I did, however, make it to the Christmas Village (pre-New Year's Eve hoopla) with my friend Katie.
Hogmany and the last of Christmas
60,000 people landed on Edinburgh for the annual Hogmany (New Years) torchlight parade. This year it went straight down the Royal Mile ending at Holyrood Palace where people were qued into the shape of Scotland. You can see it HERE. I'll admit, Stan and I didn't make it this year as we prefer to sit in restaurants above the fray with a view as the parade goes by, and there aren't that many options on the east end of the Royal Mile. We also have the wonderful option of watching the fireworks show from our bay window in the flat - which we did. It was lovely!
I did, however, make it to the Christmas Village (pre-New Year's Eve hoopla) with my friend Katie.
I did, however, make it to the Christmas Village (pre-New Year's Eve hoopla) with my friend Katie.
Hogmany Torchlight Parade
Friday Links List - 28 December 2018
From SLJs 100 Scope Notes: Top 10 Circulated Picture Books from 2018
From Wire: Top Ten books loaned from Nottinghamshire libraries in 2018 - Children's Fiction
From the UKLA: Longlists Announced for the 2019 UKLA Book Awards
From Muddy Colors: Ruan Jia: Process Videos!
From Mom Read It: Crow Not Crow, birding, and a guest post from Jane Yolen!
Brightly offers up the 20 best picture books, mid-grades, and young adult novels, along with new lists for 2019 - CLICK HERE!
From Open Culture: 900 Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free
From SLJ: Our brains are Wired for Stories (duh!)
From SLJs The Classroom Bookshelf: Curated Best Children's Book Lists of 2018! All the top lists - right here!
Also from SLJ: #ArmMeWithBooks List Offers Titles for Resilience, Empathy, and Compassion
From SLJ: Of Race and Reprints
Jarrett Rutland's CHILLY DAVINCI
Jarrett Rutland and I crossed paths via SCBWI years ago, so I'm thrilled to see his picture book career taking off and am happy to help him celebrate the release of CHILLY DAVINCI from North South.
Jarrett: My medium is watercolor. I like its small intimacy. Process is a little all over the place. I may sketch. I may write/jot. The only real common trait is that if I decide a project has legs, then I will hone my concentration toward it and let it evolve over months, sometimes years. I don't latch myself onto a project lightly. I've figured out the way my particular brain works is I cannot stop thinking about it once I choose to take it on. I obsess. And I know it's going to be part of my life at that point, so I try to choose wisely.
Jarrett:
I struggled to decide on my place in society. I knew I was going to do art, just didn't know of what and what for. I started thinking about children's literature shortly after I graduated college. I took an internship at Henry Holt in NY in '07. I would show random artwork to editors and just before I left the internship I showed the late Nina Ignatowicz a painting. She was impressed and said "nice dinosaurs". I said "thank you and they are alligators". I was then given a chance to do sample art for a manuscript she'd had for years which I later learned she'd held out on because she desperately wanted Bill Joyce to illustrate. Thus, Bill Joyce's busy schedule and my random painting of dinogators launched my career in publishing. ALLIGATOR WEDDING published in '10. Luck favors the prepared, I reckon.
Jarrett: Yes! HA! You should've been there! I'm just teasing. Hmmmm. No one moment I can recall. Just a lot of small funny things. When one researches penguins one falls more in love with them. They're funny. And magical. And since I use humor as a life mechanism it infultrates my work greatly. It's not only an element but it's obviously at the forefront. So coming up with things Chilly would think about or mashing up his world with Da Vinci was hilarious to me.
Jarrett: I think a combination of the artist's skill in whatever style, and their connection to the subject matter is what can transform a two dimensional piece into something that has the potential to embed itself into a human being's life. I think these are both equally paramount. The technical ability must be there. And then the question becomes "so what?" Why is this important? And that speaks to what the artist is trying to say or represent and how they represent it. Their knowledge of the subject matter. The depth of the characters that the piece shows.
