Laura Irrgang

Valentine's Day story playlist for kids

Here's a Valentine's Day story playlist for your little ones!

Christmas & Winter Storytime Playlist

It's story time!
As always...teachers/parents/kiddos-if you have a request for a subject, let me know!

Here is a playlist of storytime videos:

Thanksgiving storytime playlist for kids

If you have little people around your house, here's a playlist of Thanksgiving stories for them!

Tui Snider's new book..."Understanding Cemetery Symbols"

Do you like spooky stuff? Fascinating info about symbolism in art and sculpture? Like cemeteries?
Do you know what "obelisk" means? 
If you answered "yes" to any of those, you should check out my friend Tui Snider's new book:
"Understanding Cemetery Symbols" on Amazon

Here's her 30-second book trailer:

To find out where Tui will be on the web, radio, and hear what people are saying about the book, click below:

"Understanding Cemetery Symbols-Interviews, News & Reviews" 

If you order NOW, the paperback is 1/2 prices during the pre-order phase. That special only lasts a few more weeks (until 8/18), so pre-order now if you're interested.

Dream Animals by Emily Martin

What a sweet book.

 

I'm a big fan of Emily Martin's illustrations. My girls have several of her prints in their rooms. They're whimsical without being too saccharine, and I adore her soft palette and attention to details.

 

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

It would have been Theodor Geisel's 113th birthday today.

Thanks for all the wildly imaginative stories.  

Here was one of my favorites from when I was a little girl. "What Was I Scared Of?" (I always called it "Pale Green Pants".)

 

Valentine's Day Stories for Kids Playlist

Here's a playlist of Valentine's Day stories for kids:

 

 

The Owl and the Pussycat song on harp

In the children's book illustration class I'm taking, there are 3 texts for us to illustrate. One of them is Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat.
I've always loved Lear's poem, but didn't relate to the song versions of it. I imagined it as a dreamy and romantic waltz...I wanted the music to make you feel like you were floating in that little pea green boat with your love.
So I wrote a song version, and also created a video to share some of the illustrations from the other artists in the group. Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to share their work for me to use in the video.

music written & performed by Laura Irrgang laurairrgang.com
art by the following:
Leah Quinn- www.leahquinndesigns.com
Cata Bass- www.catalinavillegasa.com
Aafke Mertens www.curlysketches.nl
Kelly Kratzing www.kellykratzing.com
Jodi Bogart- www.facebook.com/jodi.anthony.1
Wendy Bauer Piersall- www.wendypiersall.com
Lynn Gaines- www.lynngainesdesign.com
Liz DeJure Wood- www.artdejure.com
Lisa Groome Firke www.facebook.com/LisaFirkeMakes
Brooke Wenstrup Albrecht- www.brookealbrechtstudio.com
Jennifer Geldard- www.jennifergeldard.com

Halloween Storytime Playlist

Here's a link to my Halloween Storytime Playlist over on YouTube.

I hope your little ghosts and goblins like the stories!

Children's Book Illustration Course Week #1

I'm taking a fabulous children's book illustration course right now. It's from mega-agent Lilla Rogers and superstar children's book editor Zoe Tucker. I'm kind of in heaven. It's called MATS (Make Art That Sells), and teaches you pretty much anything you'd ever want to know about kids' books.

Here are some examples of the work we're doing. We receive a weekly "mini"...a small assignment leading up to a weekly "major" assignment. Then, we also get a daily sketchbook prompt.  I'm trying to experiment and have fun playing with the sketchbook assignments. For the sketchbook in particular, I'm experimenting with a lot of different styles and mediums.

Sketchbook #1-Glasses

(Note: I was really excited that Lilla Rogers shared my glasses sketch on her Instagram for Make Art That Sells!)

Sketchbook #2-Hats

Sketchbook #3-Hairstyles

Sketchbook #4-Shirts

Sketchbook#5-Skirts & Pants (Or "britches", as I like to call them. Hey-I'm Texan. Pssst...can you find the fish?)

 

Sketchbook #6-Shoes

 

Minette and O'Malley video

I am already loving the "Illustrating Children's Books" course from art agent Lilla Rogers and children's book editor Zoe Tucker, and it hasn't even officially started yet! It sold out, so I'm glad I signed up early.

One of our first warm-up assignments asked us to work with character, illustrate the setting outside our bedroom window, and play with the idea of scale. I combined all of these into a short text I wrote called "Minette and O'Malley", and also recorded voice-overs and music to go along with it.

CAST:

Minette- Violet Irrgang

Narrator- Laura Irrgang

O'Malley the Snail- Adam Irrgang

Wonderland by Kirsty Mitchell

When Kirsty Mitchell's mother died, she created the series "Wonderland" as a way to process her grief. Her mother was an English teacher who instilled in her daughter an abiding love of literature. Kirsty used her own talents as a visual storyteller as a tribute to her mother.

Kirsty says, "The moment I came through the door after school she would call me over to where she was sitting with a pile of books and say: “Look at what I’ve found! This is amazing."  Then she would start reading aloud. I would put down my bag and sit and listen to her, slowly falling under the spell of the story."

 

This article goes into depth about her process and history if you'd like to learn more.

   

The amount of detail she puts into the sets, costumes, and makeup is phenomenal. This is NOT a result of Photoshop...these are meticulously hand-crafted scenes.

 

Thanksgiving Storytime Videos

It's almost Turkey Time, guys! If you're in the mood for a story or need to keep the little ones busy while you clean or cook, check out my Thanksgiving storytime videos. I've also included links to my review of each book if you're into that sort of thing.

