Reading Wednesdays with author, Matt Lilley

Are you hungry? There’s a ton of good eating if you know where to look. My friend, Matt Lilley has a yummy, new book coming out from Tilbury House in January 2022, Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill and is illustrated by Dan Tavis. Perhaps krill are not the kind of food you and I eat but they are on the menu for many ocean creatures from humongous blue whales to not-so-big penguins. I recently received the ARC and the Reader Guide (link below) for this thought-provoking book. It is a belly-full of animal facts about their eventful lives and has been nominated as a “Junior Library Guild Selection”.

“Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill follows the life of an Antarctic krill, starting with an egg sinking in the deep sea. The 2nd-person narrative follows the krill as it metamorphoses from a “six-armed oval” into a 26-legged glutton, and as it rises from the ocean’s deep midnight zone to the surface, encountering all sorts of hungry sea creatures as it grows. 

Antarctic krill can catch and eat one-celled phytoplankton, and krill in turn are eaten by the largest animals ever to live on earth—blue whales—as well as by seals, penguins, and a host of others. Antarctic krill are the keystone species of the Southern Ocean.

This book will lead to discussions about

·      The ocean food web
·      Life stages and metamorphosis
·      Narrative point of view”

Matt Lilley is the author of numerous nonfiction and educational titles. Find more of his books here: https://www.mattlilley.ink/books

Reader Guide

ORDER THIS BOOK

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780884488675

https://www.redballoonbookshop.com/book/9780884488675

Reading Wednesdays

Merry Christmas and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I love learning about different cultures. There are many holidays at this time of year.

I support #FReadom (pushing back against book banning).

Our Favorite Day of the Year, by A. E. Ali and Rahele Jomepour Bell. “In this charming story of friendship and celebrating differences, young readers can discover how entering a new friendship with an open mind and sharing parts of yourself brings people together. And the calendar of holidays at the end of the book will delight children as they identify special events they can celebrate with friends throughout the year.”

Every year, my mom sends me a Jan Brett book for Christmas. We love her books. And Jan loves Christmas!

Here are some of Jan Brett’s author-illustrator books:

Home for Christmas
Gingerbread Friends
The Animal’s Santa
The Nutcracker
Gingerbread Christmas

Happy Hanukkah, Little Dreidel (Finger Puppet Board Book) by Brick Puffinton, Cottage Door Press and Juliana Motzko. “Mazel tov! It’s time to spin the dreidel! Hebrew school is in session for little dreidels everywhere, and they’re hard at work learning all the game rules and practicing their biggest and best spin moves.”

My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa by Lisa Bullard and Constanza Basaluzzo. “Kwanzaa traces its origins to the American Civil Rights era. Critical thinking questions and fast facts prompt young readers to engage with this fun narrative and learn all about Kwanzaa.”

Jaheem’s First Kwanza, by Zephaniah Martin and Bilal Karaca. “Jaheem learns the importance of honoring his cultural roots. He is introduced to Kwanzaa as a family tradition. African American families gather together to celebrate their culture and heritage.” Martin is just ten years old. His book was featured on the local news segment about the Midtown Global Market holiday event in December 2021. https://midtownglobalmarket.org/new-events/2021/12/26/first-day-of-kwanzaa-live-music-by-elliot-crafts-and-black-entrepreneurial-vendors

Under the Bodhi Tree: Story of Buddha, by Deborah Hopkinson and Kailey Whitman. “Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is said to have experienced enlightenment.”

Blizzard in Hawaii?

https://weather.com/news/weather/video/what-do-alaska-and-hawaii-have-in-common-blizzard-warnings

I’m from Minnesota , and yes-I like to talk about the weather! It’s been very quiet here weather-wise, while we wait for some snow to stick here in Minnesota, Hawaii is purportedly forecasting blizzard conditions in the upper altitudes (11,000 feet above sea level) on the Mauna Loa volcano. They got 12 inches of snow and 100 mile-per-hour wind gusts.

I actually like having snow on the ground because it means I can XC ski.

From my book, THE MUKLUK BALL written by Katharine Johnson.

