation Supervisor: Cedric Lo, Animation Supervisor: KimHuat Ooi

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Video Game

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Legends – Ludia Inc. – Character Animator: Lucio Mennillo, Character: Donatello Vision, Character Animator: Martine Quesnel, Character: Leonardo Vision, Character Animator: Alexandre Cheff, Character: Donatello LARP, Character Animator: Laura Gorrie, Character: Leatherhead LARP, Lead Animator: Guillaume Charrin, Character: Raphael Vision
• Titanf all 2 – Respawn Entertainment, LLC – Character Animator: Ranon Sarono, Character: Jack Cooper, BT-7274, Weapons, Character Animator: Shawn Wilson, Character: BT-7274, Creatures, Lead Animator: Mark Grigsby Character: BT- 7274, Jack Cooper, Viper, Weapons, Lead Animator: Paul Messerly Character: BT-7274, Jack Cooper, AI, Character Animator: Moy Parra Character: BT-7274, Villains
• Uncharted 4: A Thief ‘s End – Naughty Dog – Lead Animator: Jeremy Yates Character: All, Lead Animator: Almudena Soria Character: All, Lead Animator: Eric Baldwin Character: All, Lead Animator: Paul Davies Character: All, Lead Animator: Tom Bland Character: All
• Witcher 3 Expansion Packs – Character Animation Reel – CDProjekt Red – Lead Animator: Sebastian Kalemba, Character: Directing role

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Counterfeit Cat – Episode: 28 Seconds Later – Tricon Kids & Family and Wildseed Kids – Art Director: Raphaël Chabassol Character: Full cast: Max, Gark, Betty, etc.
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Win, Lose or Draal – DreamWorks Animation Television – Character Designer: Victor Maldonado, Character: All Characters, Character Designer: Alfredo Torres, Character: All Characters, Character Designer: Jules Rigolle Character: All Characters
• Pig Goat Banana Cricket – Episode: It’s Time to Slumber Party – Nickelodeon – Character Designer: Jennifer Wood, Character: Cricket with Turbine Nose, Burgerstein Nose Picking, Pig Window Squished, Moms Raisin, Angry Old Raisin Toothless, Angry Old Raisin Falling, Pig Melting, Incidental Adult 0014 Army, Sergeant Broseph Red Eyes, General Potato, Goat Soldier Dizz
• Rain or Shine – Google Spotlight Stories/Nexus Studios – Character Design: Robin Davey Character: Multiple
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: The Night Out – Disney Television Animation – Character Designer: Benjamin Balistreri, Character: multiple characters

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Character Designer: Shannon Tindle, Character: Multiple
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Art Director Characters: Bill Schwab, Character: Moana, Maui, Pua, Heihei, Tamatoa, Kakamora, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters), Visual Development Artist: Jin Kim Character: Moana, Maui, Gramma Tala, Sina, Ancestor, Wayfinders, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters), Te Kā
• The Secret Life of Pets – Illumination Entertainment – Character Design by: Eric Guillon Character: All
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Art Director: Tim Lamb Character: Trolls, Character Designer: Craig Kellman, Character: Bergens
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Character Design : Cory Loftis Character: Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Flash, Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, Mr. Big, Fru Fru, Koslov, Bellwether, Yax, Finnick, Doug, Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, Duke Weaselton, Misc. Characters

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• A Love Story – Passion Pictures – Director: Saschka Unseld
• Adventure Time – Episode: Bad Jubies – Cartoon Network Studios – Director: Kirsten Lepore
• Open Season: Scared Silly – Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly – Sony Pictures Animation – Director: David Feiss
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Director: Patrick Osborne
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: My Fair Hatey – Disney Television Animation – Director: Dave Thomas, Director: Eddie Trigueros, Director: Justin Nichols

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA– Director: Travis Knight
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM – Director: Claude Barras
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Director: MICHAEL DUDOK DE WIT
• Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films – Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Director: Byron Howard, Director: Rich Moore

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob? – Bento Box Entertainment – Composer: Loren Bouchard, Composer: John Dylan Keith
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Dancevidaniya – Disney Television Animation – Composer: Christopher Willis
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Becoming, Part 1 – DreamWorks Animation Television – Composer: Alexandre Desplat, Composer: Tim Davis
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Composer: Scot Stafford, Composer/Lyricist: Alexis Harte, Composer/Lyricist: JJ Wiesler
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #2-24: “Twilight of the Apprentice” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD – Composer: Kevin Kiner

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production

• Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders – Warner Bros. Animation – Composer: Kristopher Carter, Composer: Lolita Ritmanis, Composer: Michael McCuistion
• Sing – Illumination Entertainment – Composer: Joby Talbot
• The Little Prince – Netflix and On Animation Studios – Composer: Hans Zimmer, Composer: Richard Harvey, Composer/Lyricist: Camille (no last name)
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Composer: LAURENT PEREZ DEL MAR
• The Secret Life of Pets – Illumination Entertainment – Composer: Alexandre Desplat

