Musings from Frog Song Pond

Snippets

2012-01-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

A friend of mine said I need to post more often. I told him nobody reads this anyway. If you're willing, please respond---it can just be an "X"!---so I can see if I'm right! Thank you.

Holiday Greetings

2011-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

May the new year bring you unexpected joy!

Fan Mail

2011-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

I just LOVE getting letters and pictures from young readers! This splendid drawing arrived in my mailbox today from a child named Maddie in Massachusetts. Her grandparents sent her Gobble, Gobble. In her note, Maddie, who is 7, said she thinks it's a "100% Awesome Book!"

Thanks, Maddie!

Play time

2011-11-29T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from working on a book, but still need to find creative things to do. I am guilty of having WAY too much fabric--those "fat quarters" at the fabric store are soooo addictive!--plus leftovers from clothes, costumes, quilts and other projects. So to use them up, (as well as give me an excuse to watch old movies) I've been making things for the Holiday Fair at the Allen Avenue UU Church. The Fair is this Saturday, so after that I'll make a few things for presents.

These little cupcakes are pincushions

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

From Feast for 10,published in 1991 by Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin.

Wishing all who might find themselves visiting here a very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Case of the Missing Carrot

2011-11-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Book cover, Feast For 10

Zane's letter and drawing

Page from hardcover edition

Board Book

Close-up of corner

A letter from a child came in the mail today. I'd wouldn't go so far as to say it was a complaint letter, but it wasn't exactly fan mail, either. It should probably be classified as a quality control query. "Where is the seventh carrot?" Zane, the letter's author, wants to know. A very fair question. I wondered this myself when my picture book, Feast for 10, was published as a board book. When the art was converted from the rectangular format of the hardcover and softcover editions to the more squarish board book format, a few things got trimmed....like carrots, for example. Very sad indeed, especially since this is a COUNTING book. So--I'm very sorry, Zane. The seventh carrot is actually there---but only a tiny bit of it shows. And I'm very impressed that you noticed! You must be an excellent counter. So Happy Counting, and Happy Reading!

More Gobble fun

2011-10-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just have to share this cute book trailer that the wonderful folks at Dawn Publications made for Gobble, Gobble!

They also posted a piece about how I made the illustrations for this book, in case you are interested. Click here.

Gobble fun at Audubon

2011-10-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Gobble, Gobble

What a great Apple Day at Maine Audubon at Gilsland Farm! In spite of dreary and rainy weather, over 350 people showed up for apple activities, crafts, great music, yummy food (best mac & cheese ever) and.....Gobble, Gobble fun!

We had story time, a printing demo, nature journal making, and the Gobble Trail Game, which proved to be a big hit. If you'd like to try this game with kids at your school, nature center, or library, scroll down to the last post and click on GOBBLE GAME & ACTIVITIES for a free download of posters, game cards, and related activities. I'd love to have your feedback if you try it!

For the event at Audubon, I had the posters enlarged to double the size: 11 x 17, and then laminated. Plastic zippered pockets held the game cards.

For more photos, see Curious City's photos here.

Along the turkey trail

2011-09-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Trot on over to Maine Audubon in Falmouth this Saturday, October 1st, for the annual Apple Day festivities. I'm very happy to be a part of the fun: I'll be reading my new book, Gobble, Gobble, and inviting children and their families to participate in other activities for the book: exploring the path of animal tracks for the Gobble Trail Game, collecting wildlife cards, and making their own nature journals.

There will also be lots of other activities during the day, including live music, a cider press, food, face painting, and a scavenger hunt. The festival runs from 10 -2.

NOTE: If you can't attend, but would like to set up the game, just click here to download and print: GOBBLE GAME & ACTIVITIES.

Razzle Dazzle

2011-08-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

My late-season raspberries are still green, but there's a busy community on the bushes!

A garden spider busily wrapped it's prey, several wasps made the rounds, and a pair of dragonflies were... inspired by a beautiful day in Maine.

Audubon friends

2011-08-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I met with my extraordinary marketing maven, Kirsten Cappy, and the wonderful folks at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center to make plans for my participation in their October 1st Apple Day festivities. I will have two story-time activities with interactive readings, searching games, and art activities during the day. One will be for Pond Babies, and the other for Gobble, Gobble. During our meeting to discuss plans, this fellow strutted right by the window. He must have know that Gobble, Gobble is all about wild turkeys!

After our meeting, Kirsten and I wandered down to the pond where the Pond Babies story time will happen, and met a local resident.

On our way back through the apple orchard, this little rascal and a few friends were happily lunching on windfalls. I'm looking forward to the event, and will post further updates.

Summer on the road

2011-07-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Summer time in Maine, and that means getting out and meeting with kids to share books, art and nature. Last week found me in Grand Lake Stream, Maine--way up "down east"--with the Downeast Lakes Land Trust's summer program for children. A few days later I was closer to home--at the North Gorham Library for "stories around the pond." Later this week I'll be at the Friend's School of Portland on Macworth Island for "stories by the garden."

A young hiker

A special find: a robin's egg shell!

After a production of Turtle Splash and some craft activities, Grand Lake Stream kids and parents headed out for a nature walk.

The North Gorham Library kids had a great time making turtle puppets.

UPDATE: We had nearly 50 children for stories on Macworth Island today! And then we made little critter stick puppets. The creator of these was too shy to have his photo taken, but he let me take one of his duck (left) and turtle (right).

