Animal Helper: Victoria Campbell

Do you love animals, and want to help wildlife? Meet Victoria Campbell a rehabilitator from Wild Things Sanctuary featured in Animal Helpers: Wildlife Rehabilitators. Victoria shares her dedication and the rewards of working with natures amazing creatures.

Name: Victoria Campbell

Name of organization/clinic: Wild Things Sanctuary 

State: New York 

Specialty/special areas of experience: Mammals, baby animals 

Years as rehabilitator/volunteer: 6 

Busiest time of year: April-September (especially May-July)                             

Number of hours you work per week during your busy season: up to 140! 

Number of volunteers in clinic: Varies. At the moment, I have 3.

Why did you become a rehabilitator/volunteer: I became a wildlife rehabilitator because I feel a great empathy for the wild animals who do not have owners to look after them and who can get very badly sick and injured and orphaned: they need help too! Also, most patients are in trouble because of human related causes (e.g., cars, pets, construction), and I felt that it was part of my duty as a human to give back to these animals who need help.

Most rewarding aspect of rehabilitation: Having an animal learn to trust me and building an understanding between me and the patient. And it’s pretty fun nurturing the baby animals as well! 

As a rehabilitator, what is the most common question you are asked? How did you get those scratches? What’s the biggest animal/worst bite you’ve ever had? When do you sleep? How do you know all this stuff?

Favorite animal story: Too many to think of! Pretty amazing releasing an animal and seeing it run off smiling…or when a pregnant mama gives birth at Wild Things! 

What advice would you offer to children considering a career in wildlife rehabilitation: Learn as much about animals as you can and see whether there are any places where you can volunteer and learn more about wildlife rehabilitation. Wildlife rehabilitators need to know about animal behavior, veterinary care, animal husbandry, and even skills like cooking and carpentry: there is lots to learn! Also, make sure you have a support system of people who can help you: it is hard work! And reach out to others who are interested and/or who are wildlife rehabilitators as often you learn the most from other rehabilitators and their work. Finally, know that sometimes you need to love the animals enough to make difficult decisions; wildlife rehabilitation is great but it can be very sad too.  

Visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ beginning October 1st Read Animal Helpers: Wildlife Rehabilitators for FREE all month.

A Fun Classroom Activity for Common Core Standards

By Darcy Pattison

How do you get kids interested in a book about vultures and desert tortoises at a summer program where they are interested mostly in having some fun? And how do you do it while fulfilling the Common Core State Standards?

One of the tenets of the Common Core State Standards is the use of technology with kids. This summer, I volunteered at the Arkansas Audubon (ar.audubon.org/) summer camp. Camp Director Mary Smith agreed when I asked if we could do some videotaping with kids to create a book trailer for my new book, DESERT BATHS.

First, I studied the Common Core requirements. The Common Core ELA Speaking & Listening anchor standard #5 requires students to “Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding.” An appropriate task for this standard is for students to create a video. In this case, we also emphasized close reading of the text of Desert Baths (CC ELA Reading anchor standards #1, 2, 4) to understand how each desert animals stays clean.

Note: The camp had a wide range of ages, so I didn’t use any specific grade level standards. The Common Core provides Anchor Standards, which are in turn specifically interpreted for each grade level. By following the more general Anchor Standard, I was confident that we would accomplish something appropriate for each student.

After the close reading of the text, students were assigned an animal to act out and practiced a couple times.

Videotaping the Desert Baths Book Trailer

Videotaping with kids can be chaotic. In order to minimize this, I set up four stations.

1. Camera man. The camera man was responsible for running the camera and taping the Actor. I use a Kodak Z-i8 hand-held camera because it is the only camera in its class with an external microphone jack. The camera was mounted on a tripod and the Camera Man had to make sure it was the right height for the Actor and was positioned for the setting to fill the screen.
2. Actor. The actor was responsible for standing on the stage, saying his/her lines and acting out how a desert animal takes a bath.
3. Sound Man. I plugged a lapel microphone into the Kodak Zi8 Camera. If you look closely, you can see the wire on the kids. The Sound Man was responsible for making sure the microphone was placed on the Actor correctly. Also, to conserve the batteries of the microphone, it was turned off except when in actual use. The Sound Man was responsible for making sure the microphone was turned on and off at the right times.
4. Stage Director. This was a favorite task, because this person got to yell out, “Quiet on the Set.” In addition to starting and stopping the action, the Stage Director was responsible for making sure everything was set up correctly, the Actor was ready and then directing everyone to start.

