tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229683548922614382024-02-21T09:21:56.504-08:00 Heather Dent's StudioA Space for Learning, Growth, and Creativityheatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-73623974805694170332018-11-27T14:05:00.004-08:002018-11-27T14:05:58.773-08:00Favorite Winter Picture Books!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Winter is such a magical time. Here are 11 of my favorite picture books with winter themes. I hope you'll enjoy! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5AnzbYhYbgjmVlGLHc4aywmYSPiwTbThvEKhfq1_qaetK6aked1tk_YyZq-PS1WcgcyNGsYaCXin5o4f3PrPLJJxFBhW6o-iOVLJe1uKXC-i6-B3w5WBMpf48LHWPhv9jf-mz3GkDn8/s1600/Winter+favorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5AnzbYhYbgjmVlGLHc4aywmYSPiwTbThvEKhfq1_qaetK6aked1tk_YyZq-PS1WcgcyNGsYaCXin5o4f3PrPLJJxFBhW6o-iOVLJe1uKXC-i6-B3w5WBMpf48LHWPhv9jf-mz3GkDn8/s1600/Winter+favorites.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-83476937996258029542018-03-11T15:45:00.000-07:002018-03-11T15:51:09.125-07:00Favorite Picture Books of 2017Out of the hundreds of 2017 picture books my son and I read these ones stood out the most. They are the books that made us laugh so hard Sam snorted milk out his nose. They are the books that spontaneously inspired profound discussions. They are the books with illustrations that took our breath away. So without further ado...here are the best of 2017.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcQDWewxf9ddwjpqoHLtQDx6x5AbrI2-xm4Xmxom001e61dQtZIYcLGYKsheuI1wxVRh_3mjD3h7MXeFNr7Wg7zfzwc5vm0iTkLtWkyUJbzUwlO5OSZqtwnmVoKN7qunGpVo8HuqfAYE/s1600/2017+favorites+of+6+year+old+son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcQDWewxf9ddwjpqoHLtQDx6x5AbrI2-xm4Xmxom001e61dQtZIYcLGYKsheuI1wxVRh_3mjD3h7MXeFNr7Wg7zfzwc5vm0iTkLtWkyUJbzUwlO5OSZqtwnmVoKN7qunGpVo8HuqfAYE/s640/2017+favorites+of+6+year+old+son.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sam’s Top 5
Favorite<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Tyranosaurus Rex vs. Edna – Douglas Rees and Jed Henry<o:p></o:p></div>
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Read the Book Lemmings! – Amy Dykman and Zachariah O-Hora<o:p></o:p></div>
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What the Dinosaurs Did at School – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Refe & Susan Tuma<o:p></o:p></div>
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Through the Window – Taro<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse – Mac Barnett, and Jon
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My Top 5 Favorite</b></div>
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Out of Wonder – Ekua Holmes – Kwame Alexander<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mighty Moby – Ed Young, Barbara Dacosta<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet – Carmen Agra Deedy
and Eugene Yelchin<o:p></o:p></div>
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Letters to a Prisoner – Jacques Goldstyn <o:p></o:p></div>
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The World is Not a Rectangle – Jeanette Winter <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-10876720390850946282018-03-03T06:08:00.000-08:002018-03-06T06:28:54.981-08:00An Anniversary IllustrationWhen Mae Suramek, entrepreneur and founder of <a href="http://www.noodlenirvanaky.com/">Noodle Nirvana</a>, approached me requesting an illustration for her parent's anniversary I responded with a very enthusiastic"YES"even though the deadline was only two weeks away which can to be tricky as a mother working a full time day job.<br />
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The day Mae sent me the photograph of her parents from the 1970's I knew instantly that this was going to be a fantastic illustration. The colors, the motion, the classic white suit and gorgeous flowered dress, and most of all their body language, a clear expression of love, tenderness, and joy, these factors combined provided the best subject material an artist could ask for. I couldn't wait to get started.<br />
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I began that very afternoon, bringing loose scraps of paper and a mechanical pencil to the park. As my 6 year old son played on the playground I drew. A young girl looked over my shoulder as I sketched and said, "That's good. Your good. Let me know when you're done so I can see how good it is." And then scampered off to join the others on the playground.<br />
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My favorite part of an illustration is when I get to decide on what colors I'm going to use. I spread pieces of scrapbook paper across the floor looking for the ones that jump out at me and beg to be included. I usually tend to go with more earthy and neutral tones, but this piece called for bolder and brighter colors. </div>
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Thank you Mae, for trusting me with this project. They were a gorgeous couple 46 years ago and they are a gorgeous couple now. It has been an honor. </div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-8467831624927853872018-02-14T12:07:00.000-08:002018-02-14T12:44:22.974-08:00Valentine's Day Literary Bracket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-e5VKuR7kVdw7TesZmIWiBW5VjzWwPkTr3LHHl4WLAux6RC3unc3EMPV1BLzwPMkKOz8hFJEAmtX_AJJQMVd18oFxqlifyeCT_cox7M9WgV24yHpnr3BZhvOyk5KfHvSA-0TEZ181zQ/s1600/Frog+and+Toad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="850" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-e5VKuR7kVdw7TesZmIWiBW5VjzWwPkTr3LHHl4WLAux6RC3unc3EMPV1BLzwPMkKOz8hFJEAmtX_AJJQMVd18oFxqlifyeCT_cox7M9WgV24yHpnr3BZhvOyk5KfHvSA-0TEZ181zQ/s640/Frog+and+Toad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Valentine's Day! It's been a long time since I created one of these brackets, so I decided to do one in honor of today. Since there are many different forms of love out there I focused on 4 different categories: siblings, guardians, friends, and colleagues/partners in crime. I left romantic relationships out of it seeing as they get enough attention already.<br />
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<b>Friends</b><br />
Frog &Toad - Frog & Toad<br />
Wilbur & Charlotte - Charlotte's Web<br />
Offred & Moira - The Handmaid's Tale<br />
Leisel & Rudy - The Book Theif<br />
Pooh & Piglet - Winnie the Pooh<br />
Diana Barry and Anne - Anne of Green Gables<br />
Ruth & Idgie - Fried Green Tomatoes<br />
Amir & Hassan - Kite Runner<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Guardians<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Jean Valjean & Cossette - Les Miserables<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mrs. Frisbee & Timothy - Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dodola & Zam - Habibi<o:p></o:p></div>
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Atticus Finch & Scout - To Kill a Mockingbird<o:p></o:p></div>
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Alana & Hazel - Saga<o:p></o:p></div>
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Myrtle & Zeek - The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg<o:p></o:p></div>
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Serious Black & Harry - Harry Potter<o:p></o:p></div>
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Man & Boy - The Road<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Siblings <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hazel & Fiver - Watership Down<o:p></o:p></div>
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Arthur & DW - Arthur</div>
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Jane & Elizabeth - Pride & Prejudice<o:p></o:p></div>
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Baudelaires - Series of Unfortunate Events<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jamie & Tyrion - Game of Thrones<o:p></o:p></div>
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Meg & Charles Wallace - A Wrinkle in Time<o:p></o:p></div>
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Josh & Jordan - The Crossover<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred & George - Harry Potter</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Partners in Crime<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b>Sherlock & Watson - Sherlock Holmes</div>
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George Milton & Lennie Small - Of Mice & Men<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frodo & Sam - Lord of the Rings<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rorschach & Nite Owl - Watchmen<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hamlet & Horatio - Hamlet<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don Quixote & Sancho - Don Quixote<o:p></o:p></div>
