In the video at the end of this post, I walk you through the visual story that is related to my text but independent of it in many ways. It demonstrates to illustrators how doing more than just showing what the text is saying can add layers of meaning to a story and make a picture book much more interesting. It also demonstrates to writers the importance of leaving room for the illustrator to help tell the story.
Western Washington SCBWI featured Polina on their blog Pen & Story. It is a worthwhile read to accompany this video because Polina talks a bit about her process and how she managed all the characters that she created that appear throughout the story. You can read the post by clicking here.
Also, in a recent article in the Toledo Blade Newspaper, Polina shared some interesting details about how this great visual story came to be. It all started with her not fully connecting with the story . . .
I hope that you will be patient and watch the video to the end because that is where the whole story that Polina created comes together. This visual story is all Polina’s creation–no one told her to tell the story, no one told her what characters to create, and there is no bakery, baker, or older woman with a dog mentioned in the text at all. I know that without the text it’s hard to know what Polina created in addition to the story told via text. But I can’t give the whole book away. My publisher wouldn’t like that š Also, I intentionally left the text out because I wanted the visual story to stand on its own with just a little help from my guidance. I hope this video inspires both illustrators and writers, and if it does, please leave a comment to let us know.
Iām not going to get too carried away talking about kindness because I found a good place for that. The Random Acts of Kindness site has resources for educators and anyone interested in making the world a better place. They have kindness ideas, quotes, posters, videos, stories, and more.
Above image compliments of Random Acts of KindnessĀ #worldkindnessdayĀ #makekindnessthenorm
In addition, click here to read their inspiring blog post “Make Kindness the Norm.”
THE CONTEST
I will kick off the Random Acts of Kindness Contest by offering a couple prizes for the contest.
We will have a first place and a second place winner. The winners of the contest will win their choice of the following prizes. The first place winner will get first pick, and the second place winner will choose from the remaining prizes.
For the rest of the month of November, carry out a random act of kindness.
Comment on this post by sharing what you chose to do for someone else (the random act of kindness).
Share this post in social media.
With your comment, include where you shared the post link.
1-4 are requirements to be entered in the contest. Number five is just a favor. Please, if you have any of my books and you like them, I would be very grateful for reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and anywhere else you might prefer.
The contest will be over at midnight central time on December 1, 2020. The first place winner will be chosen by Alayne’s choice of the best random act of kindness, and second place will be chosen via a drawing. I will announce winners within two weeks from the end of the contest.
In addition to my friends’ books about kindness (at the end of this post) and those on the SCBWI reading list, Iād like to do one more random act of kindness. My friend Ellen Leventhalās wonderful picture book A Flood of Kindness is available for pre-order and will be released in April 2021. Iāve ridden along with her as she had her writing journey for this book, and I can attest to its excellence. The book was inspired by Ellenās personal experiences with floods in Houston, with the most devastating being the result of Hurricane Harvey.
“The night the river jumped its banks, everything changed.”
So begins A Flood of Kindness, a poignant picture book that addresses grief and loss and demonstrates how kindness can bring hope. The story is written in beautifully lyrical spare prose and told from an intimate first-person point of view. Ellen has filled the story with heart and readers āfeelā Charlotteās experience as they follow her watching floodwaters rise in her home until she is forced to evacuate to a shelter with her parents.
I believe Blythe Russoās fabulous art is going to bring even more emotion to the story, as we āseeā what Charlotte experiences.
Itās been months since Iāve written a blog post, but itās time to pick myself up by my bootstraps and get going again. What a year this has been! Iāve bounced around a number of ways to approach this return to my blog. I even started down a path of several paragraphs talking about how when times get tough, the tough keep going. But that path also led me into a ātrue confessions and soul searchingā direction that just didnāt feel right. So, Iām going to try a more direct approach to where Iāve been, what I need to do, and where Iām going. Iāll start with where Iāve been.
Please forgive any weird formatting issues. WordPress decided to change it’s format while I was away. I need a little more time to learn it.
Who Knew?
When my latest books were scheduled for release, who knew that we would be challenged with a pandemic that has changed nearly everyoneās life? Who knew that my first picture book in ages, An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made JoĆ£o Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin, would be released eighteen days after I had knee replacement surgery? Who knew that the surgery would still be holding me back nearly four months later? Who knew that my next picture book, The Weed that Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Tale of the Toledo Christmas Weed, would be released four days after my oldest brotherās death? Who knew that book two in the Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy chapter book Series, Cowboy Trouble, would be rescheduled for 2021? Who knew, that my first picture book, Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpaās tenth anniversary would slip by without acknowledgement or celebration? Who knew that it would be picked up by Clear Fork Publishing under the Blue Whale Press imprint, and continue selling all these years later?
My Brother and Me–I will miss him, but I carry him in my heart.
I didnāt know that my exciting book launches and the wonderful year I had planned for all of my beloved books would all come crashing down around me. Iāve been knocked down, but Iām getting back up (broken heart, bum knee, and all) and moving forward.
Trying to get in the spirit in spite of my challenges.