Jarrett: Social media. I have websites. But the masses I have ground access to are mingling and conversing on social media. So... I'm gonna go where the people are. If you pay attention to how the social media sites process your info then they can direct you toward an audience of your choosing. So I use targeted informal buzz.
Jarrett: My favorite part has to be that I can be myself. I can use the raw content I'm able to access inside my thoughts to speak to the world. Outside of whatever county limits you're in, there are people who will appreciate you for your own original ideas. Everyone alive has their own extremely unique story to tell that's different from everyone else. And it's exciting to think people care about mine. The challenging part for me is learning some business aspects of making my thoughts a tangible living and juggling work and family. I work at home so most days I don't have a full five minutes without being given a task outside my work or someone pitching a toddler tantrum on the floor.
Jarrett: Yes, I'd say that being an oddbird-pun intended-is a great thing. It should be worn as a badge of honor, not a cone of shame. If someone thinks outside the box, it means they can access doors others can't. Whether they are good at owning and directing their uniqueness is another thing. The most innovative and original thinkers in the history of the world all have one thing in common. They faced resistance, because often they were traveling against the grain of the norm. My hope is that when someone finds themselves in that current, they'd embrace it. Don't look for ways out. Look for allies.
Jarrett: I'm working on a graphic novel about my grandfather, and I'm trying to evolve my Robot Samurai Penguins series. These are both Middle Grade.
Jarrett: My medium is watercolor. I like its small intimacy. Process is a little all over the place. I may sketch. I may write/jot. The only real common trait is that if I decide a project has legs, then I will hone my concentration toward it and let it evolve over months, sometimes years. I don't latch myself onto a project lightly. I've figured out the way my particular brain works is I cannot stop thinking about it once I choose to take it on. I obsess. And I know it's going to be part of my life at that point, so I try to choose wisely.
Jarrett:
I struggled to decide on my place in society. I knew I was going to do art, just didn't know of what and what for. I started thinking about children's literature shortly after I graduated college. I took an internship at Henry Holt in NY in '07. I would show random artwork to editors and just before I left the internship I showed the late Nina Ignatowicz a painting. She was impressed and said "nice dinosaurs". I said "thank you and they are alligators". I was then given a chance to do sample art for a manuscript she'd had for years which I later learned she'd held out on because she desperately wanted Bill Joyce to illustrate. Thus, Bill Joyce's busy schedule and my random painting of dinogators launched my career in publishing. ALLIGATOR WEDDING published in '10. Luck favors the prepared, I reckon.
Jarrett: Yes! HA! You should've been there! I'm just teasing. Hmmmm. No one moment I can recall. Just a lot of small funny things. When one researches penguins one falls more in love with them. They're funny. And magical. And since I use humor as a life mechanism it infultrates my work greatly. It's not only an element but it's obviously at the forefront. So coming up with things Chilly would think about or mashing up his world with Da Vinci was hilarious to me.
Jarrett: I think a combination of the artist's skill in whatever style, and their connection to the subject matter is what can transform a two dimensional piece into something that has the potential to embed itself into a human being's life. I think these are both equally paramount. The technical ability must be there. And then the question becomes "so what?" Why is this important? And that speaks to what the artist is trying to say or represent and how they represent it. Their knowledge of the subject matter. The depth of the characters that the piece shows.
Jarrett: Social media. I have websites. But the masses I have ground access to are mingling and conversing on social media. So... I'm gonna go where the people are. If you pay attention to how the social media sites process your info then they can direct you toward an audience of your choosing. So I use targeted informal buzz.
Jarrett: My favorite part has to be that I can be myself. I can use the raw content I'm able to access inside my thoughts to speak to the world. Outside of whatever county limits you're in, there are people who will appreciate you for your own original ideas. Everyone alive has their own extremely unique story to tell that's different from everyone else. And it's exciting to think people care about mine. The challenging part for me is learning some business aspects of making my thoughts a tangible living and juggling work and family. I work at home so most days I don't have a full five minutes without being given a task outside my work or someone pitching a toddler tantrum on the floor.