 

"Run Turkey, Run!" 

by Diane Mayr

Illustrated by Laura Rader

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

 

"Turkey Trouble" 

by Wendy Silvano

Illustrated by Lee Harper

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

 

"The Very First Thanksgiving Day" 

by Rhonda Gowler Green

Illustrated by Susan Gaber

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

 

"Thanksgiving Is Here" 

by Diane Goode

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

 

"Thanks for Thanksgiving" 

by David Milgrim

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

 

"Thanks for Thanksgiving" 

by Julie Markes

illustrated by Doris Barrette

(For my book review and more story info, click here.)

Mama/Daughter Watercolors

I bought a vintage book a few years ago that was in a foreign language because I loved the illustrations.  Some friends that speak Danish translated it for me recently. It's called something like, "The Tale of the Teeny Tiny Old Woman".

As an art exercise, I sometimes make sketches/paintings "in the style of" an artist I like.  This artist had such a nice use of line, and I liked the circular composition.

Today, I made a quick sketch and watercolor that reflects the style in this charming vintage children's book from Scandinavia. Next time, I think I'd rather use ink instead of pencil. That way, your eye would be more drawn to the line work.

I didn't ask her to, but my daughter Violet decided to try it, too. I like her version a lot...it features our deceased cat, Clyde, asking for some hot cocoa. In the mirror above the mantle, there is a reflection of our ceiling fan.

It says...

Once upon a time there was a little little old woman who had a little little cottage.

Make it in May Projects, Part 2

Make it in May, Day #1-I wrote a quick song on xylophone to get started.

 

I'm a big fan of Mister Rogers, and I wrote a song that sounded like something cheerful you might hear in Trolley Land.

Day 3- Honeysuckle smells GREAT! I wear this in the spring and summer. Well, I switch perfumes a lot, but this stays in the rotation.

 Day 6-Over forty ladies, many of you are on my list! Share them pearls of wisdom, yee haw!

Day #7-We made soap "scrimshaw" carvings with my daughter's group in kindergarten. We carved the soap with toothpicks, then ground up burned wood to make charcoal dust, then smushed it in the carved areas. Mine above, Violet's below-I love Mama Daughter projects! 

Day 8-It may be too small by the time fall rolls around, but I'm glad to be close to done. And that yarn makes me look forward to autumn.

Day 10-I added some summery, bright butterflies and feathers in a globe to the studio. You can't tell, but there's a petrified egg resting in the feathers. I found it in the woods.

 

Day 11-I made another storytime video to add to my YouTube series. This is Piper's favorite story lately.

Day 12-We made photos at Violet's school's Spring Fling.

They had an open house and set up photo booths outside every class. Great job, LOISD teachers!

 Make it in May, Day 16...I finished the poster for my daughter's kindergarten class. It's not perfect because I'm far from a Photoshop expert, but I did the best I could.

I think it's fun, and I hope they like it. I got a big refrigerator box, and had everyone pose inside it.

Then I cropped all the photos in Photoshop and stacked them together, Brady Bunch-style. 

 

Day 17-Violet and I made cards and small treat bags for her kindergarten's end-of-the-year picnic. 

  

 Day 18-I wrote a song to sing and play on harp to accompany Edward Lear's poem "The Owl and the Pussycat". (I'll record it one of these days and share it.) I visited my daughter's kindergarten, and their lovely teacher turned the pages of Jan Brett's book while I played. I came at snack time, so I made blueberry muffins and brought clementines. It was fun to sing some songs, and teach the kids a few that they could sing along with. They're such a happy group!

Day 19-We made supply boxes for some of the victims of the tornado in Van, Texas. It felt disrespectful to take photos while we were there, so I'll share some images of the destruction and clean-up effort I found on Van Texas Tornado Recovery. The community still needs aid and volunteers.

Day 21-Didn't make much, but it was my daughter's kindergarten graduation, then she got out of school all day and we had a Mama-Daughter Day. It was Date Night, so Adam and I are picking blackberries on our country road. I could eat ALL the blackberries...blackberry ice cream, blackberry cobbler, blackberry port, blackberry jam, blackberry smoothies, blackberry EVERYTHING!

I'll share the rest the rest soon!

Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider

Oh, boy! "Paranormal Texas" is out just in time for Halloween.  One of my favorite guidebook authors and all-around awesome person, Tui Snider, shares a knockout bunch of spooky sites in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

It's available here, so grab a copy for this haunting season.

I was intrigued by Arlington's Lost Cemetery of Infants. "A surprisingly cheery tale," says Tui. Go take a look at Tui's blog. 

Wind in the Willows

It's raining and we're watching Wind in the Willows episodes.  It's like Downtown Abbey for kids. But with claymation rats and moles instead of servants in full get-up.

The costumes and sets are so good!

Violet requested Cream of Wheat, Piper wanted blueberries, so we mixed them.  I could live on breakfast porridge.  

 

I like how the episodes start with an illustrated image like you're being read to from a book.  Now I wish it was autumn.  

A Mouse Told His Mother

Here. Have some storytime videos.

 

(Watch above or click here for YouTube link)

A Mouse Told His Mother -written by Bethany Roberts and illustrated by Maryjane Begin

 

(Watch above or click here for YouTube link)

When You Are Happy -written Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Geraldo Valerio

Traveling With Kids, Part 2

More travel tips!  

(Find Traveling With Kids Part 1 here.)

Pack flat books.

Pack several flat, small books.  You don't have to buy brand new ones...I hit the local Goodwill and found several for a quarter each.  Babies and toddlers really like to open flap books. Older kids like complicated images they can look at for long periods of time like the I Spy and Where's Waldo books.

Use them as rewards.  Let the kids cash in their Good Behavior Bucks for a new book.

Individual drink mixes for post-airport security.