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Caveman & Zero - Holes<o:p></o:p></div>
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Calvin & Hobbes - Calvin & Hobbes<o:p></o:p></div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-13715936484078687972017-12-19T12:21:00.003-08:002017-12-19T12:23:54.788-08:00Favorite Reads from 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The time has come to recap! This was a great year for poetry and graphic novels for me, but I failed to read as much fiction so instead of splitting my favorites into genres as I usually do, I have chosen to feature the top 9 books that made a significant impact.<br />
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They are listed below in no particular order:<br />
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<i>Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation </i>- Becky Bailey<br />
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<i>Saga</i> - Brian Vaughn<br />
Fiona Staples<br />
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<i>Tell the Wolves I'm Home - </i>Carol Rifka Brunt<br />
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<i>When I Grow Up I Want to be a List of Further Possibilities - </i>Chen Chen<br />
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<i>Mother May I </i>- Tina Parker<br />
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<i>Out of Wonder - </i>Ekua Holms<br />
Kwame Alexander<br />
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<i>Where's Halmoni</i> - Julie Kim<br />
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<i>Maus </i>- Art Spiegelman<br />
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<i>Milk and Honey</i> - Rupi Kaur<br />
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What were your favorites of 2017?heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-54640781104960094802017-01-29T07:56:00.000-08:002017-01-29T07:59:23.555-08:00Picture Book Oscars of 2017What an excellent and wonderfully diverse year it's been for picture books! After reading hundreds of picture books from 2016 I am eager to celebrate my favorites and the favorites of my 5 year old son.<br />
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First category...</div>
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<b>Best Child Appeal (Based off my 5 year old's favorites)</b></div>
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The Not So Quiet Library – Zacharia O'Hora<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dragon Was Terrible – Kelly DiPucchio and Greg Pizzoli<o:p></o:p></div>
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Super Happy Magic Forest – Matty Long<o:p></o:p></div>
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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea – Ben Clanton<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ninja: Attack of the Clan – Arree Chung<o:p></o:p></div>
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And the winner is....</div>
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<b>Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea</b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Best Illustrators<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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There is a Tribe of Kids – Lane Smith<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Singing Bones – Shaun Tan<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Return – Aaron Becker<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
When Green Becomes
Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons – Julie Morstad<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Nutcracker – Niroot Puttapipat</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
And the Winner is...</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><b>When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons – Julie Morstad</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BPXKo5l5lblXXRAVqEV2I0wyLdwtQ4Hwy3Wg5o51MPG7-6pVtBeWIQKTUvJxC0VWANcwaYprgE-Tt3yeEsP-7cqSKY3f1NH0HF3nF4IzzYi27kQwSJQiwhzUffJzpTcsdS3IbAth_hM/s1600/9781596438521.IN02%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BPXKo5l5lblXXRAVqEV2I0wyLdwtQ4Hwy3Wg5o51MPG7-6pVtBeWIQKTUvJxC0VWANcwaYprgE-Tt3yeEsP-7cqSKY3f1NH0HF3nF4IzzYi27kQwSJQiwhzUffJzpTcsdS3IbAth_hM/s640/9781596438521.IN02%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Best Humor</b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
A Hungry Lion or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals – Lucy Ruth Cummins<o:p></o:p></div>
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Best Frints – Atoinette Portis<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Favorite Pets: by Gus W. for Ms. Smolinksi’s Class – Jeanne Birdsall and Harry Bliss<o:p></o:p></div>
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We Found a Hat – Jon Klassen<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Thank You Book – Mo Willems</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the winner is...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>We Found a Hat - Jon Klassen</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIqGCB1owjkj39Fq-_C9w052wXXJ4HeAoFi53Q6KXdgkGQwHqqyc0DKakDNA-dSnuw1n8ME1Yj0Pc3utrM0Fd9hJvkihECAGe-or9SqDz9znoM7Qa-5HLjbmQRPQ4HJ7RKgVF_s_8V44/s1600/41432Gx6GKL._SX366_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIqGCB1owjkj39Fq-_C9w052wXXJ4HeAoFi53Q6KXdgkGQwHqqyc0DKakDNA-dSnuw1n8ME1Yj0Pc3utrM0Fd9hJvkihECAGe-or9SqDz9znoM7Qa-5HLjbmQRPQ4HJ7RKgVF_s_8V44/s640/41432Gx6GKL._SX366_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Best Male Protagonist<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Thunder Boy Jr.
(Lightning) from "Thunder Boy Jr.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Inspector Flytrap from "Inspetor Flytrap"<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Oskar from "The Not So Quiet Library"<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dogman from "Dogman"<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dennis from "Be a Friend"<br />
<br />
And the Winner is...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thunder Boy Jr. also known as Lightning!!!</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWplQUMa_p2pBDBwdABDfWCQP0RfnpPmiWvGQyHeLfZlp2-1GI9VGZubynUbOgsLsxfMVOcfxXnedMy8v8GjdUijKKiNPwyB0t-nXhKrsC8ZgMTf-aku2d55QjX06H4aOQyeTv7d6BUCc/s1600/lightning_wide-323f232619f190a63c59ab95bd7edf4f6dc99f22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWplQUMa_p2pBDBwdABDfWCQP0RfnpPmiWvGQyHeLfZlp2-1GI9VGZubynUbOgsLsxfMVOcfxXnedMy8v8GjdUijKKiNPwyB0t-nXhKrsC8ZgMTf-aku2d55QjX06H4aOQyeTv7d6BUCc/s640/lightning_wide-323f232619f190a63c59ab95bd7edf4f6dc99f22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Best Female
Protagonist<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Little Red from "Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion"<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Flora from "Flora and the Peacocks"<o:p></o:p></div>
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Roz from "The Wild Robot" <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Little Dee from "Little Dee and the Penguin"<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Blanche from"Blanche Hates the Night"<o:p></o:p></div>
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And the winner is...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Little Red!!!</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTyo_ybzNGcG5n2AnfrsC7VCw0ZoB6kujjxZQZvWS86YYzkR78OCuzaTpiLul9p6OM2FIMw8SkQ7JEYwFUcd1GxarKgJQIcGkDCpWN2aLfebW279mpdaJ-IGiNyDlOl7Bn88pVeQHMdE/s1600/15372079._SX540_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTyo_ybzNGcG5n2AnfrsC7VCw0ZoB6kujjxZQZvWS86YYzkR78OCuzaTpiLul9p6OM2FIMw8SkQ7JEYwFUcd1GxarKgJQIcGkDCpWN2aLfebW279mpdaJ-IGiNyDlOl7Bn88pVeQHMdE/s640/15372079._SX540_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Best Nonfiction<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Secret Subway – Shana Corey and Red Nose Studio<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beetle is Shy – Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Animals by the
Numbers – Steve Jenkins<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Are You an Echo? – The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-soaking Stream of
Inventions – Chris Barton and Don Tate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
