Winter Buzz

No, this ain't no Rockefeller Center. THIS is how we welcome winter's arrival South Texas style. While it isn't the perfect weather for singing Jingle Bells in the round, snowball fights, or fireside chats, it IS the perfect weather for appreciating the simple joy of life no matter the packaging. From this busy bee to you, Merry Christmas!

THEY REALLY NEED TO READ!

Yeah, yeah, yeah....they need to be fed, clothed and loved BUT they also gotta have picture books!
http://terrypierce.blogspot.com/2010/10/five-reasons-why-children-need-picture.html

Chalk It Up

I must admit I have much love for San Antonio, Texas. This weekend maybe even more so as my family and I gathered with 18,000 others on a culture-filled downtown street to draw with chalk, watch some phenomenal artists draw with chalk, and draw with chalk some more. It was the perfect reminder of life's possibilities - concrete barriers and all....

Fancy meetin' you here

Oh the things that get our creative juices flowing....

A Keeper

I wanna be a keeper. In the 03.2010 Texas Monthly issue, there was a listing of 63 things all Texans should do before they die. A bucket list of sorts. I was surprised to find I've done more than what I'd thought might be suggested. I've been to the top of the Tower of Americas. I've seen Willie Nelson at Floore's Country Store. And I've explored Palo Duro Canyon and seen the summer musical Texas there (one of my favorite memories). I've also sipped a Dublin Dr. Pepper IN Dublin, Texas no less. Ahhhhhhh....Just as the sign says, they are the keepers of the flame. And they have been since 1891. It's inspiring. The stuff dreams are made of. Ahhhhhhhhhh....

:)

Love this quote....

There's an inherent belief in children's publishing that if the book comes from the heart of the creator, it will speak to the heart of the child."

- Marla Frazee, author/illustrator

The fine print

A local link worth checking out -

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/fine_print/2010/07/hey-kids-its-the-2010-children.html

Gimme the details

Life is full of details. I was reminded of that when I took a visit to downtown SA and one of the historic missions. The details are inspiring in the best "How did they do that?" way. The list of things requiring details is mind blowing. You have the "fill out this form and don't forget the tiny read between the lines kind", the "oh, you wanted me to brush with toothpaste, too?" kind, and you also have the picture book kind. My personal favorite. I'd like nothing better than gazillions of readers to fall in love with my details and wonder "How'd she do that?"

Are you in?

Interested in making 2011 the year of the picture book?
http://jeanreidy.blogspot.com/2010/06/lets-plan-year-of-picture-book.html
The possibilities are endless!

I dare you

I was looking over some old pictures recently when I came upon this one from four or so years ago. I love this shot. It reminds me of a time when it was completely okay to capture my son's goofiness on film. It also reminds me of the movie Alice in Wonderland - the Johnny Depp one. In the movie, Alice refers to something her dad taught her to do....think of 6 impossible things for breakfast. It wasn't necessary for me to dare my son to plant his head inside the ravenous jaws of a giant fake dinosaur, but I have begun to dare (because that's waaaaay more fun than just asking them to) my kids to think of 6 impossible things before breakfast. I'm really looking forward to all the possibilities they invent. I dare you to do the same....

a little link

Easy summer reading....
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/5+Lies+Unpublished+Writers+Tell+Themselves+And+The+Truths+That+Can+Get+Them+Published.aspx

It Ain't a PB without the P's

The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature presents

Golden Kite Golden Dreams
Celebrating over 30 Years of Art from the SCBWI's Golden Kite Awards
July 8, 2010 - October 1, 2010
102 Cedar Street, Abilene, TX 79601
325.673.4586
www.nccil.org

FEATURING ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART BY
Keith Baker, Kristen Balouch, Carlyn Beccia, Barbara Helen Berger, Holly Berry, Jean Cassels, Tim Coffey, Gregory Christie, Larry Day, Diane de Groat, Tomie dePaola, Donna Diamond, Marla Frazee, Ponder Goembel, Kevin Hawkes, Trina Schart Hyman, Erick Ingraham, Kathy Jacobi, Susan Jeffers, William Joyce, Beth Krommes, Barbara LaVallee, Carol Lerner, Loren Long, Suse MacDonald, Laura McGee Kvasnosky, Barbara McClintock, Charles Mikolaycak, Lauren Mills, Yuyi Morales, Dennis Nolan, John Parra, Jerry Pinkney, Alice Provensen, Robert Sabuda, David Shannon, Uri Shulevitz, Aki Sogabe, Janet Stevens, Lauren Stringer, Lynn Sweat, Melissa Sweet, Amy Walrod, Richard Jesse Watson, Kurt Werth, Don Wood, Hyewon Yum

EXHIBIT OPENING SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, July 8th
Exhibit Opening Gallery event, the NCCIL will be open to the public. Two visiting illustrators will give demonstrations and talks about their work. Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser will give a brief talk on the Golden Kite Award.

