A Well-Lit Corner | Illumination Arts Publishing

New Illumination Arts Products--Orgone Energy

2011-03-25T19:32:15Z

At a conference last year John Thompson made his first connection with an amazing energy source--Orgone Energy. First discovered in the 1930s by a German scientist/psychologist, Wilhelm Reich, this remarkably powerful energy is infused into small objects like necklaces, pocket discs and cell phone protectors.

These amazing products are very affordable, and they now available by calling our office 425-968-5097. You will soon be able to view Orgone products on this site and buy them through our store.

Submissions FAQ: Do I Need an Illustrator?

2009-10-29T20:49:11Z

Many aspiring authors ask us whether they need to find an illustrator for their picture book before submitting it to publishers. The answer: NO. As the ever-wonderful Editorial Anonymous writes, "Publishers do not want to receive manuscripts that are already illustrated. Publishers want to choose the illustrator themselves."

This is so true to the extent that submitting your manuscript with illustrations will make you more likely to be rejected. You may feel that the illustrations you submit are just a guide as to how you envision the final product might look. However, when a submission arrives with illustrations, it appears to the publisher that the author will not be willing to even consider using another artist.

For authors, the best thing you can do is focus on making your story the most engaging and well-written it can be. For illustrators, send in samples of your work separate from another author's unpublished manuscript. Good luck!

[Please note that Illumination Arts is not accepting submissions at this time, but this advice applies to other publishers as well.]

Safety Tips for Kids

2009-10-14T22:16:37Z

Roonie B. Moonie is an adventurous little bee. His mother gives him some important advice for playing outside the beehive: "Stay out in the open. Be extra careful around strangers. And if you fly into trouble, remember to stay calm, listen to your feelings, and use your head."

When he gets lost while out playing one day, Roonie must pay attention to his feelings and remember his mother's safety rules in order to find his way home. Help your kids learn to listen to their own feelings with Roonie B. Moonie: Lost and Alone.

New Site to Engage Kids in Reading

2009-10-01T23:00:49Z

Children's literature bloggers are abuzz this week talking about the new website for young book lovers, Kidsmomo. The site has a lot of opportunities for kids to interact with books and each other, including a podcast, weekly Mystery Book Theater challenge, and book reviews by other kids.

I especially love the kid-friendly comment forms, which explicitly tell kids only to use their first name. Kidsmomo looks like a promising new way to engage children with their reading.

Getting Boys to Read

2009-09-22T21:22:04Z

In a society that teaches that quiet activities like reading and learning are for girls, getting boys to read can be a bit of a challenge. Jon Scieszka, the national Ambassador for Young People's Literature and well-known author of The Stinky Cheese Man, comes to the rescue with a new web-based literacy program for boys called Guys Read.

Featuring reading lists with categories like "At Least One Explosion" and "Realistic Kids in Realistic Situations," this program is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Guys Read not only introduces boys to books they are likely to enjoy, but also engenders a club-like atmosphere which encourages them to share these books with one another.

The book lists cover a variety of age ranges, but are mostly geared toward older boys. For the younger crowd, we've got a couple of Illumination Arts titles that always seem to draw the attention of boys at shows. The Whoosh of Gadoosh features a zany world of laughter and misbehavior, akin to the Wayside School series. Dragon depicts the exploits of a prince and one angry, fire-breathing dragon.

[via Fuse #8]

The Tree Author Takes Part in Human Mosaic

2009-09-17T20:18:20Z

As some of you may know, Dana Lyons, author of environmental picture book The Tree, is also a singer/songwriter specializing in a unique mix of comedy, ballads, and love songs. At the end of this month, Dana will be doing series of concerts and workshops in Homer, Alaska. To cap off the series, Dana will be joining hundreds of Homer citizens on the beach to create a mosaic to be photographed from the sky.

"The mosaic will focus on climate change and specifically on reducing coal use," says Dana. "Photographs of the event will be shown at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December."

What a fantastic, creative way to showcase the important issue of climate change! You can support Dana in his endeavors by visiting his website.

Illustrator Interview: Robert Rogalski

2009-09-09T20:34:01Z

Mrs. Murphy's Marvelous Mansion is a visual treat for readers of all ages, and I was lucky enough to catch up with Robert Rogalski, the artist behind the book's colorful, outrageous illustrations. From his inspiration for Mrs. Murphy's dog Pickles to advice for first-time illustrators, Robert had such fun insights to share.

