journeyaround

Two Pennies

2009-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Toss two pennies overboard as you 'round Brant Point to ensure a save return to Nantucket!

'Tis the Season

2009-07-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

What a great time I've had on my virtual (blog/dream/I wish) vacation to Nantucket! Such a pleasant escape from the 87 loads of laundry I have waiting for me compliments of children and husband out of school with not much better to do than wear things and throw them on the floor, but I digress... back to Nantucket. It's not too early to start making reservations for the annual Nantucket Stroll held the first weekend in December. What a perfect place to jump start your holiday shopping! Check out the details on the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce website. How about a copy of "Journey Around Nantucket from A to Z" for everyone on your list? The perfect way to learn more about this lovely island and remember your vacation!

Nantucket Lighthouses

2009-07-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Having fun on Nantucket?... I am... at least on my vicarious blog vacation! Don't you love Nantucket's lighthouses? Even if you live east of nowhere and have never been anywhere in your life, you've probably seen a picture of one of these beloved landmarks that have a long history of safe guarding vessels. As you don your bikini today, here's something to chuckle about... (or impress your buddies with as you play 18 holes).... During the 1850's, the viewing platform of Sankaty Head Light had to be widened to accomodate ladies' fashionable hoop skirts! Not quite as comfortable as today's fashions (except maybe those skinny jeans in which case I'd choose the hoops)!

Pedal Power

2009-07-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Nantucket! (Or so I wish). If you're just joining me, come along... I'm on a blog vacation to Nantucket this week, revisiting many of the sights and scenes I discovered while researching my book, "Journey Around Nantucket from A to Z". Are we tired of July traffic yet? Let's hop on our bikes! Because Nantucket is so small- about 14 miles long and 3 miles wide, it's the perfect place to bike... and the island has over 24 miles of paved paths! Look for the color coded signs to point you in the right direction..... Passing, on your left!

Make a Wish

2009-07-15T09:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, so technically, that's a comet in the picture, but I think we can wish on it anyway. This week, I'm wishing for a Nantucket vacation, please join me! Today I think it would be fun to take the kids to explore some of the Maria Mitchell sites. She was such an inspiration... at a time when many women didn't have many choices other than to be wives and mothers, she became an astronomer, educator, and the Atheneum's first librarian. In 1847, she discovered a comet and was awarded a gold medal by the king of Denmark! Let's have some fun exploring her house, an aquarium, and two observatories that are operated by the Maria Mitchell Association (see link above). There are many fun programs for kids offered. Also check out Nantucket's library, the Atheneum. Such a grand building derserves a grand name! I love the original children's book art from various Nantucket books in the children's room. While you're there, kids can join the summer reading program and you pick up a relaxing book for yourself!

"Thar She Blows!"

2009-07-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks for joining me on my blog vacation to Nantucket this week. I know, I know, it's summer and you want to head to the beach, but I highly recommend a visit to the Whaling Museum at some point during your visit. From the early 1700's to the mid 1800's, Nantucket prospered as the whaling capital of the world and the downtown area bustled with businesses outfitting ships for long voyages that often lasted several years. Part of the Whaling Museum was an old factory that made candles from whale oil. The museum has a great booklet for kids to follow as they tour the museum.

Hold on to your hats... With the cry, "Thar she blows!" small rowboats were sent off the whaling ships to harpoon the whale. Once hit, the whale took the crew on a wild "Nantucket sleigh ride."

Vacation Anyone?

2009-07-13T09:00:00.001-07:00

After three weeks of cleaning up after children and husband who are all out of school for the summer (and providing sherpa, chef, laundry, taxi, and referee services on the side), I've decided it's time for a vacation since I'm not getting anything done anyway. How about Nantucket? Well, if I can't actually go, at least I can pretend I'm there... can't I? Pack up your Nantucket Reds and join me this week on a blog vacation to Nantucket!

Fun Factoid... Native American Wampanoags, Nantucket's first inhabitants, gave the island its name which means "faraway land". Many island locations have maintained their native names: Monomoy- "Black Soil" and "Siasconset- "Place of Bones".

Bon voyage!

