Some Illustrator - Melissa Sweet

Some Illustrator - Melissa Sweet

In October 2019, Melissa Sweet was invited to visit a series of schools in Iowa City, Iowa.  She also presented a short talk at a local bookstore and it was there that we (myself, other local writers/illustrators, and Pryor).  I have long admired her work - and actually had several of her titles - some of them signed by the author, and some actually signed by Sweet.  I had never met her but had obtained the signed books through bookstores where she had signed.  Other titles were signed by authors: Jen Bryant, Judy Sierra, Heidi E.Y.Stemple, and Jane Yolen.
We loved hearing the back story of some of her books. 
Pryor had just one question about her newest book: How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander.
The question:  Why does she use neon colors?
Below we have linked to several interviews and resources which will provide much information about Melissa Sweet and her illustrations.  We will certainly be looking for her next book.  Pryor clutched his signed books, all the way home.
Thank you, Melissa Sweet, for coming to Iowa.

More Resources for Information About Melissa Sweet

Art of the Picture Book (2014, Oct 8). An interview with Melissa Sweet — Art of the Picture Book.  Retrieved from https://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with?tag=Melissa%20Sweet   

Bookology: Children’s Literature.  (2016, April 29)  Melissa Sweet – Interviews.  Retrieved from https://www.bookologymagazine.com/article/melissa-sweet/

Idle, Molly: Idle Illustration.  (2013, November 27 ) Mini Interview: Melissa Sweet.  Retrieved from http://idleillustration.com/2013/11/27/mini-interview-melissa-sweet/

McElmeel, Sharron L.  (2012, June) in the Spotlight; Balloons, Marionettes, an Mobiles.  Retrieved from  https://www.mcelmeel.com/author/otherwritings/articles/Sweet_balloonsMJ2012SWEET.pdf  -- The article profiles Anthony Frederick Sarg, the inspiration of author Melissa Sweet for her book "Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade." It discusses his birth and residence in Guatemala until he reached the age of seven, the transfer of his family to England and Germany including his immigration to New York City where he worked on the display window of Macy's department store. It offers information on the discussions about the puppeteer and the parade.

Sweet, Melissa.  (n.d.) Melissa Sweet: Author + illustrator (homepage).  Retrieved from https://www.melissasweet.net/about.  Several links to other interviews on the “About” page.

The Children’s Literature Research Collection: University of Minnesota.  (2015, April 4).  Balloons Over Broadway, Melissa Sweet, and the Engineering of a Picture Book: The Author, interview with Melissa Sweet.  Retrieved from  http://gallery.lib.umn.edu/exhibits/show/balloons-over-broadway/the-author/interview  More sections explore information about the exhibit, the author , research for a picture book, trial and error, mixed meia, life of a page, curriculum, about the exhibit, and appropriate links.

The National Center for Children’s illustrated Literature (NCCiL).  (n.d.)  Some Illustrator! Pictures by Melissa Sweet.  Retrieved from https://www.nccil.org/exhibitions/illustrations-of-melissa-sweet.  – outlines awards and books that has brought Sweet honors/awards.  Description of exhibit available for a ten week period. 
And a page about the artist herself - https://www.nccil.org/artists/melissa-sweet
A video trailer previewing the available exhibit - https://youtu.be/dWOa8h4lHKY

Wm. R. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (n.d.)  Author Interview Melissa Sweet.  Retrieved from https://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/Item/9080/Author-Interview-Melissa-Sweet.aspx

www.mcbookwords.com
for author visits

Creekfinding: A True Story

March 2017 saw the release of Creekfinding: A True Story.  This tale based on the true story of Michael Osterholm and his efforts to bring back a lost stream that once flowed through a field on his farm.  With heavy equipment, thoughtful plans and plenty of ingenuity Osterholm created an environment that allowed the spring fed stream to come back and when the water came so did the birds, and reptiles, and hundreds of insects.  This is the story of the finding of that creek and the efforts to restore the creek as a habitat for the trout that once inhabited the stream.