Where did you draw your inspirations for Mrs. Murphy, her "mansion", and the other characters in the story?
The look of Mrs. Murphy is a combination of my mom and my Aunt Barbara - especially the round face - and a few other women I knew growing up, like an art teacher I had who wore a colorful patchwork skirt. I made the panels on Mrs. Murphy's skirt different on each page to add a more whimsical feel. In order for her appearance-conscious neighbors to want to turn away from her, I thought Mrs. Murphy's outfits would have to be obnoxiously loud. I made her hat a focal point of her outfit, with all kinds of plumes and creatures hiding in it, because the way she dresses is an extension of her magical home.
Mrs. Murphy's dog Pickles was inspired by my parents' overweight pug named Peggy Sue who I like to describe as an asthmatic sausage. Pickles is another extension of Mrs. Murphy's friendly, warm, and inviting personality. Pickles is obliviously happy no matter what, in contrast to Mrs. Murphy's uptight neighbors.

The outside of her mansion is actually modeled on a very colorful outhouse. The interior is a little bit James and the Giant Peach and a little bit Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

For me, each of the characters has a backstory. One of my favorite characters is Miss Black, whose look I modeled after Jackie O and who I imagine as a rather prissy cosmetics saleslady. Miss Green, I imagine, is the type of neighbor who measures her neighbors' lawns with a ruler. For this book, I was influenced somewhat by the look of the film "The Triplets of Belleville" and by Dr. Seuss, and my vibrant color palette might even have come from a package of Sweet Tarts.

For more of Rogalski's inspirations, challenges, and favorite scenes from Mrs. Murphy's Marvelous Mansion, read onward!

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Do you have a favorite scene in the book? Were there scenes that were especially fun to illustrate?
My three favorite scenes were the many-doored room, the tree covered in lanterns, and Mrs. Murphy's garden, mainly because the detail in all of them allows the reader to get lost in the picture. There are many different kinds of visuals going on and it's always fun to hide a garden gnome in the scene.

Part of what made it so fun to draw the illustrations for this book was that Illumination Arts gave me carte blanche, even allowing me to add in characters that weren't in the original text, like Pickles. Author Emma Perry Roberts had a really collaborative spirit and was honestly excited about sharing ideas.

What do you enjoy about illustrating children's books? What are some of the difficulties of illustrating children's books?
The first introduction that children are going to get to art and literature is through children's books, and to me, that's really inspirational. With Mrs. Murphy's Marvelous Mansion, I had the chance to play around with a lot of different visual styles and to experiment with styles that are unusual to me. It was a lot of fun to do that.

Mrs. Murphy's Marvelous Mansion was my very first children's book and the learning curve as a first-time illustrator was steep. There are many things I would have done differently had I known more about formatting and scale, but I'm definitely better equipped for these aspects of preparing illustrations in the future. If I were to give advice to first-time illustrators, it would be not to give up, because it can be incredibly difficult to get your foot in the door, and to do your research. Finding a great publisher to work with, understanding what they need, and being able to work collaboratively all contribute to having a satisfying experience.

What have you been up to since the release of Mrs. Murphy's Marvelous Mansion?
I'm currently working on a number of projects, including a young adult graphic novel and a couple of children's picture books. I would tell you more about them, but hundreds of robots would swoop in on me and whisk me away to an undisclosed location. I'm also busy making sculptures, and my wish in the near future is to create a book using photographs of my sculptures as the illustrations. I have yet to find a photographer to collaborate with me on this project (hint, hint). Finally, I'm building a Peter Pan-inspired tree loft for the inside of a friend's child's room. It's one of those fun projects that I'm doing because growing up I always wanted a loft in my own room.

What are some of your favorite children's books?
When I was a child, I was drawn to more heavily illustrated books, like Steven Kellogg's The Island of the Skog. The level of detail, the way the mice sailed a model ship across the water to escape from cats and found a little island - I ate it up. The author came to my school and he inspired me to someday illustrate something like that. When I was around the same age, I loved Adrienne Adams' Woggle of Witches. The way she handled the lighting and the witches flying through the night sky, along with the richness of the colors, was beautiful. Her style is deceptively simple. I also love anything illustrated by Trina Schuart Hyman, such as her version of The Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. She describes herself as a pen-and-ink artist who had to learn how to paint in color, and I appreciate that. Gnomes by Wil Huygen is a book I read up and down when I was five; all of the details about how they lived fascinated me. I can't even name all of the contemporary illustrators whose work I admire - though Chris Grimley comes to mind - but I'm more drawn to illustrators from the turn of the century, such as John R. Neill, the illustrator of the Wizard of Oz books.