Update: Thankfully, we only had to wait a few days for snow. We sure do need the precipitation and our dog, Luna needs more exercise!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of Thanksgiving is PIE! I’m not so much of a fan of pecan pie (too sweet) but I’d eat pumpkin pie everyday.

I was asked by my friends at Carolinas SCBWI to make a banner illustration for their November Newsletter https://carolinas.scbwi.org. I had fun making this illustration for them and I based it on the menu items found at a Thanksgiving table is the Carolinas. I grew up in Wisconsin, and we did not eat Mac-n-cheese and onion rings for our Thanksgiving meal. But each region of the United States has their own influence on this American meal and it is nice to see all the variations to the same theme. I’m looking forward to gathering with my family this year.

How do I prepare my family’s Thanksgiving dinner? Well, we eat a completely gluten and dairy free version of the menu items. I know it’s hard to imagine the Thanksgiving dinner could taste alright without those two main ingredients, but I make it work, and it’s delicious! The last couple of years, I have been seasoning the turkey with curry paste. That combo is really yummy, you should try it! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/260184/mild-curry-turkey/

RACE YOU TO PIE!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
https://www.thespruceeats.com/dairy-free-gluten-free-pumpkin-pie-1001455

Carolinas SCBWI Banner submission for the November Newsletter

#Cozytober 2021: Stories

Stories come in all shapes and sizes. This image is from my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. TAKÓŽA (grandchild) learns about gardening ( and seeds) from her Kúŋši (grandmother). This endearing, lyrical picture book is full of love, family and community. #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

“Takoza (grandchild), you must realize all great things grow with time.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

“Takoza (grandchild), you must realize all great things grow with time.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

#Cozytober 2021: Hot Drinks

This image is from my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. TAKÓŽA (grandchild) drinks cedar tea with her Kúŋši (grandmother). This endearing, lyrical picture book is as cozy as snuggling under a star quilt on a chilly day. #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

“Then, together they fill the kettle with cedar tea and feast on bread with maple syrup.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

“Then, together they fill the kettle with cedar tea and feast on bread with maple syrup.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

INKtober 2021: Connect

The prompt of #Inktober Day 26 is “Connect”. This image is from my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. I illustrated the book with dotted lines to symbolize the threads that Kúŋši (grandmother) sews into the quilts. She uses her quilts (throughout the book) to tell stories to her Takóža (granddaughter).

“All summer the village waits patiently to watch you grow. We all have our part.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

“All summer the village waits patiently to watch you grow. We all have our part.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

#Cozytober 2021: Leaf Pile

From the picture book, THE MUKLUK BALL, written by Katharine Johnson and illustrated by me!. “All autumn Karhu swayed, glided and whirled with his new friends.” —Katharine Johnson, Minnesota Historical Society Press. #Cozytober #Drawlloween2021 #drawlloween #witch #ChildrensBooks #scbwiARTober #kidlitart #artistsoninstagram #amillustrating #portfolio #work #multimedia #artistontwitter #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

#INKtober 2021: Fuzzy

There’s nothing fuzzy about climate change. We need to act NOW. #INKtober is a month-long art prompt for illustrators. Made with ink and salt. #Inktober Day 21: “Fuzzy”

BWCH32.jpg

“Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).” https://tinyurl.com/82mskuj9

#Cozytober 2021: Baking

Anyone who has visited the North Shore of Minnesota (north of Duluth, MN on Lake Superior) knows you must stop at Betty’s Pies. This image is from my picture book, THE MUKLUK BALL, written by Katharine Johnson for the Minnesota Historical Society Press. #cozytober 2021 #baking #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

“Youngsters led him (Karhu) in the bunny hop.” —Katharine Johnson, The Mukluk Ball

“Youngsters led him (Karhu) in the bunny hop.” —Katharine Johnson, The Mukluk Ball

#Cozytober 2021: Farmer's Market

#Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October. What could be more cozy than a bear hug? This image is from my picture book, THE MUKLUK BALL, written by Katharine Johnson. Karhu, the bear is selling hugs and blueberries to earn money for a pair of boots (Mukluks) to wear to the Mukluk Ball. #drawlloween #Drawlloween2021 #drawtober #drawtober2021 #cozytoberfest #cozytober #oc_tober2021 #OC_tober #peachtober21 #tradtober