And the winner is...</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Animals by the Numbers – Steve Jenkins</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o8Hx3GgYF5DiyYSMExgQXEHVDDpW2nhXZv1kuv6GnRzGY-PIk0sV84WxpHDejEp9pv3a7731UirQtLPV3365ybQ7AXzgYJMsfPhxNaJepQitUVk1Ks1D2WpT1AFBqXBZ-R33pMz7aTs/s1600/51dVonRtPrL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o8Hx3GgYF5DiyYSMExgQXEHVDDpW2nhXZv1kuv6GnRzGY-PIk0sV84WxpHDejEp9pv3a7731UirQtLPV3365ybQ7AXzgYJMsfPhxNaJepQitUVk1Ks1D2WpT1AFBqXBZ-R33pMz7aTs/s640/51dVonRtPrL.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Best Fiction</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
School’s First Day of School – Adam Rex and Christian
Robinson<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Not So Quiet
Library – Zacharia OHora<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
They all Saw a Cat - Brendan Wenzel<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
We Found a Hat – Jon Klassen<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Return – Aaron Becker<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
And the winner is...</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The NOT so Quiet Library!!!</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkF5RnXxHzElhInbj98rwmyI8If52yz28oEWXT-K9S9fp0vhByus0VkCIprTZr23Mupxro6ZxFi1utjMMvvCITEXw4efRNbJDEdAfvl3R7X3cozb_p6oIg_Tc-MnmePvuDiQUx3VENYc/s1600/61iUHFihukL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkF5RnXxHzElhInbj98rwmyI8If52yz28oEWXT-K9S9fp0vhByus0VkCIprTZr23Mupxro6ZxFi1utjMMvvCITEXw4efRNbJDEdAfvl3R7X3cozb_p6oIg_Tc-MnmePvuDiQUx3VENYc/s640/61iUHFihukL.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: start;">
And finally here is the list of honorable mentions...<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Hueys: What’s the Opposite – Oliver Jeffers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
A Family is a Family is a Family – Sara O’Leary and Qin
Leng<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Cookie Fiasco – Dan Santat<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Airport Book – Lisa Brown<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Playground – Mies Van Hout<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Swap – Steve Light<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting - Michelle Robinson<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Silly Wonderful You – Sherri Duskey Rinker and Patrick
McDonnel<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Coyote – Maria Gianferrari and Bagram Ibatoulline<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
So many fantastic books. If you have any other recommendations for me of books I might have missed please let me know! I would love to read them. </div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-6465326933600091902016-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:002016-12-23T19:02:24.694-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGOyAu3_ZDR5EQKL7Zfu5sabB1-RoKZTSfnI2dNfgpODmuXOy_m8F4yuZNb_h0G7USJ5fgkgcxjdZ5NAQJAmxNLG4Z6v01_scrC1QDZ06-KoDyocw97hUSKkxrfle48ppmPD-WnYd51Y/s1600/2016+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGOyAu3_ZDR5EQKL7Zfu5sabB1-RoKZTSfnI2dNfgpODmuXOy_m8F4yuZNb_h0G7USJ5fgkgcxjdZ5NAQJAmxNLG4Z6v01_scrC1QDZ06-KoDyocw97hUSKkxrfle48ppmPD-WnYd51Y/s1600/2016+books.png" /></a></div>
<b>Graphic Novels </b><br />
Total: 31<br />
<br />
Favorites<br />
1. 100 Bullet Series - Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso<br />
2. Blue is the Warmest Color - Julie Maroh<br />
3. Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol<br />
<br />
<b>Fiction</b><br />
Total: 9<br />
<br />
Favorites<br />
1. Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman<br />
2. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood<br />
3. Birds of Opulence - Crystal Wilkinson<br />
<br />
<b>Nonfiction/Poetry</b><br />
Total: 7<br />
<br />
Favorites<br />
1. Singing Bones - Shaun Tan<br />
2. Nearly Perfect Photograph - Chris McCurry<br />
3. When Green Becomes Tomatoes - Julie Fogliano and Julie Morstad<br />
<br />
<b>Juvenile Fiction</b><br />
Total: 7<br />
<br />
Favorites<br />
1. Winnie the Pooh - A. A. Milne<br />
2. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Louis Sachar</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Coraline - Neil Gaiman</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-34261443904498910662016-05-21T15:16:00.000-07:002016-05-21T15:16:34.669-07:00Graphic Design is Tough Work!Whew! I can't believe my last blog post was all the way back in March! I've been crazy busy over the past couple of months. For those of you who may not know, I joined a nonprofit organization called Grow Appalachia as an Americorps member. We're working on this terrific project called Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Our goal is to provide free meals and fun educational activities to kids in Berea all summer long.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One thing that I really appreciate about Grow Appalachia is that they value my skills as an artist. My first week on board they put me to work designing a new logo for SFSP. After several sketches I finally came up with the idea to do a silhouette of children marching in a parade since our motto for this program is "Your Summer Vacation Destination!" </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBQw4oxE521FEnuweTw8asISzkJvkik18b3sDkuY79PtfNaNUpNaRRJ3y3s5rtgaXgBpT5i9qiwsZ46Yl5t_n7Rb03w0gzWIQzypX-mkhSrV-3s0EfZJmMT2hf6DSPCoVnJC3rbsd_T8/s1600/Summer+Feeding+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBQw4oxE521FEnuweTw8asISzkJvkik18b3sDkuY79PtfNaNUpNaRRJ3y3s5rtgaXgBpT5i9qiwsZ46Yl5t_n7Rb03w0gzWIQzypX-mkhSrV-3s0EfZJmMT2hf6DSPCoVnJC3rbsd_T8/s640/Summer+Feeding+Logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROkxfekF8FmFqcjOhXMJbYN7gegVvNaoSGu3KMKMFOfpMpq-fSlOhKU7t2jtbJnsuBSxqcsZ0k-Rx2CdQ1VD2D4X033y1abVDpAfSXzCBqThXDPt3vh_xzXYfzRpHGbphuNOVgjmoyGY/s1600/White+SFSP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROkxfekF8FmFqcjOhXMJbYN7gegVvNaoSGu3KMKMFOfpMpq-fSlOhKU7t2jtbJnsuBSxqcsZ0k-Rx2CdQ1VD2D4X033y1abVDpAfSXzCBqThXDPt3vh_xzXYfzRpHGbphuNOVgjmoyGY/s640/White+SFSP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
After designing the logo I jumped right in to designing flyers and banners and signs to help spread the word about SFSP. For the first time ever I feel like a legit graphic designer, and let me tell you what! It is tough work! I had to make draft after draft after draft for every task at hand. The flyer was especially difficult because it required me to condense a ton of information on a single 8x11 page format.</div>
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I've also made plenty of mistakes. For example, I accidentally sent the wrong draft of the SFSP flyer to Berea Printing Services and spent over $90 of Grow Appalachia's money to print hundreds of copies of the wrong flyer! That was a rough day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBpcapy-BK1pDWkDdam82dD8PP_Lfe95aadtuw0jaqlbS_G8hK5ThUXPiebESPqYabYPBFln78FZWM_Jz-QN6QmUw0TPGraoBiz5Cp8r21VjOARftfEJ_qIavdn0zUVhiStbKa0TpC1E/s1600/Banner+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBpcapy-BK1pDWkDdam82dD8PP_Lfe95aadtuw0jaqlbS_G8hK5ThUXPiebESPqYabYPBFln78FZWM_Jz-QN6QmUw0TPGraoBiz5Cp8r21VjOARftfEJ_qIavdn0zUVhiStbKa0TpC1E/s640/Banner+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I may have learned some hard lessons on this job, but every bit was worth it. My knowledge about graphic design and Photoshop has tripled since I started working here. I made myself learn tons of little technical quirks that I've avoided for a long time, like making transparent backgrounds and enlarging images for printing huge banners and posters. All things that will help me in the future as a free lance illustrator. </div>
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Anyways I just wanted to give a big shout out to my fellow co-workers at Grow Appalachia. Their encouragement and constructive criticism helped make my work the best it could possibly be. I've learned so much and I am incredibly grateful for this experience. </div>
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I'm so excited for next week when we actually start providing meals and activities to kids all throughout Berea! </div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-53810123524512392322016-03-16T09:19:00.001-07:002016-03-16T13:26:33.379-07:00Bookish RomanceIt's been ages since I wrote any poetry, but being surrounded by friends who write poems has inspired me to take it up again. Here's one for my husband, Keith.<br />