Another New Baby at the Pond!

2011-06-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

As I was heading toward the treehouse today, a nestful of baby phoebes flushed from beneath the floorboards. This little one perched on a nearby pear tree, and promptly began calling for mom. I hustled away to let the family settle down.

Pond Babies!

2011-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the release date of Pond Babies:

The wood duck ducklings have hatched on Frog Song Pond! Mama and the kids are rather camera-shy, but here's a glimpse of them shot from a distance. There are at least a dozen--maybe 13. We are thrilled to see them! In the fifteen years we've lived on this pond, this is a first. Many mallard duckling fleets have been raised here, along with a couple of Merganser families, but the elusive wood ducks usually only drop by for a few days. Please wish them well!

UPDATE: Just added another photo, taken by the dock this morning!

Lady's Slipper update

2011-05-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

In just a few days time, the faintly blushing green-tinged blossoms of the lady's slipper that appear in my previous post have deepened to a glorious rosy pink. Check out the bullfrog admiring their beauty.

To see him/her up close, check out my Frog Blog.

Morning Close-ups

2011-05-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

Busy day ahead, but sunlight on turtle shells, and an eagerness to see if yesterday's chartreuse lady's slippers were blushing pink today, lured me to the pond this morning. Here are some of the wonders that greeted me.

Teeny Tiny Turtles!

2011-05-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

From Pond Babies, to be released next week from Down East Books.
The new little Chrysemys picta picta I wrote about a couple of weeks ago apparently has peers!

Look closely at this photo (click to enlarge) and look for THREE baby turtles!

Scoot! StoryTrail

2011-05-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

We were dodging raindrops through the gorgeous grounds of the Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio for the opening celebration of their third annual StoryTrail installation. This year's book was one of mine! The pages of Scoot! are laminated onto signs that wind through a trail for kids and their families to follow---skipping, scooting, swinging and zinging.

Like Maine's StoryWalk project, StoryTrail is a great way to combine movement and literacy by getting kids outside to read, run, and have fun.

After following the trail, we had more story time inside, followed by crafts that were provided by the staff of the Licking County Library.

More phots are here: Columbus Dispatch, and on my Flickr site.

The StoryTrail at the Arboretum will be up through October.

First POND BABIES are here!

2011-05-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

That's a pine needle across his (or her) shell. See the tadpole?

Here's one of the tree tassels next to a quarter so you can see the size of the tiny hatchling!

After several rainy days, sunshine spilled over the pond today. A tiny ripple near the edge caught my eye.... a turtle hatchling! The first spotting of a pond baby this spring! Then I looked again.....the water was also FULL of tiny tadpoles! You can see one next to the turtle.

My new book, Pond Babies, will be out in June from Down East Books.

Pond Critters

2011-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

So far this spring, in addition to the resident turtles and frogs, we've seen Mallards, Wood Ducks, a very impressive Kingfisher, and one Merganser hen. Yesterday, this Cormorant appeared--a first, I think. You can see how people confuse them with loons when they are swimming.

The turtles were completely unfazed.

Promised Peepers & A Frog On Ice

2011-04-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

The peepers have joined the wood frogs in the happy cacophony at the pond.

This little wood frog seemed quite stunned to still find ice along the shore.

He stayed there--frozen?--for several minutes before leaping back into the water. Brrrr.....

Spring, spring, SPRING!

2011-04-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

In case anyone has wondered why our pond is called Frog Song Pond, listen to the wood frogs in this short video. These chatterers are Spring's first arrivals, followed very closely by the peepers. I'll try to get a recording of them next. The pond is FULL of frogs right now! Here are two up close. And all those little shiny spots on the photo with the turtle in the middle? FROGS! Hundreds of them! While walking around the pond this afternoon, a sudden whistling and a flash of flushing feathers caught my attention. Five drake wood ducks! Here's a glimpse of the one that remained on the water--the rest sprung into the sky. Isn't he gorgeous?

The Pond is Waking Up!

2011-04-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Half the ice is off the pond, there are whole areas without snow, and the critters are tired of waiting for Spring. This pair of mallards moved back last week. Look closely and you'll see the first brave (48 degrees F) turtle at the end of the log.

My neighbors have their sap buckets out on their maples, too, and this little finch and his mate have chosen my front porch for their nest.

Watching Eaglets

2011-04-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

First of all---these eagles are not at Frog Song Pond! But like thousands of people around the globe, I've been eagerly watching a pair of eagles in their nest in Decorah, Iowa. The third eaglet hatched early last night, and the attentive parents take turns feeding them. Through the magic of cameras and technology, viewers are able to watch all that happens on this nest. If you haven't yet seen this, here's the site: http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Will there be a book about eagles? Probably not. (Not by me, anyway.) Having just finished Gobble, Gobble, my book about wild turkeys, I think I've done enough feathers for awhile. But I'm captivated by the these amazing eagles! Enjoy.

Fan mail

2011-03-18T10:34:00.001-07:00

Last week I spent two days at an elementary school in Saco, Maine, talking to the students about books, creativity, and imagination. One first grade class sent me wonderful letters, which arrived on my birthday! A lovely surprise. Here are two of them, with their "translations." Enjoy!

Sophia's note: "I love when you told us how we can use our imagination." ...and she does!

Cody's note: "I love everything. " ...a man of few words!

Snow Buddies

2011-03-06T19:27:00.001-08:00

Just like my illustration, critters visited my snowperson.