Jarrett: Yes, I'd say that being an oddbird-pun intended-is a great thing. It should be worn as a badge of honor, not a cone of shame. If someone thinks outside the box, it means they can access doors others can't. Whether they are good at owning and directing their uniqueness is another thing. The most innovative and original thinkers in the history of the world all have one thing in common. They faced resistance, because often they were traveling against the grain of the norm. My hope is that when someone finds themselves in that current, they'd embrace it. Don't look for ways out. Look for allies.
Jarrett: I'm working on a graphic novel about my grandfather, and I'm trying to evolve my Robot Samurai Penguins series. These are both Middle Grade.
Coloring Page Tuesday - Santa Beardsley
If you use my coloring pages often, please...
Just love this one image? Consider a one-time donation...
CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week.
I create my coloring pages to draw your attention to my books! For instance...
my latest picture book, Crow Not Crow - written by New York Times Best-selling author Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.
Kirkus calls it "a solid choice for introducing the hobby [birdwatching] to younger readers."
Also, A Bird on Water Street is now available in Chinese!
Merry Christmas!
Wishing you all my love this holiday season and a new year filled with joy and good things.
VIDEO: Pillow Fight!
A Massachusetts firefighter dresses as Buddy the Elf and is starting pillow fights to get folks in the holiday spirit. The results are hilarious! Have a gander at the Good News Network:
VIDEO: Construction Site on Christmas Night
Chronicle books recently recorded firefighters reading the Christmas version of the classic Goodnight Construction Site, called Construction Site on Christmas Night. Have a watch on their website:
Friday Links List - 21 December 2018
From Kidlit Artists: Our 2018 Books! (Year-end Review)
From The Guardian: The best children's books of 2018 for all ages
From SLJ's 100 Scope Notes: Top 20 Books of 2018
From The Bookseller: Authors protest as children's books account for 7% of Christmas newspaper coverage - As we should considering children's book sales now account for 1/3 of all books sold!!!
From Literary Hub: 7 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Writing
From Muddy Colors: Scary Ghost Stories and Tales of the Glories (an annual wrap-up of art from various versions of A Christmas Carol)
From Brain Pickings: The Loveliest Children's Books of 2018
From The Mixed Up Files: Diversity in MG lit #5 Refugees
This is HILARIOUS! From The Picture Book Den: Gift-Wrapped Characters Christmas Quiz
From Newsy: Brain Food: Young Book Lovers Grow Brain Tissue As They Read
A.G. Ford's CONSTRUCTION SITE ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT
MERRY CHRISTMAS! My gift to you is an interview with the illustrator of the new Christmas version of the classic tale, Construction Site on Christmas Night, written by Sherri Duskey Rinker for Chronicle Books!
A.G.: Well, its “just” come out so the impact in terms of my career is yet to be seen. But personally, I’m elated and so is everyone at Chronicle! Its awesome to have a #1 New York Times Bestseller, this is something that has never happened to me. I have had books on the list, but never #1. So we will see where it goes from here, hopefully, this just helps me to keep creating more books, which is what I love to do.
A.G.: As an illustration major in College that bordered pursuing fine arts, I’m a painter at heart. I love using oils and its my favorite medium to work with. But with deadlines, for my first few books I used acrylic because the medium dries quickly. Then I usually do one layer of oil over top of that to give it a polished look. In my later works, I have used water color and colored pencils. For Construction Site on Christmas Night, I used colored pencil and oil pastels in order to stay consistent with the style that Tom Lichtenheld put in place with the first Construction Site book. Oil pastels was a medium I had never used, so it took some time to get used to.
A.G.: I actually signed with my agent Steven Malk, (who is FANTASTIC by the way) when I was a senior at the Columbus College of Art and Design. I emailed Adam Rex (who is also FANTASTIC) just to get some advice about children’s book illustration, and he put me in touch with Steven. From there I would shop my portfolio to publishers in New York until we got a book deal. I have been illustrating books for 10 years now.