The stations worked well because students came to the videotaping in groups of four and each student rotated through all the tasks. They knew their job was important and they took it seriously. Watch and see what fun they had.

Three Sylvan Dell Titles Win Gold!

Both the Mom’s Choice Award Foundation and Tillywig have just awarded Sylvan Dell Publishing picture books some of their top awards. Astro: The Steller Sea Lion and Big Cat, Little Kitty received gold Mom’s Choice Awards for Excellence, and Habitat Spy received the Tillywig Brain Child Award.

The Mom’s Choice Awards is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services. It is known for establishing a benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services.

Tillywig’s mission is to provide retail buyers, news media, parents, and consumers with product information and reviews of superior children’s products available in today’s marketplace.

Sylvan Dell’s mission is to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math, and nature-themed stories.  All Sylvan Dell titles are held to the highest standards of excellence and include a “For Creative Minds” educational section in the back of the book, and extensive resources including teaching activities, quizzes, related websites, and more free online at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com. Sylvan Dell titles have been honored as finalists or winners of over 70 book awards.  Our Science and Math Through Literature Program integrates reading, science, math, geography, character skills, and language learning through fun, cross-curricular activities.

Get to Know Barbara Mariconda, Author of Ten for Me

Barbara Mariconda is the award winning author of two Sylvan Dell Publishing books, Sort it Out! and the Fall 2011 release Ten for Me, in addition to being a professor, mentor teacher, and partner in an educational seminar and consulting firm.

Where did the inspiration for the butterfly catching in Ten for Me come from?

I have a garden in front of my house that attracts butterflies of all kinds. They are delicate and strong at the same time. I love that dichotomy of delicate and strong. I suppose I tried to capture a little of those characteristics evident in my own personality.

What are the most frequently asked questions you encounter as an author?

Most people ask, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ The answer to that is that I believe stories are expressions of our unconscious mind — reflections of the emotions, issues, concerns and questions we only look at in a superficial way on a conscious level. In fact, I believe all art forms — music, visual and theatre arts, as well as writing — are all vehicles for this kind of powerful self expression. It’s why people write — not to make a ton of money, not for any kind of fame, but because it is so satisfying to tap into the unconscious self.

What is something no one ever asks you about writing or being an author that you would like to share?

No one really asks about the amount of time, energy, resilience, and persistence it takes to get published. The effort is a testament to a driving force within the author that is all about the process and little about the end result. Writers write because there is something in them that needs to be expressed. And the process is life-giving. It allows the writer to deal with disappointment and rejection.

Why is teaching kids about math so important?

Math is not usually an end unto itself, rather it’s a way to think, analyze, quantify and ob-jectify reality. When kids learn to think mathematically, they learn a variety of ways to see and to think about other aspects of life.

What has writing taught you about yourself?

I’ve learned that what I write about is always a symbol, a powerful metaphor for some aspect of myself I seek to know or understand better. I don’t think authors intentionally create symbols in their writing — the symbols emerge from within and often inform and empower the writer as well as the reader. As I look over Sort it Out! I begin to wonder what aspects of my life need to be sorted through, and how many ways I might group and regroup everything important to me. This is why I have a passion for teaching chil-dren about writing — to empower them to use the written word as a means of opening the channels of self reflection and self expression.

Any advice for children who someday hope to become writers?

As you go through your days NOTICE everything. Look carefully at the people, places, and feelings in your life. Before you can write you need to learn how to really SEE. Question everything. Ask why, how come, why not, what if? Write every day. Never give up. Believe in your own view of the world. And write it true.

