Portfolio work: seven sources of renewable energy.
Portfolio work: I love watching the news. I made up this book cover from watching a news segment on the growing Renewable Energy Industry. Seven sources of renewable energy: Solar, wind, ocean: thermal & wave, hydrogen cell, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectric.
Renewable Energy: One
It’s Not Corny! Biomass is one of seven sources of renewable energy.
The Little Tea Book
Portfolio work: a public domain book by Arthur Gray. Drink up! It’s tea time! Photography: Alicia Schwab with clipart.
Human activity can trigger earthquakes, such as when industries use fracking to extract oil and gas from the ground. The movement of magma under a fault can also trigger an earthquake.
STEM/STEAM: Other triggers for earthquakes
Jam Book: Three
Portfolio work: A cookbook from the public domain by Maria Parloa.
STEM/STEAM: Ring Ring! Earth is Calling
Did you know, earthquakes can make sound!
Q: On Valentine’s Day what did the Volcano say to the Tectonic Plate?
A: “I lava you.”
Jam Book: Two
Portfolio work: Jam cookbook from the public domain.
Jam Book: One
Well, a lot has changed since this book was published 100 years ago. There’s a plethora of DIY information on how to start canning on the internet.
Bee Book: All Together
Portfolio work: This is a public domain book written by D. B. Casteel.
STEM/STEAM: It's All Our Fault(s)
Q: What do cows make during an earthquake?
A: Milkshake!
Bee Book: Seven
When viewed from the side, it is clear why it is called honeyCOMB!
Check out this young bee activist, Scarlet Harper of Winnetka, Illinois.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/save-the-bees-campaign-scarlett-harper/
Last week, a hungry Hummingbird was trying to get the last of the nectar from my Bergamot/Bee Balm flowers. All my flowers are drying up early this year due to the drought. I installed a hummingbird feeder that lights up at night like an all-night nectar diner.
STEM/STEAM: Earthquake Book
I feel for the people of Haiti. They were recently hit again by a major earthquake and are suffering. To better understand the situation, I illustrated, designed, and heavily edited an earthquake book from a public domain book to make it an up-to-date STEM / STEAM middle grade book for kids.
IN ONE DAY
On August 25, 2021, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported 140 small earthquakes (1 to 3.3). Fortunately, no-one was hurt. But it may indicate that Mount Kilauea will start erupting soon.
THE CARIBBEAN PLATE PUSHES EASTWARD
But earlier on August 14th, 2021 a major earthquake (7.2) struck Haiti. The small country lies on the western end of the island of Hispaniola. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake in 2010 (7.0) from which it still hasn’t fully recovered.
There are two faults in this region of the Caribbean, one is “dominantly strike-slip and the other is a small component of subduction plate.” This strike-slip fault is extra destructive because as the two plates slip past each other they get stuck. However the Caribbean fault continues to push east while the tension increases until it breaks free, (like when you snap your fingers). The people in Haiti are starving and desperate for aid. There’s lots of ways to help. Google “how to help people in Haiti” for suggestions. Educate yourself. It’s always good to learn something new.
Echinacea from my garden. For some reason, my dog likes to munch on Echinacea. She’s a weirdo. LOL
Bee Book: Six
List of Pollinator Friendly Plants for your yard
Pick the right plants to attract native pollinators. By planting native plants in your area, you will attract native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. (Source)
The honeybees are working hard to collect nectar from the Echinacea in my garden. The native plants in my yard are drought tolerant.
It’s been a rough summer in Minnesota for bees. Like most of the United States, we have also been experiencing a very long drought and at least a dozen forest fires in northern Minnesota.
Bee Book: Five
4000 native bee species in north America
1/4 species at risk of extinction
1/3 of your food is pollinated by bees.
Bees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops every year. (source)
Maps source: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?MN
Bee Book: Four
Portfolio work: bee anatomy and leg work.
Bee Book: Three
Busy as a bee. There are 20,000 species of bees and wasps. That’s a lot! But only eleven of those species produce and store honey.
Bees dance to show the others where to find nectar.
Bee Book: Two
Bee Book: One
Here is a new design for my portfolio. The book is from the public domain.
Writing and Illustrating Children's Books
Over the years, after going to countless SCBWI Children's Books Writing and Illustrating Conferences and Workshops, I have assembled this large list of books on craft. Please share with me your favorite books on craft in the comments. Check out my blog post: Paths to Publication on the different ways to get your book produced for readers.
Writing Craft
A Kick in the Head, by Paul B. Janeczko
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
Characters and Viewpoint, by Orson Scott Card
Crafting Stories for Children, Nancy Lamb
Picture Writing, Anatasia Suen
What’s Your Story: A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction, Marion Dane Bauer
Writing it Right, by Sandy Asher
Writing Picture Books, by Ann Whitford Paul
Illustration Craft
Cartoon Animation, by Preston Blair
Children’s Picturebooks–The Art of Visual Storytelling, by M. Salisbury and M. Styles
Comic and Sequential Art, by Will Eisner
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards
Drawn to Life, by Walt Stanchfield
Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative, by Will Eisner
Film Directing—Shot by Shot, by Stephen D. Katz
Illustrating Children’s Books, by Martin Salisbury
Picture Book Primer, by Denise I. Matulka
Picture This! by Molly Bang
Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Feature Shorts, by Nancy Beiman
The Art of Animal Character Design, by David Colman
What They Don’t Teach You In Art School, by Will Terry
Writing with Pictures, by Uri Shulewitz
Author and Illustrator Platform and Social Media
Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market
Create Your Writer Platform, by Chuck Sambuchino
Get Known Before the Book Deal, by Christina Katz
FAN MAIL!
Who doesn’t like getting fan mail?! Recently, Rep. Deb Haaland became the Secretary of the Interior in the Biden Administration. She will be the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary in a presidential administration. I was so excited for her, that I sent her a signed copy of my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. And today, Rep. Haaland sent me a thank you note!
Takóža (granddaughter) is an endearing, lyrical, illustrated children’s story about a young Dakota girl, Walks With the Blue Moon Girl, and her Kúŋši (grandmother). The grandmother teaches her Takóža through story while making star quilts, and planting seeds and caring for a garden.
“A Laguna Pueblo member, Haaland, 60, said she had learned about her culture from her grandmother’s cooking and participating in traditional ceremonies, and had learned about the importance of protecting the environment from her grandfather.” (Source: The Guardian)
“Our way of life, our survival is interconnected to the land, water and animals. Today we honor the woman set to be the first Native American in history to fill a presidential cabinet position, and look forward to working with her to ensure that indigenous voices are heard and our human rights respected.”
—Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the steering committee for the Gwich’in people in Alaska.