Elmo's World

2009-07-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

To some this may be known as a redwood forest, more specifically, Muir Woods (North of San Francisco), but to my husband and I, we will always think of it as "Elmo's World". To get everyone in the family on board and enthusiastic about my books, I have always included them on the research/traveling part. Looking forward to a trip and traveling makes the endless hours of mom/wife writing and painting more tolerable (the fact that this is actually my job doesn't tend to enter the equation... they view that part as the dreaded four letter word "work" which takes away from my time being a personal, unpaid servant). As we strolled the awe- inspiring, tranquil redwood forest of Muir Woods taking pictures for my book, "Journey Around San Francisco from A to Z", my husband and I were serenaded by our toddler singing as loud as she could, "BA BA- BA BA, ELMO'S WORLD!" All in a days work... On our two week research trip we came home with 1,500 photographs. Now in the digital camera age, I have learned to take notes with my camera least I become distracted by one of my young research assistants... I photograph information plaques that I want to remember or read with less distraction at a later date. Do you have "Elmo's World" stuck in your head now? I do. I may have to go watch a rerun for old time sake!

One Morning in Maine

2009-07-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite children's books stem from Maine authors... E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web", Robert McCloskey's, "One Morning in Maine" and "Burt Dow Deep Water Man", and Barbara Cooney's "Miss Rumphius". When I was thinking about what to include in my book, "Journey Around Maine from A to Z", I knew that I HAD to include a page about these and the many more authors that call Maine home. After some research and dilberation, I thought it would be fun to include an illustration of E.B. White's house so I set off to Brooklin Maine to snap some photos. I stopped at a local market and they pointed the way. They also told me that the family no longer owned the house. Hmmmm. That might be a problem, but I had to check it out anyway. When I spotted the house that fit the description, I did a quick u-turn, pulled over, thought I'd take a couple discreet photos, and then... my car fell into a ditch- two wheels in, two wheels out and me at a 45 degree angle! So much for discreet! A very friendly man soon stopped and organized a crew of about 1/2 the town to help me out. I was so grateful that I acknowledged this helpful fellow on the dedication page of my book... I hope he somehow gets my message of thanks! I was too flustered at the time to take the picture! I opted for using historic photos and my imagination to paint a picture of E.B. White's boathouse where he actually wrote, "Charlotte's Web".

To get a better view of Maine's books and authors, I highly reccommend the wonderful "Booktown" exhibit at the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor. Kids can enter the "Good Night Moon" room, climb on Wilbur's back, and hop aboard Burt Dow's boat the Tidely- Idely. My kids loved it!

Inspiration

2009-07-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

I've always found this poem by Shel Silverstein to be inspiring...

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

While researching my book, "Journey Around Cape Cod and the Islands from A to Z", I traveled to the the Camp Grounds in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard and gleefully learned that one of the adorable gingerbread cottages belonged to Shel Silverstein! Respectful of his privacy, I did not put his cottage in the book, but I WAS curious about what wonderful words were on the paper I saw by his pen on his porch table! My husband restrained me from taking a peek!

I did the painting above more than 10 years ago, and I think I've improved since then. I'd love to go back and do some more paintings of these charming cottages!

Ta Da!

2009-07-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

The books are officially out and are shipping! I have yet to see them in the stores, but the word is... they are out there! Very exciting! Have you seen them in any stores yet? Let me know... Thanks!

Tomorrow, I'll be at Where the Sidewalk Ends in Chatham, MA from 2-4, stop by and say hello!

Wishing everyone an fun and happy 4th of July weekend! My nephew is on his way up to say, "Hello, Cape Cod!". I am a very excited auntie and have two very excited cousins waiting his arrival.

Dummies

2009-06-30T18:17:00.001-07:00

As I tell children when I visit schools to talk about creating my books, "A book dummy is not someone who doesn't read books". It is a map of the book. Dummies can happen in stages from very sketchy beginnings with loose thumbnail sketches to more polished versions that you'd actually show someone else (These are often actual size and look more like coloring books.). Beginning dummies are mainly for the illustrator and the illustrator alone. Just like an author may jot down notes in the margins, this is where the illustrator works things out. No need for finished versions here. Get down your ideas, place in lines for text and see how it flows. After a few versions, you can go back and focus on individual spreads and see how things are flowing.