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Adventure TIme – Episode: Bad Jubies – Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios – Production Design: Jason Kolowski
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Production Design: Tuna Bora
• Puffin Rock – Episode: The First Snow – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears and Penguin for Netflix – Production Design: Lily Bernard
• Rain or Shine – Google Spotlight Stories/Nexus Studios – Production Design: Robin Davey
• The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show – Episode: The Wrath of Hughes – DreamWorks Animation Television – Production Design: Kevin Dart, Production Design: Sylvia Liu, Production Design: Chris Turnham, Production Design: Eastwood Wong

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Production Design: Nelson Lowry, Production Design: Trevor Dalmer, Production Design: August Hall, Production Design: Ean McNamara
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Production Design: Raymond Zibach, Production Design: Max Boas
• The Little Prince – Netflix and On Animation Studio – Production Design: Lou Romano, Production Design: Alexander Juhasz, Production Design: Celine Desrumaux
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Production Design: Kendal Cronkhite, Production Design: Tim Lamb
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Production Design: David Goetz, Production Design: Matthias Lechner

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Atomic Puppet – Episode: Sick Day – Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor – Storyboard Artist: Kyle Marshall
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Road Hogs – Disney Television Animation – Storyboard Artist: Heiko Von Drengenberg
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Win, Lose or Draal – DreamWorks Animation Television – Storyboard Artist: Hyunjoo Song
• Milo Murphy’s Law – Episode: “Going the Extra Milo” – Disney Television Animation – Storyboard Artist: Dan Povenmire, Storyboard Artist: Kyle Menke
• The Adventures of Puss in Boots – Episode: Prey Time – DreamWorks Animation Television – Storyboard Artist: Ben Juwono

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Trevor Jimenez
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Storyboard Artist: Mark Garcia
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Normand Lemay
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Storyboard Artist: Claire Morrissey
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Dean Wellins

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• BoJack Horseman – Episode: Multiple Episodes – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix – Starring: Alison Brie Character: Diane Nguyen
• Open Season: Scared Silly – Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly – Sony Pictures Animation – Voice Actor: Will Townsend Character: Mr. Weenie
• Splash and Bubbles – Episode: #102 “I Only Have Eyespots”/”Double Bubbles” – The Jim Henson Compay and Herschend Entertainment – Puppeteer: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Character: Bubbles
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #3-05: “Hera’s Heroes” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD – Starring: Lars Mikkelsen Character: Grand Admiral Thrawn
• The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show – Episode: Ponce de León – DreamWorks Animation Television – Cast: Carlos Alazaraqui Character: Ponce de León

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Kubo: Art Parkinson Character: Kubo
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Voice Actress: Auli’i Cravalho Character: Moana
• STORKS – Warner Animation Group – Voice of Tulip : Katie Crown Character: Tulip
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Cast: Zooey Deschanel Character: Bridget
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Voice Actor: Jason Bateman Character: Nick Wilde

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: The Hormone-iums – Bento Box Entertainment – Writer: Lizzie Molyneux, Writer: Wendy Molyneux
• Gravity Falls – Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls – Disney TV Animation – Writer: Shion Takeuchi, Writer: Mark Rizzo, Writer: Jeff Rowe, Writer: Josh Weinstein, Writer: Alex Hirsch
• Puffin Rock – The First Snow – Episode: 59 – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House – Writer: Davey Moore
• The Simpsons – Barthood – Episode: Barthood – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Writer: Dan Greaney
• The Simpsons – The Burns Cage – Episode: The Burns Cage – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Writer: Rob LaZebnik

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Writer: Marc Haimes, Writer: Chris Butler
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM – Writer: Céline Sciamma
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Writer: Michael Dudok de Wit, Writer: Pascale Ferran
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Writer: Jared Bush, Writer: Phil Johnston

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• All Hail King Julien – Episode: King Julien Superstar! – DreamWorks Animation Television – Nominee: David Craig, Nominee: Jeff Adams
• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Sea Me Now – Bento Box Entertainment – Nominee: Mark Seymour, Nominee: Chuck Smith, Nominee: Eric Davidson
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Sock Burglar – Disney Television Animation – Nominee: Illya Owens
• Gravity Falls – Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls – Disney TV Animation – Nominee: Kevin Locarro, Nominee: Andrew Sorcini, Nominee: Nancy Frazen, Nominee: Tony Mizgalski
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #2-24: “Twilight of the Apprentice” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD, Nominee: Joe E. Elwood, Nominee: Alex McDonnell

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

• April and the Extraordinary World – Je Suis Bien Content, Studiocanal – Nominee: Nazim Meslem
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Nominee: Christopher Murrie
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Nominee: Jeff Draheim
• SAUSAGE PARTY – Columbia Pictures Annapurna Pictures – Nominee: Kevin Pavlovic
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Nominee: Fabienne Rawley – Nominee: Jeremy Milton