You know how they don't let you have any liquids in your carry-on stuff?  Well, that can make for thirsty kids and/or an expensive airport stop for drinks.  I don't like paying $5.00 for a bottle of juice, do you? Bring an empty water bottle and refill it from the water fountains past security.  If your family doesn't like plain water, bring along some individual drink mixes.  They're very small and packable, and come in a wide variety of flavors.  I like lemonade, but they have all the Crystal Light flavors, Wyler's mixes, and Kool-Aid choices, too.

Snacks-pack 'em.

I pack an individual ziplock bag of snacks for every family member.  Don't forget Daddy.  Ours prefers beef jerky, Jolly Ranchers, and more beef jerky.  

My girls love those crazy-flavored jelly beans.  I cut the identification guide off the package and taped it to the ziplock so they could play "which flavor did I get".

Keep the unhealthy bits to a minimum.

Although I do let them have the occasional bit of candy, I prefer to pack healthier choices like fruit, whole wheat goldfish crackers, whole grain pretzels, string cheese, and the like.  However, who doesn't love a bite of candy?
To keep the teeth-rotting to a minimum, I pack only a small candy stash.  I cobbled these together from leftover Halloween/Christmas candy languishing in the pantry. Try an oversized vitamin box to store one type of candy in each compartment.  

Since my kids don't get candy very often, they think it's a big deal when the Candy Box comes out.  You'd be amazed at how much adults perk up at the sight, too.

Prize pouches

You know how kids always want what the other one has?  I found identical zippered pouches to distribute their "prizes" in.  Although I do give them different items, something about the visual of "exactly the same bags" being handed over the back seat seems to make them happy.  Perhaps they're assured that it will be fair that way?  Kids are weird.

Are you wondering where I'm getting all this crap?  A lot of my treasures came from those Jars I found several years ago.  

Short version:  I found about 50 huge pickle jars filled with crazy stuff at an estate sale.  Long  version:  read here. 

Prize stash

I kept one quart sized ziplock bag of toys for each girl.  

Toddler:  tiny board books, soft animals (that are *cough* totally disposable upon arrival, in my opinion), toys that rattle or move

5 year old: small jewelry, party favor-type games, cards

Just so you know, I probably spent less than $10 on kid entertainments for the whole trip.  I always keep little Happy Meal toys and favors from parties.  They come in handy, I swear, and your kids think it's a brand now toy.  Mine do, anyway.  

Don't forget stuff you have lying around the house, too.  Your baby will be just as happy with a few rubber bands and bright key chains as they will a purchased toy.

GAMES-print out lots of car games!

I place these games in the Travel Binder inside clear protector sheets.  Use dry erase markers and you can use them for years.  

By the way...

Make the Travel Binder and use it OVER AND OVER.  

Leave all that stuff in there and next time you're ready to grab-and-go.

Here's a Car Scavenger Hunt from Living Intentionally blog.

Tip-print these out on two different pages.  I forgot and they had to play side by side.  We also enjoyed the Airplane Scavenger Hunt. 

 

Car Brand Check Off game and Find Something in this Color game.

Violet's favorite part of flying is when the flight attendants come around with the drink cart.  She ordered very politely.  Apple juice.  She loved putting her tiny glass of ice in the indented circle on the fold-down tray.  I swear...airplane seats are kid-sized, not adult-sized.

Dry Erase EVERYTHING

I'm a firm supporter of dry erase markers when traveling.  You can use anything to clean them up and they don't stain.  In a pinch, use the inside of a skirt or sleeve.

Print outs- Find your kids' favorite characters online.  There are many sites that offer free coloring page downloads.  Violet particularly likes complicated patterns like the owl above.

 

Magic Paint and Bead Kit

Magic paint kits are a hit with my 5 year old.  You can "paint" without making a mess.  Simply use a q-tip dip it in a tiny amount of water, then smear the color on the black and white picture.  It's a good way to use your left-over ice and apple juice on the plane.  When you're done, roll it up and dispose of it in the can.

Make a simple bead kit before you leave home. I threw a handful of beads in a ziplock bag, along with a few feet of dental floss wrapped around a scrap of cardboard.  Kids love making necklace.  Let tiny kids do it with cheerios or fruit loops to make an edible necklace.

I wouldn't recommend this on the plane or in the car.  This is better for the hotel or other time when kids are confined and want something to do.

Coloring coloring.

Highlights Magazine Online has fun Hidden Picture puzzles available to print out from their website.   Use a dry-erase marker, wipe clean, then hand off to another kid.

Older kids might enjoy making a "passport" and documenting flight statistics.  My kid wasn't interested in this, but yours might be.

Hangman with age appropriate word list.  

(From Living Intentionally Blog. That blog rocks on travel suggestions.)

Alphabet search game

State Facts pages make the trip educational as well as fun.  Quiz kids on state flowers/animals/trees and learn to identify flags. 

 Scrapbook for kids.  Use a blank page for every destination or point of interest.  Let older kids write a description and younger kids paste in brochure photos.  Kids love collecting those travel tri-folds you see along the way.

Okay...that should give you some ideas.  

Let me know what works for you and your family!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Jill-thanks for reminding me of this today.  Rumi's poetry is so romantic!

(painting by Dan-Ah Kim)

There is some kiss we want with

our whole lives, the touch of
spirit on the body.

Seawater
begs the pearl to break its shell.

And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling!

At night, I open the window and ask
the moon to come and press its
face against mine.

Breathe into me.

Close the language-door and
open the love window.
The moon
won't use the door, only the window.

Autumn Storytime for Kids

I've put together another set of storytime videos. You can view them all here at my YouTube page, or just watch below.

 

Violet's favorite, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke.