Sliding in to the finish

2011-02-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

After many months of work, I am very nearly finished with the art for Gobble, Gobble--a picture book about a curious child who watches a flock of wild turkeys throughout the year.

Dawn Publications will release it in the fall.

Although the antics of frequent turkey visitors are what inspired me to make the book in the first place, they haven't been around here for a long time. This past week, however, a flock of 15 or so have congregated around our front porch every day. I like to think of them as my cheering squad---boosting me along to finish the last pages of the book.

Scoot! Through the Snow

2011-02-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

As part of their Family Wellness Night activities, Narragansett School in Gorham, Maine, set up the Scoot! StoryWalk out on the playground. Kids and their parents strapped on snowshoes to follow the pages of my book. A nearly full moon was augmented by flood lights provided by the Gorham Fire Department. Although the snow was a little crunchy, readers enjoyed their scoot through the book, and a good time was had by all.

Valentine

2011-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

A valentine from Frog Song Pond. Share the love in your heart today.

Recess

2011-02-07T14:31:00.001-08:00

Working away in my studio on the art for Gobble, Gobble. Lovely day beckoned, however, and I decided to take a break for play.

Turkey print

2011-01-28T21:26:00.000-08:00

Just can't resist one more! This one is from a wild turkey. There were several more around the same area, near a stand of pine and spruce. You can clearly see the tail print here, and a bit of the wing on the left.

Here's a part of one of the illustrations for Gobble, Gobble that I'm working on (Can't fit the whole thing on my scanner). This is the one I was carving in a previous post.

Wing prints

2011-01-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Soft fluffy snow records the most delicate impressions. These prints are just beneath our bird feeder. Lovely!

Snow Prints

2011-01-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

Squirrel footprints and leaf impressions in snow

Birdie feet

Trails of wild turkey footprints lead to the pond

Carving wild turkeys roosting in a tree

I've been doing a lot of printing for the new book about wild turkeys--carving away, paying attention to positive and negative spaces. So it's a delight to find "prints" in nature.

Winter is here

2010-12-29T10:37:00.001-08:00

Best wishes to all for a hopeful and peaceful 2011.

Winter on the way

2010-12-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

A few flurries in past weeks have left previews of winter to come. Last Saturday's was the first to coat the trees, as well as the windmill. By Sunday most had melted, allowing this little herd of six deer to cross through our field without leaving footprints.

Turkeys Gobbling

2010-11-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Frog Song Pond is so gorgeous right now!

It has been a glorious Autumn here, with colors that make me giddy. Since I always work on book pages out of sequence anyway, making the seasonly matching illustrations right now seems like a good idea. Here's a rather poor snapshot of a piece from Gobble, Gobble, which I mentioned a few posts ago.

Pond Babies Swimming

2010-11-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

The completed artwork for Pond Babies has been delivered to the art director's clever hands at Downeast Books. Editor Michael Steere seemed surprised to have everything arrive two months ahead of deadline.

Kirsten Cappy from Curious City checked out the book before it fluttered up to Rockland, Maine. Pond Babies, and the book by the same title, will be out next spring.

Dear deer...

2010-09-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

More about the Maine Wildlife Park, which I mentioned in the previous post:

Since I'm working on the artwork for Pond Babies now, the visit was a great chance to photograph baby animals. Well-intention hikers and woods walkers sometimes come across what they think is an abandoned or "lost" fawn, scoop it up, carry it away, and then call wildlife management folks for help. The truth is that a white tail doe carefully "parks" her fawn in a safe place while she grazes nearby. The human would-be rescuers have actually kidnapped the baby. Five of these little critters now make their home at the Wildlife Park, since their moms couldn't be located again. There's a fawn in the book, so this was a good opportunity for me to observe them.

My good friend Nancy went along on this expedition, and came to my rescue with her own camera when mine ran out of battery power. She took this great image of three of the fawn.

Turkey tale

2010-09-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've spent a lot of time this summer working on block print and collage illustrations for a new picture book called Gobble, Gobble which will be out in the Fall of 2011 from Dawn Publications. The idea for the book came from observing the various antics of the wild turkeys who paraded around here on a regular basis throughout the year. Once I began the actual work, however, the turkeys apparently took up another residence. No turkey sightings all summer---at least not in my backyard. Until this morning. It's good to have them back.

••••••••

UPDATE:

A long overdo trip to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine was a real treat today. The park is home to many injured, orphaned, or human dependent animals. Most are now permanent residents---some are rehabilitated and released into the wild when possible. In addition to some injured wild turkeys, there are other turkey "visitors" who come to the park on their own accord to take advantage of the free food. This fellow was one of the visiting opportunists:

Zen Heron

2010-08-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

The bubbles in the foreground are coming from the aeration membrane,

which is hooked up to our new windmill. See post below.

I learned a little more about patience at the pond yesterday. I waited quietly, camera in hand, mosquitoes biting, for more than half an hour as a young Great Blue Heron waited quietly, too--eyes alert, food focused. Just when I had decided to give up, there was a splashing victory for the heron.

Don't watch this if you're squeamish. A sad day for the poor bullfrog, but I was pretty impressed with the heron.

Watching for Quixote

2010-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Our new windmill, installed a week ago, will pump air through tubing down to the pond where it will exit two membranes in tiny bubbles. This much-needed aeration will bring a healthier ecosystem to Frog Song Pond. Plus, as my Dad said, "It will look cute on your blog."