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award – for their career contributions to the art of animation

• Dale Baer
• Caroline Leaf
• Mamoru Oshii

Ub Iwerks Award – for technical advancement in the art of animation

• Google Spotlight’s Virtual Reality Platform

Special Achievement Award

• Life, Animated

June Foray Award – for their significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation

• Bill & Sue Kroyer

Certificate of Merit

• Leslie Ezeh
• Gary Perkovac

The post ‘Zootopia,’ ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Lead the Annie Nominations [Complete List] appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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By NCTE
for Cynsations

ATLANTA-- Authors Jason Reynolds, Melissa Sweet, and Marilyn Nelson were just announced winners of prestigious literacy awards from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Jason Reynolds won the 2017 Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children for his book Ghost (Atheneum). The Charlotte Huck award is given to books that promote and recognize fiction that has the potential to transform children's lives.

Melissa Sweet won the 2017 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children for her book Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

The NCTE Orbis Pictus Award, established in 1989, is the oldest children's book award for nonfiction.

Marilyn Nelson won the 2017 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. The biannual award is given to a living American poet for his or her aggregate work for children ages 3–13.

Honor and Recommended book lists were also announced. All three authors will be invited to speak at next year's NCTE Annual Convention in St. Louis, MO.

NCTE is the nation's most comprehensive literacy organization, supporting teachers across the preK–college spectrum.

Through the expertise of its members, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911.

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Eric Palmér and Karolina Eriksson run Studio Moss in Gothenburg, Sweden. The designers strive to utilize analysis and research to form concepts that fuel their designs. They often collaborate with artistic exhibitions and festivals throughout Gothenburg and have won multiple awards, including a Kolla! Gold in 2014. Passionate about art education, the designers also teach workshops and tutor at design schools.

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Happy day after the day after Thanksgiving.  Today I’m going to start you off on serious news story and that will pretty much set the tone for the day.

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I live in Evanston, IL.  It’s home to Northwestern University and like a lot of college towns it’s a pretty liberal place.  We sit just north of Chicago.  We’re are ethnically and economically diverse.  We like to think we live apart from the rest of the world in a little bubble.  We don’t and it behooves us to remember that.  Unfortunately, we can be reminded in rather horrible ways sometimes.  Last Monday evening one of my librarians discovered that a number of books on Muslim topics had been defaced with hate speech, swastikas, and offensive comments.  Seven were specific to Islam.  One of them was Glenn Beck’s It Is About Islam.  The community responded swiftly and wonderfully, but it’s become a very big story.  I’m replacing the books now.

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It’s almost here!  New York Public Library’s list of 100 children’s books is about to be officially released.  Recently renamed 100 Best Books for Kids (an unfortunate moniker but NYPL is very keen on the word “Best” these days) it has an interesting selection.  Odd choices too, like the fact that some of the nonfiction picture books in with the picture books section and some are in the nonfiction section.  Some titles I haven’t heard of too, so I’m super excited to look into those.  I did that list for something around 5-6 years, so my love for it is strong.  Additionally, there’s a new list of 50 YA books on there as well.  Win-win!

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The Term “Graphic Novel” Has Had a Good Run. We Don’t Need It Anymore.  I have no horse in this race. Glen fails to mention libraries in the piece, which I don’t think is his fault.  He’s just ill-informed.  Getting comics into the mainstream meant getting libraries on board, and the term “graphic novel” was very useful when it came to justifying such a book on our shelves.  We still use it.  Maybe it’s outdated.  I dunno.  I could go any which way.  Still, until comics are used regularly in schools without massive quantities of eyebrow raising, I’ll not believe that comics have “arrived” quite yet.

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The Undies are here!  The Undies are here!  If you haven’t voted over at 100 Scope Notes for the best case cover of a picture book in 2016, now is the time.

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691. That’s how many children’s authors and illustrators signed The Brown Bookshelf’s Declaration in Support of Children.  In it, it states, “we will create stories that offer authentic and recognizable reflections of themselves, as well as relatable insight into experiences which on the surface appear markedly different.”  On the librarian side of the equation, bloggers like Roxanne Feldmann have published things like A Commitment to Social Justices and Compassion.  In the comment section Bob Kanegis posted the 1955 dedication written by the United Nations Women’s Guild in their book Ride With the Sun: An Anthology of Folk Tales and Stories from the United Nations.  It read:

The Children’s Charter
“There shall be peace on earth; but not until
Each child shall daily eat his fill;
Go warmly clad against the winter wind
And learn his lessons with a tranquil mind.
And thus released from hunger, fear, and need
Regardless of his color, race or creed,
Look upwards, smiling to the skies, His faith in man reflected in his eyes.”