 

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Louise Elhert

 

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

 

 Word Bird's Fall Words by Jane Belk Moncure, illustrated by Linda Hohag

 

Four Friends in Autumn by Tomie DePaola

Ordinary Life

Growing up, I always thought I wanted an exciting, glamorous, rock star lifestyle.  I'd dream of being an adult and envision myself flying off to Rome for dinner, drinking champagne every night, wearing ball gowns, and dancing until dawn.  I never factored in how much my wants would change. (And that everything costs money. ) If you'd told 15-year-old-me I'd be happiest standing in the kitchen making bread while my daughter colors and my baby sings, I'd have laughed at you.

 

Now, I like those days best...the ones where nothing monumental happens, but you're happy.

The kids go off to school, you have a gentle day at home with your baby, your husband pulls into the driveway, you have a nice family dinner, then you all go to bed.  Days full of quiet grace.

Ordinary Life

by Barbara Crooker

This was a day when nothing happened,
the children went off to school
without a murmur, remembering
their books, lunches, gloves.
All morning, the baby and I built block stacks
in the squares of light on the floor.
And lunch blended into naptime,
I cleaned out kitchen cupboards,
one of those jobs that never gets done,
then sat in a circle of sunlight
and drank ginger tea,
watched the birds at the feeder
jostle over lunch's little scraps.
A pheasant strutted from the hedgerow,
preened and flashed his jeweled head.
Now a chicken roasts in the pan,
and the children return,
the murmur of their stories dappling the air.
I peel carrots and potatoes without paring my thumb.
We listen together for your wheels on the drive.
Grace before bread.
And at the table, actual conversation,
no bickering or pokes.
And then, the drift into homework.
The baby goes to his cars, drives them
along the sofa's ridges and hills.
Leaning by the counter, we steal a long slow kiss,
tasting of coffee and cream.
The chicken's diminished to skin & skeleton,
the moon to a comma, a sliver of white,
but this has been a day of grace
in the dead of winter,
the hard knuckle of the year,
a day that unwrapped itself
like an unexpected gift,
and the stars turn on,
order themselves
into the winter night. 

2 Sentence Creepy Mini Stories

Eeee!  It's amazing how much creepiness you can squeeze into 2 sentences. Click here to see all 40 stories.

(image from retrotechngeneva.net.  And I love that this typewriter is called Hermes Baby.)

A few examples for you:

• They delivered the mannequins in bubble wrap. From the main room I begin to hear popping.
• I begin tucking him into bed and he tells me, “Daddy check for monsters under my bed.” I look underneath for his amusement and see him, another him, under the bed, staring back at me quivering and whispering, “Daddy there’s somebody on my bed.”
• Don’t be scared of the monsters, just look for them. Look to your left, to your right, under your bed, behind your dresser, in your closet but never look up, she hates being seen.

Ah, the late 80s/early 90s!

Remember those crazy, awkward, awful, wonderful teenage years?

So does Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor and Park.  I wrote a review of this gem over at The Rhinestone Bookmark.

The book threw me back into the trenches of high school. Argh. Blech.

I lived on Sassy Magazine.  It seemed like the antidote to "high school is the best time of your life" culture.  I couldn't wait to get out.  Just out.  Out of my tiny town, out of my oppressive (to me) school, out of my house, and out into the big, beautiful world of grown-up-ness.

Here's a great feature on the Cult of Sassy over at NPR.  I wrote the editor, Jane Pratt, and actually received a hand written letter in response.  I was beyond thrilled.  That was such a relevant magazine to a whole generation of young women.  They treated their readers as an intelligent, indie audience that had more on their minds than lipstick and boys. (Although that was there, too.)  If you were stuck in high school land, Sassy gave you some insight into the broader world.  It gave me hope for my future.

The Cure was my favorite. This rarely left my stereo. Robert Smith's raw voice and that jangly guitar jolt me back to high school in a heartbeat.

 

Ah, The Smiths and Morrissey.  How Soon Is Now is featured in Eleanor & Park.  Thanks again, Ms. Rowell.

This rarely left my stereo.

My teen years centered around music.  Dozens and dozens of cassettes, beloved mix tapes from friends and beaus, and my trusty Walkman that was always on the verge of battery death.  Remember that wonky, slowed down version of your favorite songs because your double AAs were running down?  Me too.

Bishop Arts District

My friend Jenny and I went to the Neil Gaiman reading/signing in Dallas this week. I simply can't say enough wonderful things about that man. (More photos and info here at my book blog, The Rhinestone Bookmark.) 

We took a few hours to stroll around the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff, a Dallas neighborhood that's really thriving with art stops, restaurants, and shops. (More Gaiman tidbits: Neil Gaiman worked on his book at the Bolsa Mercado coffee shop last year while his wife Amanda Palmer mixed an album at a studio in the Bishop Arts District.)

Greek Cafe & Bakery was delish.  A sweet Greek Grandpa seated us and made menu recommendations. The baba ganoush and hummus were fabulous-nice and garlicky.  We'll definitely be back.  Next time, we'll try the dark chocolate baklava.  It looks like a little hole in the wall, but don't miss it!

I wish this place had been open!

The retro images were fun.

Unfortunately, we went on Monday, so almost everything was closed.  Make your visit Tuesday through Saturday.  Check the Bishop Arts District website to see which places are open Sundays.

We still found intriguing things lurking in windows.

I want this orange jumpsuit.  Because, really-who wouldn't?

JuNoIdMo

Hey!  It's time for JuNoIdMo.  Check it out on my book blog, The Rhinestone Bookmark.

 

I have an idea.  In fact, I have several.

Let's make June "JuNoIdMo".  June is now (unofficially) Novel Idea Month.