When you are creating a children's book, the standard page count is 32 pages. Here's a loose breakdown...

page 1: (Note... the books begins with the right hand page. It is not a spread) This is usually the title page (often nothing else)

page 2 & 3): (Your first spread) 2 is sometimes the copyright and 3 is often the title with the author's name

page 4 & 5: Sometimes the dedication is on page 4 and the book actually begins on page 5.

page 6 & 7: First spread

page 8 & 9: Second spread

page 10 & 11: Third spread

page 12 & 13: 4th spread

page 14 & 15: 5th spread

page 16 & 17: 6th spread

page 18 & 19: 7th spread

page 20 & 21: 8th spread

page 22 & 23: 9th spread

page 24 & 25: 10th spread

page 26 & 27: 11th spread

page 28 & 29: 12th spread

page 30 & 31: 13th spread

page 32: This is on the left hand side and the book ends here!

The above is a general breakdown of how it works. It is often helpful to check some children's books that you like for ideas.

Board books do not have a standard length. My publisher decided that my new "Hello!" series would have 8 spreads. The above is a very timid initial breakdown of the pages.

Start sketching and have some fun with it. It doesn't have to be perfect the first time out!

Chop Chop

2009-06-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

When it comes to submitting your hard work to a publisher, the important thing is to keep an open mind. When I first began working on my soon to be released, "Hello, Boston!" and "Hello, Cape Cod!", I had in mind a childrens book that would be about 9x9 inches. I envisioned it having the standard count (for children's books) of 32 pages. This translates to about 14 "spreads" give or take a few title/copyright/dedication pages and my writing reflected this. My publisher, however, decided it would make a great board book with 8 spreads (there isn't an industry standard page count for boardbooks). They thought it would sell better as a board book and they had recently published a couple of books in the 9x9 size about these locations. I had written @ 14 verses and now had to cut them down to 8. Chop Chop. I had also envisioned the illustrations having a white border around them. They thought they would look better "bleeding" off the page. Working together, we were able to work with this to create a finshed book that was better than anyone person could have created alone. Above is an illustration for "Hello, Boston!" that shows the white border. I loved allowing aspects of the illustration to "break the border", but in the end, the bleeds look better.... I went back to the drawing board and made it a full "spread" (a picture that continues from left to right".

P.S. Please note that all material and images in this blog are copyrighted to Martha Zschock. Thank you for respecting copyright laws.

Good to Know...

2009-06-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

When I do the illustrations for my books, I measure out the size my illustrations need to be and then I add a two inch border. It gives the folks at the printers a place to hold onto without having to touch your original artwork. I also (try) to paint @ half an inch beyond my outline to allow the designers some leeway. My sister Heather usually designs my books and she is always saying that I'm not painting over the line enough. The above was sent to my publisher from the printer and then passed on to me. It helped me to see the exact size the illustrations needed to be. Next time I will ask for this BEFORE I start painting...

Sloppy Copy

2009-06-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Teachers use the same methods to teach writing as writers use to write. We have the kids write a story, they want to be done with it after the first try, we say, "Now it's time to edit our work", they moan and groan, revise their work, and, depending on their age, reviseit again, and again. I didn't realize the torture I was inflicting on the poor children in my class until I became a writer and learned the hard way what a painful process this can be. First draft, sloppy copy, whatever we call it, we all want it to be perfect the first time we write it. Unfortunately, that isn't usually the case. Keep at it, it gets better as you work on it. Practice makes perfect! The above is one of my first drafts (or sloppy copies) of my new book, "Hello, Boston!" due out any day!

Just Write it!