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Related.  A not-really-a-children’s-book children’s book is coming out from Abrams called Bad Little Children’s Books by Arthur C. Gackley.  You’ve seen this kind of thing online before.  They take Little Golden Book styled illustrations and covers and then put some snarky comment with them.  This just collects a whole bunch of them.  No doubt some of you will receive it this holiday seasons from relatives who think, “You like children’s books therefore you will find this hilarious.”  And it wouldn’t even be worth mentioning except for one cover in there that sort of moves it from mildly amusing to not amusing at all.  One of the parody covers is called Happy Burkaday, Timmy. Accompanying it is a picture of a little girl in a burka holding a bomb.  So.  That.  Now you know.  Thanks to Sharon Levin for the info.

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Let us turn our eyes to happier news.  When the Wichita, Kansas chapter of Black Lives Matter and the Wichita Police Department held a mutual cookout, this captured the attention of the publisher Tanglewood.  So moved, they decided to partner with libraries in some fashion.  They donated 250 copies of The Kissing Hand to libraries that agreed to host an event in a community where gun violence had occurred.  Then library partners were encouraged to work with a local chapter of Black Lives Matter (or similar organization) and the local law enforcement so both groups would have an equal part in delivering the donated books into the community.  “Library partners were encouraged to work with a local chapter of Black Lives Matter (or similar organization) and the local law enforcement so both groups would have an equal part in delivering the donated books into the community.”  Curious?  More information here.

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Vicky Smith recently alerted us to an interesting topic.  While at the Maine Library Association conference she attended a workshop about the, “critlib movement in Maine. If you’re not familiar with critlib, it’s an attempt to marry critical race theory with librarianship in a pretty fascinating way. It encourages librarians to examine the ways the discipline privileges the dominant culture – for instance, Library of Congress cataloging places queer topics, consensual kink, and child sexual predation in the same conceptual bucket.”  FYI.

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Daily Image:

I couldn’t say it better than Cameron Suey did.  “Damn, Aesop is subtweeting America, hard.”

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Ten animated shorts will continue in the voting process as they vye for an Oscar nomination.

The post Academy Announces Shortlist of 10 Animated Shorts appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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Fun stuff... The Undies Case Cover Awards were created to honor the art of the cover beneath a book's dust jacket. Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure is on the shortlist in the category of "Best Sneak Peek at the Setting!"

Many thanks to Carter Higgens and Travis Jonker-– the two awesome librarians who dreamed up this idea!

The ballots are open until Monday, November 28th at 5:00pm EST, and you can vote for your favorites here.

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I'm a few days early, since I do not plan on being on social media during the Thanksgiving weekend, but rather to savor each and every moment and to enjoy the company of friends and family in realtime.  

For many years now I've been making a concerted effort to remain #thankful everyday and to repel the negativity of others, especially within social media. We have a choice in this life, be sucked down the dark hole of despair or to knock out the darkness and live in the glorious light of a positive attitude. 

I #journal daily, which I find helpful to wash away my fears and to uncover the #blessings that abound. I urge you to try journaling. Your words are for your eyes only, hence making it a safe haven to explore your joys and sorrows. It's quite therapeutic! 

My wish for you and your families today and beyond, is to be true to yourself and to remain #thankful of the many #blessings that the good Lord has bestowed upon you. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters ~ December 2015 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2016 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention Picture Books Five and Under and Story Monster Approved

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014 and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Historical Fiction 1st Place, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention Picture Books 6+, New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

