Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Sasha Olsen to my blog. She is a 10-year-old environmental activist, ballroom dancer, bookworm, and pianist, and she enjoys anything artistic. According to her author bio, she always finds new hobbies and things to do, which usually ends up in her trying to juggle everything. She lives with her family in Bal Harbour, Florida, where she also spearheads the conservation movement “I Want My Ocean Back.” Legends From Mom’s Closet is her first book, and I'm pleased to feature it today. And she's written a cool guest post about using our imaginations, instead of staring at our screens... which is kind of what you're doing as you read this. Use Your Imagination Instead of Your Screen By Sasha Olsen   My name is Sasha Olsen. I’ve lived on the beach in South Florida since I was a baby. I have many hobbies; some are ballroom dancing and playing piano! This past summer, I also started working on my first book Legends from Mom’s Closet . B...

One day it was sunny, the dahlias were blooming, buds on everything else, and tomatoes slowly ripening. It was like spring and summer combined. And then came fall. Now the sky's gray, the blooms are waterlogged, and squirrels have squirreled all the tomatoes away (unless it was that rabbit, or the raccoon - wildlife is blooming!). I swept the murk and dead leaves from the path, trimmed the grayed decay from plants, and looked up, waiting for rain. Then I came back inside to warm yellow lamplight and a view of the last few flowers through the window. Warm and dry (and free from marauding spiders) is definitely nice. One thing I don't seem to have done in ages (in almost a month) is post book reviews, so I flipped through my "not yet posted" list and found these for brightly colored childrens books, and that made me think, yeah, bright colors for gray bedtimes. (Actually, one just has a brightly colored cover, but the story's bright and colorful, which works just ...

My mother is 90. In early December she crossed the Atlantic to visit us, and stayed till last week. December and January were a wonderful time of reconnecting, with Mum and with friends; of hanging out with family who came to see her; of shopping as mothers and daughters do when there aren't thousands of miles between them; of cooking and remembering she doesn't like spices, cooked tomatoes, garlic, fruit... of eating elk burger as a treat with her grandsons because we don't have elk burgers in England... But now she's gone home. The blue chair is empty. The bedroom carries only a lingering memory of her scent. Only one set of towels in the bathroom. No competition for the shower... And now I get back to real life, overdue book reviews, editing, maybe even writing if I'm lucky. Mum wants me to be lucky. She wants to see me succeed as an author, so I try to tell myself we still have plenty of time... plenty of time... and I try not to remember that slightly haunt...

It's been a really long week. Now, not only am I losing one publisher to illness, but I may well lose another to market forces. I feel somewhat "Earnest" with lines like "to lose one [publisher] might be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness" echoing in my brain. But am I really careless or just careworn? Either way, reading children's picture books is a great prescription. Even without kids to share them with, picture books still lift the spirits, inspire a smile, and remind me there are more important things in life than being a published author. Being a reader for example -- what could be better? So let's use books and teach our kids to read. Then maybe they'll read my books as well. Let's also drink coffee of course. Please find an appropriate brew and choose your story: First is Cedric the Shark gets Toothache by Kay Carter , a smoothly rhyming tale with clear cartoon pictures of a shark who eats too much candy...

Some picture books are for adults, some are for children, and some are for both to share. Some picture books are serious, some are just fun, and some tell a story with a message, making them both. Some picture books are black and white; others are vividly bright. Some take their pictures from photographs; others try to seem real; and still others make no pretense, adding cartoon imagination to every scene. I kind of suspect picture books should be faster to read, but it's not always true, since thinking takes time (as does laughing or crying). But pictures and picture books can certainly have purpose. I think mine do ( http://sheiladeeth.weebly.com/bible-picture-books.html ), and I think some of these do too. Where did my friend go by Azmaira H Maker PhD is a bright colored picture book with photographs nicely edited to evoke the story's mood. The text is deceptively simple with just a few sentences per page. And it's a powerful conversation starter for any child afraid ...

Today I'm delighted to welcome Edward Dron, author of the lovely pillow-time picture-book, Pillow Parade . He's offered to let us know why he wrote this sweet tale of sheep and a rabbit--and a child who can't get to sleep. Thank you for joining us Edward... The Story behind The Pillow Parade As a parent, you always want to pass on the things you’ve learned about life to your children. A big part of our role, as parents, is to help our kids navigate this tricky world. One thing I’ve noticed is how important it is to not give up - to persevere. There are a number of independent studies that back this up. Researchers have found that the number one predictor of success is grit. Basically, it’s the ability to get up after you’ve been knocked down. You often hear stories of how successful authors, entrepreneurs, musicians, and actors faced an enormous amount of rejection, resistance, and frustration. They didn’t give up.  They persevered.  As Bill Bradley once said...