2009-06-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've procrastinated long enough... I guess being an illustrator AND an author, it's about time I got around to the writing part. I've always loved creating art and was always pretty sure I was great at it despite the fact that I wasn't. I was given a lot of encouragement and so I lived in a world of creative bliss until my talent finally caught up with me (about age 30). I was not encouraged in writing in the same way. In elementary school, my writing got as far as proving the fact that I was not a good speller. I made it through writing papers in college because my future husband taught me to use the words "inherent" and "manifest" and as long as I used both of them in the same paper, I did pretty well. I'm still always skeptical when someone likes my writing! Because of my lack of self confidence in this department, I always begin writing rather timidly. For my "Journey Around" and "Hello!" books, I always start out with lists. The teacher in me asks, "What concepts will be most interesting to my audience?". The key word in that sentence is... AUDIENCE. This is crucial. Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, get well acquainted with who you are writing for. In my case, I was a third grade teacher on Cape Cod teaching a group of underprivileged children who didn't realize that cranberries practically grew in their backyard. We took the kids on lots of field trips, introducing them to the rich history and endless beauty that Cape Cod has to offer. As we were on the field trips, I noticed how the kids took home a few bits of information, making them sound like experts in the retelling. They were so proud to have this knowledge! When I began to write my first book, "Journey Around Cape Cod from A to Z", I started with my list of places and concepts to include and then wrote just enough to make kids "instant experts", giving them the intrigue and confidence to want to learn more. Now, with my new "Hello, Boston!" and "Hello, Cape Cod!" books, I do the same thing, I just do it for a younger audience... toddlers! My style varies between the two books, but ultimately, I want all of my readers to have an exciting journey.... One that will manifest itself in the inherent confidence they build along the way!

P.S. Tell your children, that they are great in whatever they love to do, it's only a matter of time until their talent catches up to them! Unlike me, my nephew Jake (above) is clearly exhibiting an innate talent at a very young age... This was his first art show!

Tricky

2009-06-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Guache paint (an opaque watercolor) which I had begun to experiment with (see yesterday's post) was trickier than I had thought. At first I added too much water which gave it the consistancy of watercolors, but with an added smear factor. After some experimenting, I found the best results for the brightness I wanted was to wet it to the consistancy of tempra paint (think kindergarten). I was able to layer it, but found that shading wasn't easy. Sometimes touch ups with colored pencil once it was dry helped. Over the course of working on the books, I learned that this medium is fragile.... don't sneeze on it, it will spot!

As I was painting the gray building in the background, I stumbled upon another difficulty.... This paint is very tricky to match if you run out of a color. I ended up using a lot of the palettes shown above and premixed colors for both "Hello, Boston!" and "Hello, Cape Cod!". For some colors that I used a lot of like the grass or sky, I stored the paint in film containers, others just on the palette. That way, if I had to go back and make any changes I wouldn't end up ruining the whole painting and it was a good way to keep the colors consitant throughout the books. The maroonish colors above were used on the red maples in both books. I have film containers labeled "duck head", "baby duck yellow", and "duck beak"! This was initially a bit time consuming, but a big sanity saver in the end!

Fast Forward

2009-06-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

This morning, I'll fast forward two months from yesterday's post. After a lovely summer playing with my daughters and illustrating a couple of scratch and sketch books for Peter Pauper Press, it was time for school to start and... for the ducks to begin their journey. After leaving them percolating over the summer, I came back to them and decided that I still wasn't satisfied. I wanted more of a waddle in the baby ducks step and I wanted him even brighter so I began to experiment. I made him chubbier, perked up his tail, and switched from using watercolors to guache on heavy weight bristol board. Finally, I had the look I was aiming for! As with wine, some things just get better if you leave them alone and wait awhile. (I keep trying to apply this theory to the MESS in my house, but, alas, it doesn't seem to be working AND it appears that the clean-up fairy is on vacation... again!)

Good!

2009-06-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

We're gearing up for the last couple of days of school, so my popular "Super Saturday" guest blogger has been a little tied up in the excitement of it all... stay tuned, she will return!

In the meantime, my ducks were progressing to my reasonable satisfaction so I began to work on some scenery. I liked it! So did my publisher! Great! This is where my new board book, "Hello, Boston!" (shipping any day now) left off about a year ago. The ducks were left skipping up Beacon Hill during the summer while waiting for a contract. During the wait, I worked on some "Scratch and Sketch" books for Peter Pauper Press... "Butterflies and Friends" and "Circus". Check them out, your kids will love them and you will love the peace and quiet they provide on long car trips... dazzling, colorful, creative fun!

Persistence Pays!

2009-06-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! My two new board books will be shipping (hopefully) by the end of next week in time for the 4th of July weekend- which is especially good news because I have my first signings for the books at Where the Sidewalk Ends in Chatham, MA (Cape Cod) on July 4th from 1-3. Hope you can make it!

