OMG - You have got to go check this out. INSPIRED IDEAS is THE most adorable magazine EVAH!! Pages and pages of creative holiday ideas from some of the most talented creators out there - from Mary Engelbreit to Jenny B. Harris. Woosie - there's no keeping the creative juices down after having a look. My fave? The toilet paper roll elves - brilliant!
I am thankful for how ingenious, clever and sweet picture books can be, like There Are Cats In This Book - written, illustrated and read by Viviane Schwarz:
In high school I took an amazing class called "Cosmos and Connections." We basically watched the series by Carl Sagan, "Cosmos," and James Burke's series, "Connections." Wow. Would that even be possible in today's educational environment? Anyhow, I took the class after years of watching Carl Sagan's tv show - so I was already quite familiar. And then there's my favorite all time movie, "Contact," based on his novel. Needless to say, I'm a huge Carl Sagan fan and have been most of my life.
The way he described space, time, and our ideas of reality amazed me - but even more, I loved his curiosity, enthusiasm, and pure wonder. It was contagious and made me proud to be human.
So I was thrilled to recently learn about some of his ideas being set to music. Enjoy.
I recently had the pleasure of seeing the Dalai Lama in person, along with Richard Gere and Alice Walker at Emory University. You can read about it here.
His Holiness has been named a Presidential Distinguished Professor by the University, and lucky for us in Georgia, he has taken it very seriously. In fact, Emory has been reaching out to the Tibetan monks for some time now creating collaborative studies between religion and science. We're spotting their tell-tale robes around town more and more as a result.
With this as a backdrop, I was recently sent a new graphic novel - a manga biography created by Tetsu Saiwai for Penguin Books called THE 14TH DALAI LAMA.
It's the story of the Dalai Lama's incredible life journey through illustrations. And even though the Dalai Lama has been surrounded by violence for much of his life, the book handles it with sensitivity. Although I do wish it had focused more on the amazing things His Holiness has actually done rather than simply focus on what was happening around him and how he escaped it all - I still learned much from this book.
In fact, the author/illustrator, Tetsu Saiwai, has done a number of educational biographical mangas over his 20-year career. He lives in western Japan, so sadly, I was not able to do my preferred interview for this book. However, I love that manga can handle non-fiction in this way, making history more accessible to readers who tend to absorb information better in an illustrated format. (Great for reluctant readers!)
Seeing His Holiness in person was awe-inspiring. With all he's been through, all the war and injustice he's had to experience, he still smiles quickly, laughs easily, and is downright charming. It's amazing that his attitude and world view remains so peaceful and incredibly positive.
With that in mind, and thanks to a Penguin Books publicist, I have TWO free copies of THE 14TH DALAI LAMA to give away in a... peaceful manner. (Especially appropriate as we head towards this day of thanks.) Leave a comment below about or for peace. It can be a quote, a thought, a sentiment, whatever you like. That's all you need to do to enter the drawing. I'll randomly choose a winner on the last day of November, announcing the winner on December 1st. So get your comments in!
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Happy Thanksgiving!
As we enjoy the abundance in our lives, let us remember those without such gifts and work towards making sure everybody has what they need - including joy. Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!Click here to find more Thanksgiving-themed coloring pages. THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN GEORGIA!
Susan R. Spain (author) and I (illustrator) will be on tour all over our lovely state of Georgia in these weeks leading up to Christmas. We'll be celebrating the release of our newest book, THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN GEORGIA. You can check my schedule here to see if I'll be in your neighborhood any time soon.
And heck, if you're traveling, look for us in the Atlanta airport on the busiest travel day of the year (November 28th). Susan and I will be at two bookstores in various terminals between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. You know what they say - whether you're going to heaven or... hiccum, you have to go through the Atlanta airport. So look for us! THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN GEORGIA is part of a series from Sterling Children's Books which will eventually have a book for each state. They have several already, so CLICK HERE to see if they've done the title for your state!
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
This is a little long and pretentious, but it's very interesting. And since I've been working at the University of Georgia, I am once again surrounded by type experts. I've long professed to be a font geek myself - instilled by the passion of Professsor Ron Arnholm, my type instructor at UGA - who is still there and is now a world-famous type designer. Obviously, things like this are on my radar even more so these days...
Here's a Sunday treat - have a listen to blues master Mississippi John Hurt singing "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor." But I'm sending you to YouTube to listen, because in the sidebar (2nd down) you can click "Mississippi John Hurt Mix" and get an awesome soundtrack for a lovely, relaxing Sunday morning filled with some kickin' good music.
