Archive for November, 2007
November 19, 2007 at 7:42 am · Filed under kidlit
Seriously. The first auction for the Robert’s Snow fund raiser opened today. You know all those beautiful snowflakes you’ve seen fluttering around the ‘net? The ones created by illustrators like Alexandra Boiger, Brooke Dyer, Kevin Hawkes, and Daniel Mahoney? This is your chance to pick up original art! And even if you can’t justify buying one for yourself, just think. This could be the solution to the what-to-buy-my-mother-in-law dilemma this year.
Auction 1 will begin accepting bids on Monday, Nov. 19 at 9:00 a.m. with a starting bid of $50 for each snowflake. All bids must be placed before the close of Auction 1 on Friday, Nov. 23 at 5:00 pm. Don’t forget that 100 percent of the proceeds from this online auction will benefit sarcoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and that all but $25 of the winning bid is tax deductible.
Read about the artists who contributed to the first auction at the sites linked below. (The order presented is the same as on the auction page.)
November 18, 2007 at 6:05 am · Filed under My Musings, publishing
I spent Saturday attending two writer’s workshops hosted by an author with 80 published children’s books to her credit. I learned some things and it was great to hear another author’s perspective on the business.
But, you know how there’s always one person in a workshop who raises her hand to share at every pause? Mmhm. You know the one. The one who has been told 50 times during the presentation that the workshop is about children’s book writing, and in fact the presenter has no experience whatsoever with the student’s area of interest? And who insists on continuing to ask irrelevant questions anyway? And the one who stops the class to share that if we can only watch our words on our breath as we breathe in and out, we’ll find that the idea is hidden in the space in between breaths? Yep. She was there.
November 17, 2007 at 1:06 pm · Filed under books
You’ve all heard me talk about my affection for Nancy Drew. Jumping on the current girl power bandwagon, Chronicle Books presents The Nance Drew Handbook. I’m looking forward to peeking inside this one!
November 15, 2007 at 12:39 pm · Filed under My Musings
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night?
My oldest son.
2. What were you doing at 8:00?
Dropping my eldest off at work.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Helping my youngest bake pumpkin maple custard.
4. What happened to you in 2006?
I had three books published. I was busy in 2005! 
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
Okay, I’ll write that up and try to get it to you in the next day or two.
6. How many beverages did you have today?
Does water count? 5 cups?
7. What color is your hairbrush?
I don’t use a hairbrush.
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
Whoonu, at the thrift store, for $1.50
9. Where were you last night?
Home.
10. What color is your front door?
It’s unpainted wood.
11. Where do you keep your change?
In a wooden bowl on the kitchen counter. Also, in a plastic container on the dryer. We seem to have lots of coins.
12. What’s the weather like today?
Overcast, but warm. Lots of vog.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Jamocha Almond Fudge.
14. What excites you?
an upcoming workshop on writing for children.
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
It’s getting kind of wild, so yes.
16. Are you over the age of 25?
Yes. By more than a decade.
17. Do you talk a lot?
Absolutely not. Except in certain instances in which I do.
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
No.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Yes.
20. Do you make up your own words?
Sometimes.
21. Are you a jealous person?
Not generally.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’
Andrea
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’
Can’t think of one.
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
My mom
25. What does the last text message you received say
I don’t <gasp> have text messaging.
26. Do you chew on your straw?
No. I also don’t slurp with my straw.
27. Do you have curly hair?
It’s wavy, though if I let it grow, I get the Shirley Temple curl thing going on the underside.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
To the naturopath.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
An aunt of mine who shall go nameless
30. What was the last thing you ate?
egg salad
31. Will you get married in the future?
I hope not. I’m prettily happily married now.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
The Princess Bride, though that’s been several weeks ago.
33. Is there anyone you like right now?
Sure, lots of people!
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Yesterday, but usually the kids do them.
35. Are you currently depressed?
No
36. Did you cry today?
No
37. Why did you answer and post this?
Because I am having one of those days where I’m just waiting for something -anything- to happen, and this seemed like a good way to pass the time while waiting.