In the meantime, I will continue to chronicle the development of these books (scroll down a bit if you'd like to start at the beginning)....

Now that I was reasonably encouraged by the direction the baby duck was taking, I began to work on his older buddy, a duck I was already well acquainted with from my "Journey Around Boston from A to Z" book. You can see, however, from the scruffily beginning above that my first try (as usual) was not as successful as I wanted. I was trying to brighten him up, make him more in style with the baby duck. From my first try, it looks like I tried to accomplish this by sending him through the washing machine! I was almost embarrassed to post that one! After a few tries though, I began to get the hang of it and then worked on how the two of them would look together. With a skip in their step, I was pleased that I was moving in the right direction. Persistence pays! Keep at it!

A Block Party! The sound of those words make me smile! Too rainy though, check out this Blog Party instead!

Getting Better...

2009-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Despite how much I wanted that angry duck (see yesterday's post) to be cheerful, energetic, and curious, he wasn't going to be unless I did something about it. After much deliberation about WHAT was making this duck so angry, I tweaked (and tickled) him a bit (although sometimes bad moods take a few hours to turn around) and ended up with the above. Still not perfect, but definitely going in the right direction!

Waddling on...

2009-06-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

So it was back to the drawing board (see yesterday's post), but all was not lost. I had learned a few things: The duck I was aiming for would be curious, energetic, and cheerful. The one I had done was... sweet and likable. I started sketching. I opened his bill and kept trying to make him brighter. Sometimes it's difficult to translate your idea all the way from your brain, down your arm, to your hand, and then finally on to the paper. The open mouth helped, and I went brighter by switching to a heavy weight bristol vellum, and adding colored pencil after I used the watercolors. The above (including lots of sketching that isn't shown) took MANY more hours than anyone would think humanly possible. HOW could this be taking so long?!?!?!? I was supposed to have several COMPLETED illustrations by now and all I had to show was this lame duck! ERGH!

My husband came home and I showed him the more completed sketch above. "He looks angry", he said. "But that alone took three hours!", I cried. "He still looks angry", my husband replied.

... Don't you hate it when they're right?

Setting the Stage

2009-06-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Although I've titled this post, "Setting the Stage", it might be more appropriately called, "Beating a Dead Horse" (or should I say, "Duck"). In beginning to work on my new book, "Hello, Boston!", I knew that I wanted a little energetic, cheerful, and curious duck as one of the main characters and I was trying to convince myself that this one was working. I figured that if I brightened him up (see comparison a couple of posts down) it would do the trick. I then added some scenery to help me get an idea what the whole thing would look like. The unfortunate part was that I wasn't making much progress, because I was trying to ignore the fact that the duck wasn't working to begin with. I needed to go back to the drawing board and get to know my character first. Whether you are writing or illustrating, it's crucial to get to know your characters. This duck and I were just beginning to get acquainted...

Super Saturday

2009-06-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings Journey Fans! As a former elementary school teacher (mostly 3rd grade), I begin each "Journey Around" book as if I were taking a group of kids on a field trip to the area. What will they find most interesting? What will be most fun and memorable? What do I want them to learn along the way? I make a list and then I take my children and nephew on a journey! (In the picture above, they are checking out the Herring Run in Brewster with their dad, uncle, and grandmother). If the place was fun, memorable, and exciting, it stayed on the list, if not, we crossed it off and sometimes we made new serendipitous discoveries along the way that we added. Because it's so important for writers and illustrators to know their audience, I'm introducing a guest blogger today- My daughter Bevin who is 9 1/2 who will give you an insiders peak at a third graders world...

Wow! This week has gone by so fast with so many fun and interesting projects in between. Two huge projects were planning for a Colonial puppet show and Simple Machine models. First, everyone in the class chose a Colonial trade. Then we researched the topic and wrote facts about the trade on a white lined paper. Our very nice teacher typed up the scripts and gave them to us to memorize. My puppet is a wig maker. My little sister Avery likes to be included so I'm helping her make one at home. She is making a Colonial jailer. Next week we even get to preform in front of other classes and parents!