What I Need to Do and Why I Need to Do It
I need to make up for lost time and share the news of my books with yāall. I feel compelled to do this because I feel itās only fair to the illustrators (Milanka Reardon and Polina Gortman) who worked so hard on my picture books. And itās only fair to the beautiful books and heartwarming stories that people should get an opportunity to read them. Itās only fair that the kids and adults who will read them should be made aware that the books even exist. Itās only fair to JoĆ£o Pereira de Souza and Dindim to have their story told. Itās only fair to the citizens of Toledo, Ohio and the little weed that their story of unity be told when it seems weāve forgotten how to love and care about one another as human beings. Along those same lines, I feel like I have an obligation to humanity to share these stories of love and kindness. They both touched my heart, and I want to reach as many other hearts as I possibly can.
You can help me and the illustrators as well as readers by requesting the books at your library and writing reviews. I would be forever grateful.
Future Posts
Keep an eye out for future posts. Iām going to start a new series called Arc Angels where published authors will analyze each otherās books and share with you how each made their stories shine by using the classic narrative and/or character arcs. I expect there will be prizes and giveaways along the way. I plan to share the very first version of Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa with my crude illustrations and all. I will also share how the book started as one thing and ended up being another. And Iāll soon have a book trailer for Cowboy Trouble to share.
There are lots more great posts to come, but I will save them for surprises.
THE WEED THAT WOKE CHRISTMAS: THE MOSTLY TRUE TALE OF THE TOLEDO CHRISTMAS WEED
BOOK TRAILER
Review Excerpts
āA heartwarming holiday tale that proves even the littlest things can make a big difference.ā āKirkus Reviews
āThe fine message about holiday spirit makes for a perfect read for parents seeking stories that encourage kids to feel empowered to begin changes that cross age and economic barriers. The Weed That Woke Christmas is a lovely, positive, much-needed story for modern times.ā āD. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
āThis sweet story is accompanied by lush illustrations by Gortman, who portrays Toledoās citizens as diverse. The author manages to convey the importance of charity and community without making the tale mawkish or trite. She closes the text with the real story of the Christmas Weed and the hope that the holiday magic will continue.ā āKirkus Reviews
Description
This heartwarming and inspiring book proves that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference and transform apathy and oblivion into awareness, unity, community, kindness and hope. Partly truth and partly fiction, it is based on the true story of how a weed on a Toledo street corner helped spread the giving spirit far beyond its traffic island home. All Weed wants is to be seen, but people are in too much of a hurry to notice each other, let alone Weed. Weed watches, wishes, and waits until finally someone does see it. But Weed discovers that there is something far bigger and more important than a little weed being noticed.
AN OLD MAN AND HIS PENGUIN: HOW DINDIM MADE JOĆO PEREIRA DE SOUZA AN HONORARY PENGUIN BOOK TRAILER
Review Excerpts
“A moving, affectionate, and joyful tale, all the more so for being true.” – Kirkus Reviews
“An Old Man and His Penguin holds a number of important messages about human/animal relationships, love, oil slicks and their impact on sea life, and loneliness. . . . its underlying focus on letting go and reaping rewards from non-possessiveness offers an outstanding lesson about love for the very young.” āD. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Adults looking for an inviting animal story with an important message will welcome this appealingly different seaside tale.” āD. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“The underlying lesson about compassion and good stewardship is subtle but effective; an author’s note explains the real-life circumstances. Reardon, who also illustrated the penguin-themed Noodles’ & Albie’s Birthday Surprise (2016), deftly captures the story’s charm and expressiveness.” āKirkus Reviews
Description
Off the coast of Brazil, JoĆ£o rescues a lifeless, oil-covered penguin (Dindim) and nurses him back to health. Dindim adopts JoĆ£o as an honorary penguin, and the steadfast friends do everything together. They swim together, fish together, and stroll the beach together. But there are real penguins somewhere across the sea. So one day, Dindim leaves JoĆ£o. The villagers tell JoĆ£o the penguin will never come back. JoĆ£o cannot say if he will or will not. Are the villagers right? Will Dindim ever patter into his old friend’s loving arms again?
I chose to share this video becauseĀ the narrator gives a sense of the heart of the story that ended up in my book THE WEED THAT WOKE CHRISTMAS: THE MOSTLY TRUE TALE OF THE TOLEDO CHRISTMAS WEED.
ANOTHER SHORT NEWS VIDEO ABOUT THE REAL CHRISTMAS WEED
I chose to share this video because it does a good job of showing the community coming together.
A SHORT NEWS VIDEO ABOUT JOAO AND DINDIM THE PENGUIN
BOOK LAUNCH POSTS
Thank you to all my friends who helped me share the news of my books via social media when I couldnāt! There are too many to mention, but you know who you are.
Thank you friends who featured my books on your blogs!!!!
My brain is still somewhat foggy, so if Iāve forgotten anyone, please forgive me and feel free to add your post in a comment.
I hope that you will be patient and watch the video to the end because that is where the whole story that Polina created comes together. This visual story is all Polina’s creation–no one told her to tell the story, no one told her what characters to create, and there is no bakery, baker, or older woman with a dog mentioned in the text at all. I know that without the text it’s hard to know what Polina created in addition to the story told via text. But I can’t give the whole book away. My publisher wouldn’t like that š Also, I intentionally left the text out because I wanted the visual story to stand on its own with just a little help from my guidance. I hope this video inspires both illustrators and writers, and if it does, please leave a comment to let us know.