I've done it! I've just pushed the "approve proof" button on Amazon and released the latest book from the Writers' Mill, a local writers group that I belong to. It's a children's book, with stories about a small boy called Carl and his rather superior older sister June. We wanted pictures for the book, so I and several other members of the group tried to come up with some. Of course, words are our creative medium of choice, but, though I say it myself, the result looks pretty good. You can find it at  https://www.createspace.com/7691295 , and maybe soon on Amazon! All of which got me wondering about authors and illustrators of children's picture books. Of course, Carl and June is not a picture book. But looking at our various illustrating styles, and the various styles of books I was reading recently, I pondered which comes first - the words or the pictures; and who comes first - the author or the illustrator. For example, Harry The Happy Mouse b...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Judith Wolf Mandell to my blog. She's had a long career as a journalist/publicist, and the childrens book,   Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It   represents her first venture into picture books. With her husband and Cockapoo,  Judith Wolf Mandell moved from San Diego eleven years ago to be near family in Nashville--read the book and you'll see how important family is to her. They live in an absurd-for-their-age three-level house in the woods and have a critter control service on speed-dial. This is  Judith Wolf Mandell's first book and I, for one, really enjoyed. Click here for my review of Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It So, find some coffee and maybe a gluten free brownie (yes, I've been baking!) then sit down and learn enjoy the tale of Judith's road to publication. Thank you for joining us, Judith. And over to you: NINE YEARS TO CREATE A B...

I love picture books, and I used to dream of filling the bookshelves with ones written and drawn by myself. As time went on, I learned how much time it takes to paint, so I narrowed my goals down to words. Then time went on. When I had kids, I filled the bookshelves (bottom shelves so they could reach) with picture books written and drawn by somebody else. My head was still filled with stories, but my time belonged to the boys. One night my son rejected all the books I wanted to read. "Okay, I'll tell you a story," says I. But, "No," says he. "It's not a real story if it's not in a book." I bought a notebook and filled it with pictures and stories about a boy and his cat. Then they had "book week" at school. My son took the notebook to show his teacher, it went on a display stand, and it disappeared. The pictures and the stories are still in my head. And the pictures really did tell half the story. But the kids are grown and now m...

I'm still living in chaos, typing at a desk that echoes every keystroke, louder and louder and LOUDER  throughout the day; piling books on a bed that's so loaded with spare blankets everything slides to the floor; carefully positioning my feet between the air-vent and the multi-plug, with boxes oneither side; and leaning over a wire rack every afternoon to half-close the blinds against the sun--yes, it really does shine--it shines straight into my eyes. Meanwhile I'm trying to organize times and schedules so our basement--my office, spare bedrooms, and our family room--will get put back together in reasonable order. Plumber comes before handyman comes before painter comes before electrician comes before painter comes before... aghghgh! Meanwhile I hide in alternate universes and read. Recently, those alternate universe have been the brightly illustrated worlds of childhood. The lessons of children's books seem oddly appropriate to me--perhaps I'm throwing childish...

Can books be delayed by snow? Can book reviews? Snow wasn't the only delay of course - there was an internet provider who unexpectedly closed our account for us, another one that found their cable had been cut, snow that meant no one could dig to lay a new cable, Christmas that meant no one could be assigned to laying a new cable, more snow, new cable, new internet, then power outages so the new internet went out, then... Somewhere in there I meant to post this, but it landed in drafts. Enjoy. Someone expressed surprise recently on learning that I like to draw as well as to write. In high school I insisted on studying art at the same as all my "academic" subjects. I couldn't imagine not having at least some time in the week scheduled for enjoying myself (and I'd given up English by then--life was all math and physics--all fun enough, but never done just for me). I sketched with multiple pencils of different thickness and types of lead. I painted in water-color...

We had cloth books when we were babies, card books as we grew older, and "real paper" books when we finally learned to read. Actually, my brothers graduated to real paper books pretty early. I was a slow learner and just told and retold stories until the headmistress threatened me with a microphone. Then I learned to read, and have scarcely stopped to draw breath since. But what about our kids? My sons had plastic books when they were babies, card books as they grew older, and real paper books when they finally learned to read. If I remember rightly, one of them went straight from card to Harry Potter. Perhaps that was his incentive, just like the microphone was mine. But about grandkids (not that I have any)? A new generation will grow up with computers - computer babysitters with bright noises, computer stories with baby-talk and toys, then, maybe, their own personal ereader when they learn to read? Perhaps? One of the picture books I read this week feels like a very ...

I've been reading some children's stories recently. They make such a pleasant break when the days are filled with raking leaves, panicking over delays, worrying over parental health, then failing to get things done... except for those brief snatched moment of reading children's stories as I walk from room to room. Suddenly the world is simpler again and the sun breaks through. So, why do you read children's stories? You do, don't you? If you don't and would like to try, I can recommend the following... Grab and coffee and see what grabs your attention. Perfect for October is Elphie Goes Trick Or Treating by Hagit R Oron and Or Oron . Starring the delightful young elephant, Elphie, in a perfectly human environment, Trick or Treating explores a youngster's natural fear of the unknown, adds a parent's kind wisdom and a child's innate good nature, and leads to a perfectly happy ending. It's a lovely simple tale, simply told, gorgeously illustrate...