A.G.: Well it's VERY unique because the book was already established and had a style in place. I had never drawn someone else’s style for a book so it offered its challenges. Its one of those things where you just have to really critique yourself over and over to make sure you are consistent with the previous books. I have always switched up my style from book to book, so I think versatility is one of my strengths as an artist. Once I got into the project, I started to feel confortable.
A.G.: I will give the simplest answer. “Show the viewer something they’ve never seen before.”
e: That's good! So, what is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
A.G.: I think the most challenging part is just simply what I said in the previous answer, trying to show the viewer something unique, something that will stick with them and is visually stimulating.
A.G.: I just think Sherri Rinker did a wonderful job with the story and its such a great follow up to Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site. Its such a great addition for Construction Site fans!
A.G.: Yes, I actually just finished up a baby book called Brown Baby Lullaby written by Tameka Fryer Brown! My first child inspired me to create images that lead to my first baby book “Littles” written by Kelly DiPucchio.
e: Lovely!
A.G.: Well, its “just” come out so the impact in terms of my career is yet to be seen. But personally, I’m elated and so is everyone at Chronicle! Its awesome to have a #1 New York Times Bestseller, this is something that has never happened to me. I have had books on the list, but never #1. So we will see where it goes from here, hopefully, this just helps me to keep creating more books, which is what I love to do.
A.G.: As an illustration major in College that bordered pursuing fine arts, I’m a painter at heart. I love using oils and its my favorite medium to work with. But with deadlines, for my first few books I used acrylic because the medium dries quickly. Then I usually do one layer of oil over top of that to give it a polished look. In my later works, I have used water color and colored pencils. For Construction Site on Christmas Night, I used colored pencil and oil pastels in order to stay consistent with the style that Tom Lichtenheld put in place with the first Construction Site book. Oil pastels was a medium I had never used, so it took some time to get used to.
A.G.: I actually signed with my agent Steven Malk, (who is FANTASTIC by the way) when I was a senior at the Columbus College of Art and Design. I emailed Adam Rex (who is also FANTASTIC) just to get some advice about children’s book illustration, and he put me in touch with Steven. From there I would shop my portfolio to publishers in New York until we got a book deal. I have been illustrating books for 10 years now.
A.G.: Well it's VERY unique because the book was already established and had a style in place. I had never drawn someone else’s style for a book so it offered its challenges. Its one of those things where you just have to really critique yourself over and over to make sure you are consistent with the previous books. I have always switched up my style from book to book, so I think versatility is one of my strengths as an artist. Once I got into the project, I started to feel confortable.
A.G.: I will give the simplest answer. “Show the viewer something they’ve never seen before.”
e: That's good! So, what is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
A.G.: I think the most challenging part is just simply what I said in the previous answer, trying to show the viewer something unique, something that will stick with them and is visually stimulating.
A.G.: I just think Sherri Rinker did a wonderful job with the story and its such a great follow up to Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site. Its such a great addition for Construction Site fans!
A.G.: Yes, I actually just finished up a baby book called Brown Baby Lullaby written by Tameka Fryer Brown! My first child inspired me to create images that lead to my first baby book “Littles” written by Kelly DiPucchio.
e: Lovely!
Good news for CROW and BIRD!
I'm also thrilled to share the A BIRD ON WATER STREET is going through a redesign at its new publishing home at Sourcebooks and will go back to the presses with a whole new look in November 2019. Watch this space!
Coloring Page Tuesday - Animal Chorus
If you use my coloring pages often, please...
Just love this one image? Consider a one-time donation...
CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week.
I create my coloring pages to draw your attention to my books! For instance...
my latest picture book, Crow Not Crow - written by New York Times Best-selling author Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.
Kirkus calls it "a solid choice for introducing the hobby [birdwatching] to younger readers."
Also, A Bird on Water Street is now available in Chinese!
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