Joon-Oh-Eyed-Moh. Some folks are doing a June version of NaNoWriMo...writing 50K words in a month.  I'm not up for a whole novel during the month of June, but I am game for massive idea generation. 

Please join me in brainstorming, outlining novels, dreaming up characters, typing out synopses, whatever you want to do.  What do you guys think?  Wanna play along?

Check in here or on Twitter, and let me know what you're doing!

Feel free to adapt this to other forms of expression, too.  Spend the month:

• planning a series of paintings/photographs
• improvising a concept album
• considering a home re-do
• coming up with a screenplay idea
• brainstorming a dance piece
• thinking about what you want to say with your poetry
• designing a quilt/fashion line/sweater
• branching out spiritually
• revamping your creativity

I even made thingies.  Buttons/banners.  Whatever you want to call them.  Feel free to steal them and resize/color them however you want.  Just link back here, please!

JuNoIdMo...let's dream up some great ideas!

I have an idea.  In fact, I have several.

Let's make June "JuNoIdMo".  June is now (unofficially) Novel Idea Month.

Joon-Oh-Eyed-Moh. Some folks are doing a June version of NaNoWriMo...writing 50K words in a month.  I'm not up for a whole novel during the month of June, but I am game for massive idea generation. 

Please join me in brainstorming, outlining novels, dreaming up characters, typing out synopses, whatever you want to do.  What do you guys think?  Wanna play along?

Check in here or on Twitter, and let me know what you're doing!

Feel free to adapt this to other forms of expression, too.  Spend the month:

• planning a series of paintings/photographs
• improvising a concept album
• considering a home re-do
• coming up with a screenplay idea
• brainstorming a dance piece
• thinking about what you want to say with your poetry
• designing a quilt/fashion line/sweater
• branching out spiritually
• revamping your creativity

I even made thingies.  Buttons/banners.  Whatever you want to call them.  Feel free to steal them and resize/color them however you want.  Just link back here, please!

JuNoIdMo...let's dream up some great ideas!

DFW Writers' Conference this weekend

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!  It's almost here.  I'm nervous.  And excited.  And then nervous.Have any of you ever pitched a novel before?  Or a screenplay?  If so, tell me about it!

Word House for Early Readers

Have you heard of the Word Bird books?  They help new readers expand their vocabularies.  In the back of the book is a list of all the words with a helpful reminder picture.  You can copy that page, then cut it up into strips for mini-flash cards.

Here's what we do:  I make a stack of word slips, then Violet reads them.  If she gets the word/s right, she can put the slip of paper in her Word House.  For some odd reason, she really enjoys doing that.  Whatever works, right?

Vatican Rat by Kathy Beynette

Gwen shared this---it's perfect!  Thanks, Gwen.  You find the darndest things.

(I stuck that ugly watermark on there.  So no one can nab it.  Not that y'all would.)

This is by Kathy Beynette, who wrote When Your Porcupine Feels Prickly.

Gwen sent it to us, and we love it.  It has great paintings with lots of rich layers, and the animals are so funny.

Kathy seems like she'd be fun, doesn't she?  Visit her blog if you feel compelled.  I compell you.  The power of the Zebras compell you.

Mayocoba beans, author interview, and kids book about bats

Here's a random Monday post about: mayocoba beans, author interview with Megan Boudreau, and Nightsong-a childrens' book about bats.

Every now and then, my grocery store carries Mayocoba beans.  They're similar to a pinto beans, but yellowish.  I used this recipe from Rick Bayless, then added torn baby spinach.  In the kid version (left) I left out pickled jalapenos.  I'll definitely make them again. I don't know if it was the beans or the other ingredients, but the dish had a rich, smoky flavor.

I published an author interview with Megan Boudreau today on my book blog-The Rhinestone Bookmark.

Inspired by the Google doodle on Edward Gorey's birthday, I scanned in a few photos from books.  I printed them out to let Violet have some fun coloring pages.

We read a lot.  That's a given. 

Usually in costumes.

Violet has been on a bat kick lately.  Nightsong by Ari Berk is a charming book.

The illustrations are adorable (look at that tummy!), and it's a good way to introduce children to accurate yet poetic information on the tiny mammals.

I'm impressed with how sweet that bat looks.

Jenny Martin's class on the publishing industry

I attended Jenny Martin's class on navigating the publishing industry yesterday.  She was down to earth and amusing and I'd have liked her if I'd met her on the street. ('Cause I spend so much time on out the streets, you know.) 

I left feeling excited, inspired, and honestly-a wee bit terrified. But mostly inspired.  I want to touch on two things she said that made an impact on me. Oddly enough, neither of them were about the publishing-related portion of her course.

First, she stressed that action does not equal tension.  Second, Martin's comments on the '10,000 hours to geniushood theory' seemed relevant.  More on that later-I'm certainly not lumping myself into the genius category.

1.  Action doesn't necessarily equal tension.  I needed to hear this.  Martin gave the following example:

(I'm paraphrasing here) A robot battle packed with action is exciting.  However, if well written, a typical dinner party scene can be much more tense than the robot battle if it's filled with complex interactions between characters. 

The takeaway for me?  I need to up the conflict in every scene of my book, preferably with more emotional and internal tension.  Inigo and the Man in Black can duel, sure!  That's exciting.  However, they need layers of complexity and high stakes to make the scene more interesting.   Past grudges and personal insecurities should be bubbling under the surface. 

2.  You need to put in 10,000 hours to be a genius at something.  All right, this is a gross oversimplification.  For our purposes, though-Malcolm Gladwell theorizes that you need to practice something 10,000 hours before you hit the imaginary line where you cross over to the genius/expert level.