Do you agree? Let me know! And for more pix, including the installation, check here.

I'm financing this project (hopefully!) with a new book, Pond Babies, which will be released next spring from Down East Books.

Searching the web

2010-08-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've spotted several of these gorgeous black and yellow garden spiders around this year. Their distinctive markings, as well as their size (torso is about an inch to an inch and a quarter) make them look a bit scary, but they are harmless to humans. The females weave a zig-zag pattern into the middle of their large webs, thus giving them their other name---writing spider. There are lots of theories for why they do this. I wonder if E.B. White was inspired by these clever creatures when he created Charlotte. Look closely: Can you see "radiant" written in this web?

I made one of these lovely ladies from cut paper for my book, Scoot!, a few years ago.

Garden Bounty

2010-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

First tomato! Yum!

A froggy in the garden

Today I will pick the first ripe tomato in my garden! This year I'm also growing peas, beans, lettuce, cukes, peppers, basil, carrots, squash, and maybe eggplants (if they get their act together), but tomatoes are why I plant a garden.

I've proposed a garden celebration book to a publisher---we'll see what happens!

If you have a surplus in your garden this year, consider what my young UU friend here is doing. She and her mom and brother stop by the farmers' market each week at the end of the day, gather donations of unsold-but-still-delicious produce, and take them to the local soup kitchen. Healthy food for the hungry, and a great way for kids to get the Big Picture.

from Mystery Vine, 2009.

Bzzzzzzzzzz......

2010-07-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

A bird feeder that hangs from a pergola post near our back door has become a perfect home for paper wasps. These little critters are welcomed around here because they go after some of the nasty pests that attack my garden.

They also leave behind their gorgeous nests which they construct from plant fiber and saliva to make paper. I've used this lovely material for collage in a couple of my books. The tree branch on the cover of Scoot! is made from wasp nest paper.

I shot this little video of the wasps at work. Sorry for the jerky quality--I don't have a tripod.

Tree House Lunch

2010-07-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is the perfect time for lunch in the tree house by the pond. Three small friends (grandchildren of a friend) came to visit last week. We had lunch and games, and made turtle puppets. For more on the arts & crafts activity, click here for my Artful Acts blog.

Babies at the Pond

2010-07-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tadpoles are growing fast! Little legs have sprouted, propelling their bodies around the pond.

I've been searching for other "babies" because Down East Books has agreed to publish my new picture book for toddlers, Pond Babies, next Spring! Ta-da! Should be fun.

I photographed this adolescent loon chick last summer on No Name Pond, about 50 miles north of here. Click HERE to HEAR the loons on my Frog Blog.

turkey prints

2010-06-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago, I graduated as a printmaking major in the BFA program at the University of Connecticut's School of Fine Arts. A strong sensitivity to ammonia had driven me away from etching and engraving, but woodcuts and lithographs had stirred the ink in my blood. That same ink became a regular part of my wardrobe and makeup for my student years, but after graduation my only printmaking was done while teaching children's art classes.

Now here I am, decades (wince) later, and I've once again started making prints. A recent series of printing workshops with kids (click here and scroll) inspired me to think about a new approach to my own picture book illustration work, which has been exclusively paper collage. I'm now experimenting with cutting blocks to produce line, and then printing these over the paper collages. Still fooling around with it, but having a grand time in the process!

Word Wizard

2010-06-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered a couple of terrific, creative blog moms who have used my book, Word Wizard, to engage children with word play and anagrams. Here are their sites. Check them out!

Joyful Learner and Mouse Grows, Mouse Leans . (Click to open)

Gobble, Gobble

2010-06-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

No....it's not winter. This guy is just here to announce that Dawn Publications will be publishing my new book, Gobble, Gobble, next Spring! Ta-da! More information, and perhap a sneak preview of sketches, coming soon.

Pensive

2010-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

This guy found a perfect perch today, until a pushy mallard came along. To see

Bully & the Bullfrog: the MOVIE, click HERE.

Chippy Spa

2010-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

This chipmunk is from SCOOT! Greenwillow Books, 2008.

Silly me....I thought I had created a bird bath!

These guys are cute, but they're sneaky little varmits, too. Spotted one

with a freshly-dug turtle egg in it's mouth last week.

Reflection

2010-05-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day, 2010.

Flitter, flutter, scamper, scoot!

2010-05-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Frog on far left, a pair of Mallards, and two Eastern Painted Turtles. I didn't even ask them to pose!

First time seeing a Green Heron at the pond

One of THREE turtles laying eggs at the same time yesterday! All were about 10 feet apart.

Such a wise looking fellow...

It's been a busy week at Frog Song Pond. Here are some of the inhabitants. For more, click

HERE. Then go outside and play.

New Views

2010-05-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Although I love living in Maine, it's good to go somewhere else once in awhile to get a new perspective. Last week we hitched up the wagon train and set out for the "wild" west. Here's my first time at the Grand Canyon---truly an incredible place. Looks like torn paper, don't you think?

Wolcott Wizards

2010-04-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

I spent two great days this week at Roger Wolcott Early Childhood Center in Windsor, Connecticut. Lynne Markwell, the Early Literacy Specialist, kindly invites me to visit all of their terrific kindergarten students every year. Greeting me in the hall was this wall of wonderful word wizards--successful young readers! Aren't they cute?

Word Wizard information HERE.