Now we move onto simple machines. What we do for that is write a short piece and build a model of our machine. The machine has to solve a problem and it has to include at least one simple machine. Also, it has to be built of recycled things. I made a "Roof deCatter" to get my cat off the roof. I used pulleys, an inclined plane, screws, and wedges. The simple machines that I saw were very interesting.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read. I'm going to tell you my favorite books. One is "12 Again" by Sue Corbett about a mother who turns 12 again and her son has to find out how to turn her back to 40. I also loved "Toilvers Secret" by Esther W. Brady , about a girl named Ellen who dressed up as a boy and sent a secret message to General Washington. My favorite series is the Nancy Drew books about 3 girls who solve mysteries and never give up! I have thousands of more favorite books!

For your father make something or buy something. One idea is a friendship bracelet in his favorite colors or summer colors. Maybe even breakfast in bed or lunch somewhere special. You could always give him a hand-made card. He might like a plant brightly colored with petals and leaves. Gift-cards are always nice. There are more ideas out there, you should check them out at Family Fun! Well bye for now see you next time on "Super Saturday"!

Down to Business

2009-06-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

Above are the results of a full morning sketching for my new book- now known as "Hello, Boston!" (Scroll down a few posts to see the end result- notice the difference?) After illustrating lots of adult male mallards in my book, "Journey Around Boston from A to Z", I thought I'd begin by getting the feel of a duckling and developing his character. I looked up pictures of baby mallards at the library and on the internet and got down to business. I first draw on vellum (more forgiving with mistakes and changes- you can also use tracing paper, but it's more flimsy). When I was reasonably satisfied, I took out the watercolors which I've used for all of my "Journey Around" books. I transfered my drawing onto Arches 300 weight hot pressed paper using graphite paper and started painting. Cute, but... more suitable for an Easter greeting card don't you think? Not cheerful and energetic enough and, most importantly, not enough character.

At the time, my daughter was reading her gazillionth "Bailey School Kids" book (a real cute series by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones) and I happened to look up the illustrator John Steven Gurney and was inspired to see how he develops his characters. Aha! I wanted the duckling to be energetic, cheerful, and curious and two little people in my life (my nephew Jake (above) and my daughter's friend Connor) had what I was looking for. The next challenge was HOW to capture those qualities in a duck! Stay tuned!

99% Perspiration

2009-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Now it was time to sweat. Jake arrived happy, healthy, and huge and his quilt was almost done. Now it was time to get back to business. I needed a new project and one that might have the chance of earning money somewhere down the road would be helpful. So, I sent the girls off to school, had breakfast, and sat down to mope. That's when the idea of the "Journey" board books floated back in the window. Perfect! I had a vision. In keeping with my sister's original idea, I wanted these new books to be playful, energetic, and colorful. I started to jot down ideas. Nixing the alphabet concept (too heavy for a board book), I went for cheerful rhyming text. I was energized! I had lunch. This was going to be a breeze! I sat down to sketch, the bus arrived. Excellent! The next day I'd just start drawing, perhaps have a couple of finished illustrations by the end of the week, put a packet together over the weekend and send it off on Monday! I had goals... I had vision! (The only problem was I had amnesia concerning the other 98%)!

Procrastination, Projects, and Preoccupation!

2009-06-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, now I'll fast forward five years from yesterday's post to last spring. My "Journey Around" series had continued successfully with the additions of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Maine, but after I finished "Journey Around Nantucket from A to Z" last spring (the 9th in the series), I was up for a new and challenging project. (I crave projects and don't function well when I don't have one). So, I sent the girls off to school and moped (as in sulked, not mop in case there would be any confusion!) around the house, and then I became inspired! I would make a quilt for my soon to be nephew Jake! I love crazy quilts and I love to embroider, so I got a bag of my dad's old flannel shirts from my mom and set to work. My dad died several years ago and had watched my oldest daughter's baby quilt being made so I felt that this would be a great way to include my dad in the birth of his first grandson and a way for him to hug him even if his arms couldn't. This was a wonderful, almost sinful, and perfect distraction from the fact that this new project I craved would also have to make some money! But, in order to justify such distractions and procrastinations, I will say that these new challenges I set for myself do in the end bring me to a point where my "paid" work is stronger! I'm all for such preoccupations! In fact, I'm a master, look at the detail!