This was not voluntary.
The question is, who was there first and who was the pushy one?
It's Bernie's bed. I mean, the cat has the whole house and hogs half of our bed most of the time (while we're in it). But she has decided to claim Bernie's bed too. Hm.
So who got there first I wonder? (And I'm amazed I caught this on camera!)
Each year Kirkus comes out with their créme de la créme list of what they believe are the Best Books for Children and Teens, and this year is no exception. Click here to go see the lists broken down by genre.
The picture book that is most grabbing my attention? "A Sick Day for Amos McGee." I may have to add that one to the bulging book shelves...
JustRite Stampers is giving away another one of my new sets on their blog today. Just go leave a comment ON THEIR BLOG (there will be a question you need to answer) to be entered to win the drawing for that day's stamp. Today's image is Ellie Time:
And if you'd like to purchase a set (they make great Christmas presents for the crafter in your life), either visit the JustRite Cling stamps store, or my new "STAMPS" link above!
Today I'd like to introduce you to the Regional Advisor for my local chapter of the SCBWI - the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Jo S. Kittinger.
Jo has worked so hard for many years to make our Southern Breeze chapter (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi) one of the strongest in the country. We all owe a lot to Jo for helping us to be better creators on this difficult path to publication.
So, it is with great pleasure that I have the honor to announce the release of her latest picture book, ROSA'S BUS, illustrated by Steven Walker, published by Calkin Creek Books - an imprint of Boyds Mills Press.
Rather than focusing on Rosa Parks - who's simple act of remaining seated on the bus kicked off the civil rights movement which changed Jim Crow laws making America more fair for people of all colors - in this story Jo focused on the actual bus. I asked her about it...
Q. Hi Jo, thanks so much for sharing ROSA'S BUS! What inspired you to tell the story of the bus?
A. I was priviledged to talk with Donnie Williams, the former owner of the bus (before it was sold to the Henry Ford Museum). He had inherited the bus from his father-in-law and it had been sitting in a field for years, being overcome with ruin and rust. Hearing how his father-in-law had recognized the importance of the bus, and saved it from the junk yard, was very interesting. Donnie had written an adult book on Civil Rights and his editor was interested in a children's book. Donnie knew he wasn't a children's author, so he passed the story on to me. However, his editor had pictured a different approach to the subject, so she passed on my manuscript. But after more than a year, I still liked the story, so I sent it out into the world again.
Q. A little known fact is that several people refused to give up their bus seats before Rosa Parks. Why do you think her simple act finally drove people to action?
A. I think black leaders were waiting until an incident happened to someone around whom they knew they could rally support. The other girls had been brave, and helped set the stage, but when Rosa refused HER seat, the leaders knew they had their chance. Rosa was well known and respected among those working for improved treatment of African Americans.
Q. You were just a toddler when all this was going on - how did it impact your life?
A. The bus boycott itself had no direct affect on my life, but growing up during the Civil Rights movement certainly did. Seeing separte drinking fountains and signs that said "No Colored" in a day when those things were being questioned, protested and overturned, created an air of tension. Whenever I asked my mother about such things she'd say, "That's just the way things are." So the refrain in my book was from my own experience. In high school, black students were bused in to integrate our school. Thankfully, that went relatively smoothly. I am very pleased at how far we have come, but also see how far we still have to go.
Q. The paintings in the book are beautiful. Can you tell us a bit about the illustrator, Steven Walker?
A. I love the vibrant colors that Steven used, and think that his striking art is a perfect match for the text. I've never had the priviledge to meet Steven and we have not really talked, so I know little about him. But I was very happy that my editor, Larry Rosler at Calkins Creek, paired an African American artist with my words. I think that Steven was able to capture a stoic mindset that helped people of that time persevere through the boycott. Those feelings are something I can only imagine. Steven is primarily a fine artist, creating lovely oil landscapes. You can see more of his work at http://www.stevenwalkerstudios.com/
Q. How are you celebrating the release of ROSA'S BUS? And do you have more works for us to look forward to?
A. I'm enjoying visiting on various blogs and grinning a lot! I'd love to share the book in schools, libraries and conferences - so if anyone out there is in a position to invite me, I'd love to come!