November 14, 2007 at 5:27 pm · Filed under home education
Remember my Robert’s Snow interview with Daniel J. Mahoney? Remember how Daniel has offered three books for a giveaway? Where is everybody? So far, only ONE person has entered. These are some pretty good odds, people.
Now, I know you want to enter to win.
It’s easy. Just go to the Robert’s Snow auction site for auction number one and count how many snowflakes have the word “snow” in their title. Leave your answer in the comments to either this post, or the original post (see how flexible I am??). If you answer correctly, your name goes into the hat to win one of Daniel’s books. I’ll draw for the winner on November 25th.
November 14, 2007 at 11:22 am · Filed under books
How’s that for a title to catch your attention??
I loved the book “Everyone Poops” when my kids were young. I was just exploring the Kane Miller site and blog, and ran across this book. I love the cover image! Love it. Somehow, I doubt that it’s appropriate for teens though.
November 14, 2007 at 7:05 am · Filed under books
I just stopped by my publisher’s website and wow! There are some great new books coming out. I’m still waiting to see the cover and hear what’s going on with Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself, but meanwhile, Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions is available, and there are several others coming out featuring the solar system, planet earth, ancient China, and the Arctic & Antarctic.
November 12, 2007 at 7:58 pm · Filed under My Musings, rants
Wow. My son and I just spent an hour reading through the posts at anysoldier.com. There is something seriously wrong when the men and women who have volunteered to be part of our military are sent halfway round the world and must ask donors for help in getting basic hygiene products, bedding, beef jerky, and socks. SOCKS!
Just about everyone posting at anysoldier requested books and magazines. I’ll be sorting through my stacks of books and ARCs to find suitable contributions, and my son - he who works at the library - plans to take on the task of collecting discarded books/music. We should have a nice collection gathered within a couple of weeks; hopefully we can send at least some stuff to arrive by Christmas/Hanukkah. But I daresay we’ll be sending more after that as well. It’s pretty compelling to take a look at the pictures some of these soldiers have posted and see just what they are lacking.
W hat say you? Anyone care to join us in this endeavor? One flat rate USPS box will hold a good amount of beef jerky and deodorant!
Update: Tim wrote about this in a much more organized fashion last year. His article first appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, and is worth a read.
November 12, 2007 at 8:40 am · Filed under My Musings
It is Monday and I’m feeling like Garfield.
===========
Is there a way to stop SPAM from coming to my Thunderbird inbox before it’s filtered out? Over 100 SPAM messages a day pop into my inbox, giving me an apparently much needed lesson in male anatomy and how to get some (male anatomy, that is). I’d like them to go straight to trash.
===========
Via Two Black Cats and a Cup of Tea:
Among all of our juvenile detention centers across the United States–that is, in our prisons for people under the age of 18–there exist only six staffed libraries. Six. That’s all.
Go read the post to find out more (including how to donate to your local center).
============
Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself made the Best Books for Children catalog, compiled by the Association of Booksellers for Children. Also there is Carmella Van Vleet’s Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself. Yay!
============
University of Hawaii Warriors remain undefeated. Quarterback Colt Brennan suffered a mild concussion during the game with Fresno State.
============
November 10, 2007 at 1:49 am · Filed under kidlit, books
Trained as an x-ray technician, Daniel J.Mahoney discovered the wonderful world of picture books one day while shopping for his niece Marissa. While the x-ray gig paid the bills, he felt that creating artwork was his true calling. After trying his hand at cartooning, he decided to pursue the possibility of working as a children’s book illustrator. It worked.
Since then, he has written and illustrated three books for Clarion: The Perfect Clubhouse, A Really Good Snowman, and The Saturday Escape. In addition, he has illustrated several other books for a number of publishers.
Daniel’s Robert’s Snow snowflake depicts a monkey named Alfie with a banana in each hand. He is standing in the grass dotted with flowers against a pink sky. Folks, this snowflake is very cool.
And you won’t even have to work very hard to bid on it. It’s the very first snowflake listed for the first auction (which starts on November 19). Where else can you buy original artwork and contribute to such a good cause, all at the same time? Really; go check it out - I’ll wait.
Okay, you’re back?