In March, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Claudia McGehee, and Michael Osterholm were at Prairie Lights in Iowa City, Iowa to share the back story of the book, and to introduce the work to the many bibliophiles that came to hear the reading and learn about the stream and the story.  On April 1, Claudia and Jackie shared their book at the CSPS hall in Cedar Rapids as part of a program arranged and sponsored by Next Page Books in the New Bo District.  And on April 15th there is a celebration at the Perfect Blend in Mount Vernon, IA.  But the celebration does not stop there, on April 23rd, the Red Balloon Bookshop celebrates the book with another reading and appearance by Martin, McGehee, and Osterholm.

Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Claudia McGehee, Michael Osterholm
at Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa.

Watch for this blackbird who seems to show up
throughout the illustrations for the story.

Max is a real dog that was by Michael's side throughout
the Creekfinding activities.  Ask the book creators about
his story.

Michael Osterholm began his adventure with the creek
through his efforts to create a prairie area on his newly purchased
farm fields. Now cone flowers and other native wild flowers have a
home along the banks of the creek that runs through the field.

 Gtotaku - making a fish print

The first step in creating a fish print (Gyotaku) is to cover
the fish with the black ink which will create the print
impression.

Those who attended the reading at the CSPS hall in Cedar
Rapids were given an opportunity to make a fish print in the
manner that has been used in Japan for centuries.  Here the
fish which has been covered with a printer's ink is being rubbed
with the paper which will yield a print of the fish.

This is the finished print, framed, and ready for his mother's day gift.

Earlier at the CSPS hall Jacqueline Briggs Martin reads
from Creekfinding: A True Story.

Children attending the reading helped put the animals in
the prairie.

Be sure to ask the creators about the role the fox played in
the book - or at least the backstory about the origination
of the story and its role in finding the collaborators.

  From the publisher - The University of Minnesota Press

"In the words of award-winning author Jacqueline Briggs Martin and the enchanting illustrations of Claudia McGehee, this is the heartwarming tale of an ecosystem restored in the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa. The story will charm and inform young readers who are drawn to a good mystery, the wonders of nature—and, of course, big earth-moving machines." ~ University of Minnesota Press
 

"The main narrative reads smoothly aloud, and the pictures, though detailed, should show well to a small group. Author's and illustrator's notes and a comment from the actual creek rescuer complete the package. A heartening story of environmental restoration." ~ Kirkus Reviews

 

 

Jacqueline Briggs Martin - author of Creekfinding: A True Story (and many other picture book titles) is available for author appearances -- find out more at McBookwords.

McBookwords has a dozen or more authors that speak with young readers.  If you would like to investigate having an author visit your school or library -- for an author appearance please contact us at McBookwords.  Each of these authors often speak  in schools with young readers, and at all types of groups that are interested in literacy and  books.

Garden Colors

Creating  Authors - Growing Gardens - Photo Skills

It's always a delight to me when I come across a new book or two that connects in my mind with an "old" favorite title, and an interesting "book" activity  pops into my head. 
Today, I came across this 2016 series of books from Gareth Stevens Publishers -

Find out more & how to order from
https://www.garethstevens.com/series/Our-Favorite-Colors

The colorful jackets immediately caught my eye.  The photographs were engaging and I envision that the contents are equally as innovative.  A favorite three-year-old that frequently visits at my house LOVES orange so I immediately thought about how much he would love the We Love Orange! title.  And then my brain continued to dance through the possibilities, and the one that emerged on top is the idea of taking my digital camera and going into the community and finding "colors."  To focus on categorization, I would ask the camera operator to concentrate on one selected color.  Another color for another day -- go on a digital photo search for the color of your choice.

A great place to expand on the color idea is to visit community gardens and soak in the wonderful colors of radishes,  corn, and the lush greens of peas, string beans, lettuce, and other great food.  Share some garden books with children... stimulate their sense of color with these books.

Vegetables of all colors and shapes -- build vocabulary and awareness of fruits and vegetables that might be unfamiliar.

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert.

Growing Vegetable Soup - another book by Lois Ehlert.  Luscious brightly colored vegetables -- raise awareness of the colors that populate vegetable gardens.

Yes - a chant -- what fun! Work your way through the fruits find some you know and some you don't.  Build vocabulary and color recognition with this lyrical presentation.  Go, Go Grapes: A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre.