In the meantime, the seal DID wear the costume ( a major accomplishment) and the beach lady suddenly transformed herself back into a Wampanoag at 6:45 am (I am hoping the costume won't fall apart) and were all set for Theme Day Parade!

1% Inspiration

2009-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

As Thomas Edison once said, "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration".

For my new "Hello!" series of board books published by Commonwealth Editions, the inspiration came about 6 years ago from my twin sister Heather (who has done the design work for all of my books- see her web-site and/or blog. She is very talented AND you'll also catch sneak peaks of my adorable little nephew Jake). For fun, Heather mocked up some "Journey Jr.s"- board books using some of my artwork from the "journey Around" series. They had a die-cut bump on top to accommodate the bird's head and included an eager young bird with a backpack all set for a journey. During a lovely brunch at an outdoor restaurant overlooking Cape Cod Bay, we brainstormed ideas. And then... we got a mediocre response from my publisher who felt that among other things the die-cut was too expensive to produce... Life got in the way, and that's where the idea sat... For five years!

I'll fast forward tomorrow. In the meantime, the seal costume is complete (we'll see if she actually wears it) and the Wampanoag has now decided to be a lady ready for a day at the beach and the Simple Machine project is coming along fairly simply.

Spring Resolution!

2009-06-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, late spring resolution- I will update this blog (more than annually, I hope)! The fact that my computer makes a strange whirring noise when I over tax it doesn't help my blogophobia, but I will just have to turn up the radio and journey on!

Since this time last year, I have been busy reinventing the wheel, creating a new series of "Journey"-like books for younger readers. In a few weeks, "Hello, Boston!" and "Hello, Cape Cod!" will be out in stores. They are board books geared towards younger journey fans and hopefully the start of a new series. They are bright, cheerful, lots of fun and feature the old friends from my "Journey Around" books (Boston, a mallard duck and Cape Cod, a seagull) and a little bird who have a fun day exploring!

This past winter I taught a children's book illustration course at the Cape Cod Museum of Art and my students were all very interested in the process of how a book comes to be as they were all working on their own individual projects and ideas. In the next few weeks before the new "Hello!" books ship, I will (try) to post the process that I undertook to create this new series.

In the meantime, I will try to design a Wampanoag and a seal costume for my daughters (9) and (6) to wear for their end of the year Theme (this year Cape Cod) Day Parade and help to construct a "Roof de Catter" (Simple Machine Project- oldest daughter) which I'm actually hoping she'll market because we are having quite a problem with our cat ripping the upstairs screens when she wants to get in. The other night, I thought she was out, only to find that she was in after having plunged through the skylight screen on top of a sleeping child!

Factoid with wings

2008-07-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

I'm busy working away on another new Scratch and Sketch book for my friends at Peter Pauper Press. The topic is Butterflies and Friends, and I came across this interesting fact...dragonfles can fly up to 30 miles and hour! Yikes! If you see one near lakes or streams or rivers this summer, take a close look at their delicate wings. So pretty!

Thanks to all who came out for last night's signing at the new Borders in Wareham, MA. It's a great store, and a terrific place to beat the heatwave!

Three Waves...

2008-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

They say that waves come in a series of three. When entering the surf, count three big waves, then wait for the calm...that's the best time to enter the surf! If a wave looks like it's going to get you, dive under it. You're less likely to be tumbled! Make sure a grown up is with you!

P.S. That's my little nephew, Jake...he's the cutest thing I've seen this summer! We introduced him to his first wave over the holiday weekend!

Did You Know?

2008-06-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I go, I learn interesting facts which I often refer to as "factoids"... even though I'm not actually sure that's a word. Recently, I learned this interesting tidbit from second grade teacher Mrs. Carlson:

If you look at a fiddler crab's hole, you will notice little balls of sand next to it. Line the balls of sand up in a straight line, and that will show you how deep the crab's hole is.

Try it!

Journey of the Jetsam

2008-06-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

We've all heard some version of the story of a message in a bottle that fell into the ocean off the shores of Timbuktu and journeyed a tremendous distance...only to be discovered on the island of Somewhere Else. Although these stories are the stuff of fairytales, in real life, the journey of trash in our oceans is more of a horror story.

