FELIX revisited

a detail from a dummy page.

i have been working on a project i tentatively call FELIX. finished my entirely redone second version. i'm completely absorbed by my new approach to story telling: the strip form. i have been working on it for the last 3 or 4 years. it suits my personal rhythm and pacing. i can concentrate on what is so important to me: emotions. plus i have a great time working that way.

contract with charlesbridge

happy call from Linda yesterday: Charlesbridge wants to acquire my book, A VERY TINY BABY. I am thrilled. the image is a detail from the dummy. we will have to wait a long time for anything more final.
the story is told in a sort of journal/scrap book/ strip form. it originally stems from my experience as the mother of a very premature baby but surprisingly (to me!) much more from my experience as the 2 year old sister of a very premature brother. all the emotions a young child feels when a new baby comes along are there... with the extra drama of the baby's prematurity.

visit in Hamilton

fantastic visit to Hamilton yesterday. preK to 3rd graders. thank you to all my new friends for the invitation and especially to Melissa and Meredith.
here is the product of our team effort:

we started out with the preK and K classes and they requested a cat playing ball and having forgotten to wear his pants that morning:


on with the the 3rd graders who wanted a dancing Tyrannosaurus Rex, wearing dress, top hat and sneakers:


the 2nd graders requested a dragon reading a book on the ceiling! i almost asked for another suggestion on that one and then decided to stick with my rule: yes to first suggestion. no favoritism:


and the first grade came up with a dinosaur playing video games... i had to add the banana peel. (the inscription however was a request.)

working, working.

working hard. just not posting.
reviewing old ideas, redoing dummies, experimenting with drawing styles, discarding some, starting others...
fun, but hard to stay on track. a good talk with Linda always helps.

talk to literacy volunteers

On Tuesday morning, I gave a talk at the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY. I was speaking to a roomful of literacy volunteers. It was a wonderful experience. The volunteers are devoted to helping children who experience difficulties in reading. They will spend time in any local elementary school that need their help.
The whole group made me feel so special. When life becomes a bit roomier, I will consider joining them. This is definitely a cause I would embrace wholeheartedly!
My main theme during the talk was that learning to read is insufficient without the enjoyment of reading. I believe children's books can help build a life-long joy in reading.
Thank you to Shelly Shapiro (extreme right on picture) who is a truly dedicated person. Shelly showed me around the heart-braking and extraordinary Holocaust Memorial Center that she is also in charge of.

fritz update.

This is another try for possible finishes. Just a try. Fritz is ready to knock on doors.

visit to grafton elementary

My visit at Grafton Elementary was fantastic. Thank you Susan and kids for inviting me. You were all so well prepared. Your welcome was heart-warming and I had a great time. If I were a kid, I would register at your school!

What we created together:

a horse and a jaguar on a skateboard.


and a gorilla and a hedgehog hiking.

What a team we made!