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| I'm super excited to share that my "Let Her Sleep" canvas wall art is now available at Walmart! Shop now! |
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Super Star Children's Book Review: The Hate U Give
Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus
on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Cara Chow, Denise Holmes, Joan Charles, Sharon Calle—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the
LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities
and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations
and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully
board view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both
familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in
books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the
power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone.
Look for a new review on the second
Wednesday of every month.
The HATE U GIVE
By Angie Thomas
YA fiction (ages
14-17) • 444 pages
Published by HarperCollins/Balzer
+ Bray • 2017
ISBN 978-0-06-249853-3
Angie Thomas awakens her audience to see thru the eyes and
feel thru the heart of 16-year old Starr Carter as she witnesses the murder of
her friend, Kahlil, an unarmed, African American teenage, at the hands of a
white police officer.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Starr struggles to make
sense of the disparities in her own identity both as a citizen of a poor, crime-riddled,
African American neighborhood and as a student of a wealthy, predominately
white, private school. Starr’s journey from sadness to anger and fear to
bravery is anything, but black and white. Her story serves as a powerful
touchstone for cultivating compassion and sparking conversations about racism,
the militarization of the police and the lingering effects of slavery in
America today. Just as Starr is a light in the darkness for her family, friends
and community, so can she be for the audience as well. Her story makes a
powerful argument in favor of questioning the status quo and using one’s voice
to create positive change.
In the tradition of The
Outsiders and The Catcher in the Rye,
The Hate U Give is, without a doubt,
destined to become a modern classic. It is so timely, so of the moment, that it
is a must read now and for generations to come.
Buy this book:
Reviewed by: Jane Smith
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Rave Reviews for Chloe Zoe
Rave reviews are in for my NEW picture book, "It's Halloween, Chloe Zoe!" I'm SO excited to share that Publisher's Weekly says:
"In this sixth book in Smith’s holiday-themed Chloe Zoe series, the returning heroine, a yellow elephant, is excited about Halloween but uncertain about trick-or-treating at the “old, creepy house on the corner"...Smith’s collages are far more festive than frightening...Chloe Zoe’s candid and enthusiastic narration makes this a good choice for Halloween newbies."
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Sunday, June 18, 2017
Super Jane's Cool Treats
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| © Jane Smith • Stay Cool |
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| © Jane Smith • Don't Sweat It |
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| © Jane Smith • Chill Out |
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Super Star Children's Book Review: The Case For Loving
Bird Meets Worm is excited
to announce the debut of our NEW
monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books!
We are defining diverse
books as representing all diverse experiences and backgrounds. That means we
will be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people
of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities,
people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics,
unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is
to say we take a rightfully board view of diversity!! We aim to shine a light
on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see
themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand
their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm
we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for
you and me and everyone.
And the best part? It will
always appear on the second Wednesday of the month, every month! And I’m thrilled to share that I will am teaming
up with a group of super talented voices from the kidlit community for this
venture. I’m pleased to announce that the Bird Meets Worm book review team will
include:
Cara Chow is the author of Bitter Melon, a Chinese-American, coming of age, love-hate,
mother-daughter story, which made the 2011 YALSA Best Fiction list. She is
currently working on a picture book, which tells the story of how her 7-year
old son, who is on the autism spectrum, overcame crippling anxiety with the
help of his family and team to play hockey on a track 1 travel team. Cara also
helps organize and run the annual book fair at her son’s school.
Denise Holmes is the illustrator of If
I Wrote A Book About You (Simply Read Books) 2012
and Phoebe Sounds It Out (OwlKids
Books) 2017 as well as 5 other picture books and activity books. She has been
illustrating professionally for the past 10 years and is represented by Nicole
Tugeau of T2 Illustrators. Clients include Simply Read Books, Roost Books,
Albert Whitman & Co., and OwlKids Books. She lives in Chicago, IL with her
husband and daughter.
Jane Smith is an illustrator
and designer, who creates artwork for a wide variety of publishing and art
licensing clients. She is the author/illustrator of the Chloe Zoe picture book series, published by Albert Whitman &
Co. and is represented by Nicole Tugeau of T2 Children’s Illustrators. Her
background includes art directing and designing novelty children’s books as an
Art Director at Intervisual Books. Jane lives with her husband and daughter in
Wilmington, NC.
Joan
Charles is an artist, illustrator, and life-long reader. In addition to illustrating the award-winning Lexicon novels for middle grade
readers, Joan has created art for children's books and magazines, galleries,
exhibitions, and for private collectors. She believes that the power in our stories can change the
world.
Sharon
Calle is an artist and K-12 certified art educator. She has taught in public
schools for nearly a decade and now teaches art through her small business,
ARTSi Studio. Sharon loves sharing picture books with young artists to inspire
creative projects. She’s always
looking for books that reflect the rich cultural backgrounds of her students. She
lives in woodsy Randolph, NJ with her chef husband and a growing collection of
picture books.
So are you excited yet?! Here
we go—
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial
Marriage
By Selina Alko • Illustrated By Sean Qualls & Selina
Alko
Non-fiction picture book (ages 4-8) • 32 pages
Published by Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books • 2015
ISBN 978-0-545-47853-3
This biographical story begins as many stories do: “First
comes love. Then comes marriage.” But for Richard and Mildred Loving, what came
next was not so simple.
Husband and wife team, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, blend
their artistic voices to tell the history of the Loving’s marriage that lead to
the landmark Supreme court case that made interracial marriage legal in 1967.