My next book will be a fictional picture book -- The House on Dirty-Third Street-- which is currently being illustrated by Thomas Gonzales, the illustrator of 14 Cows for America. His artwork is INCREDIBLE and I couldn't be happier about his working on my story. I've seen a few sketches and can't wait to see the finished book! My editor at Peachtree, Kathy Landwehr, says it may be 2012 before the book is released, but I'm thinking it will be worth the wait :)
Card Makers and Stampers... JustRite Stampers is giving away another one of my new sets on their blog today. Just leave a comment ON THEIR BLOG (there will be a question you need to answer) to be entered to win the drawing for that day's stamp. Today's image is Ellie Time:
And if you'd like to purchase a set (they make great Christmas presents for the crafter in your life), either visit the JustRite Cling stamps store, or my new "STAMPS" link above!
The Savannah Children's Book Festival proved once again to be one of my favorite weekends of the year. The Low Country Boil, hosted in the children's section of the awesome Live Oaks Public Library Friday night, was an incredible kick-off with some of the best shrimp I've ever had. The weather was perfect for the entire weekend. All the organizers were, as usual, warm and wonderful. And the fellow speakers were stellar talents.
During the Shrimp Boil, visiting authors and illustrators contributed to the walls in the children's reading area. It's so fun to see the amazing sketches and names of children's book greats who have visited in the past. This year I added a Reading Fairy (something small for a change) and Vicky added a cartouche. (See my first contribution, a cow, here - and last year's contribution, a dragon, here.)
Sadly, this will be my last visit for a while as it was my third year to be a guest (they gotta mix us up a bit!). (My first year was as a guest of the Georgia Center for the Book.) So, Hubbie and I made the most of what had become a mini-vacation of sorts for us (albeit a working one).
We took back roads from Atlanta to Savannah, enjoying the gorgeous southern Georgia landscape - white seas of cotton ready for harvest. We stopped at The Dutch House in Wrens, Georgia - an awesome Amish eatery across the street from a pecan plant (from which I purchased several Christmas gifts). Here I am with Don and his new puppy, Bella, in the Live Oaks library children's room. Joe Davich, Vicky and me.
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency this year - right on the river and within walking distance to everything I love about Savannah. How nice! Here's the view from the bar (dangerous, I know) of a ship going by on the river. To the right was a view down River Street and a sunset you would not believe.
I heard the festival had about 35,000 to 40,000 visitors this year and I enjoyed some nice crowds in my tent, and some great kids! Even an SCBWI pal, an old high-school buddy (hi Jan!), and one of my student's Mom! How cool is that?
Throughout the weekend, I had the great pleasure of hanging out with long-time email buddy Don Tate (Ron's Big Mission), Judy Schachner (Skippyjon Jones) - who I had the honor of opening for during last year's Decatur Book Festival, Charles R. Smith Jr. (My People), Anna Dewdney (Llama Llama Red Pajama), Alan Katz (Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs), Melinda Long (How I Became a Pirate) and her hubbie Thom, and my good buds Vicky Alvear Shecter (Cleopatra Rules) and Joe Davich (Georgia Center for the Book). There were plenty of others there too, but we became a bit of a pack for the weekend and the bulk of us landed on a lovely restaurant in City Market on Saturday night. SO fun and exactly why I love book festivals so much - it's a party! Alan and Judy. (Don and Charles are to the right.) Anna and me. (Vicky is on her other side, and hubbie and Joe are to my left.
I tell ya, the Live Oak Library volunteers bent over backwards to make us feel welcome - especially Betsy, Delores, Shea, Christian, Janet, John, Sidney, etc. Love you all - thank you!!!
Even the press did a bang-up job this year, with a fantabulous write up in la Voz Latina (to the right); Coastal Family; Connect Savannah, Picture This; Savannah Morning News/Savannahnow.com, Author/Illustrator Shares Passion for Picture Books. Thanks so much for the great press guys! And a big thank you to the sweet blog post from Philip at Library Pitch.
And as if all this weren't enough - to top off the wonderful weekend, hubbie and I stopped at the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton, Georgia as we meandered home. But that will be another post...
OMG! I recently had the pleasure of meeting author Chantal Acevedo, author of LOVE AND GHOST LETTERS, when she invited me to speak at the first ever "Child on the Page" writers conference at Auburn University. (You can read my wrap-up here.)
Well, not only is she an amazingly talented lady, her daughter is showing incredible promise as well...
I dare you not to break out in a great big smile - I dare you!
