I could get lost in children's authors' blogs. Especially those writers from the South who remind me of home. Last night I discovered the blog of Deborah Wiles. I'm a big fan of her books and heard her speak about her path to publication at a conference a year or so ago. I drooled over the blog's yummy food references- what's summer without cornbread and vegetables from the garden? Or at least reading about it...
And via Deborah Wiles, I got to "meet" another Southerner, Colleen Salley. I rushed right down to the library to find her picture books and the voice of my grandmother telling me stories jumped off the page of Epossumondas. "You don't have the sense you were born with," Possum's mama says about the truck possum drags home. (And I don't mean the 4-wheel drive kind!) I stopped by the bookstore and ordered the picture book and can't wait to read it to a child I know.
Speaking of reading aloud and books by Southerners- I think The Underneath might be a book kids will appreciate hearing out loud. Read my review in today's Christian Science Monitor. How's that for sneaking in a reference to myself? But really, it's all about Kathi Appelt's newest book, well worth reading.
3 comments:
I love Deborah Wiles's blog, too!
And yes, I agree that The Underneath would be a good read-aloud.
Love the review.
Funny that you should mention the O'possum Picture Book. I think it's adorable as well. I discovered it about 3 months after I had started illustrating my own PB, "Polly O'possum's Country Music Jamboree." It figures. Prior to that, I had never seen a PB with a possum as the primary character.
The good news is, my story and illustrations are completely different. I'm glad I didn't see the other book before I started, that way I wasn't influenced in any way. I can only hope that my own book will not be overshadowed by this one, making it untouchable as far as would-be publishers are concerned!
If you'd like to see some of the illo's I've done so far, I'll be happy to share. Maybe you can tell me if you think I have anything to worry about!
Thanks Augusta, Big hugs, Lisa
Lisa,
leave your website with your signature next time! That possum story was truly something from my past, the story. But changing character to a possum, sheer genius! I'd love to see yours, too.
Augusta
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