Tortugas!

2010-04-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Quite a chorus line on the log at Frog Song Pond today. Well....a silent chorus line, anyway.

Maybe basking line is a better description. More photos on my other blog, HERE.

These two wanted to be alone, however....

I recently heard that Turtle Splash! will be out next year in a Spanish edition. Muy bueno!

Craig Reinauer, a preservice elementary teacher studying education at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, adapted Turtle Splash! to create a stop-motion animated video for his class project. Check it out HERE---quite charming!

Pond Babies

2010-04-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sample art for proposed project, POND BABIES.

Okay....so I haven't actually seen any babies yet this year, but I keep looking.

The mallard drake has been swimming around and annoying the turtles all by himself the last couple of days, so perhaps the mama-to-be is egg sitting. We've had ducklings on Frog Song Pond nearly every year. The turtles have been out in herds....(hmmm....what's the collective noun for Eastern Painted Turtles?) but I haven't spotted any hatchlings.

Oh, deer...

2010-04-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

I am determined to have a successful vegetable garden this year. The summer I was working on Mystery Vine, I had a magically wonderful garden with a bountiful harvest. Then last year, all went terribly wrong. Torrential rains rotted two rounds of seeds, and a parade of critters-- particularly deer, groundhogs, slugs and beetles--gobbled up the third planting. So this year, I'm starting with infrastructure. We had a glorious weekend, with bizarrely warm weather. I purchased a long roll of mesh fencing, foraged the woods for poles, and erected a nine-foot deer fence around my picket-fenced garden. I hope it will convince Bambi's descendants that it really isn't worth the trouble. Festooned with white ties and fluttering ribbons, I also hope it warns the birds away from harm.

A friend of mine teased me about it this morning. "What? Nature girl? Animal Lover? YOU put up a deer fence?" she asked dramatically, a twinkle in her eye. "I love my children, too," I explained, "but I didn't let THEM go wherever they wanted to go either." So there. Next step, a chicken wire barrier to keep out the very fat groundhogs.

UPDATE: Just finished my new gate! Ta-da!

Red in the rain

2010-03-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

A dreary rainy day, but then this handsome cardinal arrived to perch perfectly in the red twig variegated dogwood. Soon a little junco joined him, while his mate foraged for seeds kicked out of the feeder by the red squirrels.

Spring!

2010-03-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

I usually post photos from Frog Song Pond over on my other blog site, The Daily Frog, but I can't resist sharing the arrival of the first ducks to cruise around the melting ice this morning. I know Mallards are common, but they still dazzle me. Check out that iridescent green on the drake's head, and the hen's dash of bright orange on her beak. In a world of late winter browns and grays, these colors are quite exciting.

A critter book project has made it to a sweet publisher's finalist list, so I'm holding my breath that I'll be collaging and leaf printing soon.

Update, 3/19: Check the frog blog HERE to see who else appeared today!! Very exciting....

OICUR4T!

2010-03-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

Phil Hoose, wearing one of his many hats

Kirsten Cappy, in a fabulous hat created by Caldecott Honor Award

children's book illustrator, Melissa Sweet

It's not every day that a winner of a National Book Award and a Newbery Honor brings his band along to play for a surprise birthday party. But then it's not every day that an extraordinarily creative person like Kirsten Cappy turns 40. Phil Hoose, author of the award wining book, Claudette Colvin, Twice Toward Justice, and his spectacular band, Chipped Enamel, got the party rockin' at Zero Station in Portland, Maine.

Kirsten, owner and Magical Genius of Curious City, seemed surprised and delighted to see so many friends, clients and family members who had gathered to celebrate her. Guests had been invited to bring along an "impression on paper" of Kirsten, which resulted in an amazing collection of images from children's book illustrators and others.

Enjoy the party by checking out the photos HERE. Jamie Hogan has more HERE on her blog.

Hearts to you

2010-02-09T12:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

New Beginnings!

2010-02-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Happy February!

Well, here we are, a month into the new decade. Time to look over the past and plan for the future. Several new book projects have been sent out to publishers with pieces of my heart pinned to the envelopes. After two dozen books, I've been in this biz long enough to know not to hold my breath. The wait time is very long. But just in case an editor --or reader--clicks on this blog, here are some of my published titles. The list to the right has more links.

Ah. Ever the optimist!

Happy Reading.

NYC gig

2010-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

I've never done this before, but my "mama gene" is kicking in. He'll probably be furious...

My son, Alex Mirkin, is playing at a place called the National Underground in New York City (lower east side) tomorrow night--Thursday, 2/28/10--from 9-10 pm. It's at 159 E. Houston between Allen and Eldridge.

So....if you're in the city, check it out. And cross your fingers that he doesn't disown me...

UPDATE: This performance was a success, and he's playing again next month:

February 18th, 8 -9 pm. Same place.

"What I hear when I listen to Alex play isn't exactly folk or of the broadly-dubbed "singer-songwriter" genre. Instead, I get a highly creative and unique alchemy of new and old sound. I hear Paris nights and London rain. I hear beauty and sadness. I hear Nick Drake, Sylvia Plath, and Colin Meloy. His free use of alternative guitar tunings and gorgeous lyrical lines stand out to me in a way that makes me believe we will be hearing greatness from this young man sooner than we know." - Jack Kerns

A Feast of Fun!