In her book, Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion, author Loree Griffin Burns details the research of oceanographer Curt Ebbesmeyer who studies ocean currents by tracking cargo ship container spills with the help of beachcombers. Scientists use their valuable data to help protect and preserve fragile marine habitats and the creatures that live there. Griffin's book is insightful, fun to read, and inspiring especially for young readers interested in science. If I was still teaching, I would use her book as a springboard for discussing many topics including map skills, ocean currents, marine habitats, the effects of pollution, and how students can help save the environment.

I recently had the pleasure of attending one of Griffin's school visits and was very impressed by how she managed to present her information to children of all ages. The children were interested, attentive, and her talk generated many interesting questions. The children (and I), were left truly inspired! What's the buzz on Griffin's latest project?...Bees!

Enjoy your journeys to the beach this summer...just remember to take your trash with you when you leave!

Any Day Now!

2008-06-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

My latest book, Journey Around Nantucket will be out in the next couple weeks! I can't wait to see the book when it arrives. It's always such a thrill to see the final product!

The book features many favorite locations on Nantucket with surprise factoids for locals and visitors. My family and I had so much fun visiting the island while doing research for this book. Stay tuned for book signings later this summer on Nantucket and the Cape. I'd love to meet you and hear about your experiences on this lovely island!

Scratch and Sketch

2008-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Though most know me for my Journey Around series, I have also written and illustrated several Scratch and Sketch books for Peter Pauper Press where my twin sister Heather is the Creative Director. These great books are so much fun for kids. The activity series combines text and illustrations which encourages children to create their own images on a number of topics as they scratch and sketch the coated black surfaces to reveal colored patterns and metallic foils beneath. Many of my friends like to take these along while they travel because they keep kids happy and engaged for a very long time...they're magic!

Book Now for School Visits this Fall!

2008-05-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Each year, I commit to several school visits, primarily in the Cape Cod and Boston areas. I present my books to students and teachers and describe the journey I've been on to make my dream of publishing children's books a reality. The talks encourage students to take a closer look at their own environments and discover a little more about their unique areas.

My fall schedule is filling up quickly, but I do still have some availability. If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible at: journeyaround@comcast.net

Did You Know?

2008-05-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

To discourage buggy racing, a popular sport of the late 1800's, the road in Central Park was deliberately designed with many twists and turns!

How the Journey Began...

2008-03-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

In 1998, I was teaching third grade in Hyannis East Elementary School on Cape Cod. I was taking my class on field trips around the Cape, and was looking for books which would enhance their experience. Not finding much, I began collecting material about the area, and taking
photographs of the Cape. Inspired by a children’s book illustration class I was taking at RISD, I decided to follow her life-long dream...to create a children’s book.

My sister Heather, an art director www.hzdesignstudio.com took some of my paintings and notes, and designed a format for the book which would be interesting and appealing to children of all ages. Because the book uses the alphabet, the littlest children like to point out the letters, and to find the birds which I paint into the images. Older children and adults delight in recognizing the places they’ve visited and learning the “instant expert” facts which are included on every page.

Once we had a good mock-up of the book, we started looking for publishers. A local Cape Cod publisher agreed to take a risk with this unknown author and illustrator on a regional book, and Journey Around Cape Cod and the Islands from A to Z was born. His risk paid off...people loved the book. It came to the attention of our current publisher, Commonwealth Editions in Beverly MA. They requested that I create Journey Around Boston from A to Z. I did, and it became an instant hit, making the bestseller list on The Boston Globe many times. To date, there are over 100,000 copies sold!

After having my first child, and illness within our family, I worked with Heather more extensively to research and write the books Journey Around New York from A to Z and The Cape Cod Cookbook, and the series grew!

For each book, the journey begins with an outline of all the places, themes, locations and ideas I would like to include in the book. Once the alliterative sentences which form the framework for the book are created, the sites are visited, photographed, and I can begin creating the illustrations. Once I finish the paintings, Heather designs the books and prepares them to send to the publisher.

Now, with 8 titles in the series, the journey has continued to include San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, and Philadelphia. And now, Journey Around Nantucket is on the way this summer!

Children, parents and teachers often ask me about how I create the series. I frequently visit schools and conferences to present our journey. I encourage children to take journeys of their own, and follow their dreams. I hope you will too!