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Bookish Romance</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You loved books about sports.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I loved books about animals.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You read Hardy Boys.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I read American Girls.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You thought you were a nerd for reading each Harry Potter book twice?</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Well I read them thrice.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">In your courtship letters,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Your summer reading included:</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">No Country for Old Men</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">On the Road</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Shipping News.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">That was sexy. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You loved the Great Gatsby in high school.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I did not.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You read Jane Eyre for me.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I read Slaughterhouse-Five for you.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Now I read poetry.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">And you,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">economic text books.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I prefer audiobooks.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You prefer paperbacks.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You read obsessively.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I read consistently.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Sitting side by side at the airport,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You reading Agatha Christie,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Me reading John Steinbeck,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I think to myself,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This is what love looks like.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VGjPHu1CwhW4IIR7pBdFDE9EqM-WbXDoBpgiBabXLu3R9_i1XW3X2knD6oqUFlwzzDde8KQvAJP7N1MGTnoULeODWnSeW7Pnc4CDhzXbSJiElxn24feSpsy-7f5_s2AnR1zyystHq8/s1600/10641086_10152376707258008_3143694276386030604_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VGjPHu1CwhW4IIR7pBdFDE9EqM-WbXDoBpgiBabXLu3R9_i1XW3X2knD6oqUFlwzzDde8KQvAJP7N1MGTnoULeODWnSeW7Pnc4CDhzXbSJiElxn24feSpsy-7f5_s2AnR1zyystHq8/s640/10641086_10152376707258008_3143694276386030604_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-37933873510137490712016-02-19T06:42:00.001-08:002016-02-19T06:51:53.328-08:00A Peek into the ProcessTask - To draw an illustration for client's upcoming website where he will review music, movies, sports, comics, and television.<br />
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Sketch #1 - Nope! Too cool. Too in control. More chaos!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6IGijsQGVcuqRimL8b8YR2a8ssb2v9gr-BkfAEUtLZMN55fLam8LYZQzEwBcW7_mEehoAAcyVbgN15HYDl6VZs58QnpnglOK6tDAQNQv4aU2f6yVrFFQkg_mjUyFZ3k8aZUEsx2F0-Q/s1600/10708128_10153394253868008_293918955_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6IGijsQGVcuqRimL8b8YR2a8ssb2v9gr-BkfAEUtLZMN55fLam8LYZQzEwBcW7_mEehoAAcyVbgN15HYDl6VZs58QnpnglOK6tDAQNQv4aU2f6yVrFFQkg_mjUyFZ3k8aZUEsx2F0-Q/s400/10708128_10153394253868008_293918955_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Sketch #2 - Blah! Doesn't look at all like the client and too boring!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrE9BSQa1uhjK23uJtqO5Bw4XVuJO4t-m5sibRYRq3zP2HZpgy3AGpo5GJSlzKEtdjbmDDDAmJ5a2qzX7gDGjiatnuKfWqOC0xcPbytEtgXiprIbEjNcgfFkjdtXKnnMgldL9m9oTRXM/s1600/12516286_10153394678083008_81308943_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrE9BSQa1uhjK23uJtqO5Bw4XVuJO4t-m5sibRYRq3zP2HZpgy3AGpo5GJSlzKEtdjbmDDDAmJ5a2qzX7gDGjiatnuKfWqOC0xcPbytEtgXiprIbEjNcgfFkjdtXKnnMgldL9m9oTRXM/s400/12516286_10153394678083008_81308943_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sketch # 3 - Bingo!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTwTUve8Her1LHDA2raZh3JnDD88d5ltep62YY086xH5s1Zt70UxUcWhITamPctOzhHTu8XodVWe4v-0xB7t4PMn9TZ5agAguln9yGrD1PjB22RYtBQ1R3ySO9d8In5at83q-Z_yJ8Ps/s1600/12696295_10153395893458008_1440133729_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTwTUve8Her1LHDA2raZh3JnDD88d5ltep62YY086xH5s1Zt70UxUcWhITamPctOzhHTu8XodVWe4v-0xB7t4PMn9TZ5agAguln9yGrD1PjB22RYtBQ1R3ySO9d8In5at83q-Z_yJ8Ps/s400/12696295_10153395893458008_1440133729_n-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now for the fun part. Outlining by hand with with black marker.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVWUrEMior3o1LGpTQi2j9e1z39GqvAbqJE28xHyzeruv6c8HmekQoD0IrTYF2GL36Qes4eHXGKZ_mp803SxtdMgbxbc8gOlp9OgFbGAxUfIBVSU1ICLz5CszVIzV2HJV2IbVE579-6k/s1600/DSC07999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVWUrEMior3o1LGpTQi2j9e1z39GqvAbqJE28xHyzeruv6c8HmekQoD0IrTYF2GL36Qes4eHXGKZ_mp803SxtdMgbxbc8gOlp9OgFbGAxUfIBVSU1ICLz5CszVIzV2HJV2IbVE579-6k/s400/DSC07999.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally it's time to bring it to life with colors! This is done in Photoshop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoZejIe_SAEbqFbZKfahHuW3vM450lJcfECSYRm5BrVXv9pKBkVoJ64gyGhmjaCvorNqXYhl4x0eoc2_dhkXL0hZDd3XMfA5kAoS34k2pNacbI81kefnYhr0nYGhp2K2nA3KZUMZEVF4/s1600/Dillweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoZejIe_SAEbqFbZKfahHuW3vM450lJcfECSYRm5BrVXv9pKBkVoJ64gyGhmjaCvorNqXYhl4x0eoc2_dhkXL0hZDd3XMfA5kAoS34k2pNacbI81kefnYhr0nYGhp2K2nA3KZUMZEVF4/s640/Dillweed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And there you have it! Illustration complete.</div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-53144684115533663932016-02-08T16:03:00.001-08:002016-02-08T16:03:43.365-08:00Susanna Hill's Valentiny Writing Contest!I am participating in one of Susanna Hill's fabulous writing contests. This year the theme is "Grumpy" and entries must be under 214 words. The deadline is February 12th and I strongly encourage everyone to participate or at least go and read some of the other wonderful entires. You can join in the fun by visiting <a href="http://susannahill.com/2016/02/08/be-still-my-heart-the-1st-annual-valentiny-writing-contest-is-here/">here</a>. <div>
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<div>
And now without further ado I give you my story.<div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Walrus and Penguin </b>(207 words)</div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hmmmph!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
What’s wrong Walrus?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I’m grumpy.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I just am.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Aww don’t be grumpy! I bet I can make you smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Bet you can’t.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Bet I can! I am a 1,000,000% sure I can make you smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>You mean 100%. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Nope! 1,000,000%! I'm gonna make you smile if it’s the last
thing I do! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hmmph.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Plan A</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Knock knock!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Who’s there?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Walrus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<i>Walrus who?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Walrus Poo! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>That’s not funny.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Plan B</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Look! A puppy! Ain’t he cute? Tell me he’s not the cutest
thing you’ve ever seen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>He’s not the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Shhh! You'll hurt his feelings! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Plan C</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Tra la la la la! What a beautiful day! I sure hope I don’t
slip on this banana peel...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Aghhh! THUD!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Ow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>Plan D</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Ta-da! I made you banana cream pie! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I don't like banana cream. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
YOU DON'T LIKE BANANA CREAM?!!! Unbelievable! That's it!
