January 27 is Family Literacy Day! The theme “Learning in the Great Outdoors” is close to my heart. I love learning about plants and animals, and many of my books and illustrations are inspired by things I observe in nature. Families are invited to join me on January 27 at 4:30 pm EST for a live virtual presentation featuring a clay demonstration and Q&A. You can find how to register for this free event here.
Click here for a downloadable tip sheet for ideas on how to make outdoor time a fun family learning time. For more information on programs and ways to celebrate visit ABC Family Literacy Day.
Here is a picture I created inspired by outdoor learning. What will YOU find in the great outdoors?
Celebrating Family Literacy Day 2022! Learning in the Great Outdoors
Welcome to a new virtual art gallery of original Canadian children’s book art! I’m honoured to offer some of my original art for sale via The Picturebook Gallery. The gallery is in affiliation with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC)which is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of Canadian books for young readers. The award winning illustrators are donating 60% of the value of their art to support CCBC programs. The gallery opened to great success and the art has been flying! At this time only one of my originals is still available, the sky gazing dinosaurs from Picture the Sky (more pieces will be available in the new year). Don’t miss the opportunity to own an original by artists like Sue Todd, Qin Leung, Marie-Louise Gay, Gary Clement, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Jeremy Tankard and more, and know you are helping to bring Canadian books and young readers together. “See” you at the gallery!
Did dinosaurs read the sky? Original art from Picture the Sky by Barbara Reid.
I enjoyed chatting with Shiri and Kayla for the PJ Library. They are terrific friends, readers and storytellers! My book Fox Walked Alone is a current a PJ Library selection; we talked about creating stories and I shared some techniques for making a modelling clay fox. You can learn more about the PJ Library here. Enjoy the interview!
One of the best things about being a picture book creator is the way connections are made through books and art. A couple of years ago I met a young artist named Aarav and his mother at a Family Literacy Day event. Aarav shared a book that he had written and illustrated using plasticine. I was impressed and delighted to meet a fellow clay artist. Aarav’s mum kept us in touch and the next year she shared the exciting news that he had entered the 2020 Toronto Public Library’s annual Design-a-Bookmark contest for kids under 13 years of age. Aarav’s design was created with plasticine and was a winner in the age 7-9 category. In 2021 he created another winning bookmark with artwork created using a curled paper technique, and had the extra distinction of being an Elizabeth Cleaver Award selection. Along with the good news I received a beautiful card by Aarav that is now displayed in my studio.
Aarav’s 2021 winning bookmark and mixed media card
Canadian author and illustrator Elizabeth Cleaver was a trailblazer as a creator of multi medium and dimensional art. Her book The Enchanted Caribou, illustrated with shadow puppets, was a favourite with our daughters when they were small. I didn’t get to meet Elizabeth, but I followed in her footsteps on my first book tour in northern Manitoba and later was honoured to receive my own Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award.
Just like Aarav and the other bookmark artists, I entered art contests when I was a young. Contests gave me projects to try and the opportunity to learn from other artists and to share my art. It was sometimes scary to show my work, but getting positive feedback gave me confidence to keep at it. Each of the TPL bookmark contest designs were wonderful and unique. Congratulations ALL the artists who entered for their creativity and courage. Libraries are an excellent resource for young creators and their families to learn about contests and programs. You can learn more about the TPL Bookmark contest here.
Thanks to books, libraries and contests, artists from different places and times are able to inspire each other. Cheers to all the creative connections!
It’s been a long time in the making, but all the plasticine illustrations for my newest book are finished! They have been photographed and the digital files are off to the printers. The art is now safely boxed and stored in my studio. I use pizza sized boxes and re-use them when possible. You can see by the crossed out notes that some of the boxes have been used for other projects.
I Love You More , written by Emil Sher, will launch in February 2022. I can’t wait to share the love!
Watch it Grow has hatched and I couldn’t be happier. The book explores the lifecycles of four living things: a monarch butterfly, a sunflower, a green frog and a white oak tree. I love making pictures of nature and all of these subjects have a special place in my heart, especially the monarch butterfly. Our family spent many summers raising monarchs; finding milkweed leaves to feed the growing caterpillars, watching and waiting for the magical transformation to chrysalis and finally a beautiful butterfly. What’s growing in your neighbourhood?
Watch It Grow, by Barbara Reid. Published by North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
This summer I found monarch caterpillar at our family summer cottage. I took photos as it grew and was lucky enough to see it emerge from the chrysalis. It was late summer, so this butterfly will have a long migration to its winter home. I wish it a safe journey! Maybe you will meet one of its descendants. You can learn more about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in my book Watch It Grow – arriving in early 2020.
Gifts is celebrating 25 years in print! The award winning story of a travelling Grandma written by Jo Ellen Bogart has a fresh new cover look in honour of this milestone.
GIFTS fresh new cover
The book has travelled as much as Grandma over the years. Jo Ellen and I took it on the road when Gifts was a TD Grade One Book Giveaway and over half a million copies were given to grade one students across Canada. It has been published in Korea, Spain, Egypt and Portugal. Scholastic Canada included it in a book donation to the Creation of Hope founded by author Eric Walters in support of orphans in Kenya. Canadian author and globe trotting grandma herself, Margriet Ruurs added a copy to a travelling library in Mongolia. Where will Grandma travel next? Cheers to continued happy trails!
Jo Ellen Bogart and Barbara on tour for the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, Vancouver 2010Barb signs a BIG poster, Calgary 2010With young readers at the Creation of Hope, Kenya. Photo Eric WaltersGifts in Mongolia! Photo Margriet Ruurs.