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I was leaving Matala with Anne and Thomas, the dedicated communist German from Ulm, who owned the French Peugot which elevated and lowered its suspension at the flick of a switch. He and I had argued about communism and democracy for a week every night in the taverna. My strongest argument, the one which he couldn't answer, was to ask him where all the communist travellers were? Why was he the only one from a communist country who was free to travel where he liked, do what he wanted? Thomas' idealism was admirable. We agreed, at least, that the rich, communist or capitalist, were still screwing the poor. He owned a car and offered me a free ride to Iraklion when he learned I was leaving. Anne was leaving Greece, too. She was from England, I was heading for London. She had seen me around Matala, decided to accompany me. I collected the drachma which were saved for me by my boss, Costa, the young, local godfather in Matala. He gave me an allowance each week, kept back a portion of my pay. I worked on various construction jobs he had, was hardened, tanned and strong when he paid me off. He held back a bit for himself, just to make sure everyone knew who was the boss. If he hadn't saved some of my pay for me, we both knew I would have blown it all. The ferry from Iraklion to Piraeus was boring and uneventful. Just as well. After living for six months in Matala, on the southern coast of Crete, never leaving, it was a slow emergence into the outside world. One of the most embarrassing occasions in my life occurred just then. I had the crabs. I got them in Matala and was at the stage of exterminating them which required sexual abstinence. There was to be no carnal contact, not even snuggling, in case of infection of another and a rebirth of the cursed bugs. But I was ashamed. I was too embarrassed to tell Anne. God knows what she thought. Anne had lived in Matala long enough to know that I wasn't gay. She was attractive enough, the ex girlfriend of a guy who was the grandson of Robert Graves, the poet. But I passed up perfect opportunities and situations which thrust us together. You don't get much closer together than when you hitchike together. I had recently been through hell, living in my makeshift tent in the campground, scratching at myself. I wouldn't have wished it on anyone. But I couldn't bring myself to tell her. It was bad enough telling Costas and the boys in Matala. They all took a step away from me. Costas wrinkled his nose when he asked why I didn't tell him sooner. Later, he admitted that when he got them, he separated himself from his family home and friends until he got rid of them. After a few smog filled days in Athens during which we were treated as fair game, ripped off everywhere we turned, we concluded that the air fare to Britain was too costly. There was an election on in Greece, something catastrophic was happening in Northern Europe, living in Athens, even on our skimpy budget, was too expensive. Reaching London could be done, cheaper, by hitching most of the way. Anne was fighting with her parents, proving her independence. She could easily get the required air fare home but refused to make the call, thereby signalling to her family that she was dependent upon them. I thought she was crazy. A guy seemed to meet us in Brindisi, when we landed in Italy. He appeared, smiling like a long lost brother, gave us pizza and a room for the night, ostensibly, for free. He finally demanded payment in sexual favours, from Anne, but too late. By the time he sneaked away from his wife, it was morning and we fled. On the motorway, heading north, it was easy to see why veteran travellers advised always to hitch with a woman in Europe. Even eighteen wheelers with full loads stopped for women. The first big rig which came by, skidded to a fishtailing halt, up the highway. The driver didn't care about the truck, the load or the other high speed traffic. We had travelled most of the day when he caught me dozing, told me to climb into the bed behind us. Everything looked fine. I gratefully passed out in the bunk after Anne and I oohed and ahhed over the pictures of the driver=s family. I wasn't expecting to be awoken by Anne=s kicks as she scrunched herself up against the passenger door and yelled at the driver. We were shocked that the friendly family man was so intent on groping Anne that he nearly ran the big Volvo off the road. We got him to pull over and let us out. The next driver who picked us up in a big rig on the freeway which runs up the spine of Italy, showed us his automatic revolver which he pulled from under his seat. We were thinking furiously, Anne prodding me in the side, our eyes glued to the weapon as he casually handled the pistol while driving. He explained, near the turnoff to Milan, that every truck driver who stopped in Milan carried a weapon to defend against hijackers. He smiled, checked out Anne=s body openly, when he let us off at a truck stop. We clambered down from the cab, grateful for the lift, glad to be getting away from his aura of danger. Anne and I finally separated in a train station in Switzerland. By this time we were barely speaking. I was irritated at her stubborness. She was frustrated at our slow progress. I didn't have anything to prove to anyone so she seemed, to me, to be involved in a frivolous game. I had given up hope that she'd call home for money enough for two flights back to England. The Greek bread had hardened in our packs. We could barely afford coffee and chocolate bars. The tension between us grew every hour. We stopped, at night, in the little station where we got some sleep on benches, warm and dry. When we awoke, we were greeted by backpackers with English accents who got along famously with Anne and onto whom she latched. She went their way and I went mine. We were glad to part. I headed for Shaffhausen, on the German border. In Matala, some of the German visitors had given me addresses and phone numbers for places to stay and jobs. If I could get into Germany, it seemed worth checking out. My resolve to reach London didn't waver, but I took a detour. It seemed logical that I should see a little of Germany while I was so close. Some of the jobs were even on Canadian bases. The Alps were truly breathtaking. Some of the rides were with young, Swiss natives who pointed out that many of the idyllic scenes in the postcard mountains contained, in reality, many poor people struggling to get by. The underside of Switzerland was obvious to them, never explained to the tourists. When I arrived, I called the number I had in Shaffhausen, knocked on the door of the address I was given, but there was no response. I stayed around for two more days but never found anyone. I couldn't find a youth hostel in Shaffhausen and I couldn't afford a room so I used the only shelter I could find, a public toilet, in a park. The place was clean. If I laid in a certain position I could manage a few hours of sleep in the glare of the all night lights. I waited, for two days and nights, walking around, looking at windows full of displays of Swiss chocolate for the tourists, living in the public restroom, eating my loaf of bread with the last of the jam I had carried from Greece. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer. I approached the border crossing between Switzerland and Germany. The early morning traffic was travelling slowly, I got a lift with a young businessman who lived in Shaffhausen, crossed the border, every day, for work, in Germany. The German border guards ordered me out of the car, searched my pack, studied my passport, ordered me to take off my cowboy boots. They studiously examined the Greek sand which fell out, presumably for drugs, counted my little wad of American bills, rejected me. I had to shoulder my pack and walk back across the border beside the line of cars going to Germany. The Swiss guards shrugged and laughed when they saw. "Germans" they said with a gesture that was meant to explain that they were as baffled as I. I consulted a map, took the rest of the day to hitch to Basel. On the side of the highway, at an intersection, I talked to a hippie looking couple who were hitching in another direction. They said they had slept in a park last night, had awoken to find food and coffee in the grass, beside their sleeping bags. Through Basel I would get to France, then England. If I had stuck to my original plan, with good luck, I'd probably be there by now. The day was ending, darkness approaching, the sky spit rain. I stood on the side of the freeway outside of Basel, watched the lights of the comfortable houses, wondered how many cities I'd stood outside of, how many hours I'd spent waiting for lifts on freeways.. Then Bernt stopped. At first, I thought he was gay, picking up a hitchiker in the dark. But his simple reason for helping me out was that once, on a motorcycle trip around Germany, someone had helped him out. He asked only that I do the same for some other stranger when the opportunity presented itself. Bernt took me home to his comfortable, modern apartment, let me use his shower and phone. I called Canada to borrow a little money. It was sent by American Express. It meant nothing in Canada, the world to me. Bernt and a friend wined and dined me. We ate and drank in the tavern which Hermann Hesse frequented while he wrote Steppenwolf. We ate Swiss rosti, drank wine, tried to remember which parts of the tavern Hesse described in his book. Perhaps from outside the window. They took off for a weekend, left me with the house after Bernt showed me his copious wine cellar. I used the Basel trams to get my money from the American express office, left Bernt a thank you note, hitched to France. From Basel I was lucky to get a lift all the way to Strasbourg where I stood on the freeway with my thumb out until a funky looking, old, walk-in van pulled over and picked me up. The driver was French, returning from Poland where he worked with Solidarity to press for democracy. The paintings and slogans which decorated the van were encouragement to Solidarity and its cause. He had installed a finely tuned, powerful engine in the old van. He laughed at the system the Poles were overthrowing as we sped toward Paris. When he let me off at the suburban metro station, I consulted my address book, called Frank. He had given me his number when he visited Matala, insisted that I call him if I ever got to Paris. I spent the next few days in Frank=s family=s expensive apartment. Frank, a handsome blond Frenchman, was an expert in judo. He had trained for most of his life, had awards, could truthfully say that it saved him once when he was attacked by a gang in a metro station. He was about to join the French army. Frank had lots of girlfriends. We sped around Paris in someone=s car, visited expensive restaurants and cafes. Of course, I started out nearly broke and that finished it. I thanked Frank and hitched to Calais. One way of avoiding the fare from Calais to Dover and London was to get a lift with a trucker. I canvassed the truckers I saw waiting for the ferry. There were dozens of big rigs heading to London. Most of the drivers wouldn't risk picking up a hitchhiker because of the travelling insurance inspectors. I was looking as desperate as I felt. Finally, a driver with an English accent told me to wait by the dock, then to get into his truck, quick, while he was loading. That way, he passed the custom inspections before picking me up. Once we rolled onto the motorway, he checked the mirrors, installed me in the cab so that I couldn't be seen from outside. He told me of his life driving regularly all over Europe. He worked shifts which allowed him some time with his young family in the north of England. He let me off with a cheery "Good luck" at the southernmost tube station in London. By the time I reached Rob=s co-op flat in Finsbury Park, I was exhausted. I had been thoroughly shaken out of the dream I had lived beneath the Matala moon. We sat around his kitchen, drinking tea, reading newspapers, one drizzly morning. That was when I found the article on the shortage of rig workers in Scotland.