You'll never smile again! You're going to be grumpy FOREVER!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>SPLAT!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Did you just throw that banana cream pie at my face? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hehe...maybe.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
You're smiling right now aren't you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Yes.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Ha Ha! I did it! You're smiling! You’re finally smiling! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Okay okay. Don’t rub it in.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Mmmm! This banana cream pie is delicious! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hey Penguin?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Yes?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Thank you.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
You’re welcome. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>
heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-65455748664559539992016-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:002016-02-02T14:35:26.818-08:004 Reasons Why EVERYONE Should Read Graphic Novels <div class="p1">
<span class="s1">"Oh this is the nerd section."said a mother to her 5 year-old daughter heading toward the graphic novel section in the library. </span>She then steered her away to what she deemed more suitable reading material.<span class="s1"> This is just one of many random comments I overheard that dismiss graphic novels and comic books as a lesser form of literature. </span>Our society seems regard them as dumbed down books full of violence, sexual objectification of women, and unrealistically buff, caucasian men running around in capes.</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfvzk3UwJIj-Z92kYYwB11Fqyn1lldAS5cE3QNnz_DDbI8s_fFgM9pQIJz7Poujbk__XTzMepyIT_BapQ1GJQzy_wYGQ7nKUS_bFxW4CZnaoQQFplK2cMmMwd75_PJ57xZjSguEklP-c/s1600/Scott-McCloud-Understanding-Comics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfvzk3UwJIj-Z92kYYwB11Fqyn1lldAS5cE3QNnz_DDbI8s_fFgM9pQIJz7Poujbk__XTzMepyIT_BapQ1GJQzy_wYGQ7nKUS_bFxW4CZnaoQQFplK2cMmMwd75_PJ57xZjSguEklP-c/s640/Scott-McCloud-Understanding-Comics.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Image from Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics"</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Please do yourselves a favor and don’t fall for those stupid oversimplified labels. GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE AWESOME! They are complex, diverse, severely underrated works of art and they deserve a chance, not just from kids, but from EVERYONE! One of my biggest regrets is that I spent the first 23 years of my life snubbing graphic novels. If it wasn't my for an my friend, <a href="http://www.maryuhles.com/">Mary Uhles</a>, who introduced me to my first graphic novel, I may never have discovered the remarkable world of Scott McCloud, Craig Thompson, Jillian Tamaki, and hundreds of other brilliant authors and illustrators. I've been reading them like crazy ever since trying to make up for lost time. The world of graphic novels is bigger and better than ever and it’s time people started taking advantage of it. Here are 4 reasons why you need to get yourself to the nearest bookstore/library and start reading a graphic novel TODAY! </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>1. Visuals Help you Retain Information</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b> </b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Just think about it. Teachers have long used pictures, graphs, maps, and visual demonstrations to help their students retain information. Not only do visuals catch people’s attention, it leaves an imprint. Graphic novels do the same thing.There are tons of informative nonfiction graphic novels out there that allow the readers to digest information on a level that text alone cannot achieve.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>2. They are Fast Paced</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I guarantee that you will read more if you start reading graphic novels. They are the kind of books that keep you up till 4 in the morning because you simply can’t put them down. I usually struggle to stay awake past the first two pages when reading a regular novel at night, but graphic novels are a whole different story! They pull you in. They carry you at a pace unmatched by other all genres. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>3. They Exercise the Brain in Different Ways</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">When reading graphic novels we learn to pay attention to detail, drawing from visual cues to deduce information not given in the text. You have to learn how to interpret pictures as well as the text. It is a highly participatory form of reading that calls both the right and the left side of your brain to action.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>4. They Encourage Empathy</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Pictures can be incredibly powerful tools in helping you crawl inside character’s skin and feel what they are feeling. There’s something about visually seeing a look on someone’s face or the posture in their shoulders that impact you more powerfully than words can. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I’m not trying to say that graphic novels are better than other forms of literature. That’s not what this post is about. I’m just saying the graphic novels are a totally legitimate and can be remarkable assets to your personal library. Diversity is good. When you avoid graphic novels because they’re in “the nerd section” you are limiting yourself. You’re missing out on a wonderfully unique and magical experience. Don’t do that. Give yourself permission to try something new. Read a graphic novel. I promise you won't regret it!</span></div>
heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-85108686345522022042016-01-13T09:36:00.000-08:002016-01-13T09:36:07.450-08:00Picture Book Oscars of 2016It's award season! The ALSC Book awards were announced last Monday (Congratulations Christian Robinson and Matt de la Pena for creating the first picture book to ever win a Newbery medal!) The Golden Globes were were last weekend, and Oscar nominations come out tomorrow! In the spirit of the season I am hosting my own Picture Book Oscars, and idea inspired by <a href="http://coreyschwartz.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-2014-picture-book-oscars.html">Corey Rosen Schwartz</a>, that is just too fun to resist, especially for a picture book enthusiast such as myself.<br />
<br />
First Category...<br />
<br />
<b>Best Kid Appeal (Based off my 4 year-old son's favorites)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! - Todd Tarpley and John Rocco</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I’m Trying to Love Spiders - Bethany Barton</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Samurai Santa - Rubin Pingk</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">There was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight - Penny Klostermann and Ben Mantle</span></div>
<div class="p1">
I Thought this was a Bear Book - Tara Lazar and Benji Davies</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
And the winner is...</div>
<div class="p1">
<b> I Thought this was a Bear Book!!!</b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd56NTsM3N42Bdr1sjLIcV1rL-Rnfih476i-r7FrnZl2hUUpoVSmrOCENhfL224Xvgy56Ll3MrMhB-6VOLR42Ux5QNaWHyzRgVgAmagaM1IkkChrryf44Vp3Z2o-GAlV1pmnnVwC0tYA/s1600/i-thought-this-was-a-bear-book-9781442463073.in03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd56NTsM3N42Bdr1sjLIcV1rL-Rnfih476i-r7FrnZl2hUUpoVSmrOCENhfL224Xvgy56Ll3MrMhB-6VOLR42Ux5QNaWHyzRgVgAmagaM1IkkChrryf44Vp3Z2o-GAlV1pmnnVwC0tYA/s640/i-thought-this-was-a-bear-book-9781442463073.in03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Best Illustrators</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Joseph Kuefler for “Beyond the Pond”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Brendan Wenzel for “Beastly Babies”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Julie Morstad for “This is Sadie”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2">Rafael Lopez for “Drum Dream Girl”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Ekua Holmes for “Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hammer”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">And the winner is...</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b>Rafael Lopez!!!</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24OV9lPKoSUpoI2eXPqghRTxiJ2PY6tzdtBZD18jYRtSXss6GHUGeGaKEsGqhXUL54LulHxP3yFerlZ6XUYuO23sYrSn6OmME-XQMAriV1gT6v6UlzgME9WZm6zcJJbYe-b3SxI4xILc/s1600/DrumDreamGirl_Part15-1024x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24OV9lPKoSUpoI2eXPqghRTxiJ2PY6tzdtBZD18jYRtSXss6GHUGeGaKEsGqhXUL54LulHxP3yFerlZ6XUYuO23sYrSn6OmME-XQMAriV1gT6v6UlzgME9WZm6zcJJbYe-b3SxI4xILc/s640/DrumDreamGirl_Part15-1024x640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Best Male Character</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Dewey Bob from “Dewey Bob”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Dragon from “There was an Old Dragon who Swallowed a Knight”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2">Leo the Ghost from “Leo the Ghost"</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Boy from “Wait”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Little Gardener from “The Little Gardener"</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">And the Winner is...