FRIDAY, July 9th
Exhibit Opening Gala Dinner Please contact the NCCIL for tickets to this event. A few words will be spoken by Debbie Lillick NCCIL Museum Director, David Diaz, Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser.

SATURDAY, July 10th
Exhibit events and talks welcoming SCBWI members
10:00 AM Barbara McClintock will speak/demonstrate @ 45 mins
11:00 AM Illustrator TBA will speak/demonstrate @ 45 mins Lunch
12:00-2:00 PM We invite the visiting SCBWI membership to join us for a casual lunch at a local restaurant
2:00 PM Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser will discuss some of the history, stories, and anecdotes of the Golden Kite Award. Afterwards they will be joined by Richard Jesse Watson for Q&A Dinner
7:00 PM We invite the visiting SCBWI membership to join us for dinner at Perini Ranch (about 30 minutes out of town) http://www.periniranch.com/

TRAVEL INFO
American Airlines flies to Abilene. For lodging, the Hilton Garden Inn in Abilene is offering a rate of $99 per night, with a made to order breakfast included.
Hilton Garden Inn, 4449 Ridgemont Drive Abilene, Texas, USA, 79606 1-325-690-6432

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & LINKS
SCBWI Board of Advisor Illustratrator Committee Blog
Golden Kite, Golden Dreams Facebook Page

Why Books?

THE WEEK is a magazine must in my home. It's the top news stories mixed in with the wackiest ones from across the globe. Last week featured relevant commentary on Obama's handling of the oil spill and how a woman is suing Google after she was hit by a car following a route SUGGESTED by Google Maps. Sandwiched between it all though was a tiny little piece about the importance of books in the home. The presence of books, stats show, was 2x as important to a child's progress in school as a dad's level of education (thought to be the strongest indicator). Did I need a reason to visit my favorite bookstore? Nah, but it makes me feel soooooooo goooooood. BRING ON THE BOOKS!

new contest to contemplate

http://www.naesp.org/resources/1/Foundation/FINALENTRYFORM.pdf

Just me and my gnomies

Yes, it's true. I've ACTUALLY taken a photograph with some level of skill. And I managed to realize something along the way. A reeaalllly good photograph has the same job as a reeaalllly good story and the exact opposite of a reeaally good meal. The photograph and story need to leave you hungry for more. Inspired. The good meal? Nap.

Smell that?

Some great information on the stinky odds of publication and why you don't need to care....
http://www.underdown.org/publishing-odds.htm

Ummm...no.

As a mom, I'm reminded on a daily basis just how unfair life is. My cherub faced four-year-old is convinced the world would be a much better place if only popsicles were all or part of the four food groups. My seven-year-old daughter believes if I went to first grade with her each and every day, no one would really care or notice. And my tween son is certain he's old enough to backpack across one of the largest cities in America. It just isn't so. Yes, it seems as though injustices abound. Life is full of rules (shhhhh, don't tell them I said that). Writing is full of rules too. The good "I'm really-ready-to-be-published" kinda writing anyway. I recently found some specific no's to keep in mind regarding the very PB you may be passionately working on now....

1. too slight
2. too quiet
3. forced rhyme
4. off rhythm
5. too similar to something already on the market
6. forced/inauthentic dialogue
7. too diadactic
8. melodramatic
9. cliche
10. slow pacing
11. too niche in appeal

Now back to life's inequalities....

