Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Listen to the Latest SCBWI Podcast - A Conversation with M.T. Anderson



New York Times bestselling author and winner of the National Book Award M. T. Anderson speaks with Theo Baker about history and time, experimentation, and literature. They also discuss research and switching between multiple projects. Listen to the episode trailer here.

Current SCBWI members can listen to the full episode here (log in first).

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Thursday, March 26, 2020

SCBWI Connects - SCBWI Offers a Digital Directory for Remote Learning Resources



So many creators of children’s books have risen to the call for help from teachers and parents during the COVID-19 crisis by creating online materials that will entertain, instruct, and inspire children and young people. Some are reading their books and discussing them. Some have created mini-lessons on art or history or craft projects. Some are doing the equivalent of a school visit with a presentation and slide show.

Click here to explore the entries in these categories: activities; art lessons; audiobooks & ebooks; bilingual; book readings; emotional & mental wellbeing; podcasts; teaching guides; and visits & workshops.

Illustrate and Write On – and Stay Safe,
Lee

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - A Video Series From the Kennedy Center Education Artist-In-Residence

"You might be isolated, but you’re not alone. You are an art maker. Let’s make some together." —Mo Willems
I love this so much! Check out the Mo Willems "Lunch Doodles" videos, part of his Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence experience.




The questions and answers are really interesting, and there's lots of wisdom shared amid the art and games. Like,

"Any story I write is a question I don't yet know the answer to."

The animation project in episode 3 (at about 15 minutes in) is very cool.

These videos are a great way to engage with young readers. And for us adult creators of content for kids, it's a fun way to hang out and learn from this master of storytelling and visuals.

Stay safe, and illustrate and write on,
Lee

p.s. - thanks to Karin for the heads-up on these videos!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Sharing Our Notebooks - Inspiration for Starting (Or Improving) Your Own


Author and Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's Sharing Our Notebooks blog offers inspiration...
Hi Writers! I know that some of you are home from school these days, and I hope you will find some new notebooking ideas here. I love keeping a notebook for writing, for drawing, for making a place for ideas and dreams and wishes and facts and feelings. This blog is home to many peeks into others' notebooks, and in each post you will find photos, notebooking-thoughts, and an idea to try. Feel free to poke around, notebook by your side, and explore your own brain and heart. Sometimes we don't know what we really think until we write.

Check out the many, many different approachese to starting or improving your own notebooking. (I call mine a journal.)

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

p.s.: Thanks to Kate Messner and her excellent round-up of resources, Read, Wonder, and Learn, for sharing this.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Kate Messner Organizes Online Resources From Authors and Illustrators "For Learning Anywhere" this Spring 2020



As cited in this Publishers Weekly article,

Kate Messner, author of the recently published Chirp (Bloomsbury), usually maintains a busy touring schedule, but with impending school closures, the author took to her website to create a resource page for children to access from home. Using social media, she recruited other authors to contribute to the archive. The page now includes more than two dozen links and videos of readings by authors including Tracey Baptiste, Debbi Michiko Florence, Nikki Grimes, Grace Lin, and Jason Reynolds.
And here's that resource.

As Kate writes, it's

"...a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (shared with permission from publishers!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. As Kate writes, it's

Wash your hands, stay healthy, and enjoy these resources as we take care of one another this spring!"

This a great example of giving and helping in a time of high stress for all -- especially for young people.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Thursday, March 12, 2020

The Brown Bookshelf Celebrated 28 Black Children’s Book Creators!

From Day 1's celebration of Siman Nuurali



 through Day 28's celebration of Shauntay Grant,



there are so many Black Children's Book Creators—and their books!—to discover or be reminded of anew.

See the full list (with links) at the launch post of 28 Days Later Honorees here: https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2020/01/24/announcing-the-13th-class-of-28-days-later-honorees/

And don't miss the leap year treat of Day 29, which celebrates the work of the family of people behind The Brown Bookshelf!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

26 Authors Share Self-Publishing Wisdom, compiled by BookBub



There's lots of gems in this image-friendly selection of quotes and advice, How to Self-Publish a Book: Tips from Indie Authors, including:

ON SETTING A TARGET AUDIENCE...
"Write the book for one person...Hit a home run with one person and there will be thousands more just like them who will also love your work." —Ernest Dempsey, The Napoleon Affair.

ON PUBLISHING POLISHED WORK
"The absolute best advice I ever received was not to rush to publication, hire top-of-the-line editors, and get more than one proofreader. We have one chance to hook readers, and presentation matters as much as content." —Melissa Foster, This is Love

ON PUBLISHING PRINT EDITIONS
"My tip is to make the editions look like one published by the big five traditional publishers." —Ty Patterson, The Warrior Series

The full post is well-worth reading.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Thursday, March 5, 2020

"Do You Want To Create A Picture Book?" - A Panel Discussion with Nate Williams, James Yang, Giuseppe Catellano, Jim Hoover, and Kirsten Hall

"Picture books are kind of like the guitar solo for illustrators."

With those words of inspiration (or maybe challenge), author and illustrator Nate Williams kicked off this panel discussion at the Society of Illustrators. In this video recorded on February 10, 2015, Nate outlines his creative process—from ideation to publishing. He is joined by James Yang (Author/Illustrator http://www.jamesyang.com), Giuseppe Catsellano (at the time an Art Director, Penguin Young Readers Group http://twitter.com/pinocastellano), Jim Hoover (Associate Art director, Viking Books), and Kirsten Hall (Agent/Producer http://catbirdagency.com/).


As shared on the Society of Illustrators video archive.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Latinx in Publishing Launches their Writers Mentorship Program

The Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program is a volunteer-based initiative that offers the opportunity for unpublished and/or unagented writers who identify as Latinx (mentees) to strengthen their craft, gain first-hand industry knowledge, and expand their professional connections through work with experienced published authors (mentors).




As announced in Publishers Weekly, "The first group of mentors for the program, which began on February 1 of this year and is slated to run through October 31, is comprised of 11 authors: Monica Brown, author of Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos; Paola Capó-García, author of Clap for Me That’s Not Me; Katrina Carrasco, author of The Best Bad Things; Lulu Delacre, three-time Pura Belpré Award Honoree and author/illustrator of Luci Soars; Christina Diaz Gonzalez, author of The Red Umbrella; Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, author of Children of the Land: A Memoir; Gabino Iglesias, author of Coyote Songs; Toni Margarita Plummer, author of The Bolero of Andi Rowe; Ruben Quesada, poetry editor at AGNI and author of Revelations; Sabrina Sol, author of Delicious Temptation; and Francisco X. Stork, author of Disappeared. The 2020 class of mentees are: Julianne Aguilar, Gustavo A. Barahona-López, Camille Corbett, Yesenia Flores Diaz, Brigid Martin, Aline Mello, Brenda Miller, Ofelia Montelongo, Jordan Pérez, Angela Pico, and Andrew Siañez-De La O." 

Carolina Ortiz, the program's codirector, said:
“It is our goal to bridge the gap and help new rising Latinx voices find the support they need within their own community by connecting them with published Latinx authors, who will be the people best equipped to understand their stories and perspectives.”
Learn more at the Latinx in Pubishing website here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee