Whimsical Fairy Garden...

     Remember I told you about my awesome birthday present? At the time, I didn't know anything about the creator of my wonderful bird house. Well, now I do, and he deserves a post all his own!
     His name is Arthur (Art) Millican, Jr. and he used to work as a Disney artisan. He now lives in North Carolina and creates wonderful whimsies big and small, and they are completely magical. Visit his website, whimsicalfairygarden.com and have a fun look around! (Dig deeper than just the main links - there are treasures all through this site!)

Art Demo with Bill Farnsworth

     Fabulous painting demo by the illustrator of Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer - one of the first Native American baseball players. (Click the image.)
     (Thanks to Anastasia Suen's Children's Book Biz News for the link!)

Alliance Theatre, Institute for Educators

     Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking to about 30 Early Education Teachers and Teaching Artists about Paco and the Giant Chile Plant and my forthcoming picture book, Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón! (my first book as both illustrator and author)!
     Education Director, Nancy Meyer invited me after seeing a dummy of SOAP in my portfolio at our last SCBWI Springmingle Conference. She came running to me asking, "What is this and when is it coming out!?"
     I soon learned that Nancy had been reading through dozens and dozens of bilingual picture books looking for one that would fit the educational needs of their program. It needed to have several elements which were apparently very difficult to find in any one book. SOAP was her answer!
     One problem, SOAP doesn't come out until this Fall and their planning needed to happen now.
     We spoke with my editor and arranged to have dummies made through Lulu.com for use during their planning sessions (the program goes live this Fall) and Nancy put together a Teacher's Guide on how to use the story in classrooms.
     Yesterday, it was presented to the Teachers and Teaching Artists. Nancy invited me to open the session by talking about my process and journey into picture books (along with the evolution of stories and finding that unifying thread/style in one's life). Then I got to sit back and see what they had put together for SOAP. And can I tell you, I got all choked up, I really did.

     Nancy read the story using her theatre experience with lots of fun voices and dramatic effects thrown in. I had to join the crowd on the floor - these are mostly Kindergarten teachers after all (that's me in the shawl). It was SO FUN to hear SOAP in somebody else's voice with their own interpretation.
     I've always said picture books are like performance art - art that is not complete until it is being shared. And I don't mean shared by me, I mean shared by people who have their own stake in the story - sharing it with people they care about. It's an awesome thing to see your book come to life like that.
     And the program! I would have so loved to be a kid with these visiting Teaching Artists. They are completely engaged and make sure the kids are too. In fact, they just completed a three year study of their efforts and kids who experience Teaching Artists come back with highly improved numbers in all areas.
     No surprise there - art and music stimulate the brain to do everything better! I just wish ALL kids could experience this.
     Many thanks to Nancy Meyer for introducing me to this fine group, Kim Bowers-Rheay for so enthusiastically explaining everything to me (we have a mutual friend from my college days - Hi Mark! It's been great to reconnect), and to Carol Jones, the Director of the Alliance Theatre Institute for Educators and Teaching Artists. (And thanks to 'Juanita' for taking great pics!) It's obvious you all have created a wonderful thing that is really making a difference in children's lives. I am SO THRILLED that SOAP will be a part of that!!!

Jobs!

     After so many layoffs in the publishing industry, it was such a nice surprise to open Publisher's Lunch today and see jobs for editors and publishers. Might things be turning around?
     Click the image below to go see more job postings...

But Who Will Bell the Cats?

     Wow. Go visit the blog But Who Will Bell the Cats and prepare to have your mind blown. The author and . . . visual creator is Cynthia von Buhler and she creates models, 2 and 3-d settings, buildings, texture, lighting. I just don't even know how to describe everything she does. But the end result is truly stunning - something you can't stop staring at. Take the time to scroll all the way through - it just gets more amazing.
     The book will be out this Fall and announced at the forthcoming official website: www.butwhowillbellthecats.com. Lucky us, she created a blog to show her behind the scenes methods.
     Wow.
     Thanks to illustrator Philomena O'Neill for the link.

Coloring Page Tuesday - Reading Octopus

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     So the kids are out of school - now what? Reading of course! And there are so many good books to choose from - dive in and wrap your arms around them!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!


     Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.