Momma Moment

With Mother's Day just around the bend, this is just a little something I wanted to share with all you mommas out there. Heck, even if you're not a momma, I hope you'll get a chuckle or two. Like most momma's out there, my son unknowingly provided a wealth of inspiration for me when he was younger (now as a tween, he just tries to steal my ideas and thinks I'm a complete moron - good times!). This story was no exception. As momma, mommy, mom, mother, mum, mamma, mama, mutter, or, my personal fav haha (Japanese), I take great pride and unending pleasure knowing there are bazillions out there trying to get a job done and have a little fun somewhere along the way. So whatever your monicker is, peace be with you (and save some for me too)....

Aye! Aye! Aye! Aye!

Aye, aye, aye, aye! Fiesta has come and gone but not without leaving behind its fair share of silliness and exhaustion. I've been supplementing our annual Fiesta activities with plenty of multicultural PB's which, I'm ever so proud to report, my library is in no short supply of. Move over Dora and Diego, meet Sparrow Girl ! More aften than not, I gravitate toward the humorous, but Sara Pennypacker's book, I gotta say, taught me a thing or two. Give it a read...with or without mariachi music.

A place to call my own

We're different. We're the same. Writers that is. We have a passion to write. And we all require a spot of our very own to do just that. On my best days, I imagine my perfect spot to be something like the photo. Yeah, I know, that's where I'm different than most others. My spot has no running water, no heat, and no electricity. Ahem....not even a front door. It's in the middle of nowhere and still seems at the heart of all that's important and essential. It screams inspiration to me. Funny how that works. Or, perhaps just plain strange, as my thoughtful husband prefers to define it. You decide....

What's on your plate?

UUMMMMMMMMM!

What a treat!

Cheerios 4th Annual PB contest for

unpublished

starving

writers

www.spoonfulofstories.com

AND

Win a free critique of your most specialist (you know the one)

rhyming PB manuscript by a rhyming pro

and winner of the Cheerios 2nd Round of Spoonful of Stories

www.loridegman.blogspot.com

Inspiration

Some inspiration to get creative!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124532979

P, B, & J

It's P, B and J with a nasty twist for well over a week at my home.

Puke.

Barf.

Just no sleep.

Happy spring! Excuse me....

Devine Device

Portmanteau. It's not a disease. And it isn't very tasty. But it COULD "literally" be your best friend. Especially if you write for children or read to one or a whole gaggle.

(n) - a new word formed by combining two others and combining their meanings. A linguistic blend, if you will.
Smog = fog and smoke
Motel = motor and hotel
Brunch = lunch and breakfast

The list of words is lengthy and the skill of using portmanteau worthy of exploring.

Lewis Carroll first made use of the word portmanteau, more readily known as a suitcase, in his book Through the Looking Glass (1871).
Denise Doyen takes portmanteau to a whole new level though in her picture book Once Upon a Twice.

Give it a go....

Five Texas Favs

Texas is a BIG state. And there are plenty of things to love about it. Some lovable things you may not be so familiar with. Soooooo I share with you five little known favorite things about Texas and children's literature that you probably weren't aware of or maybe simply misplaced in that dark, mysterious corner of your brain (you know the place where the REAL answer to why the sky is blue lies neatly tucked away?) Here goes....

#1 The Golden Spur Award for children's literature

#2 Author (and a personal favorite) Rick Riordan calls Texas home

#3 Author and friend of Maurice Sendak, James Marshall, was born here

#4 We're home to The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature http://www.nccil.org/

#5 The Texas Bluebonnet Award
http://www.txla.org/groups/tba/index.html

Hungry?

Writing is my numero uno creative outlet. Without it and kids, life just wouldn't be the same. BUUUUUT....I love a good donut too. So when I found out Dunkin' Donuts was calling, "Time to make the donuts!" to donut lovers across the country, I had to answer. Yes fellow donut lovers, I designed and named my very own donut without ever stepping foot in my kitchen. You can too....

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/contests/#CDND

The fun just never ends!

Hey You Guys!

As a writer, I'm not shy about sharing my passion for writing with others. Specifically, kids. So when I found out that PBS would be carrying on the recently expired Reading Rainbow's Young Writer's and Illustrator's Contest, it was a good, good day. Like a day at the beach with no sunburn kinda good. A day when you get something other than junk or bills in your mail. A day....okay, you get the picture. You can find the details of the contest here - http://pbskids.org/writerscontest/?campaign=go_vndr (share, share, share!)