</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b>Leo the Ghost!!!</b></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkmG0RJkjGKzWvOMcVLPxbP8zL-fR7fhEIS4VHTZ8tPB2qauWL9Pv7ctdcGbVIGtcc2dx6ot9sMsTFt7i9kYGeb13BWx5ZVjAaZ2foW2JByqHuY1L56o15pqSPbne_ioTfWBMNlXf-DY/s1600/Leo_Int-31-680x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkmG0RJkjGKzWvOMcVLPxbP8zL-fR7fhEIS4VHTZ8tPB2qauWL9Pv7ctdcGbVIGtcc2dx6ot9sMsTFt7i9kYGeb13BWx5ZVjAaZ2foW2JByqHuY1L56o15pqSPbne_ioTfWBMNlXf-DY/s640/Leo_Int-31-680x450.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Best Female Character </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Sadie for “This is Sadie”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2">Girl in Red Coat for "Sidewalk Flowers"</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mei for “Noodle Magic”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Sonya for “Sonya’s Chickens”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Bernice for “Bernice Gets Carried Away”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">And the winner is...</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Girl in Red Coat!!!</b></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbZPntYNOX2lmPQ7e9bd5iXXN4eFFv4KTdAeEpVeo_71M4uzU5Fb_nfAQpGFBnWcP9lV0qvCYtXN_hn-ZEusnqiAp5dADoWPFidsL_hcQmYwijYc5eEWJWxdG5shlTXY7VMUUklplmsg/s1600/sidewalkflowers4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbZPntYNOX2lmPQ7e9bd5iXXN4eFFv4KTdAeEpVeo_71M4uzU5Fb_nfAQpGFBnWcP9lV0qvCYtXN_hn-ZEusnqiAp5dADoWPFidsL_hcQmYwijYc5eEWJWxdG5shlTXY7VMUUklplmsg/s640/sidewalkflowers4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><b>Best Nonfiction Picture Book</b></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore - Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2">The Blue Whale - Jenni Desmond</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Water is Water - Miranda Paul and Jason Chin</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">A Nest is Noisy - Dianne Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1">
</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I’m Trying to Love Spiders - Bethany Barton</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
And the Winner is...</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Blue Whale!!!</b></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUGuX016GqgwX25fiiC-gzQHKD8ar7n3Ef94sZd2xoymBjamxXyRnWY0GtivNg63Upw-SYVfRnYhGuUQUMoZcQ55gbYNjXf_u33jZU53jHVb2kJayzhl454ie5le35E-SihsFYT5sX2g/s1600/BlueWhale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUGuX016GqgwX25fiiC-gzQHKD8ar7n3Ef94sZd2xoymBjamxXyRnWY0GtivNg63Upw-SYVfRnYhGuUQUMoZcQ55gbYNjXf_u33jZU53jHVb2kJayzhl454ie5le35E-SihsFYT5sX2g/s640/BlueWhale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And finally...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Best Fiction</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Noodle Magic - Roseanne Greenfield Thong and Meilo So</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Beastly Babies - Ellen Jackson and Brendan Wenzel</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s2">Sidewalk Flowers - Jon Arno Lawson and Sydney Smith</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">There was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight - Penny Klostermann and Ben Mantle</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Night World - Mordicai Gerstein </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">And the winner is...</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b>Sidewalk Flowers!!!</b></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX6u1zot7b9jjl-WwF_XygGhHhSIbQpvrP1g9d-7OB1bS_vDNo8R4snObgTYtZlpJO9J4DCmURAlj2RqkjVYja3x5pnFnkwTpdE8FmN5Spn76YjguMTtTVlvp4yEEPxwrMNCKpQvjQfA/s1600/9781554984312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX6u1zot7b9jjl-WwF_XygGhHhSIbQpvrP1g9d-7OB1bS_vDNo8R4snObgTYtZlpJO9J4DCmURAlj2RqkjVYja3x5pnFnkwTpdE8FmN5Spn76YjguMTtTVlvp4yEEPxwrMNCKpQvjQfA/s640/9781554984312.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
Congratulations to all the winners! It's been a fantastic year for picture books. Thanks for joining me.</div>
heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-63196869399643831632015-11-25T06:35:00.000-08:002015-11-25T06:37:23.499-08:00Who Would You Like to Have Thanksgiving Dinner With?In the spirit of Thanksgiving I have put together a bracket of my favorite families from books, movies and tv shows to determine which family I would most want to spend Thanksgiving with. For me the winner is...the Gilbreths from the book "Cheaper By the Dozen." Who would you most want to break bread with on Thanksgiving day?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Categories</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Television</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Weirs - Freaks and Geeks</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Bluths - Arrested Development</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Starks - Game of Thrones</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Hills - King of the Hill</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Belchers - Bob’s Burgers</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Pritchetts- Modern Family</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Sopranos - Sopranos</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Crawleys - Downton Abbey</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Literary</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Dashwoods - Sense and Sensibility</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Joads - Grapes of Wrath </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Bells - The Crossover</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Cratchits - A Christmas Carol</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Finches - To Kill a Mockingbird</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Gilbreths - Cheaper by the Dozen</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Marches - Little Women</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Boatwrights - The Secret Life of Bees</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Cinematic</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Portokalos - My Big Fat Greek Wedding</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Tenenbaums - The Royal Tenenbaums</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Von Trapps - Sound of Music</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Sycamores - You Can’t Take it With You</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Hoovers - Little Miss Sunshine</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Corleones - The Godfather</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Grants - Nebraska</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Orefice - Life is Beautiful</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Childhood Favorites</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Weasleys - Harry Potter</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Ingalls - Little House on the Prairie</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Buckets - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Darlings - Peter Pan</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Incredibles - The Incredibles</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Burns - Rescue Bots</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Kusakabes - My Neighbor Totoro</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Robinsons - Swiss Family Robinson</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b>Bracket</b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUqM3XB9sq_pNyYODM7bR_gSOVr7NAR-Fl09eVHH4IDr_Q4_p53pEaVvBi9_JD4rclhj6ddvJbiD6aZyf_0cPSRBBvrXv-Xk3rQWgIZdS57WQTYGJefeR26y4xBuqT9NpVC9oXZ0crsI/s1600/Family+Bracket.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUqM3XB9sq_pNyYODM7bR_gSOVr7NAR-Fl09eVHH4IDr_Q4_p53pEaVvBi9_JD4rclhj6ddvJbiD6aZyf_0cPSRBBvrXv-Xk3rQWgIZdS57WQTYGJefeR26y4xBuqT9NpVC9oXZ0crsI/s640/Family+Bracket.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-41308490195898460282015-11-13T07:57:00.000-08:002015-11-13T08:29:31.936-08:00RoxaboxenToday I want to talk about a very special book.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ykRMUgAmBHId-d9z66pASh2gswq3Ea_WRogcKJhcXaUqXJeA7uDVkm7RR2AMDFe4ZAOy3dZaBN3HZVboG6F-PTKO1aSw-kzd1ZCwKZ91DbZkCvewsV-akw2RBtpSJ00YE8VLlf7YCQ/s1600/51TymjJl2DL._SY398_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ykRMUgAmBHId-d9z66pASh2gswq3Ea_WRogcKJhcXaUqXJeA7uDVkm7RR2AMDFe4ZAOy3dZaBN3HZVboG6F-PTKO1aSw-kzd1ZCwKZ91DbZkCvewsV-akw2RBtpSJ00YE8VLlf7YCQ/s400/51TymjJl2DL._SY398_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Title: </b>Roxaboxen<br />
<br />
<b>Author: </b>Alice McLerran<br />
<br />
<b>Illustrator: </b>Barbara Cooney<br />
<br />
<b>Ages: </b>4-7<br />
<br />
<b>Opening: </b>Marion called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.)<br />
<br />