Barbara Mariconda is an author of children’s books, an educator (K-6), a mentor teacher, and an adjunct professor of Children’s Literature and Process Writing. Barbara has also written a wide variety of musicals, songs, novels, and numerous professional books for teachers. She frequently speaks on the topic of writing for and with children, and provides professional development for teachers at seminars across the country. She lives in Connecticut where she is a partner in the educational seminar and consulting firm, Empowering Writers, LLC., and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit Barbara’s website at http://www.empoweringwriters.com, see Sort it Out! at http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=30, and don’t forget Ten for Me http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=101, which releases this Fall.

Get to Know Darcy Pattison, Author of Prairie Storms

Darcy Pattison is an award-winning author of numerous books, and the author of the Sylvan Dell Fall 2011 Release Prairie Storms.

 

What drew you to writing, children’s books especially?

I write because I read children’s books to my own children. With four kids, it meant years and years of reading books, during which time I developed a love of the picture book form and a passion for chapter books for kids. I started writing when they were young and have never grown up.

What do you hope children get out of your stories?

My goal is to help kids enjoy playing with language. Of course, that means a story and I hope they enjoy the story, too. And since Prairie Storms is a non-fiction book, it also means facts. I want kids to have fun learning about the ani-mals and the storms and how living creatures interacts with the weather and cli-mate of their area. But mostly, this is meant to be a great read aloud that an adult can share with a kid, and enjoy a moment of shared pleasure in the words, the art, the sound of literature, the joy of knowing something.

What tips do you have to encourage young readers?

Read, read, read. The more you practice, the better reader you will be. And why should you want to be a great reader? So you can travel to places you’ve never seen, can feel emotions you’ll never feel any other way. In Prairie Storms, for example, you’ll stand stare into the face of a blizzard and stand, “prairie strong and defiant.”

What is the most rewarding thing about having your books published?

Because I’m published, it means I get to visit many places and talk to many peo-ple. In that sense, writing and publishing has enlarged my world, made me friends with widely scattered folks. I love the book, as something you can hold and open together. But mostly, I love that crea-tive work can connect people in special ways.

Any advice for those interested in writing?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Prac-tice is the most important thing you can do. If you want to be in a rock band, you don’t just pick up a guitar and wind up rich. Instead, you learn how to play chords, how to write music, how to sing. In other words, you practice. Don’t expect to sell the first thing you write. You may need to write ten novels before you write well enough to sell well. Consider those books and those years as an apprenticeship and you’ll be fine.

Darcy Pattison, (www.darcypattison.com) author of both picture books and novels, has been published in eight languages. Her books include 19 Girls and Me (Philomel,), Searching for Oliver K. Woodman (Harcourt), The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman (Harcourt), The Scary Slope (graphic novel from Stone Arch). Her books have been recognized for excellence by **starred reviews in Kirkus and BCCB, Child magazine Best Books of the Year 2003, Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year 2003, and various state award reading lists.

As a writing teacher, Darcy is in demand nationwide to teach her Novel Revision Retreat. Her books about writing or teaching writing include Novel Metamorphosis: Uncommon Ways to Revise (Mims House) and Paper Lightning: Prewriting Activities to Spark Creativity (Cottonwood Press).  Darcy is the 2007 recipient of the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Awards, Individual Artist Award for her work in children’s literature. Forthcoming titles include Prairie Storm (Sylvan Dell, 2011) and Desert Baths (Sylvan Dell, 2012).

Get to know Marianne Berkes, Author of Animalogy: Animal Analogies

Marianne Berkes is the award-winning author of many titles, including the upcoming new release from Sylvan Dell Publishing, Animalogy: Animal Analogies.  She is a retired teacher and librarian who turned her love of nature and teaching into writing. 

 
What drew you to writing, children’s books especially?
  As a child our home was filled books and music.  I wrote plays that my friends and I performed in the summer in our back yard.— my Dad even helped us build some of the scenery.  Reading, writing, music and theater have been a constant in my life. In high school I did interviews for the school paper, and in college wrote my first picture book for a Children’s Lit class.  But it was many years later, after I moved to Florida, that I said “I can do this!” Reading so many books to children at the library where I worked, I kept coming up with ideas of my own.  Because I love kids and love “words,” I started submitting my stories to publishers, and one day……