For those who don't know, James Gurney is the creator of the classic "Dinotopia" series. (Need I say more?) Well, for about two years now he's been dishing out amazing advice to artists on his blog Gurney Journey.
As he got into it one had to wonder - is he writing a book about all this stuff? I HOPE he's writing a book about all this stuff!
Indeed he was. And it comes out this November. I know, I have it on pre-order.
James (Jim) is a master of both color and light - tricky things I tried to explain in my article for the SCBWI Bulletin "Illuminating Color." I've been a fan for a long time (and even interviewed Jim in the article), so was thrilled he posted a flip through of his new book on his blog the other day:
My friend, Susan Nees, recently shared an article she thought I'd enjoy. She'd clipped it out from the Wall Street Journal to give to me. It's called "Inspiration Revised" by author Allegra Goodman.
Boy was Susan right. What a powerful little bit of advice. Here are some quotes:
When I was a 14-year-old aspiring writer, I wished more than anything for a book explaining the alchemy that transformed words to gold. How did poets cast such a spell? How did novelists spin their silk?
And perhaps best of all...
Starting with inspiration and some talent, you could work to be a writer. You could keep revising, and improve.
Truly, if you are an aspiring writer, the entire article is worth reading - totally worth your time. It's why when Susan gave me the printed version, I had to go find it online to share it with you. So, go read the article. It will give you hope!
Lydia of My Little Craft Haven recently created an online tutorial that will come in handy this holiday season - although you might want to get started early.
It's called "Digi Candle Tutorial" and it walks you through taking your favorite coloring images (like my Coloring Page Tuesdays or Mo's Digital Pencil images - shown here) or my new JustRite stamp designs, and applying them to candles which you can then give as gifts.
And although they look incredibly fancy when finished, they're really not that complicated to make. Groovy!
JustRite Stampers is giving away one of my new sets on their blog. Just go leave a comment ON THEIR BLOG (each day has a question you need to answer) to be entered to win the drawing for that day's stamp. Today's image is my new and exclusive "In the Moonlight":
And if you'd like to purchase a set (they make great Christmas presents for the crafter in your life), either visit the JustRite Cling stamps store, or my new "STAMPS" link above!
The Book Festivals Continue!
I am very happy to be returning to the 2010 Savannah Children's Book Festival this year - this coming Saturday, November 13th. I'll be in Tent 2 at 11:00 am and again at 1:00 pm alternating presentation times with the awesome Don Tate. As usual, they have an incredible line-up throughout the festival. And if it's like years past, the weather will save that weekend to be perfect and smiles will be plentiful!
Hope to see you there!
Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT and her latest book, SELLING HOPE.
Kristin hales from Tennessee, the same state I once called home, which is what drew me to her first novel which takes place in Cades Cove. But with SELLING HOPE, Kristin jumps to Chicago - 1910. One week prior to the day Halley's Comet is due to pass through the Earth's atmosphere. Thirteen-year-old Hope travels with the Vaudeville and ends up selling anti-comet pills to an eager audience...
Q. Kristin, I adored SELLING HOPE! What a unique premise and so wonderfully handled. Not that I would know, but the slang sounded accurate and so fun - I adored all the fun new (to me) words. I have to know how you came up with the idea for this book - there MUST be a story!!
A. Thank you so much for your nice words about SELLING HOPE! I'm so excited you enjoyed it! The idea came when I was researching Halley's Comet for a kid's activity book I wrote for Dalmatian Press. Someone actually sold comet pills! Craziness makes me happy. :-) Q. Just as with your first novel AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT, you seem to have nabbed an odd time in history and relayed the feeling and language of the era beautifully. Is there a certain period you're drawn to, or is it a matter of tons of research once an idea plants a seed?
A. Thanks, e! Generally speaking, I’m drawn to early 20th century Americana, but no time period specifically within that frame. I’m drawn more to events than time periods, actually; it’s the events that ultimately motivate the characters to action. Once the idea has taken root, then the research of the era and setting can begin.
Q. Any tricks on how you got the slang of the times to sound so authentic? What were some key slang words in SELLING HOPE?
A. Vocabulary lists can be a writer’s best friend! When researching an era, I try to read work written in that era, particularly newspaper and magazine articles (and my VERY favorite – classified ads!). Any time a word strikes me as unique or as particularly definitive of the era, I add it to a vocabulary list. When outlining, I refer to the list often, and try to sprinkle the terms throughout the story where they are most appropriate.
