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.
Original artwork from Picture the Sky at the Mazza Museum Show of Hands
There’s always something to see at the Mazza Museum and I’m as excited as the girl on the Ferris wheel be part of the new “Show of Hands” exhibit which features a selection of art from various illustrators along with a plaster cast of their hand. Through this unique exhibit you can view not only the art, but a replica of the hand that created it.
Making a hand cast with Mazza Curator Dan Chudzinskyi
Curator Dan Chudzinski created a mold of my hand at the last year’s Mazza Summer Conference. It will be on display with an original illustration from Picture the Sky. Featured artists include Marc Brown, Floyd Cooper, Brian Lies, Will Hillenbrand, and Rosemary Wells – to name just a handful. The exhibit runs through spring 2020. Don’t miss it!
Celebrating CBC Fan Choice Award – and more-with Hamza. Photo:Ashly July
Hamza received a cash
prize plus a donation for his school library and a class set of Picture the
Sky, the Fan Choice winning book. I had the opportunity to visit Hamza’s class to
share some art techniques with a hands-on clay workshop. The class had created
an impressive literacy video which was shown at an assembly and then Hamza and
I had the fun of presenting a GIANT cheque to Black Walnut librarian Deb Dias.
Black Walnut PS student
Hamza Khan was randomly selected as the winner of the CBC’s Fan
Choice Contest which encouraged readers to vote for their favourite from among
the books nominated for the 2018 TD Canadian Children’s Literature award.
Barbara and Hamza present a BIG cheque! Photo: Ashly July
To make the day even
more special, Hamza told me that he arrived in Canada on the very same day four
years ago. I had the honour of meeting his parents and sisters in the library
and it was very moving to share in celebration of this important anniversary.
I am often surprised and amazed at the connections made through books, reading and art. It is truly something to celebrate!
In February I attended the Winter Conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in New York City. It was my first SCBWI conference and what a whirlwind it was! I’m especially grateful for my Canadian friends who made the experience less scary and more fun, and the new friends who were so warm and welcoming.
The keynotes and sessions were outstanding. Between the events were wonderful conversations at socials, meals and elevator lineups. The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of community and teamwork. The trees in Central Park say it all: connect, branch out, grow, touch the sky.
First SCBWI Conference -scary and fun!
With Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Hilary Leung, Ishta Mercurio, Stephen Macquignon, Jason Hart at the Bank Street Bookstore
Other highlights: celebrating friend Hilary
Leung’s book launch at the Bank Street Bookstore; a dash through the American
Museum of Natural History; a spring like stroll through Central Park; seeing
the REAL Eeyore at the New York Public Library; having a cocktail while enjoying
the Maxfield Parrish mural at the King Cole Room and catching the Oliver
Jeffers installation at the High Line.
Oliver Jeffers installation The Moon, The Earth and Us, High Line NYC 2019
Found myself at the NYPL!
NYPL photo Aino Anto
I took very few photos because I didn’t want to miss a minute. Plus the blue whale at the museum was too big. My brain is full; now to digest all that wisdom, inspiration and energy…
It was a wonderful night! On October 29 the 2018 TD Children’s Literature Awards Gala celebrated the best in Canadian children’s books. The TD prize for most distinguished books of the year was awarded to writer Joanne Schwartz and illustrator Sydney Smith for their stunning book Town is by the Sea. You can learn about all the finalists here find all the winners here.
The CCBC and TD Bank Group worked with CBC Books to present the Fan Choice Award. The CBC’s Fan Choice Contest invited readers between the ages of five and 12 years old from across Canada to cast a vote for the book they thought should win the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award — Canada’s richest prize for kids lit. The book that received the most votes was Picture the Sky. I was surprised speechless!
I did perform an impromptu happy dance, but here are a few of the words I wished to say: ALL of the creators of the nominated and winning books have made stories celebrating connections of one kind or another – to family, place, traditions, and emotions, as well as recognizing broken connections and helping to mend them. Tremendous thanks to TD Canada Trust, trust, CBC Books, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Scholastic Canada and the inspiring Canadian children’s literature community for helping to further connect these stories with young readers. And thank you young readers! It’s a great honour to create for this audience. Congratulations all round, and happy reading. Now, back to dancing…
On a chilly November day aerial photographer and artist Daniel Dancer worked with students and teachers at Barbara Reid P.S. to create a fabulous sky painting: “Tree of Change”. Teams had begun the day before to create a grid in the schoolyard and laid down the design using topsoil.