Daniel was kind enough to answer a few questions for me, so that I could share them here as part of the Robert’s Snow event. But before I do that, let me just say that generosity abounds throughout the online realm of Robert’s Snow. So, so many illustrators have given of their time and talents to create snowflakes for this fundraiser. But it doesn’t end there. A good number of illustrators – as well as blog hosts – have donated prizes that are being given away throughout the blogosphere.
Daniel J. Mahoney has outdone himself with his generosity today. He’s offered three books for a giveaway today. Three! That means three different winners! Of three different books! And, to top it off, Daniel will autograph each book with his signature and a little drawing. How cool is that? To enter, here’s what you must do. It’s easy. Just go to the Robert’s Snow auction site for auction number one and count how many snowflakes have the word “snow” in their title. Leave your answer in the comments to this post. If you answer correctly, your name goes into the hat to win one of Daniel’s books. I’ll draw for the winner on November 25th.
And now, I give you illustrator Daniel J. Mahoney!
How do you accommodate publisher’s deadlines when you’re not feeling so creative? Or is that ever a problem for an artist?
I have to say I haven’t experienced that problem yet. (knock on wood) Usually by the time I’m faced with a deadline for a project, I’ve already got the creative juices flowing. I’ve already completed the manuscript, the dummy book and all the character sketches, so I know exactly what the little world in my book is going to look like. My creativity is at it’s peak at this point because I have the whole book mapped out and I’m so ready to take the journey it leads me on. Getting published is still the most exciting feeling I have ever experienced, so whenever I am given a new book to create somehow I’m at my artistic best throughout the whole thing!
Do you work on a schedule, or paint and create as the mood strikes?
My schedule is set by my son! Whenever I’m not feeding him, or playing with him, or getting him off to preschool is when I hit the paints. He’s three, and my wife and I both have part-time “real jobs”. So my time is limited for when I can really get into my creative work. I’m the type of person who would LOVE to have a schedule, because that’s the only way I can get things done. Sometimes I paint and create when I don’t even feel like it, because it might be my only opportunity before I have to hit the sandbox again!
What inspires you?
Honestly I have to say other illustrators and their work. There are so many extremely talented artists out there who I just look at and think, “I have to get to the studio!” I become so motivated and inspired to create beautiful work when I see beautiful work.
Tell me about the images on your snowflake and the how/why of getting involved with this project.
Alfie is a character that my 3 year old son Ryan collaborated with me on. One day we were playing in his sandbox, and he says,” Daddy, tell me an Alfie sandbox story.” At first I thought, what are you talking about? Then the children’s book part of my brain spoke up and prompted me to start telling a story about a monkey named Alfie and his adventures in the sandbox. Before I knew it I was improvising daily Alfie stories. I just loved the ring to “Alfie Sandbox Stories”, I just had to come up with a book idea about Alfie and his adventures in the sandbox. The back of the snowflake, however, I have to say I’m not very happy with now that I’ve seen it on the website a few times. It says Alfie Sandbox Stories, coming soon. Not that this was my intention when I created it, but it feels now like I was advertising for a new book I’m working on. I’m sorry if it comes across that way, and I regret doing that and wish I could change it. Sometimes I do things like that and regret them later and say, what was I thinking! Hopefully someone will see it and love it and bid on it. I stumbled upon the Robert’s Snow website one day and was mesmerized by the whole thing. I thought, what a wonderful way for an illustrator to do their part and contribute to such an important cause. I immediately e-mailed the person in charge and asked how I could help. Before I knew it, I was unwrapping a package with a wooden snowflake in it. I thought, what an honor it is to be able to help raise money for cancer research with my art. That they actually want me to illustrate a snowflake alongside all these other big names in the children’s book field is quite an honor in itself. I’m just thrilled I can contribute to this extremely important endeavor.
Since my blog readers are primarily educators and those interested in boosting kids’ creativity, do you have a single suggestion for encouraging kids to get out there and be creative?
Tell them simply that whatever they choose to create, be it an intricate wall mural or a popsicle stick jewelry box, it’s beautiful and special because they created it, and that no one else in the world can create something quite like it.
Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure (courtesy, Elaine Magliaro): When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success.
And finally (how’s that for the longest post ever?), here are the other illustrator features for today:
« Previous entries ·
Next entries »