 What do you hope children get out of your stories?
 An appreciation of our Earth and a respect for nature.   I spent a lot of time outdoors as a child and still do.  Discovering nature is a life-long adventure that I hope kids today still appreciate. Nature has so many stories to tell and is available to anybody, any place, any time.  I hope kids will be entertained by my books, but also that they will want to learn more about the topic I’ve written about.  My first book published in 2000 was about frogs making music in the night.  Hopefully after reading this book, kids will go outside in the early evening, especially after a rain, and listen for the sounds I’ve written about.  I’ve followed with stories about birds, shells, creatures living in an ocean reef, rainforest animals, animals that migrate, Arctic animals and Australian animals.  I’ve also written a book about the planets that I hope kids enjoy. How can we ask them to save the earth, if they don’t learn to appreciate it first?  My books are in lyrical verse, making it easy and fun for kids to read, with lots of facts blended in.  I want kids to really get inside my books, to read them more than once, each time finding something new and exciting!

What tips do you have to encourage young readers?
READ! READ! READ!  Reading can take you to so many places, near and far.  Also,   open your eyes to the world around you.  Ideas are everywhere!  When you get an idea, write about it.  It’s a wonderful way to express what you feel or see.  And if you don’t know much about the topic you are writing about, do some research.  It can be so much fun, kind of like a treasure hunt, because you never know what else you will discover.  I do a lot of research for each book I write, using lots of reference books and on the Internet.

What other authors do you look up to?
There are so many that I have come to love over the years, having been a children’s librarian.  I’m a huge fan of author/illustrators like Eric Carle and Kevin Henkes whose touching stories with perfect illustrations can be read again and again. I’m envious that they write so beautifully and illustrate.  Patricia Polacco is another one that comes to mind; she is a wonderful storyteller!  Naturally I enjoy authors who write in rhyme like Jean Marzollo and Stephanie Calmenson, and repetition like Laura Numeroff, since that’s what I like to do.  Kids love rhythm, rhyme and repetition. It’s like making music with words. When you ask specifically which authors do a good job creating a learning environment, the three that come to mind first are April Pulley Sayre, Steve Jenkins and Anthony D. Fredericks. After I write this I’m sure I’ll think of a lot more who write “creative non-fiction” including your Sylvan Dell authors, of course!

What is the most rewarding thing about having your books published?
That I get to read my books to kids in schools and libraries.  I hope they will be inspired to keep reading and also write stories of their own.  Actually, though, the kids inspire me, and often give me ideas for a book. I was reading Marsh Music, which ends with a bird beginning the music of the day, when a student planted a seed!  “I know what your next book is going to be!” he said with assurance.  I wondered how he knew, because I was working on a book about seashells, but hadn’t told anybody.  The boy assumed it would be a book about birds.  The next day I was out at the crack of dawn recording bird sounds and researching bird species.  I wrote Marsh Morning as a companion book to Marsh Music and set Seashells by the Seashore aside for a while.

 To learn more about Animalogy or Marianne Berkes check out http://www.marianneberkes.com/ or on the Sylvan Dell website at http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=87.

Get to Know Jennifer Keats Curtis

Jennifer is the author of two great Sylvan Dell books: Turtles in My Sandbox, and Baby Owl’s Rescue. She was nice enough to answer a few questions for Sylvan Dell about her books and writing.

What advice do you have for writers looking to develop or maintain a regular writing schedule?

Regular?! From personal experience—with a very active and fun family including pets; working on books and writing and editing for two magazines; and speaking at schools, I find it nearly impossible to maintain a regular anything! However, I find that, for me, I have to set aside time to write as soon as I’ve finished my research; otherwise, my motivation (and memory) fizzles.

 What are the most frequent questions you receive as an author?

Kids often ask me why I write. I write because I’m nosy! For one thing, when you tell people you are a writer, they start dishing their deepest, darkest secrets, which is always great fun. Plus, the writing process allows me to learn about things I’d otherwise not have the opportunity to know about—like terrapins, owls, and wildlife rehabilitators—and to get answers from real experts.

 What do you hope that children will learn from your stories?

I hope my readers find my words and the illustrator’s fabulous art entertaining and interesting and that they learn a new fact and consider possible ways that they might help animals in need.

 How do your personal experiences shape your stories?