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From PW: PRH Starts Student Loan Repayment Program

From BBC News: Top authors call for school libraries to be protected

From The Brown Bookshelf: A Declaration in Support of Children

From SLJ, Betsy Bird's Fuse #8: The Slush Pile Myth

From James Gurney: 72 Tips for Sharing Art on Social Media

From NPR: Colson Whitehead, Representative John Lewis Among National Book Award Winners

From The Guardian: Hundreds of US children's authors sign pledge to tackle racism and xenophobia

From Custom-Writing.org: 200 Powerful Words to Use Instead of "Good" (Infographic)

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The National Book Awards were handed out on Wednesday night.  John Lewis' final entry into his graphic memoir, March: Book Three, written with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, won the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

Here is the School Library Journal article about the book, the prize, the event.

The book is stunning in its timeliness.  We cannot forget the fight for equal rights and equal respect.  And we must continue to uphold the American ideal that all people are created equal.  That's ALL - as in Every Single Person. 

As the banner at my place of worship says, "Love Thy Neighbor - No Exceptions".

PS.  The winner, in books for grown-ups, was The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.  Pay attention, readers. 

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New videos from ILM break down its character, crowd, and hair vfx for "Warcraft."

The post ILM Releases 3 New ‘Warcraft’ VFX Breakdown Featurettes appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]-->


Snoopy Dance!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters ~ December 2015 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2016 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention Picture Books Five and Under and Story Monster Approved
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014 and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

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By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

My current work in progress is a middle grade historical fantasy set in 1903. 

Delving into the past has made me think about how history is presented in novels and the balance between real and imaginary. 

For more insight on that topic, I turned to the authors of two of my favorite recently published books, focusing on process.

