Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Thank You Quail Ridge Books!

 Deepest gratitude to the staff at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC for making me feel welcome at our Story Time event yesterday! Very special thanks to my family who came out to support, and dear friends old and new! @KellyStarlingLyons, @JudyAllenDodson, @AdreaTheodore, @Sandra










Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Coloring Pages celebrating We Dream A World!

  

Teachers & Parents: Enjoy these free coloring pages for your kids!
Visit Scholastic to order your copy today, or your local favorite bookseller. :)
Also available at Target

  







Friday, September 01, 2023

September Takoma Park Events!





Celebrate Fall with LEAVES TO MY KNEES! Author Ellen Mayer and I will be celebrating as part of Day of Play in Takoma Park, MD on Saturday, September 22, 10-2! Story Walk®, art activity, chat with the artist and author. 



On Sunday, September 23, 9:30-10am at People's Books in Takoma Park we will be reading LEAVES TO MY KNEES at storytime! Art activity will be available as well.

Friends local to this area, I'd love to see you there! Please share about this event & spread the word!

Sammy and Pepper



Here's the finished painting, added a bit of ink lines. Extra space on top for text or header. 








This is the original photo. 















First I tried to follow the photo closely.





















Maybe if I changed their positions?






It's kind of decorative and very sweet. Maybe if I paint it...

Too sweet.

Also, I didn't like his face.

The hollyhocks were now too distracting.


Maybe looser? Less attention to the hollyhocks? And a bit of loose ink at the end. 

Straight to paint, not much pencil and didn't scan the pencil.

Better.





Still not 100% happy with it, though. 

I decided to try & capture the emotion more than the photo. 

Maybe the boy is younger? 


















This felt right. Much simpler. Equal weight/attention on boy and dog. Hollyhocks are just there, not distracting. 











Monday, December 19, 2022

Leaves to my Knees!


Hello, friends! It's really interesting, posting from the old Blogger platform! 
Today I thought I'd share some images from the making of this book! I used video and still photos as reference and inspiration. 


Here is the small back yard with trees and fence. The day I took the photo, I observed cardinals, blue jays, and chickadees. Squirrels ran along the fence, chasing each other through the trees.


Work area. 


Storyboards, calendar, and work in progress!

And my wonderful models!












 

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Kansas State Notable Award for Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town!

https://kslib.info/1446/2020-Notable-Books


https://www.alafaye.com/
https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/follow-me-down-to-nicodemus-town/

Saturday, May 04, 2019

Astronaut Annie Blasts Off!!

Space X Launch happened this morning, May 4 at 2:48 am, carrying a copy of Astronaut Annie among many other items to the International Space Station! We are all beyond excited. We'll post more when the reading is available - probably several months for that!
https://www.suzanneslade.com/

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Books



Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town By A. LaFaye
Albert Whitman & Co. January 2018 ISBN 978-0807525357

Order from your local bookseller, or you can get your copy through the affiliate links - just so you know I will earn on those, thank you!




Annie Astronaut by Suzanne Slade
Tilbury House Publishers, March 2018
ISBN-10: 088448523
ISBN-13: 978-0884485230

Real Sisters Pretend by Megan Dowd Lambert
Tilbury House Publishers. May 2016 ISBN 978-0884484417
Order from your local bookseller! Or buy it here.


                           


My Cancer Days by Courtney Filigenzi
American Cancer Society, 2015 ISBN 978-1604430912
Order from your local bookseller, or buy it here.







Friends for Freedom by Suzanne Slade
Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014. ISBN 978-1580895682
Order from your local bookseller, or buy it here!
Also available on Amazon here.



With Books and Bricks by Suzanne Slade
Albert Whitman and Co., 2014. ISBN  978-0807508978

 In the Garden with Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby
Albert Whitman and Company, 2010. ISBN 978-0807536308
Order from your local bookseller, or buy it here!



First Peas to the Table by Susan Grigsby
Albert Whitman and Company, 2012. ISBN 978-0807524527
Buy it here!







Lie Detector by Matt Bridger
Heinemann, 2013. ISBN 978-0-325-03527-7

The Present by Matt Bridger
Heinemann, 2013. ISBN978-0-325-03466-9

Saturday Plans by Matt Bridger
Heinemann, 2013. ISBN 978-0-325-03418-8

The Trebuchet by Matt Bridger
Heinemann, 2013. ISBN 978-0-325-03465-2



Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love by Brennan Manning and John Blase
Thomas Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-1400317134




Lucky Beans by Becky Birtha
Albert Whitman and Company, 2010. ISBN 978-0807547823
Order from your local bookseller, or buy here.
Teachers click here for Scholastic rate!








No Mush Today by Sally Derby
Lee and Low Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1600602382
Buy it here!








Grandaddy's Season* by Gwen Lavert
Wendy Pye Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-160385417-7

Five Loaves and Two Fishes by Julie Stiegemeyer
Zondervan, 2006. ISBN 978-1601433916










Waterworks* by Elizabeth Pulford
Wendy Pye Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-60385-457-3 









Jammin', Rockin', Toe Stompin' on the Rooftop* by Gwen Lavert
 Sunshine Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1-60385-315-6


A Day with Daddy by Nikki Grimes
Scholastic/Color-Bridge Books, 2004. ISBN 0-439-56850-1









Lights Out! by Angela Shelf Medearis (OOP)
Scholastic/Color-Bridge Books, 2004. ISBN 0-439-56868-4

Josias, Hold the Book by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren
Boyds Mills Press, March 2006. ISBN 1-59078-318-2
Buy it here!






 


Moving Day Surprise by Tina Stohlberg
Bebop Books, 2003. ISBN 1-58430
Buy it here!











I'll Fly My Own Plane by Jean Alicia Elster
Judson Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0817014070

I'll Do the Right Thing by Jean Alicia Elster
Judson Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0817014087

I Have a Dream, Too by Jean Alicia Elster
Judson Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0817013974

Just Call Me Joe Joe by Jean Alicia Elster
Judson Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8170-1398-9

Fatuma's New Cloth by Leslie Bulion
Moon Mountain Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-9677929-7-5
Now available on Amazon here!