 First fruits -- and now a chant featuring vegetables.  The same lush colors, new words, familiar words - and lots of familiar vegetables and some new ones as well.  Rah, Rah, Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre.

While your digital photographers might be looking for colors in vegetable and fruit books, they might be interested in knowing where these vegetables and fruits are grown.  While there are large farms that produce food for others, there is also a new movement to start and sustain urban gardens.

Find all the colors in Jacqueline Briggs Martin's Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table.

All the colors of the gardens will be a visual (and perhaps a tasty) treat.

 

Jacqueline Briggs Martin - author of Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table (and many other picture book titles) is available for author appearances -- find out more at McBookwords.

McBookwords has a dozen or more authors that speak with young readers.  If you would like to investigate having an author visit your school or library -- for an author appearance please contact us at McBookwords.  Each of these authors often speak  in schools with young readers, and at all types of groups that are interested in literacy and  books.

Farmer Will Allen - 25 Points of Light

Join the Read Across the Globe efforts -- Obtain copies of Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table for your classroom/library. Connect and READ. Join the efforts.

 

NEWS -- Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table to be the featured book in President George W. Bush's 25th Anniversary celebration of his Points of Lights initiative. The celebration will include an effort to enlist thousands of volunteers to break the Guinness Book of World Records listing for the number of children being read to in a 24-hour period as part of the "Read Across the Globe" initiative. A gigantic conference is planned October 19-21, 2015 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas. The record is 238,620 and officials are aiming to go past the 300,000 mark with 10,000 volunteers fanning out to Houston area schools and day care centers during the conference to read aloud the children's book, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table. Even astronaut Scott Kelly plans to read the book aloud from outer space, although he won't be counted in the tally since he won't be in a classroom.

 

Jacqueline Briggs Martin is available for author appearances -- find out more at McBookwords.

McBookwords has a dozen or more authors that speak with young readers.  If you would like to investigate having an author visit your school or library -- for an author appearance please contact us at McBookwords.  Each of these authors often speak  in schools with young readers, and at all types of groups that are interested in literacy and  books.

Getting Ready for the 2014 Caldecott / Newbery Announcements

In American Libraries' 2014 preview of the midwinter convention Jacqueline Briggs Martin's Snowflake Bentley was featured with a comment by the Caldecott Award winning illustrator for that book, Mary Azarian-- 

Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.
The 2014 Youth Media Award announcements will take place during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition at 8 a.m. ET, on January 27, from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The ALA also will offer a live webcast of the 2014 announcements.

McBookwords arranges appearances by authors/illustrators in libraries, school, other literature forums. We are now booking appearances for the rest of 2013-2014; and for 2014-15. McBookwords has a dozen or more authors that speak with young readers. If you would like to investigate having any of our authors visit your school or library -- for an author appearance please contact us via e-mail at McBookwords. Each of these authors often speak in schools with young readers, and at all types of groups that are interested in literacy and books. Authors/illustrators can provide so much in terms of background and inspiration for reading and writing. smc

Dinner with Jackie (ALA - Chicago)

 

Before leaving for Chicago and the 2013 ALA convention we made plans to gather a few librarians/book friends to celebrate the forthcoming book Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table (Readers to Eaters, 2013).  In preparation - a favors, we made miniature boxes featuring the new book and a few of other titles she has had published.  Inside were some growing seeds and a brochure to introduce Farmer Will Allen to those at the dinner.  If you wish to create these boxes (to use as a jackdaw container, a favor with planting seeds, snacks during story hour, literary artifact) - here's a template for the box. (pdf file)  If you would like to invite Jackie to your school or library please contact McBookwords.

Dinner with Jackie at the Tavern at the Park --
On the first night in Chicago at the American Library Association's conference, and from my window at the Hilton Chicago (25th floor), the sky is dimming as the sail boats find their way along the river.  By the time I was ready to leave for dinner with Jackie (Jacqueline Briggs Martin) the windows were streaked with rain.

But there are taxis on Michigan Avenue right outside of the Hilton, so I grabbed one and headed to the Tavern at the Park to meet 8 other librarians and Jacqueline Briggs Martin.

The atmosphere at the Tavern at the Park was excellent. The waiter, Nicholas, was very accommodating, and service was efficient and non-intrusive.
I had Steak Diane and it was delicious, tender and very very good.   I asked the waiter to substitute a baked potato for the whipped potatoes and the entree was superb.