When I was a kid, I didn’t think I liked history. I struggled to memorize dates, facts, and leaders’ names. However, as an adult, I began reading historical nonfiction, and not only do I love it, I have discovered that I remember those important facts love history because it’s written as a story. As an author, I love writing realistic fiction because this is the genre that allows me to create an entertaining story without preaching important information about animals and the ways in which we can help them.

 What does being a green author mean to you?

It’s really an honor that the kids have nicknamed me the “Green Author!” I’m lucky to be able to research and learn about ways we can help our environment from kids, teachers, and experts. I love being able to pass some of this advice along in person and through my writing.

Jennifer Keats Curtis wants to help bring children close to the animals in their own backyards.  By diligently researching her topic and interviewing real experts, including children working to help preserve and protect local wildlife, the journalist has developed a knack for teaching young children about important ecological issues and what they can do to help. Jennifer’s first book, Oshus and Shelly Save the Bay, won the Frederick Douglass Award (Maryland Council of Teachers of English Language Arts). She also wrote Osprey Adventure, based on the work of Peter McGowan, a biologist with US Fish & Wildlife. Most days, Jennifer can be found among students and teachers, talking about literacy or conservation. She also regularly presents writing workshops to elementary school sudents. When she’s not in schools, Jennifer contributes to several magazines and serves as editor-at-large for Maryland Life Magazine. Avid fans of anything having to do with the outdoors, Jennifer and her family spend their summers in and on the Chesapeake Bay. She resides in Maryland, with her family and a wide variety of pets, including a turtle. Visit Jennifer’s website at http://www.terrapinbook.com/

Get to Know Author Janet Halfmann

Janet Halfmann is the award-winning author of many books, including the Sylvan Dell titles Little Skink’s Tail (Gold Mom’s Choice Award, Teachers’ Choice 2009), Fur and Feathers (Gold Moonbeam Award), and the upcoming 2012 Sylvan Dell title Home Sweet Cave.  Janet very kindly agreed to answer some questions for SD about her books, and her life as an author.

 

When did you know you wanted to be a writer, and what drew you to children’s picture books in particular? 

 I’ve loved to write ever since I was a child, but didn’t realize that I wanted to be a writer until after I graduated from Michigan State University, with plans to teach English and Spanish. While home for a year with our first child, I enrolled in a children’s writing course by mail, and soon was hooked. I had some success selling articles to children’s magazines, like Ranger Rick and Jack and Jill, but I wanted a full-time writing job, so I got a second degree in journalism. That led to stints as a daily newspaper reporter in Wichita, Kansas; managing editor of a national children’s magazine based in Wisconsin; and many years as a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books, also based in Wisconsin. When a new owner moved Golden’s activity-book division to New York City, I decided to strike out on my own and write children’s books, my original dream. 

 From the very beginning, I liked writing picture books best. I prefer telling a story in a few words, and I like being able to make every word in a manuscript sing. I also enjoy writing for the picture-book age group. Many of my books are about nature, and when writing for ages 3-8, I can include lots of science and make the animals come alive without getting into all of the technical details. I think it is just more fun!

 Where do you find inspiration for new books?

 My ideas come from all kinds of places: from my children’s and my childhoods, from observing my grandkids and other children, from places I visit, from what people do and say, from nature, from things I read . . . the list goes on and on. Often research for one story leads to inspiration for another.  For example, I got the idea for Little Skink’s Tail (Sylvan Dell 2007) while researching a factual book I wrote about lizards. I was fascinated by young skinks, who often have bright blue tails that they snap off to escape an enemy—and the tail grows back! I thought that a little lizard who loses her bright blue tail and must deal with that would make a fun and educational story.

 For Fur and Feathers (Sylvan Dell 2010) and my upcoming book Home Sweet Cave (Sylvan Dell 2012), I got my basic inspiration from the wish list for manuscripts on the publisher’s website. From there, I added inspiration of my own—a huge sewing box like I always had handy when my four children were growing up for Fur and Feathers, and my and others’ fear of change (plus fascinating things I learned about bat poop) for Home Sweet Cave. 

 What are some of your most frequently asked questions when doing signings or school visits?