It's safe to say I'm nowhere near 10,000 hours of novel writing.  Even if what I'm doing isn't working, well...I'm still working.  And that will count for something eventually.  I'm learning my craft.  I'm figuring things out.  I'm going to have to embrace mistakes to improve.

So what do I need to do now?  Keep writing.

(The theory comes from Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers.  It's a really intriguing book. Here's an NPR interview with Gladwell.)

Little Shiver

Normally, I'd post poetry-related stuff to my other blog....The Rhinestone Bookmark.  Today, though...I wanted to share it with my regular personal blog readers.

Two of my favorite things were combined on today's "The Writer's Almanac"...Mozart and cuddle-up-under-the-blankets-weather.  Give this poem a read, please:

A Little Shiver

by Barton Sutter

After the news, the forecaster crowed
With excitement about his bad tidings:
Eighteen inches of snow! Take cover!
A little shiver ran through the community.
Children abandoned their homework.
Who cared about the hypotenuse now?
The snowplow driver laid out his long johns.
The old couple, who'd barked at each other
At supper, smiled shyly, turned off the TV,
And climbed the stairs to their queen-size bed
Heaped high with blankets and quilts.
And the aging husky they failed to hear
Scratch the back door, turned around twice
In the yard, settled herself in the snow,
And covered her nose with her tail.

What a poem.  And, oh!  That poor, poor old husky.

Starlings in Winter

"The birds, Mama---the birds...."

I was driving Violet to school today when we saw a huge flock of birds rise up beside the road in front of us.  They swooped and dipped and moved as this one huge mass.  It was this perfect greyish cloud that moved as one.  The birds were so tiny you couldn't focus on one at once.  They performed this perfect ballet of birdness.  Can you imagine being in that sort of cluster?  That bunch of beings so perfectly choreographed that everyone flies as one massive, central entity?  It was so beautiful.  Violet was even speechless. 

 

This video is so amazing. The best part starts at :23, so skip ahead if you're the impatient sort.   If your computer is slow, here is the YouTube link.

Here is a poem I love by Mary Oliver.  Thanks to Marty for introducing me to her poetry.

Starlings in Winter

by Mary Oliver

Chunky and noisy,
but with stars in their black feathers,
they spring from the telephone wire
and instantly

they are acrobats
in the freezing wind.
And now, in the theater of air,
they swing over buildings,

dipping and rising;
they float like one stippled star
that opens,
becomes for a moment fragmented,

then closes again;
and you watch
and you try
but you simply can't imagine

how they do it
with no articulated instruction, no pause,
only the silent confirmation
that they are this notable thing,

this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin
over and over again,
full of gorgeous life.
Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,

even in the leafless winter,
even in the ashy city.
I am thinking now
of grief, and of getting past it;

I feel my boots
trying to leave the ground,
I feel my heart
pumping hard, I want

to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings.

Elves, Armadillos, and Queens

As everyone knows (ahem), your elf-on-a-shelf flies to the North Pole every evening after the family is in bed.  He or she reports to Santa on whether everyone was naughty or nice that particular day.  Theeeen.....he/she flies back home *magically fast* and picks a new place to sit.  Kids love to look for him.  That's the first thing Violet does everyone morning.

This morning, we found Maybe snuggled up with the Rhinestone Armadillo.  Aaaawww.  Watch out, Maybe, it's kind of stinky.

(by Miss Clara)

Since it's finally getting colder out, I decided to do a feature on the art of the fairy tale, The Snow Queen.  It's over here on my book blog, The Rhinestone Bookmark.

Christmas Storytime for Kids

It is in the EIGHTIES here, people!  It is far from Christmasy feeling.  So...I'm working hard to muster up some holiday spirit. 

Have some more stories! I'm including one video below, and the rest have links that will take you to me reading the stories on YouTube.

 

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff

 

Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (storytime video here)  

First Snow by Emily Arnold McCully - winner of the Caldecott Medal  (storytime video here)

Inside, Outside Christmasby Robin Spowart  (storytime video here)

Jingle Bell Mice (Merry Christmas)  illustrated by Lisa McCue   (storytime video here)

Little Rabbit's Christmas by Harry Horse (storytime video here)

Mouse's First Christmas by Lauren Thompson (storytime video here)

Rocking Horse Christmas by Mary Pope Osborne (storytime video here)
Sam the Snowman by Susan Winget (storytime video here)

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller (storytime video here)

10 Trim-the-Tree'ers by Janet Schulman (storytime video here)

The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Louise Brierley (storytime video here)

Book Blog and Laura Irrgang Website

My book blog, The Rhinestone Bookmark, is officially up and running now. 

Click here to visit The Rhinestone Bookmark.

Please stop by and say hello!  I imported all my book content from this blog to the new blog, and have been doing a lot of reviews, too. I'm experimenting with what the blog will be like, but I am primarily concentrating on:

• Young Adult book reviews and related content
• art found in books-fairy tales in particular

I now have a main website, too. Nothing fancy, just a basic landing spot.

Click here to visit Laura Irrgang (dot) com.

Yay!  I'm relieved to get this finished up before Thanksgiving. To a super tech-savvy person this may not seem like much, but it has taken me weeks to get these two things going.  I both love and hate technology.

One fun (but time consuming) thing was having a photo shoot for the new blog.  Violet thought it was very funny to see Mama taking photos with the 'dead armadillo', as she calls it.  Thanks to Vanessa for adding sparkles.

As I told a few friends, I was going for - crazy literary cat lady, but with an armadillo instead of cats.

Book Reviews & Storytime Videos

Did you guys notice I posted a bunch of reviews and videos?  I am starting a book-related blog soon, and I decided to keep that blog to only Young Adult content.  While in the decision making process, I was considering covering children's books, too, (and made several videos) but decided not to. However, making these storytime videos is fun and Violet enjoys them. 