2010-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

A sneaky snow storm snuck in last night and continued this morning, but many braved the weather to attend the MLK breakfast in Portland. We had about 50 in my group, and more than 100 in Annie's. The kids seemed to have a grand time! We couldn't have done it without the help of tremendously awesome volunteers. Dr. King would have been impressed with the great cooperation, friendship, and fun. For more photos, click HERE.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2010-01-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits"

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Portland, Maine, branch of the NAACP will hold their annual MLK celebration breakfast on Monday, Jan.18th. Click HERE for more information and to make reservations. The keynote speaker is the dynamic and wonderful Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell! Concurrently, there will be two programs for youth. Anne Sibley O'Brien will present a terrific interactive program for kids 9-12. Her book, After Gandhi, will be the springboard for group brainstorming, poster-making, and plans for an exciting service project. And for kids 4 - 8, I will be running an activity-filled program based on my book, Feast for 10. Various activity stations will engage children in games, arts & crafts, and active play with a focus on healthy bodies & healthy minds. We'll have Fruits & Veggies Bingo, jump roping, collage-making, bean-bag tosses, a garden mural, story time and more.

Here are some of the games I've been making for this event!

A large board game, a bean-bag toss board, and a Fruits & Veggies version of an old 60's floor game.

All attendees (both programs) will receive a free book.

For more information,

call the amazing Pious Ali at 207-807-4283.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Looking back on 2009.... Highlights are great times with family and friends. Another wonderful memory was my good fortune of participating in a loon survey with the BioDiversity Research Institute in July, and watching the loon chicks grow on No Name Pond through the summer.

My hopes for the new year are good health, happiness, and creative dreams for my my family and friends. And for me? Working on a loon book would be grand!

Greetings

2009-12-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

LOVE! JOY! PEACE!

Warm wishes to all for the Solstice Season!

Fairy Follow up

2009-12-09T18:00:00.001-08:00

The fairy house arrived in Oregon! Genevieve quickly found a steed for the fairy princess to ride.

Fairy for a four-year-old

2009-12-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with fabric scraps while waiting to begin a new book project. Here's a little fairy and her tree stump house I made for my cousin's four-year-old daughter, Genevieve. It's soft and tough, and will take real playing. She can fill it with her own imagination and creativity.

If you happen to be a magical moment person, you'll enjoy this: I took the little house outside to photograph it (a strangely warm day for December in Maine) and just before I picked up the camera, a red dragonfly landed oh-so-briefly on the fairy's skirt---only to dart away before I could take a picture.

Fun for kids

2009-11-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

I started a new blog, which will have simple, creative ideas for kids. I'll try to focus on recycled materials, and imaginative art projects that focus on process. It's called ARTFUL ACTS for kids. Please check it out, and let me know what you think! Thanks.

Art in Belfast*

2009-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

*.....that's Belfast, MAINE, actually.

The Barbara Kramer Gallery at the Belfast Free Library has an exhibition of fifteen of the original illustrations from my books on display through the month of November.

If you're in the area, please stop in!

For a press release click HERE.

Also, if you have any interest in purchasing originals or Giclee prints, please contact me. My studio is over-flowing with artwork, and it's time for some of them to move out! - frogsongstudio@yahoo.com

Rainy Day Fun

2009-10-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

A grand time was had by all at the Healthy Harvest Celebration today in Gorham, Maine! More than 100 kids and their parents came out of the rain to celebrate the release of Mystery Vine and the awesome new Gorham Fitness Studio. Book-related arts & crafts, energetic games and dances led by GFS owner Jesse Coleman, story time breaks to soothe the crowd, fabulous face painting created by terrific volunteers, healthy snacks donated by community businesses, and a grand finale movie all made for a wonderful day!

Kids Connect to Nature

2009-10-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

On a recent visit to Eight Corners School in Scarborough, Maine, I talked to kids about the amazing critters that wriggle, waggle, scamper and scoot in and around my pond. We acted out Scoot! with animal movements and Turtle Splash! with puppets. Mrs. Wood's second graders sent me a gorgeous stack of drawings about my visit. I wish you could see them all! Here's Brendan's awesome drawing of the critters at Frog Song Pond.

Mystery Makers at the Library!

2009-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Kids at Baxter Memorial Library in Gorham, Maine, had a fun story time and then set to work on their very own Mystery Vines! For more photos, click HERE....and then scroll down!

A Mystery Vine Party!

2009-09-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

My friends at the Gorham Fitness Studio are having a party!

For more info, click HERE to go to the Mystery Vine page!

Healthy Harvest Celebration!

at Gorham Fitness Studio

Fall, Fitness, Fun!

You are invited to a Harvest Celebration

Join Gorham’s own Children’s Author Cathryn Falwell

for the release of her latest book “Mystery Vine”.

There will be activities, Live DJ, Pumpkin Art, Healthy

Snacks, and fitness games with Gorham Fitness

Studio Instructors. We will end the evening with a

showing of “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” on

the big screen. Come and Celebrate a Healthy

Harvest!

What: Healthy Harvest Celebration

When: Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Where: Gorham Fitness Studio

17D Railroad Ave Gorham, Maine

(behind Hannaford, beside Post Office)

Time: 2pm-5pm (Movie begins at 4pm)

FREE to Community

www.gorhamfitnessstudio.com

(207)839-3353

Basking

2009-09-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Squirrels may be collecting acorns to store for the long Maine winter, but the turtles of Frog Song Pond are gathering sunlight. Four of them braved a chilly wind today to soak up some rays, reminding me of the illustrations I made for Scoot! and Turtle Splash, with all those teeny tiny pieces of paper. This one looked particularly pensive, perhaps reflecting on summer memories before hibernating in the bottom of the pond.