Dr. Linda M. Waskow, a library media
technology specialist from Beaufort SC and
Jacqueline Briggs Martin.

Philip Lee, publisher of Jackie's newest book, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table (Readers to Eaters, 2013) generously sent along copies of the book for each of us attending the dinner.
Each of us was able to get our book autographed by Jackie.

A few pictures.

BTW GREAT FOOD - Check out the Tavern at the Park.  Their menu is on the web. 

Jean Gerlach and Jacqueline Briggs Martin with Farmer
Will Allen and the Growing Table.

Jean Gerlach has been a school librarian in such places as the St. Maur International
School in Yokohama (Japan), in New York (Orange-Ulster Boces), and in Stuttgart, Germany.  Her passion is promoting Peace.  She has a snow machine that comes into play when Jacqueline Briggs Martin's Snowflake Bentley and the study of snowflakes is in the curriculum.  We would love to see pictures of the snow machine.




 

Jackie and one of the first copies of Farmer
Will Allen and the Growing Table (Readers to Eaters, 2013).

Check out information about this new book by following the links on Jackie's website at http://www.jacquelinebriggsmartin.com. 

Susan Grigsby and Diane Cordell, educational consultant,
and teacher librarian emeritus from Queensbury, NY

Linda Martin and Jenny Schwartzberg prepare to order.

Susan Grigsby is a passionate advocate for libraries, the freedom to read, and for strong library programs in pubic schools. She was the 2011 Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year.  Each summer she puts together the state library association's 2-day professional conference for Georgia's school librarians.

Diane Cordell is a teacher librarian, emeritus, and currently works on special projects for the CyberSmart Educational Company.  On Cybersmart's website at www.cybersmart.org she is described as the "Chief Cyber Smarty."

Jean Gerlach and Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Barb Langridge, Founder of ABookandaHug.Com

and Dr. Linda M. Waskow.

Linda Martin was School Librarian of the yar for Georgia in 2007, and is a sought after storyteller - having performed from New York to Hawaii.  She is currently an ALA Councilor.  Besides being very interested in the art of storytelling, she makes jewelry and plays around with her ukulele.







Lyn Miller-Lachmann is an author in her own right.  She was editor-in-chief of Multicultural Review for 16 years and more recently is a author of resources for educators and of young adult fiction.  Her young adult novel Gringolantia (2009) was a 2010 ALA Best Book for Young Adults and given an Americans Award Honorable mention from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs.  Her most recent novel, Rogue (2013; A Junior Library Guild selection) portrays an eighth grader with undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome and an X-men obsession.  Miller-Lachmann also hosts a bilingual program on WRPI-FM and teaches 7th graders (part-time).  http://lynmillerlachmann.fatcow.com/

Barb Langridge is passionate about exciting young learners to read.  She maintains a website at ABookandaHug.com where she shares book recommendations, and she regularly interviews authors for her area television station.  Those videos are accessible on the ABookandaHug.com site.
She truly believes books make magic.





Dr. Linda M Waskow is from Beaufort, SC where she is an information specialist in Beaufort Elementary School.  She maintains a blog at http://doc4kids-mt.blogspot.com/ where she occasionally posts her thoughts on kids and technology -- and books.

Diane Cordell and Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Jacqueline Briggs Martin - Autographing
a copy of Snowflake Bentley

Jacqueline Briggs Martin - autographing an advanced
copy of her soon-to-be released book -
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table for Linda Martin.

Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Linda Martin -- wish
I knew what the joke was.  #9

Susan Grigsby and Jacqueline Briggs Martin as Jackie
prepares to autograph a copy of Jackie's 1998 book,
Snowflake Bentley.

Jacqueline Briggs Martin and author Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, who is rarely seen in anything but a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans, dressed up for this special event.

 

 The evening was indeed a special event, we all had great conversation, stories to tell, books to be signed, and many good laughs and certainly a good time.

Jacqueline Briggs Martin autographing her Farmer Will Allen
and the Growing Table for Jenny Schwartzberg -
Gift Specialist and Collection Development Assistant
at Newberry Library