So--I'm going to make holiday and seasonal-related kids story videos on this blog.  I thought the videos fit better on this blog since it's more family-oriented.  And, although I hate it when people put out holiday stuff too early, I'm going to release holiday videos about a month early from now on.  That way, kids gearing up for the next holiday have stories to listen to.

So there.  Now you know.  Like you were just dying to know, right?

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano

 

Category:  Ages 6 and up

Length:  40 pages

Publisher:  Amazon Children's Publishing

Published:  October 1, 2009

Description: Turkey is in trouble.  Bad trouble.  The kind of trouble where it's almost Thanksgiving...and you're the main course.  But Turkey has an idea--what if he doesn't look like a turkey?  What if he looks like another animal instead?  After many hilarious attempts, Turkey comes up with t he perfect disguise to make this Thanksgiving the best ever!

My review:   Turkey Trouble is a hysterical tale for elementary kids.  I think it would appeal to younger readers, too-my 3 year old was giggling hysterically over it.  In an attempt to avoid becoming dinner, Turkey dons a variety of disguises to hide from the farmer.  The other animals give him a hard time over his silly costumes, but Turkey keeps trying.  When it looks like his friend Rooster might get eaten instead, Turkey pulls out all the stops.  Give this book a try--I promise they'll like it!

Rating:   5 Stars

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes

 

Category:  Ages 4 and up

Length:  32 pages

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Published:  August 17, 2004

Description:  Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks—the question is, where to begin? From the turkey on the table to warm, cozy cuddles, life is full of small things and bigger pleasures. But what is most important is being able to share them with family!

Julie Markes reminds kids and adults alike about the little details that make each day enjoyable, while Doris Barrette's beautiful and striking illustrations bring her thoughtful words to life.

My review:   This is a sweet, simple story that captures the spirit of Thanksgiving.  The children in the story are engaged in varied activities, so all kids should be able to find something to relate to.  The soothing rhymes will be comforting to kids of all ages.  "Thank you for umbrellas, rain boots and puddles...thank you for Mommy and warm, cozy cuddles."  Doris Barrette's paintings are rendered in a rich pallette of autumn colors.  I recommend this sweet book to remind children of the joys of family and the spirit of gratefulness.

Rating: 4 Stars

Thanksgiving is Here by Diane Goode

 

Category:  Ages 4 and up

Length:  32 pages

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Published:  August 16, 2005

Description: As soon as Maggie's grandma and grandpa get the turkey in the oven, bright and early on Thanksgiving morning, the guests arrive and the commotion begins: glamorous aunts, crying babies, acrobatic cousins, strange dogs, mysterious gifts, romance, friendships, "yackety-yak"ing and, of course, lots of wonderful food and fun.

My review: Grandma and Grandpa welcome the family to their home on Thanksgiving Day.  The house quickly fills with family, extended family, friends, and pets.  The busy illustrations are the real star of this book, rendered in pen and ink with watercolor.  They depict a riot of activity and a large cast of characters.  Children will love following all the visual happenings in the images.

Rating: 4 Stars

 

Thank You Thanksgiving by David Milgrim

 

Category:  Ages 3 and up

Length:  32 pages

Publisher:  Sandpiper

Published:  September 18, 2006

Description:  In this exuberant Thanksgiving story, a little girl goes on a last-minute errand for her mother. Along the way, she thanks all the familiar things she loves—her warm boots, the song of the birds, the pretty clouds in the November sky. And when she gets home from her errand, her family thanks her for what she has brought.

My review: Pick this one up if you're looking for a light, easy read for small children.   The bright, flat illustrations have a cartoonish feel.  Sent to the store for whipped cream, a little girl takes a walk through her neighborhood.  Along the way, she expresses simply thanks for the things she sees around her.  "Thank you, park.  Thank you, warm boots. Thank you, fluffy clouds."  The repetition and simplicity of the phrases and will appeal to a young audience.

Rating: 4 Stars

 

The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Green

 

Category:  Ages 3 and up

Length:  32 pages

Publisher:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Published:  October 1, 2006

Description: 

This is the food, gathered and blessed,

the corn and sweet berries, and wild turkey dressed,

shared on the very first Thanksgiving Day.

Join author Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrator Susan Gaber on a journey back to the very first Thanksgiving Day, when two societies came together to feast and honor the earth's bounty in peace.

My review: This book offers a lovely introduction to the Thanksgiving holiday that even the youngest viewers can grasp.  Gaber's rich paintings convey a surprising amount of emotion .  Although simplistic, the scope of the holiday is captured in just a few pages.

Rating: 4 Stars

 

Run Turkey, Run!

Welcome to storytime, little gobblers! 

 

Category:  Ages 4 and up

Length:  32 pages

Publisher:  Walker Childrens

Published:  September 18, 2007

Description:  With Thanksgiving only one day away, can Turkey find a place to hide from the farmer who's looking for a plump bird for his family feast?
Maybe he can hide with the pigs . . . or the ducks . . . or the horses . . .
Uh-oh! Here comes the farmer!
Run, Turkey, run!

My review: What's not to like about a turkey running from the farmer the day before Thanksgiving?  Kids will get a kick out of watching turkey scramble through the farm in an attempt to avoid becoming dinner.  He tries to blend in with the other farmyard animals, but his disguises are not quite up to par.  The publisher recommends ages 4 and up, but I think children as young as 2  1/2 would appreciate this tale.  Best of all, they get to chime in on the refrain, "Run, turkey-run!"

Rating: 4 Stars

 

Halloween Storytime

More Halloween stories for your little ghosts and goblins! 

"Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet" by Lisa Desimini

 

Violet thinks this one is so funny.  I suppose stinky feet are always a big hit with the preschool crowd.

