Did you know that? It is. A.K.A. Read Across America Day.
ABOWS nominated for a SIBA Book Award!!!!
OMG! I opened my computer today and there are dozens of "Congratulations"! Turns out A BIRD ON WATER STREET has been nominated for a SIBA Book Award! ABOWS is up against some very strong competition, so I'm just so honored to have it nominated!!! WoW! Truly, it just keeps plugging along getting such great attention. I am so pleased with how my debut novel has done!
Making Viva Frida
By Yuyi Morales - fascinating!
With spare, polished text and luscious illustrations, award-winning author/illustrator Yuyi Morales explores the passionate, imagination of the incomparable Frida Kahllo. Video with Music by Miguel Martinez.Click the image to watch the video on YouTube.
Featured Author at the Smyrna Library!
I am honored to be the March featured author for the Smyrna Public Library (Georgia) as they host "Dust, Drought & Dreams Gone Dry" - a national traveling exhibit commemorating the American Dust Bowl of the 1930s and similar environmental devastation. CLICK HERE to read my interview about A BIRD ON WATER STREET.
Friday Linky List - February 27, 2015
From The Guardian: Children's Books are Never Just for Children
From The Blabbermouthblog: Dish From a Literary Agent Intern... 5 Sites to Help You Write!
From the Official SCBWI Conference Blog: The Portfolio Showcase Award Winners
At PW: CCBC Stats Show Children's Books Shifting Toward Diversity
From HuffPost Books (via PW): The Best Is Yet to Come: An Early 2015 Picture Book Preview
From PW: En Garde: An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Daniel Handler
Recently spotted at Little Shop of Stories - by TinyDoorsATL.com
From The Blabbermouthblog: Dish From a Literary Agent Intern... 5 Sites to Help You Write!
From the Official SCBWI Conference Blog: The Portfolio Showcase Award Winners
At PW: CCBC Stats Show Children's Books Shifting Toward Diversity
From HuffPost Books (via PW): The Best Is Yet to Come: An Early 2015 Picture Book Preview
From PW: En Garde: An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Daniel Handler
Recently spotted at Little Shop of Stories - by TinyDoorsATL.com
Jessica Young's Finley's Flowers series - Guest Post
Original Recipe, newly-released from Capstone Young Readers!
Idea Garden
by Jessica Young
I’ve just finished the fourth book in my first chapter book series, Finley Flowers. While working on it, I’ve been hanging out with my 3rd and 4th grade self a lot. I wasn’t a kid who was constantly creating things like my main character, Finley, but I’ve always loved making stuff. Finley and I share some other qualities, too: enthusiasm, stubbornness, and having a hard time sitting still (which Finley calls being “hoppity”) come to mind. We’ve both been known to zone out in class, and patience is not one of our strengths. We twirl our hair when we’re thinking hard and tend to be tangential, which reminds me of geometry. And tangerines. But I digress. . . .
In the series, Finley has an “idea garden” in her head where all her Fin-teresting thoughts grow — so many thoughts, it sometimes feels like they’re bursting out her ears. Her best friend, Henry, calls that her “Flower Power.” Finley may be extra creative, but all of us have idea gardens. Sometimes we neglect them, yet even then, ideas can thrive wild and untended. At school visits, I emphasize the importance of noticing ideas and writing them down. My thoughts are so fleeting — if I don’t capture them on paper, they usually escape for good. Just like real seeds, my idea seeds don’t always sprout right away. I have to water them with further thought, experimentation, or research, and wait patiently for them to grow. As I was writing the Finley books, I realized that some of my idea seeds had been lying dormant since I was a kid, or slowly putting down roots where they’d been lodged in my mind. It’s been really fun revisiting them and bringing them to life.
About the Finley Flowers series:
Original Recipe: Finley's best friend Henry is about to turn nine, and Finley has a major problem: she has no idea what to give him for his birthday. He already owns all of her best creations! The school cook-off might be the perfect solution. The grand prize is a year's worth of Flying Pie Pizza, Henry's favorite. But coming up with something original and tasty is harder than it looks. As one crazy concoction leads to another, Finley discovers that cooking is just like the rest of life — things don't always turn out as planned, and friendship is the real prize. (Click the image to go see the book trailer on YouTube.)