This contest got me to thinkin'....
If you were to have a book of your very own published, what would your dedication page say? Would you be decidedly serious and share your heartfelt thanks to someone special?
Would your funny bone be in the spotlight?
Would the message be written in secret code?
Tell me, tell me, tell me!
I'd love to know....

Sign of the times

If you've read a picture book lately, the face on the left just might bring to mind the main character of said book. Seems as though there's a parental passiveness that's become pervassive in picture books over the last several years. Hmmmmm....something to think about.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/10/19/091019crat_atlarge_zalewski

Didn't you know (part 2)?

Okay, so we've got Valentine's Day and Black History Month. But I bet you didn't know Library Lovers' Month is in the month of February too. Geez, I love my library. Check out the link on ways to celebrate the worthiness of a library near you....

http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/

Besides libraries (and people that still send me letters in the mail) I also love, love, love bookstores. Especially the brick and mortar kind where you can lose yourself on purpose just because. Believe it or not, there's a town within this great state of Texas that's without one....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/22/laredo.books/index.html

Didn't you know?

It may seem coincidental seeing as it's Black History Month, but I have a new favorite word....

griot
n.
A storyteller in western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family.

I don't know any griots but I gotta say I really wish I did. Reading Head, Body, Legs gives me a bit of a taste.
Won-Lyn Paye and Margaret H. Lippert collaborated on it and a picture book entitled Mrs. Chicken And The Hungry Crocodile too. It was also illustrated by Julie Paschkis. AND it's a Charlotte Zolotow Award book.
From my lips to your ears, both are fabuloso books certain to bring a smile to your face and the sweet taste of Liberia to your palate. Especially if you really wish you knew a griot.


http://www.africabookcentre.com/ (thanks for the image!)

Need another dose of multiculturalism? Head over to Multiculturalism Rocks! http://nathaliemvondo.wordpress.com

A little help?

Take a peek. Really. Go on. Go....
www.helpthehoneybee.com

Now THAT'S depressing

Today is the most depressing day of the year. Seriously. That's what all the professionals tell us. The last Monday in the month of January is traditionally known as the most depressing day of the year. The decorations are down, the debt once again becomes apparent, and...I refuse to continue. It's depressing. BUT there are those days (take for instance, my older sister in the midst of one of those days on the left). AND there are better days too (I offer again, as example, the antiquated photo to the left where a giant grin seems to have plastered itself upon my face after swiftly circling in the tropical air just above my head for what seemed like an eternity). Personally, I'm more fond of National Pizza without Anchovies Day but, hey, I'm gonna just roll with the punches. After all, yesterday our local paper ran a story I wrote (the non depressing and non fictional kind)....

http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/Sunday_Journal_Exercising_freedom_a_proud_moment.html

It's a Party!

It's a party and you're invited!
TOO PURPLEY! ONLINE OPEN HOUSE
When: 1/25-1/31, 2010
Where: www.jeanreidy.com
Who: Anyone who loves children's books
What: Party favors, Door prizes, games, videos and more!!
Teachers/Librarians - win a 30 minute Skype author visit or The Grand Prize TOO PURPLEY! Package.
Authors - win a Picture Book Peek Critique

The Combo

I'm a sucker for contests. Even an occasional raffle. As long as the price is right. And free I'm particularly fond of. Yes sirree, writing contests have the ability to occupy countless hours of my time if given the chance. Sad and yet so pathetically true. Several years ago, I entered a little somethin' in a contest Half Price Books had put together and found myself with a story published in the 12th edition (don't be frightened of the little guy with bulging eyes, missing feet, and hair in all the wrong places) . Wanna know the best part? The best, best, BEST part of it all was seeing MY words and the illustrators art work their magic together on the page(s) before my very eyes. Do you think oh, I don't know, say Dr. Seuss or any one of those super gigantic phenomenal authors ever grew accustom to that magical pairing that takes place between the pages of a picture book? I just wonder...

4 for '10

My ode to the woodchuck....ehm...

How much football could a football watch if a football could watch ball?

I'll wait a minute for the applause (or moans) to stop.

*****whistling, whistling, whistling*****

The way I figure it, I haven't chucked much wood in my life, but over the past few days, I believe I may have just reached my football quota. I did manage to gleen something from the great Lou Holtz though -

The 4 Things You Need in Life

1. Something to do

2. Someone that believes in you

3. Someone to love

4. Someone to believe in