"Los Gatos Black on Halloween" by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

 

The illustrations are so detailed and rich.  I love the rhythm of the book.  Forgive my butchering of la Español, por favor.

"The Insomniacs" by Karina Wolf, illustrated by the Brothers Hilts

 

This is my favorite of the bunch.  The illustrations are so witty and fun.  The text isn't condescending, and it pushes kids to learn new words.

"The Runaway Pumpkin" by Kevin Lewis, illustrated by S. D. Schindler

 

Literary Blog

I'm thinking of starting a book blog in addition to Rhinestone Armadillo.  It would focus on all things literary, but primarily Young Adult books.  I'm trying to get my novel published, and the best way to learn about a market is to read, read, read.  So...I think it will motivate me to read more by doing book reviews.  I'll also throw in reviews of adult literary and children's books, since we read a bit of everything around here.

(photo from Trinity University)

Do any of you read book blogs?  I usually don't...I'd rather be reading books. 

However, I think I'll give it a try. In researching the best ways to get a book published, I keep reading that agents like authors to have a strong literary web presence.  I've been blogging for years, but my blog is all over the map.  I think I'll move my book related content to a new blog and see how that goes.  I'm pretty serious about getting my book published, and I want to do everything I can to let agents/publishers know I'm willing to work hard on writing and marketing.  Wish me luck, please!  I'm new to this and it seems overwhelming at times.

I'm brainstorming names for the blog.  Which of these are you liking?

• Rhinestone Reads or Rhinestone Armadillo Reads
• The Dust Jacket
• Reading Nook
• Armadillo's Armchair
• Literary Laura
• Laura's Book Nook
• Laura Loves Books
• The Rhinestone Bookmark
• Laura's Bookmark
• Any other ideas?  I'm happy for some input here.

Is there anything in particular you'd like to see on a blog about books?  Reviews, readings, author interviews, etc.?

"Working Mummies"-A Halloween Story read aloud for kids

Does your child like to hear the same story over and over and over?  Mine does.  So...here you go, Violet!

 

"Working Mummies" written by Joan Horton, illustrated by Drazen Kozjan

Music-"Ghost Dance" by Truett & George

(I looked at the publisher's site to try to find out whether or not it was all right to read this online.  There are tons of stories read aloud on YouTube, so I hope this is kosher.  If it's not, please let me know how to get permission or I'll remove the video.)

P.S. If any of you have kids, please let me know if they enjoyed this.  If they like it, I might do a series.

J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy

Well, guys...it's here:

So...are you going to read it?  Honestly, I'm a little scared to give it a try.  I have such a warm corner in my heart for the Harry Potter books that I'm not sure I want to read anything else by Ms. Rowling.  Is that silly?

It's almost like this:

She wrote those fabulous, magical books, and that is enough for me.  She never has to write anything again ever.  Never ever.

Can you imagine the pressure that poor woman must be under to crank out something amazing?  Seriously.  She has set the bar pretty high for herself. 

(Photograph: Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Let's face it, Ms. Rowling probably never has to lift a finger again, more less type out another book.  What dedication and creative drive she has to even attempt it!  I think a lot of people in her situation would happily rest on their laurels.

I'm still not sure if I'm going to read it or not yet.  I feel like "the critics" might be a little harsh with her regarding this book.  I'm more interested in what you guys, as fans of the HP series, think.

P.S. I'm going to give ads a try.  I'll try to keep them as relevant to my blog as possible, and no annoying pop-ups.  Let me know what you think.  If you readers hate them, they'll go away.

Day One

I'm nervous, terrified, excited, and hopeful all at once.  I started submitting my novel to a small list of agents today!

I wrote a Young Adult novel back in November during NaNoWriMo.  Then I put it on the shelf for a few months to let it hibernate.   I used those months to research agents.  I hope that time will have been time well spent.   I had a group of kids at the library read it, along with many friends.  I listened to feedback, made tons of notes, then read it again myself.

I took several months off when Piper was born.  Let's face it, breastfeeding, changing diapers, and being bleary-eyed from lack of sleep isn't too conducive to editing a novel.  Once life got a bit back to normal, I edited, edited, then edited some more. 

And now...it's off!  It's out there in the world!   I realize I may be looking at many months of rejection letters.  On the other hand, I like to think on the bright side.  Maybe it's in the perfect someone's inbox right this very minute.

Wish me luck!

Jingle Bells Train Case, ABC Suitcase

I finished four decoupaged cases over the past few weeks....here are 2 of them.  They're available in my Etsy store.

Jingle Bells train case

back

top

The funny thing about this case---I bought the Little Golden Book, "Jingle Bells", at a thrift store.  I opened the cover, and it had a name plate in it.  And I knew the person it belonged to!  Not well enough to call her up, but I'll definitely tell her about it the next time I run into her in town.  It made me happy to think of this being her book as a child. 

Vintage ABCs.....this book had the alphabet done in embroidery!  Or needlepoint.  Is there a difference?

back

I think my favorite part is the owl in the tree.  Or maybe the unicorn.

I'm fond of that boar and apple and elephant, too. 

Wouldn't it be great to have a big circle skirt with all of these embroidered on it?

Shadow of Night

Yay!  I was the first person to check out 'Shadow of Night' by Deborah Harkness.  SCORE!  I've never been the first person to get a library book before.  Also---it was only released, like---yesterday.  I feel so lucky.

In case you have forgotten, it is the much-anticipated sequel to "A Discovery of Witches".  I can't WAIT to read this! (I think I'm a little in love with Matthew Clairmont, vampire and geneticist.  Do you get crushes on fictional characters, too?)

What was the last book you were really, really excited about?