Kate Hannigan’s The Detective's Assistant (Little, Brown, 2015) is based on the extraordinary true story of Kate Warne, America’s first female detective. It won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award in 2016.

Was there a particular item, fact or event that sparked the idea for The Detective's Assistant?

KH: I was researching a story about camels in the American West in the 1850s when I came across a single nugget about Kate Warne. I read how she walked into Allan Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency in downtown Chicago, and he had assumed she was there for a secretary position. But she talked her way into a detective’s job, convincing Pinkerton she could “worm out” secrets from the wives and girlfriends of the city’s crooks and criminals.

Stumbling on this little gem, I was hooked! I dropped that camel story and ran with Kate Warne!

At what point did you start researching that? Did you start drafting a story first, or did you do research up front?

Kate's model for her main character

KH: I’m kind of a nutter about gathering facts. My background is newspaper journalism, so maybe that’s to blame. But I wanted to know all I could about Kate Warne, Allan Pinkerton, and Abraham Lincoln during this part of American history.

The biggest research was around understanding the Baltimore Plot, which is the pivotal part of the story — the plot to assassinate Lincoln before he could be sworn in for his first term.

So the whole process was immersive. I dove in deep before writing a single word. Once I felt like I had the facts, then I began my story.

Did you continue doing research as you were writing?

KH: I’m still doing research! And the book published over a year ago! But I love this story so much, I can’t not learn more about it. I do school visits all the time, and I talk to students about it. So it’s very much in the front of my mind.

As I was writing, I would come across a question — my characters are walking down the street in 1860 Chicago, so what were they walking on? How comfortable would a train ride be in 1860? Would we ride on upholstered seats or hard wood? — and drop down another rabbit hole.

Research is never ending with historical writing!

Were you surprised by what you learned doing research? Did any unexpected finds end up becoming significant parts of the story?

KH: If you’re writing historical fiction, you’re probably a pretty huge history nerd. So digging up a juicy nugget can be a thrill! And I dug up so many!

I enjoyed researching and writing this story to a ridiculous degree!

My characters live in a boardinghouse, so getting that setting right was foremost in my mind. I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852) and Sister Carrie by Theodore Drieser (1900) (which was set a bit later but still illuminating nonetheless), just to get a sense of language of the times.

But I also plunged into nonfiction about the era, and I found a particular book about boardinghouses that was helpful. It described how incredibly cheap the managers — usually women — had to be to keep these places afloat. They were notorious for serving terrible food, which I thought could be played for a lot of humor in my book.

And this is what led to the chapter about Nell and the other residents eating a questionable meat for dinner, and Mrs. Wigginbottom getting shifty when there is talk about the orange tabby cat going missing.

Your book mixes well-known historical figures (Abraham Lincoln) with lesser-known, yet real individuals (Kate Warne) as well as completely fictional characters.

Tell us more about balancing the fact and the fiction – did you lean heavily on things the historical figures actually said? Were there some details you changed for the sake of the story? Were there some fixed points you felt couldn’t be altered?

KH: Fact and fiction! This balance kept me up at night! I agonized over being true to the players and what was on record as having happened. I visited Kate Warne’s grave site here in Chicago more than a few times, and I deeply desired to do right by this woman.

But I also worried about the reader, and I wanted to make sure that the story I was telling would hold the interest of a 21st-century American kid. So it was agony!

Pinkerton had written about the cases that involved Kate Warne, so of course I wanted to nod to those. But I took artistic license and shuffled their order, so that the culminating case is the saving of Lincoln’s life. I needed to put them in a different order to serve my story, and I had to come to terms with that decision. It took me a bit though.

Do you feel authors writing for middle grade readers have a greater obligation to present an accurate picture of a historical time period, than those writing YA or adult fiction?

KH: I very much believe authors for young readers have a greater responsibility to get historical fiction right. Because history is all new to this audience — this might be their first introduction to the Civil War, to Abraham Lincoln, to the Underground Railroad.

And if we make history engaging for them, we’re opening the doors to more exploration of our past, to creating more history lovers.

It’s a responsibility I take pretty seriously. Which is why I tend to research my books to death!

Have you gotten any feedback from history or social studies teachers? Or any school visits or other presentations aimed specifically at the history aspect?

KH: Yes! And it’s been so great! I’ve gotten tremendous feedback from teachers and librarians.

The Civil War hits with fifth-grade curriculum in many schools, so The Detective's Assistant has been on reading lists around the country. I’ve done Skype visits as well as in-person school visits, and the response from young readers has been mind-blowing!

The New York Historical Society included it in their family book club, the Global Reading Challenge in Chicago listed it among their 2016 books, an entire fifth-grade in Dallas read the book as part of their Civil War history unit. It’s been wonderful to share the story with so many kids!

Was there anything you found while doing research for The Detective's Assistant that will find it’s way into your next book?

