How to use this Page

Chris Van Dusen recently sat down with the First Book staff to talk about his contribution to Our White House and other upcoming projects. Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, a project designed by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and published by Candlewick Press, explores America’s rich culture and encourages young people to read about history. Over 100 authors and illustrators worked on the project including Chris Van Dusen. Throughout the podcast, Van Dusen explains how he chose to depict his favorite president by looking at old photos for inspiration. He was mesmerized by Roosevelt’s humor and his “great big toothy smile.” Van Dusen’s illustration captures the hectic household with children and animals storming down the steps.

In the podcast, Van Dusen also explains that his desire to become an author and illustrator came from his childhood in Maine and the meticulous detail of Robert McCloskey’s illustrations. Van Dusen has worked on 9 other books including the Mercy Watson series written by Kate DiCamillo.

Listen to the podcast with Chris Van Dusen below and discover his witty sense of humor and career aspirations. For more information, please visit http://www.chrisvandusen.com, and look for his new book The Circus Ship set for release in September 2009.

Introduce young readers and writers to one of the most personal and meaningful ways to communicate—with Letters from the White House, a national creative writing contest from the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, Reading Rockets, and AdLit.org. To enter the contest, students write letters and journal entries that explore the history of America and tap into their own creativity when they imagine and write about the experience of living or working in the Executive Mansion.

Students are encouraged to find inspiration in the poetry, stories, illustrations, and information in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. The contest will launch on January 20, 2009, Inauguration Day, with entries due on February 16, 2009, Presidents Day. Five finalists will be chosen in each competition level and a grand prize winner will be named in each level on April 30, 2009, the 100th day of the new presidential term.

Contest information and resources for preK-grade 3 teachers and for grades 4-12 are available from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org. At www.ourwhitehouse.org, the companion Web site to Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, educators and parents will find useful information and historical resources to help students with research. Winning entries will be published online and prizes include copies of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and gift certificates to Better World Books.

Special thanks to Rachael Walker at Reading Rockets for providing this post.

First Book recently had the pleasure of speaking with author and illustrator Natalie Babbitt , the author of the classic ALA Notable Children’s book Tuck Everlasting and Newbery Honor Book Kneeknock Rise, among many other titles for children. She is also a member of the board of directors of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, a non-profit organization whose primary focus is to make issues related to young people’s literacy, literature, and libraries an ongoing priority on our national agenda.

Click below to hear our conversation with Ms. Babbitt about the mysteries of her home state of Ohio, the joy of illustrating, and her latest work, “Seven From Ohio,” featured in the new book Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out just published by Candlewick Press!

P.S. Don’t forget — if you plan to be in the Washington, D.C. area on September 27th, don’t miss other contributors to Our White House when they discuss its creation at the National Book Festival on the Mall!