In SELLING HOPE, Hope uses the word “huck” a lot; I think of it as a predecessor to “uck” or “ugh” that we see today. She also refers to her clients as “coins,” because honestly, they don’t mean much more to her than the money they carry in their pockets! I also tried to capture the cadence of a vaudeville skit for her interactions. It was such fun to research and write!
For historical writing, I often visit http://www.etymonline.com/ to make certain that a word in question not only existed in the era of the story, but was also used in the same way. It’s a wonderful resource!
Q. This makes book two for you and I know you're working on a third. How have things changed for you now that you are established in the industry?
A. I’m definitely finding it a challenge to balance the marketing side of things with the writing and creating side. One hears, “write the next book,” but you also can’t pass up opportunities to meet and talk with readers! The best ways to allocate time has been on my mind a lot lately.
A plus side of getting further down the publishing road is all the wonderful people you meet along the way – librarians, booksellers, teachers, fellow writers, readers – who cheer you on with each step. The community of book lovers is unique, I think, in the level of support they provide to each other.
Q. How are you celebrating the release of SELLING HOPE and where might we help cheer it on in person or online?
A. Thank you for asking! I’m doing two launch parties in Nashville (On Saturday, November 13th at Barnes & Noble Cool Springs and on Saturday, December 4th at Davis-Kidd), and a fun-tastic event at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, NC on Saturday, November 20th, with some of the members of Asheville Vaudeville! A Buster Keaton look-alike will be there! I’m so excited.
I’ll try to post online tour stops on my website (www.kristintubb.com) and blog (www.kristintubb.blogspot.com). If you’d like to Tweet or Facebook about SELLING HOPE, I’m holding a contest for all who do. A nifty book-basket will be drawn from all participants! Just email me (ktubb [at] comcast [dot] net) and let me know you’ve participated in the shout-out! And of course, Amazon and Goodreads reviews are always welcome – I encourage readers to try to update those for ALL books they’ve enjoyed. (She says guiltily, knowing how far behind she is in doing this!)
Thanks for the invitation to participate, e!
Thanks Kristin!!
Kristin mentioned Buster, as in Buster Keaton, who plays a large part in SELLING HOPE. I knew the name, but had to do some research to understand his place in history. Um... he was AMAZING!! Check this out...
JustRite Stampers is giving away one of my new sets on their blog today. Just go leave a comment ON THEIR BLOG (there's a question you need to answer) to be entered to win the drawing for that day's stamp. Today's image is my new and exclusive "Bee Ride":
And if you'd like to purchase a set (they make great Christmas presents for the crafter in your life), either visit the JustRite Cling stamps store, or my new "STAMPS" link above!
GIVEAWAY!
In celebration of the release of my new line of custom stamps - JustRite has blog candy. Visit the JustRite Blog and leave a comment telling them how you first found out about JustRite Stampers or my Coloring Page Tuesday images. Did you become familair with either through a purchase from a retail store, by following a link from another blogger, facebook, twitter or from a friend?
JustRite will pick one lucky winner for every 100 comments they receive on their post (not here). Comments will remain open unitl 9 am EST on Friday November 12th. The first giving away will be "Quiet Moments" (on the right). Check the JustRite Blog each day this week for more giveaways of new images! Woohoo!!
For my stamping fans- I am proud to announce the launch of my exclusive line of stamps brought to you by JustRite Stampers.
I was thrilled when card-makers and scrap-bookers discovered my coloring pages a few years ago (they call them digi-stamps). Although I often received emails saying, "I wish your images were available as actual stamps."
Well, wait no longer. I now have an exclusive line of stamps just for you!
A few of the images you'll recognize (although they now have fun extras included), but most will be brand new, available only as cling stamps - including a brand new line of Garden Fairies!
Just look for this logo on the JustRite packaging at your favorite stamp or craft store or visit their website at JustRite Stampers and click CLING!
GIVEAWAY!
In celebration of the release of my new line - JustRite has blog candy. Visit the JustRite Blog and leave a comment telling them how you first found out about JustRite Stampers or my Coloring Page Tuesday images. Did you become familair with either through a purchase from a retail store, by following a link from another blogger, facebook, twitter or from a friend?
JustRite will pick one lucky winner for every 100 comments they receive on the post. Comments will remain open unitl 9 am EST on Friday November 12th. The first giving away will be "Quiet Moments" (below). Check the JustRite Blog each day this week for more giveaways of new images! (Or click the stamp set to purchase it directly.) Woohoo!!
The 
