Let’s Draw… Pets!

Last month I said I was going to focus on dog drawing sheets for a while, but something didn’t feel right as I was planning this month. So I’m changing my mind and expanding beyond dogs to drawing sheets for pets. I have a list of about a dozen, but I’m open to suggestions if you want to comment below. I’m starting with a unique pet that my sister had a long time ago: a praying mantis.

This feels like a fun direction for kids, and I can still add in the fun facts and book references where applicable.

Currier Museum: Art off the Walls

Next Thursday, on September 18th, I will be participating in the Currier Museum’s OFF THE WALLS event. In conjunction with their Tomi dePaola exhibit and a free admission night, I’m one of five artists who will be talking, drawing, and tabling for the evening. I’m walking in with a few unknowns, but it’ll be a fun adventure. Hope you can make it out!

I can’t tell you!

One challenging part of working in children’s books is that we are very often not allowed to talk about projects that haven’t been announced, and are cautious to share projects that are on submission. Trust me, I WANT to talk about it. What I can say is to please send a little good luck my way in the next few weeks! Other than those mysterious projects, I have been doing some really fun assignments for Highlights and High Five magazines. I can share this promotional piece I recently created for KidLitArtPostcard day - I would really love to illustrate a bug book one of these days!

Book Love

I picked up so many great new picture books while I was promoting THE KING OF BOOKS this summer. One of my favorites is SHARK GIRL by Kate Beaton. Her picture book The Princess and the Pony was also one of my favorites when it released several years ago. And I picked up Ducks last summer on my trip to Montreal and Quebec. Two totally different genres, but both amazing. Shark Girl is one of those books that I just NEED to know what the reaction is from children. It does not hold back in any regard. We see Shark Girl in danger. We see her seek revenge! We know that she does in fact, eat fish. We see approval of her true nature. There are sharp teeth and pipe smokers and mutiny and it is all fabulously empowering in a picture book. And because our main character is female. But it’s also just fun and surprising.

Watching/Reading/Listening To

Watching: Season 2 of Fisk, on Netflix. Both seasons were great. Funny, lighthearted, Australian, smart but not painfully so.
Reading: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. This was a really fun audiobook. I may have enjoyed this more than the first Thursday Murder Club! Fast-paced, full of pop-culture references, and not too gory.
Listening to: Next month I’m taking my daughter to see Laufey in concert, so I’m trying to catch up by listening to her newest album. She’s so talented, and I love that she has her own book club! It even includes a personal favorite, A Wrinkle in Time. You can find the whole list here.