 People want to know how long it takes to write a book. I tell them that each story is different. Many require lots of research. Even for a fiction picture book, I often have a pile of research books several feet high, in addition to research I do on the Internet. Also, story ideas often bounce around in my head for a long time before I start to write them down. 

 People also ask how I find my illustrator. I tell them that the publisher usually chooses the illustrator, and most of the time the artist and illustrator don’t even meet. That way, the writer can do her creative thing and the illustrator is free to do his or her creative thing. Often an illustrator adds some touch that never even entered my mind. For example, in Little Skink’s Tail, illustrator Laurie Allen Klein showed a caterpillar changing into a butterfly throughout the book. And in Fur and Feathers, Laurie dressed the animals in the kid outfits she thought would look the silliest. She also put Little Skink in the new book. Kids love these surprises!

 How long does it take until you feel a manuscript is ready to be submitted to a publisher? Any particular process you go through to make sure it is perfect?

 As I mentioned earlier, the time it takes to write a book varies greatly. Sometimes a manuscript is ready in a month or so, and sometimes it takes years. A lot depends on the amount of research needed, and whether that information is readily available. I’m working on a picture book biography now that I already have been researching off and on for two years.

 Once a manuscript is almost perfect, I read it aloud many times, often pretending that I am reading to one of my grandchildren. Reading aloud helps me make sure every sentence and word flows smoothly and does what I want it to do. I also ask my husband and my grown children to read the manuscript. I spent a lot of time helping my children become good writers while they were growing up, and now they are great at finding things that don’t work in my stories. 

 Any advice for authors interested in having their book published?

 Read, read, read, especially the kind of books you want to write.

Write, write, write, every day if possible, and write about what you enjoy.

Revise, revise, revise, until every word sings.

When you feel every word in your manuscript sings, research publishers to see who does your kind of book and send it off. Then forget about it and start something new. (Most writers have a huge stack of rejection letters.)

 Join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and get involved in their state or regional group. You can learn so much by going to writing conferences, workshops, etc. and listening to successful writers. It’s also very helpful to chat with other writers in person or in online writing groups. 

Learn more about Janet at her website http://www.janethalfmann.com or http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/authors.htm. 

Check out Janet’s Sylvan Dell titles on the SD website:
Fur and Feathers http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=FurFeathers
Little Skink’s Tail http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=23 

Quick Q & A With Illustrator Susan Detwiler

Susan Detwiler is the award-winning illustrator of several picture books, including Pandas’ Earthquake Escape (Mom’s Choice Award), One Wolf Howls (Nautilus Book Award), and the new spring 2011 release Big Cat, Little Kitty for Sylvan Dell Publishing. She very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the SD blog.

You have a very creative professional background—what led you to children’s illustration? 

I have loved making art from early childhood, and was always attracted to books with great illustrations. By the time I was in high school I decided that being a professional illustrator was my goal. I went to the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and studied graphic design and illustration. While I was a student I worked part-time as a sign painter. After that I got a job in the art department of a printing company, where I learned about how artwork is reproduced. Eventually, I was hired as a staff illustrator for an advertising agency and while I worked there I also began freelancing at night and on weekends. I liked freelance work so much that I decided to do it exclusively. My favorite assignments are for children’s publishing and so I seek them out, with help I have found from the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.

What type of medium do you use for your illustrations? Any particular reason you prefer this?

Pencil is my favorite medium for drawing, but I like watercolor and gouache for painting, and I enjoy drawing in ink, either with a pen or a brush. The illustrations for One Wolf Howls were done in watercolor on Strathmore illustration board, but Pandas’ Earthquake Escape was done entirely in soft pastel on variously colors of paper, which was a fun departure from my usual style. For Big Cat, Little Kitty, I combined the two — I applied pastel details to watercolor paintings — because I wanted the colors to be vibrant. Also, I have become more adept at digital media, and use it to augment my images.

How much research do you do when getting ready for a book?

I spend a lot of time at the beginning of a book assignment doing research at the library and online. I like to have many photographs in front of me when I work so that I can fully understand the structure, texture, and light/shadows of what I am trying to depict. It also helps to know other details about the subject, so along with gathering pictures I also read about what I am illustrating. 

What is the most frequently asked question you are asked as an illustrator?