Nature Calls: summer is here, and Finley is heading to Camp Acorn! She can't wait to make crafts, eat s'mores, and prove to her older brother that she's tough enough to get back to nature. Unfortunately, she'll be sharing a cabin with Olivia Snotham, who's not exactly the outdoorsy type. When nature calls and the girls get lost on the way to the restrooms, Finley's spooky ghost story comes back to haunt them. As they work together to find a creative way home, Finley discovers that there's more than one way to be tough.
Books three and four, New and Improved and Art-rageous, will be out in Fall 2015!
Jessica Young grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The same things make her happy now as when she was a kid: dancing, painting, music, digging in the dirt, picnics, reading, and writing. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. When she was little, she wanted to be a tap-dancing flight attendant/veterinarian, but she’s changed her mind!
Jessica’s award-winning debut picture book, My Blue is Happy (2013, Candlewick Press/Walker UK) is a 2014 Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title and was included on the 2014 Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, the Texas Library Association’s 2014 2×2 Reading List, the Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets 2013, and the Library of Congress/Center for the Book’s 52 Great Reads list. Her next picture book, Spy Guy, will be published in May by Harcourt Children’s Books. Original Recipe, the first book in her chapter book series, Finley Flowers, will be published in February by Capstone Books for Young Readers, and the second book, Nature Calls comes out in April. All Paws on Deck, the first book in her early chapter book series, Haggis and Tank Unleashed, will be published in January 2016 by Scholastic Branches. Find out more at: www.jessicayoungbooks.com
Photos from Jessica's Book Launch Party:
Coloring Page Tuesday - Snowman Family!
This is another old piece of art I did when I was working for a children's clothing company about 20+ years ago (gulp). I'm going through old artwork in preparation for this move to Scotland and I'm coming across all sorts of old treasures. I liked this one too!
CLICK HERE for more coloring pages!
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.
I don't want to be a frog
Here's a cute book trailer and song by the author of I DON'T WANT TO BE A FROG, Dev Petty (illustrated by Mike Boldt), Random House/Doublday - click the image to go see on Youtube:
SCBWI Europolitan Conference!
I doubt I'll be over there in time for this, but it's exciting that the Euro-SCBWI chapters are putting this conference together - now in it's second year! Last time it was in Paris, this year it will be in Amsterdam. CLICK HERE to read more about it!
3x5 Art Challenge - Day 3
Oops - I missed yesterday, so I'm playing catch-up here. First off is a self-portrait I did eons ago. I still think it looks like me:
Second is from my colored pencils stage. These cacti were for a label in an NK Lawn & Garden planter:
And the third piece today is a series of banner proposals I did for the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee when I was working for dDN (or was it ddN, DdN?). Anyhow - they chose the one with the chair and the banners hung on the light posts in downtown Chattanooga for several years:
So, truly, I think just about everybody has done this by now, but I'll tag Robyn Hood Black and Janie Bynum because I haven't talked to her in a while.
Second is from my colored pencils stage. These cacti were for a label in an NK Lawn & Garden planter:
And the third piece today is a series of banner proposals I did for the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee when I was working for dDN (or was it ddN, DdN?). Anyhow - they chose the one with the chair and the banners hung on the light posts in downtown Chattanooga for several years:
So, truly, I think just about everybody has done this by now, but I'll tag Robyn Hood Black and Janie Bynum because I haven't talked to her in a while.
A BIRD ON WATER STREET recognized!
I am thrilled to share that A BIRD ON WATER STREET is a 2015-2016 Nominee for the Georgia Children's Book Award! Woohoo!!! CLICK HERE to see the illustrious list of nominees - I am proud to be among them!
Friday Linky List - February 20, 2015
CLICK HERE to see the 2014 Cybils Award Winners!
From SLJ's fuse #8: Review of the Day - Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, by Sally M. Walker
Also from SLJ: Tuck Turns 40 (Hard to believe - Tuck Everlasting is 40-years-old!)
At The Guardian (via PW): Waterstones children's book prize 2015 - shortlist announced
From The Guardian: New Harry Potter covers - in animated gifs See the process - cool!