<b>What it's About: </b>A group of kids discover a piece of land covered in rocks, cactus, and old wooden boxes and then turn it in to their own magical world.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Why I LOVE this Book:</b> Some of my fondest memories from when I was a little girl include exploring outside, finding a special place, and making it my own. My friends and I used to gather juniper berries, Strip bark from the trees for bacon, and create little campfire pits. We would spend full afternoons in these places, pretending to be orphans, pioneers, native americans, etc. It was bliss. So when I discovered this book that captured so well that magical world of untethered childhood play I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. I couldn't wait to go home and read it to my own 4 year old son.<br />
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<b>Create Your Own Roxaboxen</b><br />
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<b>1.</b> Hook up with a buddy or group of friends. These sorts of adventures are far more fun if you have a team to share them with. Each child bring new ideas to the table and it's wonderful to watch them learn to work together.<br />
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<b>2. </b>Find a special place, it could be in your very own back yard, or where you can immerse yourself in nature and let creativity run uninterrupted.<br />
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<b>3. </b>It's okay to bring supplies from your house. Empty flower pots, yarn, boxes, cloth, all these things can be useful when creating your own special place.<br />
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<b>4. </b>Utilize nature's resources! Gather sticks to make fences. Collect wild berries, leaves, and bark for food. Nature is full of potential tools and elements for pretend.<br />
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<b>5. </b>Step back and allow the kids to do the work. As parents I know it's tempting at times to take over, but it's so important to allow the kids the freedom to come up with their own ideas and carry them out themselves. Help them if they ask for it, and throw out ideas if they are having trouble coming up with their own, but let this be their place, not yours.<br />
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<b>6. </b>Have fun!<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-65983451758239173652015-11-06T08:09:00.000-08:002015-11-06T08:11:06.161-08:00The Best Picture Books Of All Time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy National Picture Book Month! I am so happy to discover there is a whole 30 days devoted to celebrating the world I've immersed myself in for the past 3 years. Picture books are my life! Just ask any of my co-workers at the library. They'll tell you that at the end of every shift I'm walking away with an armful of picture books. I currently have 72 checked out, and they're sitting on a shelf in my 4 year old's bedroom just waiting to be opened. Every night Samuel and I snuggle up and step into the worlds created for us by Mo Williams, James Marshall, Maurice Sendak and hundreds of other brilliant children's book authors and illustrators. I may forget to have him brush his teeth or change him in to pajamas, but I never neglect to read him his bedtime stories. It's the most important ritual of my day.<br />
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In honor of National Picture Book Month I would like to share with you our top 10 favorite picture books. These are the books that threw us into fits of giggles, or caused an unexpected burst of emotion in me as I tried to wipe away the tears before Samuel could see. These are the books that I can recite word for word. These are the books that made me want to be a children's book author/illustrator in the first place. They are my haven, inspiration, and delight. They are the best of the best, and I hope you'll enjoy them too.<br />
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<b>Samuel's Top 10</b><br />
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1. Tin - Chris Judge<br />
2. Sneeches and other short stories - Dr. Seuss<br />
3. Rhyming Dust Bunnies - Jan Thomas</div>
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4. There are No Cats in this Book - Vivian Schwartz<br />
5. No David! - David Shannon<br />
6. Bedtime for Mommy - Amy Krouse Rosenthal and LeUyen Pham<br />
7. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site - Sherri Duskey Rinker<br />
8. Room on the Broom - Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler<br />
9. Hooray for Hat! - Brian Won<br />
10. Go Dog. Go! - P. D. Eastman<br />
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<span class="s1"><b>My Top 10 </b></span></div>
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1. A Story, A Story - Gail E. Haley <br />
2. The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein <br />
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3. Julius the Baby of the World - Kevin Henkes</div>
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4. Heckedy Peg - Audrey and Don Wood <br />
5. The Mitten - Jan Brett <br />
6. Home - Carson Ellis <br />
7. Are You My Mother? - P. D. Eastman <br />
8. Ernest the Moose - Catherine Rayner <br />
9. No Fits Nilson - Zacharia O’Hara <br />
10. The Eleventh Hour - Graeme Base</div>
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What are your favorites? What are the books that you loved as a child? What are the books that your own kids pull off the shelves over and over again? Please share! </div>
heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-78496561561390657772015-10-08T06:15:00.003-07:002015-10-08T06:17:31.573-07:00When the North Wind BlowsI am very excited to announce the upcoming chapbook of Christmas poetry by the talented Catherine Valentine and cover illustration by...yours truly! I am honored to be a part of this beautiful book. Stay tuned because it will be available soon around Thanksgiving! You won't want to miss it!<br />
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-12637673091523085962015-09-15T08:22:00.000-07:002015-09-16T15:13:58.721-07:00Urbana Art Expo: A Priceless ExperienceSelling my art in a little corner amidst a gigantic room full of 23 other incredibly talented artists is probably the scariest thing I've ever done in my entire life. This is no garage sale we're talking about here. This is my life's work! Extensions of my heart and soul spread across a navy blue bed sheet on a little fold-out table for the assessment of total strangers. I could not have done it if my good friend Jana had not agreed to share a booth with me. She and her husband Thomas were my anchor through this crazy adventure. They provided wire and hooks, extra lighting, much needed advice, a way for customers to pay with credit cards, and most important of all, moral support. <br />
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But even with their invaluable support I still felt insecure. No insecure is an understatement. I felt<br />
like a candle flame getting dimmer and dimmer with each person who barely glanced at my work without a word and moved on. Each one felt like a rejection. I am not used to feeling ordinary. I'm used to standing out and getting praised for it, but at the expo every artist was extraordinary, making me just a part of the crowd. So many people would breeze through our booth not even stopping to look closely or comment on my work. I asked Jana, "Does this make you feel invisible?" She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "It's funny you should say that because I always feel invisible. For me, to feel invisible is to feel safe." That simple statement just blew my mind. I never realized how privileged I was to grow up in great big family and community who constantly praised and made it a point to make me feel special. To me this was the norm. So when I came to an event like this where I received no such special treatment it was a bit of a culture shock. I wanted people to gush over my work. I wanted them to purchase my overpriced originals. I wanted to feel adored.<br />
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Photo Courtesy by 40 North<br />
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But this was not the reality. Two full hours went by and I only sold one bookmark, a total of $1. It was agony. I just wanted to hide in the bathroom and cry. My flame kept growing dimmer and dimmer with until I felt just about ready to give up. Just as I was trying think up some kind of escape route, a co-worker of mine, Rachel Wooley, came by and purchased a print of my scarlet tanager illustration. That simple purchase gave me the courage to stick it out for the rest of the day. <br />
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After that more and more people began flooding in and my work received a lot more attention. One woman bought my "As Big as this World Piece" for her nephew in New Orleans. She said, "I just have to buy it. It's too perfect not to." Another woman who spent a good 20 minutes looking over my work finally decided to buy prints of, "Going out on a Limb" and "Summer." She said "I had such a hard time trying to decide! They are all so wonderful." The piece that got the most attention was my original "Walking the Black Dog." A woman tugged on her husband's shirt nodding toward that piece and said, "I like this one." One boy pointed at it and said, "Daddy look at this!" Many others walked up to it and simply looked for a long time. Each time I swelled with pride. <br />