Look what Rufus made for Operation Write Home:

Beeoooteeful Birdhouse

     Had another one of those pesky birthday things recently (thanks for all the good wishes on facebook!).
     Hubbie and I headed to the mountains for a fabulous weekend where he spoiled me rotten.
     One of my favorite gifties is my new birdhouse. I saw these in the Christmas Shop in Copperhill, Tennessee a few months back and just flipped over them. Supposedly the guy who makes them used to work with Disney. Can you tell?
     I've placed it in my office, on top of my orange book shelves, with my other creative whimsies - a Howard Finster angel, a wooden proportion doll wearing a finger puppet, Peanuts stuff from my childhood, dolls I made for some of my early book attempts, a sweater doll a friend made, one of the hand-puppets I used to make for fun, etc...
     I wanted it somewhere where it would remind me that not everything in life has to be straight lines, y'know? I loves it!

Summer Reading

     So the kids are home for the summer. The book bag is in a closet until Fall. How can you keep your child excited about reading through the months of summer camp and water sprinklers? Readingrockets has some great ideas to help such as "Take a Break, but Bring a Book!" and "Day Trips for Book Lovers." There's plenty more so click the logo to visit their site.

Illustration Friday: Craving

     This is a close-up view of the December cover of Highlights Magazine which won me the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award this year. Originally I had the boy sticking his finger in the icing, but that was baaaddd and had to be changed - ha!

When friends succeed...

     I get a lot of emails from people who want to break into the children's book biz - heartfelt emails by true beginners. It's why I wrote my article, "How Do I Get Published." Unfortunately, I send them there knowing that my article paints a grim, albeit accurate, picture of the industry.
     Which is why, I must give a HUGE shout-out to some friends who have busted through the gates recently:

     Shelli Johannes Wells just got an agent, and she wrote a gripping round up of her path into this industry so far: The Inside Scoop!. If you want to know what getting into children's books takes - read her post. THIS IS the journey. (And yup, I did it too.)

     My right arm in so many ways, Liz Conrad, also signed with an agent this past week. Like Shelli, she had her pick and went with her gut in the end.

     And another of my posse, Vicky Alvear Shecter, recently signed on with my agent - we're agent sisters!

     So, it's not impossible to break into this business. I have some highly talented and determined friends who prove it. I'm just thrilled to be able to share this wild ride with them!

Storybook Cakes!

     Have you discovered the Cake Wrecks blog yet? It's hilarious to browse through when you have some time and need a good laugh. But in the mean time, you've got to check out their recent post of cakes fashioned after some of the most famous picture books (click the image). Recognize The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle? Yummy!
     Thanks to Tracy Barrett for the link!
     Of course, my fave is still the cake CherylAnn made using my mermaid coloring page. :)

Giveaway!

     Because of y'all's (posessive for y'all) enthusiasm, we are quickly approaching 1,000 subscribers to Coloring Page Tuesdays (weekly alerts) and e's news (every few months or so)!
     To show my appreciation, the 1,000th subscriber will receive a brand spankin' new copy of my first picture book as both author and illustrator when it comes out this Fall: SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON! The winner will get to choose between the bilingual or all-English version.
     (And no worries for all my loyal followers - I'll come up with another giveaway idea as we get closer to the release date.)
     So, please keep spreadin' the love and send your friends the link to sign up for Coloring Page Tuesdays and e's news! And thanks!

The Vendor Client Relationship

     This is a light look at what many people in the creative industries experience way too often. I've certainly had my share of similar experiences, receiving comments like, "But if I order three drawings, don't I get a bulk discount?" or "But it will only take you 30 minutes." or "It'll be great promotion for you."
     If you're starting out in this business, don't fall for it! Just because you love what you do, doesn't mean it doesn't have value! Of course, creatives have some of the biggest hearts around and often give away more than they should - there's a reason for the stereotype of "starving artist."
     Thanks to Bryan Ballinger for the link!

Coloring Page Tuesday - Book Return

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     For some reason there's a lot of talk about book returns this week. There was the article in School Library Journal about a librarian with a book fee 'amnesty' program going on to get kids back in her library. And I received a sweet email this week from a school Media Specialist looking for material to give elementary school students to help teach them the concept of checking out books . . . AND bringing them back.
     So Theresa, if you're reading - maybe this little guy will help?
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!


     Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.

Terrible Yellow Eyes

     Have you heard about this? Several illustrators have been creating tribute art of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak for his 81st birthday. There's some really charming work in there. This one is by Jared Chapman.
     It's all been put together by another illustrator whose work I greatly admire, Cory Godbey.
     Click the image to go see the entire collection at Terrible Yellow Eyes.
     Thanks to Bryan Ballinger for the link!