I like 14. When I was small, I wanted to be fourteen. Not ten or eleven - those weren't quite the teens. Not thirteen for all that it was my favorite number; it was still too young. But fourteen seemed just right. I wrote stories with fourteen-year-old protagonists saving the world. My fourteen-year-old alter-ego met with heroes real and fictional and discovered her unknown super-powers, like never getting tired, or breathing underwater, or imagining the world's greatest inventions. My fourteen-year-old protagonist had a team of followers, or flyers, or worked alone, lived with her family or hid in a magical cabin in the mountains, wore black (always black) and nobody told her not to, and had a dog or cat or both. I loved 14. Then I was 14. Then I was 15. Then 16. But fourteen was still my ideal age, and the age of all my protagonists. Maybe that's why my Hemlock stories have languished since Siobhan grew too old - or maybe I just ran out of time. Don't worry, my ma...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Anne Zoet to my blog, and to offer my review of her picture picture book, Purrball meets Burrball in Brazil. If the title itself isn't enough to intrigue you, well ... read on and find out more. Review of Purrball Meets Burrball When Darryl’s family move to Brazil, it’s obvious that Darryl’s cat, Purrball, will come too, and so will readers, enjoying this book. Wise parents have Mom’s phone and charger on hand for the journey, so Darryl can play games. They provide welcome cat treats to keep Purrball content. But neither Purrball nor Darryl can keep smiling when the world rocks and sways. An earthquake is not what anyone expected, and the startled cat runs away. Thus begins Anne Zoet’s Purrball Meets Burrball in Brazil. Bright, lively illustrations invite small readers and listeners to guess what happens next because…well, because poor Purrball has Mom’s phone and charger tangled around his leg. Burrball the Sloth (very pleasingly ...

I've been given an interesting mix of children's stories for review recently, each with their own little nuggets of messages, each beautifully illustrated, and each enjoyable in a different way. Which led me to wonder, if I still had small children (or maybe if I ever have grandchildren) what sort of books would I prefer to share with them. So, find a coffee, and join me in my search: Indian Boyhood by Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) would come high on my list. It's beautifully illustrated with images that add to the story, inviting readers (small or otherwise) to look deeper. The simple text is bracketed with informative start and end sections that help me "read" the pictures and know the author. The message is nicely lowkey. The history is fascinating and relevant. And the language is simple and clear. Enjoy this beautifully balanced story with some equally well-balanced, smooth, full-flavored three-star coffee. Also high on my list is Playmates for Puppies by Ro...

Start at the beginning, work through the middle, and finish up at the end - that's the way to do it, isn't it? Whatever "it" may be. But do stories really have to start at the beginning? I've heard a lot of writing coaches suggest we start with the middle - find out where the story's going then we'll know where it began; but of course, for the reader the story still starts at that newly and beautifully rediscovered beginning. There are others who insist the published tale should start in the middle of the action, revealing the past when things calm down, then heading for the future - got to grab those readers, right from the start you see. Then there are books that start at the end, or nearly the end, jumping to "six months earlier" or three hours or three days. TV shows do it to. They drive my sons crazy. And then there are series, beautifully developed, convincing and cool. The reader loves the characters or the world, and just wants a...

I've read and reviewed quite a lot of picture books recently. Long years ago - I'm not counting how many - I read them just for pleasure, not for review. And sometime in between I read those pictures for sons as well. Lots of pictures. Lots of books. I remember "reading" picture books with no words. Sons would help me tell the story - well, except for oldest son who determined it wasn't a story if it didn't have printed sets of letters in it. The books were hard work though. The boys would imagine all sorts of events that weren't quite intended on the page, then we'd turn to the next, miss the point, and start over again (or throw the book across the room - they were boys, of course). Then there were books where the pictures didn't quite fit the tale. "Mom, it said he played with elephants and giraffes, so why are there no elephants in the picture?" Perhaps they'd gone to the bathroom? "Mom, that's not right." Some...

I love to write. I love to draw. And I love to tell simple stories to little kids. But is it possible to combine all these? Can an author illustrate her own books, or is that like a musician trying to record voice and music both at once instead of on separate tracks? Perhaps we have to separate our words from the pictures, so someone else can interpret and invite the reader to a wider world. And yet... there do seem to be a lot of us out there who love to both write and draw. As for myself, I've released a few children's books with my own pictures, but I rather suspect the ones where my publisher finds the images for me look much more professional. Still, here's a sample from A Bible Book of Colors to whet your appetite, followed by some reviews and coffee suggestions from some children's books not illustrated by their authors (i.e. real professional children's books!) Finished reading my pictures? In that case, find your favorite coffee mug, fill it with your ...