Book Recommendations by Kids!

2009-08-31T22:51:39Z

If you're running low on new books to read with your child, check out this year's winners of the Children's Choice Book Awards. The winners are determined by the votes of over 220,000 kids around the country. What better way to find a good book for your children than by the recommendations of their peers?

The full list is organized by grade level, so you can be sure to find lots of great books that are both age appropriate and tons of fun.

Illustrator Interview: Cynthia Aldrich

2009-08-03T22:29:12Z

I recently had the opportunity to talk with artist and illustrator Cynthia Aldrich. Cynthia made her illustrating debut in 1989 when she drew the beautiful illustrations for Chara M. Curtis' All I See is Part of Me, which just so happens to be the very first title in our collection of children's books! She and Chara teamed up again in 1992 with the release of Fun is a Feeling. Cynthia had many insights to share about her artistic inspirations for these books and about the illustrating process. She even shared some of her favorite children's books with me, all of which are must-reads!

You've illustrated two of Chara's Illumination Arts titles. What was it like working with Chara? The thing about working with Chara that was so incredible for me as an artist was that she left everything about the illustrations - from the initial inspirations to the style - entirely up to me. Her realm was in the words, so I had complete control over the illustrations. It was a very freeing experience and I couldn't have asked for a better situation to come up with the ideas for the illustrations.

Where did you draw your inspirations for the illustrations to All I See is Part of Me and Fun is a Feeling?
My inspirations came directly from Chara's words and indirectly from the world around me. During the time I was working on All I See is Part of Me, my husband and I were living in an 80 year-old house in Kirkland, WA that we were in the process of refurbishing. Working on the illustrations was an escape from the madness of construction going on around me; they gave me peace of mind. After I received Chara's manuscript, I initially spent a couple of weeks simply reading and rereading the words, letting them sink in. One night, at around one o'clock in the morning, I woke up and had a movie reel of stills of each of the illustrations, one after another, right before my eyes. I immediately got up and sketched them down! In this sense, the inspirations for All I See is Part of Me came from somewhere through me, somewhere deep inside of me. The images came to me from parts of my life, triggered by Chara's words.

I was living on Whidbey Island, WA when I did the illustrations for Fun is a Feeling. My husband and I had moved because we craved a more rural setting and I drew inspiration from the woods and natural greenery around me. I modeled the images of the inside of the house on our former house in Kirkland. I also drew inspiration from a scene in George MacDonald's adult fantasy novel Lilith for the illustration in which the boy's bedroom transforms into a forest.

To find out more about Cynthia's inspirations and artistic process, read onward!

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What materials did you use for these illustrations? I used colored pencils to illustrate All I See is Part of Me. I'm an oil painter and at first I played around with that medium but soon realized it wasn't going to work. I tried pastels and that wasn't the look I wanted and then I tried watercolors, which were better but still not quite right. I had always wanted to explore colored pencils so I tried colored pencils on textured watercolor paper and loved the result. I primarily used watercolors with colored pencil detailing for Fun is a Feeling. In exploring children and children's books, I found that they respond well to lots of bright color and that they like detailing. I was able to achieve this with these materials. I also used airbrushing for the magic dust that travels from page to page.

What do you enjoy about illustrating children's books? What are some of the difficulties of illustrating children's books?
The difficulty of illustrating children's books is the length of time it takes to complete a project. Illustrating a children's book is a long process! I spent the course of two years drawing the illustrations for All I See is Part of Me. It is such a huge commitment of time that you really have to be on board with the project, one of the reasons I haven't illustrated another children's book since Fun is a Feeling. I have a couple of ideas for stories, but right now I'm focusing on painting so they're currently on the backburner.

The thing that I most enjoy about illustrating children's books is the incredible use of imagination, of having an inspiration come through me or from up inside of me. I also enjoy the drawing process itself. After working on the illustrations for All I See is Part of Me and Fun is a Feeling for so long, I had a new-found facility with drawing. I could draw anything! I was able to pull an image from my mind and draw it. I loved the facility that came with doing all of that work. I also enjoy seeing the project come to light, from the initial idea to the finished, published product - it is a very exciting process!