From Discover More (via PW): Don't Read These Beloved Children's Books To Your Kids (language) - article is okay, but the opening image by Jim Cooke made me laugh out loud. Click the image to read the article:
From Writers Helping Writers (via Cynsations): 4 Research Hacks for Writing Thrillers
From the Atlantic: School Is About More Than Training Kids to Be Adults
From SLJ's fuse #8: Review of the Day - Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, by Sally M. Walker
Also from SLJ: Tuck Turns 40 (Hard to believe - Tuck Everlasting is 40-years-old!)
At The Guardian (via PW): Waterstones children's book prize 2015 - shortlist announced
From The Guardian: New Harry Potter covers - in animated gifs See the process - cool!
From Discover More (via PW): Don't Read These Beloved Children's Books To Your Kids (language) - article is okay, but the opening image by Jim Cooke made me laugh out loud. Click the image to read the article:
From Writers Helping Writers (via Cynsations): 4 Research Hacks for Writing Thrillers
From the Atlantic: School Is About More Than Training Kids to Be Adults
A LINE CAN BE by Laura Ljungkvist - Guest Post
Having worked as a licensing illustrator for Snoopy for six years early in my career, I developed a serious passion/geekiness for line quality. So when POW!/PowerHouse sent me a copy of Laura Ljungkvist's A LINE CAN BE, I flipped. I'm thrilled to have her on today to talk about her latest book...
My Line
by Laura Ljungkvist
When I arrived in New York from Stockholm, Sweden in 1993 with my portfolio in hand the response for my work was quite overwhelming. Having freelanced as an illustrator in Sweden for 5 years before my arrival, my portfolio contained several different styles. Cute, graphic, painterly, one line drawings and more, but it was the “one liners” that art directors responded to the most. Working in Sweden as an illustrator you really had to work in many different styles. Being such a small country and “market”, your style can easily become “worn out” and overexposed.
Coming to New York I quickly realized the importance of having a “signature style”. Since there are so many artists here, having one is essential to standing out and making a mark. This suited me just fine as I wanted to explore “my single line thing” and take it as far as I could.
I had done my first “one liner” for a client about a year earlier in Stockholm and became enthralled with the concept of connecting everything in a single line.
After many, many frustrations and numerous twists and turns, my first book, “Toni’s Topsy Turvy Telephone Day” was finally published in 2001 by Harry Abrams.
All of a sudden I was being called “author” which felt very strange and to this day after publishing 10 books (soon) still feels unfamiliar. The ideas for my books always start with a visual. Then I write to accommodate my art!
I am best known for my “Follow the Line” series of 4 hard covers for Viking Children’s books. In these books the line travels from place to place and tells stories forming concrete things and objects. Everything from camels to base guitars.
It was absolutely thrilling when POW!/PowerHouse wanted to publish “A Line Can Be”, which will be my first board book. I always wanted to do a board book. The thickness of the board lends itself perfectly for putting fingers on the line and following it throughout, spread by spread.
“A Line Can Be” is a biography of my line. Here the line explores abstract concepts – opposites, by telling the reader what it can be and where it can go. I love watching people’s faces and the smile that appears as they turn the page and see the conclusion. That last spread gives whole new meaning to all of the previous spreads!
My profession is a very lonely job. When my family is away, days can go by when I hardly talk to anybody! And I don’t mind, as a matter of fact, I couldn’t do what I do with other people around.
Now as an “author of children’s books” I have interactions and get more feedback from my audience then I ever did as an editorial illustrator.
I remember a book signing I did years ago for maybe my third or fourth book, when a woman came up and handed over, what was by the looks of it, an extremely “well read” copy of my very first children’s book, and asked if I would sign it.
It had been a favorite in her house for a long time and when she read in the newspaper that I was appearing she just had to come and tell me.
That was big!
It makes me happy knowing that once my work is done in my studio in Brooklyn, my books go out into the world and makes connections with people. And should they somehow make an impact on someone, however small, that’s just fantastic!
My Line
by Laura Ljungkvist
When I arrived in New York from Stockholm, Sweden in 1993 with my portfolio in hand the response for my work was quite overwhelming. Having freelanced as an illustrator in Sweden for 5 years before my arrival, my portfolio contained several different styles. Cute, graphic, painterly, one line drawings and more, but it was the “one liners” that art directors responded to the most. Working in Sweden as an illustrator you really had to work in many different styles. Being such a small country and “market”, your style can easily become “worn out” and overexposed.