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The absolute highlight of the day was watching a moment between two women when they discovered <br />
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a print of my piece titled "Love Wins." One held it up for the other to see and I was awe-struck by what happened next. They wrapped their arms around each other. Their backs were turned to me so I could not see their faces, but their heads were tilted toward each other in such a way radiating a love so tender it took my breath away. Then they set it down and without a word walked off together holding hands. That tiny little interaction was worth more to me than my total earnings that day. I even had to fight back the tears of joy as I watched them walking off together. This is why I do art. This is what I live for. <br />
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I earned $126 that day which was more than enough to cover the expenses for participating, but even if I made nothing the experience would have been worth it. There is nothing that compares to watching the raw reactions people have to your work. My mind keeps returning to the couple after they saw my piece "Love Wins". They did not purchase or even look over at me to comment. They simply walked off together with one resting her head on the other's shoulder and holding hands. To me this is priceless.<br />
<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-21218309195802120282015-09-11T08:07:00.002-07:002015-09-11T08:07:47.801-07:003 Goddesses: Penelope, Hestia and Artemis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is a commissioned piece for a dear friend of mine. It is an illustration of 3 Greek Goddesses Penelope, Hestia, and Artemis. I loved this excuse to tap in to my love for Greek mythology. When I was a kid I loved Greek mythology so much I decided to make a family tree of all the Greek Gods and Goddesses. It's been a delight to return to that world once more.</div>
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-86705305166399691602015-08-15T08:59:00.000-07:002015-08-15T08:59:03.675-07:00Book Spine PoetryI was inspired to create a book spine poem by my blogging friend <a href="http://www.bethstilborn.com/">Beth Stilborn</a>.<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-45138733894320146422015-08-14T06:59:00.001-07:002015-08-14T06:59:38.942-07:00Celeste the SnakeWhen I went to the Wildlife Preserve in Frankfort Kentucky I saw a snake that looked quite serene. So I was inspired to make this paper cut out illustration.<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-31024113575295345432015-07-14T20:06:00.002-07:002015-07-14T20:06:32.583-07:00An Exciting Discovery!I've been fooling around with the paper cut outs and I finally figured out how to make facial expressions with this style. This has been quite a challenge for me and so this discovery makes me very happy. This opens up a lot of doors to new and exciting illustration possibilities.<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-38440753039076096042015-07-13T05:33:00.000-07:002015-07-13T05:36:07.548-07:00It's Just Hair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month I shaved off all 18 inches of my beautiful red hair and sold it for money. Originally I was just going to sell 14 inches for $500, but when the buyer offered $1000 for me to shave my head I said, "What the hell. I'll do it." It all happened so fast. I cut it all off that very night before I could change my mind. "It's just hair." I kept telling myself. "It will grow back."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOPaESK_D8KsTtaJq_BvXrBoNsWuuArNRmm3sYKFFHjuoeQoNGN44q_-c1YYVEHsWbeC3Qkv2qCAtteh2ujKjYmRBuj8D4jFIRbsrbVFrL6uTGhRNk22C6nMsm9Tag7y_qTOyF9PXmYg/s1600/DSC07125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOPaESK_D8KsTtaJq_BvXrBoNsWuuArNRmm3sYKFFHjuoeQoNGN44q_-c1YYVEHsWbeC3Qkv2qCAtteh2ujKjYmRBuj8D4jFIRbsrbVFrL6uTGhRNk22C6nMsm9Tag7y_qTOyF9PXmYg/s400/DSC07125.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The day after I posted a picture of my newly shaved head on Facebook and received an overwhelming response. 190 likes and 58 comments. Some of them were even from famous authors and illustrators whom I stalk including: Vanessa Newton, Patricia Hruby Powell, Lita Judge, Debora Underwood, Diana Aston and Sharon Lovejoy. It is by far the most popular facebook post I have ever made. </div>
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It turns out that shaving your head can be a really fun social experiment. I've always received a lot of compliments from strangers about my long red hair, but I received even more after I shaved it all off! It was fun to come in to work at the library and watch my coworkers do double takes. One of them said, "I forgot to wear my tie today, but you forgot to wear your hair!" My boss kept saying. "I'm not used to it. I'm still not used to it." Patrons at the library tend to stare at me more, especially children (probably trying to decipher whether I'm a boy or a girl.)</div>
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I was surprised by how supportive my husband has been through the whole thing. He immediately accepted my decision and even shaved my head for me. He jokes around and says I look like a boy, but it is clear he still finds me attractive and makes me feel beautiful.</div>
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This whole thing has certainly been a roller coaster full of ups and downs. Some days I feel sexy, but there are many days I miss my long hair (especially now that my current look is an awkward buzz cut). However, I never regret my decision. It's just hair after all. The experience has been so eye opening and unique. If I could go back in time I would do it all over again.</div>
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Here is a poem I wrote about my own reaction when I first cut my hair. <br />
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<b>A New Haircut</b></div>
Shorn.<br />
That was the word that came to mind<br />
As the hair clippers moved repeatedly<br />
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across my vulnerable scalp.<br />
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Shorn.<br />
It sounded so harsh,<br />
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a word you might use to describe<br />
Nazis shaving the heads<br />
of their Holocaust victims.<br />
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Shorn.<br />
Fistfuls of thick red hair<br />
tumbled to the kitchen floor<br />
in graceful spirals,<br />
leaving my head<br />
cold,<br />
bare,<br />
naked.<br />
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I looked at the 18 inches of hair on the floor,<br />
then looked in the mirror.<br />
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Staring in to my reflection<br />
I did not think,<br />
Shorn.<br />
I did not think,<br />
Victim.<br />
I did not think,<br />
Eww.</div>
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I thought,</div>
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Strong.</div>
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I thought,</div>
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independent.</div>
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I thought,</div>
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attractive.</div>
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It’s nice to know that it was not my hair that made me beautiful.<br />
It was me all along. </div>
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heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-81411871165657433892015-06-24T10:51:00.002-07:002015-06-24T10:51:39.239-07:00Open for Business!Hi all!<br />
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Please excuse this shameless advertising, but I am excited to announce that I've finally opened a shop on Etsy! You can now purchase 8.5x11 prints of my artwork for $15. I am also providing some new services including customized t-shirt designs and illustrated portraits. You can visit my shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Heatherdentstudio">here</a>. Please feel free to browse and see if there is anything of interest to you! Also let me know if you have your own Etsy shop you would like me to favorite. I am very new to all this and would like to try building up a circle of friends on Etsy!<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-822968354892261438.post-66399874865956700662015-06-22T07:55:00.000-07:002015-06-22T07:55:15.293-07:00A Scarlet Tanager SurpriseThis ink and watercolor piece is an entry for <a href="http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-2nd-annual-pretty-much-world-famous.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SusannaLeonardHill+%28Susanna+Leonard+Hill%29">Susanna Hill's Illustrator Contest</a>. The prompt is "Discovery", and I am so incredibly excited!!! There are already some wonderful entries and I can't wait to see the others.<br />
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I don't want to say too much about this piece because I want to leave room for the viewers' imaginations and interpretations, but I will say that scarlet tanagers are not very common birds, and for a young birdwatcher to happen upon an entire tree of them is rare.<br />
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<br />heatherdent56http://www.blogger.com/profile/06901546679358236331noreply@blogger.com29