On the day of the photo shoot a light dusting of snow had to be cleared off the outline, and then the Whitchurch Stouffville Firefighters arrived with the ladder truck. The whole school population came out onto the tarmac. Primary students dressed in grey, black or brown to form the roots, trunk and branches. Junior students wore red, yellow and orange to become the leaves. People are the paint in this art form!
Daniel, Principal Lynne Cohen and Sky Captains helped guide everyone into position. On the count of three a Firefighter took the photo from HIGH above. It was cold and windy, but as promised, students held their positions for a minute of silence. A second countdown signalled the leaves to stand and swirl off the field, followed by the branches roots and trunk. You can watch a video of the whole process here.
The image is of a tree, with the word RUSH and the number 412. RUSH is the school emblem and stands for Respect, Unity, Strength and Heart. 412 is the average level fo CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, the highest in the last 20 million years. Learn more about Daniel Dancer’s stunning art and environmental message here.
It was a huge honour and a privilege for my husband Ian Crysler and me to take part in this inspiring event. I was a red leaf in the photo – can you spot me? Sky, a tree and a schoolyard full of happy kids creating art – it doesn’t get much better! Thanks to everyone at BRPS for inviting us, and for your high spirits and energy.
Principal Lynne Cohen, VP Gregory Hambly; Barbara Reid and Ian Crysler & Firefighters ready for action
I couldn’t be more thrilled that Picture the Skyis a finalist for The TD Children’s Literature Prize for the most distinguished book of the year. It is truly an honour to be among the creators on this shortlist, including friends and fellow illustrators Sydney Smith and Matt James. BIG congratulations and cheers to all the finalists!
Picture the Sky, by Barbara Reid. Published by Scholastic Canada.
This year, TD and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre are once again working with CBC/Radio-Canada to present the Fan Choice Award/Choix du public littérature jeunesse. Young readers are invited to choose their favourite book from the titles shortlisted for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse. Find out more at the CBC website; the voting period will run from September 6 to October 25.
The mice are stirring again in this new board book edition of The Night Before Christmas, available on October 1st.
City Parent suggests: “Sharing the mouse family’s Christmas in this version of Clement Clarke Moore’s tale will become a family read-aloud tradition.” Happy Christmas, happy reading!
I’m still buzzing from all the energy at the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum Summer Conference in Findlay Ohio. The Mazza Museum is the most diverse collection of original artwork by children’s book illustrators in the world. The museum’s goal is to promote literacy and enrich the lives of all people through the art of picture books.
I was honoured and delighted to add 3 original illustrations to the collection: The bird’s eye view from Perfect Snow; the Ferris wheel scene from Picture the Sky and a lively spread from The Night Before Christmas. Big thanks to Director Ben Sapp, Kerry Teeple and the many keen volunteers and docents who share this amazing collection with readers of all ages. I hope you can visit!
Outstanding presentations by Vincent X. Kirsch, Katie Kath, Lori Richmond, Hannah Harrison, Ethan and Vita Murrow, Ryan T. Higgins and Floyd Cooper will continue to inspire my work.
It was great fun to create a hand mold with Mazza Curator and artist Dan Chudzinski. Dan is collecting molds of all the visiting artists for a future “Show of Hands”. I’m sure it will be fascinating, and a great reason to plan another road trip…
No visit to Findlay is complete without a visit to the famous Dietsch’s Ice Cream. Mission accomplished, brain freeze included!
With Mazza Director Benjamin Sapp and original art from Perfect Snow
Making a hand mold with Mazza Curator Dan Chudzinski
With fellow presenters Ethan and Vita Murrow, Ryan T. Higgins and Hannah Harrison
Waiting to present with Vincent X. Kirsch and Katie Kath