Coming to New York I quickly realized the importance of having a “signature style”. Since there are so many artists here, having one is essential to standing out and making a mark. This suited me just fine as I wanted to explore “my single line thing” and take it as far as I could.
I had done my first “one liner” for a client about a year earlier in Stockholm and became enthralled with the concept of connecting everything in a single line.
After many, many frustrations and numerous twists and turns, my first book, “Toni’s Topsy Turvy Telephone Day” was finally published in 2001 by Harry Abrams.
All of a sudden I was being called “author” which felt very strange and to this day after publishing 10 books (soon) still feels unfamiliar. The ideas for my books always start with a visual. Then I write to accommodate my art!
I am best known for my “Follow the Line” series of 4 hard covers for Viking Children’s books. In these books the line travels from place to place and tells stories forming concrete things and objects. Everything from camels to base guitars.
It was absolutely thrilling when POW!/PowerHouse wanted to publish “A Line Can Be”, which will be my first board book. I always wanted to do a board book. The thickness of the board lends itself perfectly for putting fingers on the line and following it throughout, spread by spread.
“A Line Can Be” is a biography of my line. Here the line explores abstract concepts – opposites, by telling the reader what it can be and where it can go. I love watching people’s faces and the smile that appears as they turn the page and see the conclusion. That last spread gives whole new meaning to all of the previous spreads!
My profession is a very lonely job. When my family is away, days can go by when I hardly talk to anybody! And I don’t mind, as a matter of fact, I couldn’t do what I do with other people around.
Now as an “author of children’s books” I have interactions and get more feedback from my audience then I ever did as an editorial illustrator.
I remember a book signing I did years ago for maybe my third or fourth book, when a woman came up and handed over, what was by the looks of it, an extremely “well read” copy of my very first children’s book, and asked if I would sign it.
It had been a favorite in her house for a long time and when she read in the newspaper that I was appearing she just had to come and tell me.
That was big!
It makes me happy knowing that once my work is done in my studio in Brooklyn, my books go out into the world and makes connections with people. And should they somehow make an impact on someone, however small, that’s just fantastic!
3x5 Art Challenge - Day 2
Okay - it's Day 2. The first image I'm going to share is the first piece of art I ever did in which I actually felt like a REAL illustrator - that I might actually do this for the rest of my life. It was for a candy package for Brock's:
The second image I'll share is just a goof-off. It's "Rob Anybody" from THE WEE FREE MEN:
The third piece I'll share today is actually two pages from my sculpture sketchbook. I loved sculpting and hope I get to do it again someday. I ended up creating the standing woman in bronze and the second image from the left, although I only have the ball left from that one.
The second image I'll share is just a goof-off. It's "Rob Anybody" from THE WEE FREE MEN:
The third piece I'll share today is actually two pages from my sculpture sketchbook. I loved sculpting and hope I get to do it again someday. I ended up creating the standing woman in bronze and the second image from the left, although I only have the ball left from that one.
3x5 Art Challenge - Day 1
Two friends have tagged me for the 3x5 art challenge on Facebook, which I will try to fulfill as I can. Today I'll share some early accomplishments in my illustration career. The first is a series of illustrations I created, which were then burned into the bottom of cast iron skillets by Lodge skillet. I received $150 for each design (I said this was my early days) and they went on to be carried in Eddie Bauer and every Cracker Barrel. Hm.
The next was my first billboard for a radio clinic which installed car radios. This was in Chattanooga if anybody saw it...
This third piece is a screen print sample of work I did for Buster Brown Apparel. I spent over six years working on the Peanuts line there. Here's Lucy baking:
Laurie Edwards and Susan Eaddy tagged me for this, so I'm tagging them back. I'd also love to see early works from Judy Schachner and Ashley Wolff.
The next was my first billboard for a radio clinic which installed car radios. This was in Chattanooga if anybody saw it...
This third piece is a screen print sample of work I did for Buster Brown Apparel. I spent over six years working on the Peanuts line there. Here's Lucy baking:
Laurie Edwards and Susan Eaddy tagged me for this, so I'm tagging them back. I'd also love to see early works from Judy Schachner and Ashley Wolff.
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