More frogs and turtles and other critters, are here.

Farewell to Loons

2009-09-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

September. The nights are cooler now, and the leaves are beginning to change. I visited No Name Pond one last time and waved good-bye to the loon family. We watched the chicks grow from tiny fluff balls in June, to nearly ready to fly adolescents. I worked on a picture book about them while listening to the parents call across the lake to each other in that incredible, haunting sound. The book is taking shape--not ready to go out as a proposal to a publisher just yet.

So-- here's the loon family, taken last week, and one of the chicks doing a little foot waggle. And a "farewell to summer" photo of the lake. If you missed my earlier post about loons, be sure to check out the wonderful work being done by the BioDiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine.

Mystery Vine

2009-08-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

Mystery Vine, which Kirkus Reviews calls, "a great choice to help prepare children for the fun and fruitfulness of gardening," is finally out. HarperCollins has a "browse inside" site where you can peek at some of the pages:

http://browseinside.harpercollinschildrens.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061771989 or click here.

And for more about this book, Mystery Vine now has it's own blog page here.

Happy gardening, and happy reading!

Sunday Heron

2009-08-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've only seen this amazing creature once this summer--about two weeks ago. I've been watching for him (her?) every day. This morning, while trying, in vain, to photograph a particularly stunning dragonfly, I looked up.....and there was the magnificient bird. I wasn't able to get a photo of his flight, but watched in awe as this huge creature gracefully lifted off the log and flew down the pond.

Pond Watchers

2009-08-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Two young explorers arrived on their bicycles today for a visit to Frog Song Pond. Since I now have my very first copy of my new book, Mystery Vine, we took it along to the treehouse. Sam and Vick-- the first kids I have read this book to!--enjoyed the story and plan to make a bean teepee in their garden next year.

After the boys left, I came across this little fellow --perhaps composing poetry while gazing out across the water.

Cat Daze of Summer

2009-08-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

The dog days of summer have arrived....and we are now very sorry that we complained about our too-cool Maine weather. Ugh. So being lazy on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon is the only option. Star (kitty...pictured here) chose the dock, as did a resident frog a bit later. The treehouse offered me a bit of a breeze. A very good day to read, indeed.

Feast & Retreat

2009-08-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a fabulous writers' retreat on a lake up near Lewiston, Maine. We managed to persuade the wonderful owners of Boat Building Vacation LLC, Nilaya and James Palmer, to branch out their business and host this event. The result was a heavenly 3-night stay with postcard-perfect weather and scrumptious gourmet food in a perfect environment to inspire creativity, complete with the call of loons.

All participants enjoyed productive work-- occasionally breaking for a refreshing swim, a bit of yoga, or a romp with the adorable puppy-in-residence, Sashi. We're hoping that Nilaya and James (PERFECT hosts!) will be willing to offer this again next year! Check out their site--and the incredibly beautiful boats you can learn to build with them, too.

Photos: (1)Kirsten Cappy and Sarah Thomson research for their novels; (2) Nilaya and Sashi serve appetizers(3) lakeside; (4) Kirsten at work

Camden Library Illustration Show

2009-08-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Camden Public Library on Main Street in Camden, Maine, is presenting an exhibition of children's book illustrations by six Maine illustrators. There will be a reception, open to the public, on Tuesday, August 11th at 6:30 pm. Come and say hello!

Exhibiting in this show: Noah Z. Jones, L.A. Meyer, Garvin Morris, Jim Sollers, and Jay Piscopo ...and me!

This will be an interesting show of diverse styles and mediums. Many pieces will be offered for sale as well.

The show will be up for the month of August. Check the Camden Library site for hours.

Illustrations here are from SCOOT! written & illustrated by Cathryn Falwell.

Greenwillow Books, 2008

Swooning for Loons

2009-07-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

What an incredible morning! I was a lucky passenger on a loon observation field excursion conducted by the Biodiversity Research Institute. The mission of this wonderful organization is to "assess ecological health through collaborative research, and to use scientific findings to advance environmental awareness and inform decision makers." (visit their site by clicking on their name here and see all of the amazing work they do!)

My friend and fellow nature enthusiast, Nancy Craig, and I met up with the Executive Director and Senior Scientist, David Evers, Ph.D., Business Manager and Development Director (and boat captain), Lee Attix, and Consultant Paige Holmes. We had been invited to accompany them on their loon survey of a Maine lake about a half-hour north of my home. This lake, a busy vacation area, is home to at least five nesting pairs, and several "rogue" loons. On our excursion this morning we were able to see many of the loons with their chicks, and to also check three nest sites. Dave and Lee offered a wealth of fascinating information about these amazing birds. You can probably guess that I am very eager to work on a loon picture book!

Bottom photo, L to R: Paige, Nancy, Lee & Dave. Photo above has female feeding fish to chick!

Pond Friends

2009-07-20T20:08:00.001-07:00

A star singer at Frog Song Pond! And here are a few other residents:

and MORE tree house!

2009-07-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

A friend requested a photo of my tree house, so here it is. Note that this is MY tree house---not my children's--and has screens and steps. My carpenter neighbor built it for me two years ago. This isn't my studio, but it IS a grand place to observe the critters at Frog Song Pond.