Their illustrations are light, flowing and whimsical, incorporating classic
iconography of “love,” like hearts, stars, birds and flowers, at every turn. In
this way, the love of Richard and Mildred is truly visual and serves as a
tangible thread as Alko gently, but firmly leads us first across states lines
for the Loving’s legal marriage, back to their home state of Virgina, where
their marriage was not recognized by the state, to their shocking arrest for
“unlawful cohabitation,” and to their necessary move across state lines to
preserve their marriage and their freedom. The injustice is plain to see and children
will feel it in their guts. And they will celebrate, too, as the Supreme court
honors the Loving’s marriage and they are finally able to return home. This is
a powerful introduction to civil rights activism, because it brings the
Loving’s journey right to the audience’s heart with its strong sense of love,
family, and what it means to be home.
Informative and detailed back matter provides further
reading and shines a beautiful light on Alko and Qualls’ unique collaboration
as an interracial couple, who created this book from a place of deep &
sincere gratitude.
Buy this book:
Reviewed by: Jane Smith
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Super Star Interview: Nivea Ortiz
Welcome to my
monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous
artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally
and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets
Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month. (BTW Happy Summer to ya’ll! Just a quick
note to let you know we’ll be taking a mini break from our artist interview
feature in July, but will be back in August!)
This
month I’m thrilled to be catching up with the gorgeous Illustrator, Nivea
Ortiz! I am a huge admirer of her beautiful, energetic artwork! Nivea is a
native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She earned her BFA in Illustration at the
Pratt Institute in NYC and began her career in her home country at the leading
newspaper El Nuevo Dia. She has a thriving illustration career creating editorial
and fashion illustrations as well as illustrating children’s books. You can view more of her artwork here!
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| How fabulous is she?! I'd totally love to gossip with her over tea & cake! |
Q: I absolutely ADORE the bold colors, graphic shapes
and gestural, flowing lines in your artwork!! Dish with us about your creative
process: ideas, sketches, mediums, technique, finished art style—you know, all
the good stuff!!
A: Thanks! I enjoy painting
with water mediums like watercolor, gouache and ink. Painting with ink is great
because it is spontaneous, fast and immediate. You have almost no control and
the results are amazing. I feel very comfortable with the medium, particularly
for personal work. I enjoy doodling, exploring and playing with different pens
and brushes. The bamboo pen is my favorite, because I get interesting gestural
lines, and for that very reason, I use it more in my personal pieces.
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| Love, Love, Love! |
Q: You live in Puerto Rico and studied art in New
York. How have both of these very distinctive places influenced and inspired
your artwork?
A: I loved studying in NY.
It is a unique place where you see everything and are exposed to a thousand
different things and styles. There is inspiration everywhere. I studied fashion
design in my first year of college. Then I changed my concentration to
illustration, but fashion design is still present in my work.
My first job in PR was as an
editorial illustrator in the main newspaper of the island. It was great
training. I illustrated all kinds of different subjects like Travel, Health,
Fashion, Culture and everything was rush. I think that's why I'm good at drawing
fast and capturing the essence of things.
The island has a strong influence on my
work. It is an eternal summer. You can
see its influence on the colors that I like to use. They are warm, happy and as
intense as the Caribbean people. The vivid colors of
nature, the incredible blue sky, the turquoise sea, the afternoon light
manifests in my palette.
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| Calling all dance lovers—this books is so totally for you! |
A: Roselyn Sanchez and Eric
Winter had this idea some time ago and told me about it. I really liked it, and
finally, it came to be at the perfect time. Working with the art director and
the whole team was great and enjoyable. Everything went smooth and well.
Creating the characters and the design took time and many sketches, but once it
was all approved and Sebi’s world was created, it was easy and fun. Collaborating
with Penguin Random House is a dream come true for me.
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| Sweet, fun, friendly and absolutely smile-worthy!!! |
A: One of my favorite past
projects is The Mall of San Juan mural. I had to create an illustration for a
digital mural to be displayed in the mall. The theme was Mi San Juan, “What San
Juan means to me”. It measures 30
feet x 14 feet. I liked it, because it was the first time I saw my art on such
a large scale. Every time I go shopping and walk by it, I smile.
From the present, I’ll say
my recent children’s book La Maravillosa
Visita del CalzadÃsimo Extranjero / University of Puerto Rico Press,
because the communication with the editor and the author was excellent. They
respected my style and gave me total visual freedom. I had a blast illustrating
the story!
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| Who loves you? Mama does! XO |
A: I’m a morning person, so I wake up
early to draw. A cup of strong coffee is a must! Usually I go outside to feed
the wild birds. It fills me with joy. Then the drawing starts. My workspace is
usually messy. Gouache, ink and papers are everywhere on my drawing table. I always
have music on, and I just go with the flow.
If it’s a project for a client, I will
do some research about the subject, but not too much, because I like to keep
the images fresh and want to capture the essence of things. Aiming to translate
reality into my particular creative language, I like to start with some loose
sketches, pick the more effective ones and then work over them in Photoshop. If
it’s personal work, everything is more relaxed—a fun journey of exploration.
Looking at other artist’s work enriches
and inspires me, too. It makes me want to work harder and see what else can I
create. Often times I surprise myself! It’s happening now that I’m exploring
abstract painting.
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| Colorful kings are "celebration" personified! |
A: Starts early in the morning, kayaking
at La Laguna del Condado / The Condado Lagoon. I really enjoy it. Being in the
water relaxes me and nourishes my creativity. I love to observe nature, calmly
strolling along in a kayak makes you feel closer to it. The best part is
spotting manatees, turtles and rays swimming by your side. The Caribbean is a
treasure.
Thank you very much for inviting me!
Thank
YOU, Nivea, for chatting it up with us here at Bird Meets Worm! We love your artwork!
(Psst! Bonus news: Bird Meets Worm is
debuting a NEW diverse children’s book review feature later this month!! Look
for it on Wednesday, June 14th!)
Saturday, June 3, 2017
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