I am often asked how long it takes me to do an illustration. Each spread takes several weeks from start to finish.

Any tips for aspiring artists?

Make art often and practice different styles by mimicking your favorite artists’ work. Eventually you will have a style that is all your own. Use your ability to make images wherever possible in school, to illustrate reports, make posters for school events, etc.

What is your favorite aspect of the illustration process?

My ideas feed off the ideas of others. When I am given an exciting assignment, my head fills with images and I cannot wait to start to work in the morning. Each new job is an exciting challenge; sometimes I can hardly believe how lucky I am to get paid to do this! My new goal is that my pictures touch people in the same way that I was affected by the illustrations I saw as a child.

Be sure to check out Susan’s website at http://www.susandetwiler.com/
For more information about any of Susan’s Sylvan Dell titles, be sure to visit www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

Suzanne Slade’s “The Day I Read Across America”

On National Read-Across-America Day, March 2nd, I woke at 3:35 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I was too excited! I was about to read to students all across the country—an event I’d been working on for a year. If things went according to plan, I’d visit thirteen schools, each in a different state, all from my office (aka. dining room) in Libertyville, Illinois. I’d connect with a new school every half hour, from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm, spending twenty minutes with each group. As I put on my Cat-in-the-Hat hat that morning, I wondered what surprises, or technical glitches, awaited. Here’s how it went down. 

            The day kicked off with 118 enthusiastic fifth graders from Eaton Elementary (NC). As with all the schools, they’d prepared a message about reading for me to share with the next school. Eaton’s message was, “Get off the couch and read!” How awesome is that? I asked the class how many people they thought I’d talk to that day. The school with the closest guess would win a free box of autographed books. They estimated 1400. I have to admit, I was a little surprised their number was so high. I’d guessed only 375.

            At my next stop, King’s Academy (FL), I explained how a book is made using cool show-and-tells. I shared the original 5-page manuscript, the editor’s book dummy, the illustrator’s pencil sketches, his full-color paintings, the F & G, and the finished book complete with dust jacket. The students had lots of great questions. My favorite was, “Do you change the words in your stories a lot?” Although things were going well, one hour into my marathon event I realized I couldn’t sit all day, so I put my computer on a small chair on the table and did several visits standing up.            

            Next, I met some delightful first graders in the Bronx (NY). As I showed them a sloppy story I wrote in first grade, my dog woke from his nap. Using his keen doggy sense, he figured out I couldn’t leave my computer and began chewing my son’s shoe. I continued on and ended the visit by reading a first-grade favorite (and 2011 Teachers’ Choice award winner), WHAT’S NEW AT THE ZOO?.

            Then I headed over to New Jersey and New Hampshire, before winging west to Oregon. That’s when the inevitable happened. The teacher forgot about our different time zones and her students weren’t at school. So we rescheduled for later that afternoon. After a quick cereal break, I connected with football fanatics at Watwood Elementary (AL) who had a special message for the Bulldog fans at my next school, Little River Elementary, in Georgia, “Be a champion. Read!” After stopping by Strathmore Middle School (CA), I headed to Indiana to visit my hometown grade school where a TV camera was rolling. I moved on to Glendale Primary (OH) where my face became four feet tall on their gym wall. [Mental Note to me: Don’t forget to brush teeth before Skype visits!] 

            The biggest surprise was at Stroudsburg Elementary (PA) when I found 800 students waiting for me! They squealed with delight when they met my dog, Corduroy. My last stop was Eccles Elementary (OR). The class helped me read ANIMALS ARE SLEEPING, then gathered around my screen image for a group photo.

            When the day was over I was exhausted, but I couldn’t stop smiling. The students had shared so many inspiring messages such as, “Exercise your brain, read!” and “Reading opens all doors.” And, I was amazed to discover I’d talked to 1442 students! The event was full of surprises, and well worth the time I’d spent planning with teachers around the country. But the best part was seeing how much the children loved books, because that’s what Read-Across-America Day is all about! 

See Suzanne’s Books at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com,
check out her website at http://www.suzanneslade.com/Suzanne/Read.htm, or plan your own Skype visit with Suzanne at http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/page/Suzanne+Slade