KH: Answer: I’ve been bitten by the research bug, and specifically, research into amazing women and people of color forgotten by history. So my next book is focused on World War II women beyond Rosie the Riveter. I can’t say there’s any overlap with the Civil War era, but the passion I feel for dusting off these remarkable players from the past and sharing them with a whole new audience, that definitely has carried over. It’s kind of become my mission!

The Detective's Assistant is realistic historical fiction, do things change when the story includes more fantasy elements? For that aspect, I asked Janet Fox, author of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle similar questions.

Was there a particular item, fact or event that sparked the idea for The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle? (what was it?)

JF: Yes! I was mucking around on the internet when a friend posted a picture of an object the like of which I'd never noticed before. It was an 18th century German chatelaine. I thought it was peculiar, and I had to find out more about it, so I googled and discovered that this chatelaine was an offshoot of the more practical set of keys - to the chateau - worn at the waist.

I learned that chatelaines had evolved from keys to practical items, like scissors and coin purses, to charms. This chatelaine was all charms, and they were so odd that a story began forming in my mind almost right away.

At what point did you start researching that? (i.e. – did you start drafting a story first, or did you do research up front?) 

JF: Once I'd learned what a chatelaine was I began writing almost at once. Within a week of seeing the image, which is the same as the image that's in the novel, I'd completed the first 40 pages of what would become the novel. That's generally the way I work. I have to discover who my main character is and what her problem is before I can begin to flesh out the story, and research is part of that fleshing out.

Did you continue doing research as you were writing?

JF: Yes - once I have a handle on my protagonist and what the story is generally about I tend to blend research with writing. For example, as soon as I decided to set the novel in Scotland, I took a pause and did a bunch of research on Scotland. That's almost always how I work - I write first to discover what I need to know more about. But it all starts with the character and her problem.

Were you surprised by what you learned doing research? Did any unexpected finds end up becoming significant parts of the story?

JF: Not really - at least, not in this story. But read on - there's a relevant answer to this in your last question.

Your book mixes actual events and places completely fictional – and fantastical - events and characters. Tell us more about balancing the fact and the fiction? Were there any fixed points you felt couldn’t be altered? (why?)

JF: I felt it was very important to be true to any factual details. For example, I had to learn what I could about enigma machines, about the inner workings of clocks, about movements and activities in the North Sea during that part of World War II, and so on.

That's where I really pay attention to accuracy - when I'm weaving facts into fantasy I want those facts to be right. In that way the reader more readily suspends disbelief for the fantasy elements.

Do the fantastical elements have a historical influence?

JF: In a way. My grandparents were Irish and English, and I heard many stories growing up about the fantastical beliefs they carried with them from home, things like the stories my grandfather told me about "the little people." And Celtic and pagan practices have a basis in history and yet are mystical or fantastic in nature. To me, there's always a kernel of truth in a fairy tale.

Do you feel authors writing for middle grade readers have a greater obligation to present an accurate picture of a historical time period, than those writing YA or adult fiction?

JF: I think any writer writing for any audience has an obligation to be accurate when it comes to historical detail. But I do think that the vulnerability of the younger reader requires a special adherence to accuracy. These are readers who will feel cheated if I give them information they later find to be false. They are also readers more likely to believe whatever you tell them, and I would hate to plant falsehoods in their minds.

Have you gotten any feedback from history or social studies teachers? (or any school visits or other presentations aimed specifically at the history aspect?) 

Dunrobin Castle, Janet's inspiration, located in Scotland

JF: Not yet, although I would love to present something about the specific history aspects of the story.

I'm fascinated by World War II (and as we can see by the large number of middle grade novels out the past couple of years set during the war, so are others.)

The Blitz alone was a big deal, and I've given talks at bookstores at which adults have come forward after to tell me that they or their aunt or their father was sent out of London - and that's why they're in America today.

Was there anything you found while doing research for The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle that will find it’s way into your next book?

JF: Since Kat is clever with clocks, I did a bit of clock research and uncovered a rare old timepiece called a "Death's Head" watch. After further research I discovered that one of owners of one of the most bizarre of these was the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots. Well, that didn't feel accidental. As you can imagine, that watch is the centerpiece of my sequel.

chatelaine

Cynsational Notes

Janet Fox on Blending History with Fantasy from Cynsations. Peek: "Whether writing historical fiction or fantasy, the objective of suspension of disbelief can only be accomplished if the world-building is sound. In historical fiction, that means lots of research to get interesting tidbits right. In fantasy, it means crafting an environment in which those interesting tidbits feel right."

Gayleen Rabakukk holds a master of fine arts in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She co-moderates the middle grade book club for Austin SCBWI and loves making discoveries – both on and off the page.

Always eager to track down a story, she has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and freelance writer. Gayleen is married and has two caring and outspoken daughters. Their Austin, Texas home is filled with books and rescue dogs. You can find her online at  or on Twitter @gayleenrabakukk

Congratulations to Gayleen on recently signing with Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency!

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“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314)
By Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
     CLICK HERE for more coloring pages.
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     When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
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