The little froggy here is from SCOOT!

Lazy Afternoon in the Tree House

2009-07-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Frog Song Pond!

A lovely Maine afternoon with happy critters willing to pose for my new camera. A very dead tree crashed into the pond a few days ago, creating a lovely new log for turtles to bask.

I'm working on a new pond book idea.....stay tuned for updates.

Garden Time

2009-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Soggy summer here in Maine, so the garden is looking a little sad this year. Last year's bounty was inspiring, though--especially the mysterious "volunteers" that grow on their own. Last year I picked four gorgeous acorn squash that I didn't plant. Several years ago a mystery vine grew out of my compost heap, and produced 32 little pumpkins! Well, inspite of this year's meager crop, my new book, Mystery Vine , will be ready for harvest in August.

Greenwillow Books has posted an activity page for the book here,

that includes little growing projects like these:

Ruby Slippers

2009-06-19T08:01:00.001-07:00

Shape Capers traveled to Kansas last week by invitation from the The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, and a grant from the Kansas Arts Commission. A grand time was had by nearly 300 shape-making munchkins!

After leaving Manhattan (also known as the "Little Apple"), we stopped in Wamego, birthplace of my dear Aunt Norma, and home of the Oz Museum. Since I am a devoted fan of The Wizard of Oz, we of course took the tour down the yellow brick road! After a lovely visit with relatives in Eudora, Lawrence, and Overland Park, it was time to click my heals together three times and head back to Maine, where my very own ruby slippers (aka: pink ladies slippers) rest by the pond.

Plant A Tree

2009-05-02T05:54:00.001-07:00

Although the creator of this video didn't get permission to use the song, this is a very cute piece with a lovely song by Mike Nobel.
Mike is a friend, and an amazingly talented songwriter and performer. He travels around the country presenting interactive music programs for children and adults. Here's his website:
http://www.freewebs.com/mikenobel/

After Ghandi

2009-04-24T06:44:00.001-07:00

Maine Author & Illustrator, Anne Sibley O'Brien, and her son, Perry Edmond O'Brien, have collaborated on a stunning new book, After Ghandi: 100 Years of Nonviolent Resistance, published by Charlesbridge. There's an open house to celebrate the publication of the book next Friday, May 1st, at Arabica Coffee, 2 Free Street, in Portland, Maine, as part of the First Friday Art Walk.

Book Signing & Art Opening
Friday, May 1, 2009 (Art Walk)
5:00-8:00 PM (Open House)

The book is a must-have for social justice awareness, and the illustrations are fabulous. The event is a fundraiser for the Social Action Committee at the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church.

Here is a link for more information: CURIOUS CITY.

http://curiouscitycalendar.blogspot.com/2009/04/may-1-2009.html

The Almost Librarian

2009-04-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Valerie Baartz, grad school student and mother of two young children, has combined her background in Early Childhood Education, her work in Library Science, and her own experience to produce a snappy blog with great recommendations and comments about children's books. The site is chock-full of great links to early childhood sites, early literacy information, and reading lists. She recently featured my books, which I'm delighted to mention! Check out her site by clicking here: The Almost Librarian.

A Shape Capers Day in Westbrook, Maine

2009-03-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Update!

Here are photos from this event!

Photos:

Rick Kimball

rkimbal4@maine.rr.com

Warren Memorial Library Shape Capers Day!

Puppets for the Ides of March!

2009-03-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

The clever kids at Allen Avenue UU had a grand time making puppets today.

Bravo for Maine's Tom Allen

2009-03-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Our former Maine Congressman, Tom Allen, has been named CEO of the Association of American Publishers. Tom is a brilliant man of integrity, and I wish him well in his new endeavor.

Creative Kids at L.L. Bean

2009-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

School vacation time in Maine, so what better to do than make turtle puppets?

L.L. Bean in Freeport hosted a week of children's book folks to read, make things, and have fun with kids. At least 80 small puppet makers stopped by to make SCOOT turtles with me, and then led their critters down to my portable pond for a splash.

Photos: Kirsten Cappy, Curious City

Happy 112th Birthday

2009-02-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

McMullin triplets: Willie May, Tillie Day and Dillie Fay. Born February 20, 1897.

On February 20, 1897, my grandmother and her two sisters arrived into the world. Their births were a home delivery in the Ozarks in St. Clair County, Missouri, and they were named Dillie Fay, Tillie Day and Willie May McMullin. Their names were not unusual for the time, but having triplets born alive certainly was rare. The family history says that they averaged 6 pounds each (!) and that my grandmother, Willie, was the smallest. Since it was feared she would not survive, they tucked her into bed with her own grandmother, who was suffering from tuberculosis, so she could pass away comforted. Tillie died from an auto accident in 1965 at age 68, Dillie died five years later at 73, and my grandmother, who was thought to be too weak to survive, lived to be 88.

Happy Birthday!

Splashin' Around the Pond

2009-02-12T00:16:00.000-08:00

Pre-school Story Time at Baxter Memorial Library, Gorham, Maine

March 10th, 9:30 am

We'll gather around the pond for stories, puppets and fun!

Keeping Track

2009-02-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

We're having quite a winter here in Maine. Although the turtles are sleeping beneath the ice at the bottom of Frog Song Pond, other critters are keeping busy. Wild turkey and deer tracks festoon the snow. . .

. . .and some venture out to skate on the ice.