All I See is Part of Me is an award-winning, international bestseller, not to mention one of our most popular titles. How has its success affected you?
It's always wonderful to receive praise and awards for a book - which of course helps sell books by increasing their visibility - but the feedback and stories that I've received from readers has been most rewarding for me. I'll give you an example: Soon after All I See is Part of Me was published, I met a woman who had purchased the book for her young daughter who suffered from terrible nightmares. After she read the book to her daughter, the girl asked to take it to bed with her. After a couple of nights of this, she told her mother, "Sister Star took away my nightmares." She didn't have any more nightmares after that! To touch people in this way and to receive letters and emails of readers' stories about how the book has influenced them has been priceless.

How did you come up with the idea to hide a kitty on every page of Fun is a Feeling?
The idea initially came to me when I was working on the illustration of the bug crawling on the boy's nose. I was looking at the illustration and all of a sudden I noticed that there appeared to be a cat hiding in the background of the leaves. I added some color to the image and brought it out so it looked more like a cat. The publishers liked it, so we decided to do a similar thing throughout the rest of the book and hide a kitty on every page.

What are some of your favorite children's books?
As a child I loved Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry. The illustrations fascinated me and inspired me to illustrate a children's book. Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal was another favorite. The illustrations are entirely in blue and white! I also loved both the stories and outrageous illustrations in Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking series and in Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss books. I enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. His use of imagination and fantasy as a means of dealing with emotions is awesome. In terms of more recent releases, Barbara Berger's Grandfather Twilight is beautifully illustrated. Tuesday by David Wiesner is really cool. It doesn't have a single word in it and is composed entirely of illustrations! I also like Illumination Arts' One Smile and The Whoosh of Gadoosh.

One Smile Featured in Podcast

2009-07-31T21:56:02Z

The fabulous Just One More Book Podcast has featured One Smile in this Wednesday's edition of their show. The episode is just over six minutes long, and also highlights the Pay It Forward Foundation as well as another pay-it-forward inspired picture book.

Picture Books That Teach Compassion

2009-07-28T21:20:21Z

As new faces are constantly added to the human population, kindness and compassion are essential tools for maintaining a harmonious community and a peaceful world. Whether it's a simple smile or a courageous, selfless gesture, treating others with compassion is the best way to be a hero. When you exercise compassion, you make the world a better place. Here are a few picture books from Illumination Arts that show the many forms compassion can take.

The Doll Lady: Teach children that, just as dolls "must be loved and respected for their uniqueness," people must be treated with compassion and valued for their individuality.
Little Squarehead: In this heartwarming story, children will learn, like Rosa, that no matter what their differences in outer appearances, all people are beautiful inside and deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion.
One Smile: Follow Katie's example and discover how easy it is to show compassion; even with a simple smile, the lives of many can be brightened, and that one heroic, though small, act of kindness can make the world a better place.
Dragon: With a little cooperation and understanding, peaceful reconciliation is always possible, even in the face of a terrible dragon. Just as ruling with peace rather than violence leads to a better kingdom for Langilor, living compassionately will lead to a better world for all.
The Errant Knight: Compassion, though rewarding, can sometimes require a heroic selflessness that leads to putting personal goals on hold. For the errant knight, following his heart means helping those in need, even when it delays his journey to the king. He ultimately discovers that by putting the needs of others before his own, he has become a true hero.
Too Many Murkles: Though she is young, wise Juliana teaches children that showing others compassion by considering their perspective can lead to wonderful results, and that oftentimes the most horrible events can be happy, humorous blessings in disguise.
The Bonsai Bear: In this heartfelt tale about letting others live out their true nature, childless couple Issa and Kyomi must find in themselves the selflessness and compassion to let their bear cub return to the wild where he belongs, even when they could keep him forever.

Inspiring Self-Confidence in Your Child, One Book at a Time

2009-07-16T16:18:19Z

A sense of belonging is very important to children's self-confidence and many of them fear standing out from the crowd. But in an increasingly diverse world, differences abound. Books can be great tools for teaching kids how to embrace these differences--and for showing that other children may not be as different as they appear. These beautifully illustrated picture books will inspire children to accept and embrace their differences:

Am I a Color Too? (Written by Heidi Cole & Nancy Vogl; Illustrated by Gerald Purnell): A young interracial boy examines racial differences and discovers that regardless of other people's labels, he's "just a person, a person just like you."
We Share One World (Written by Jane Hoffelt; Illustrated by Marty Husted): As a boy travels around the world, visiting different countries and cultures, he realizes that we all share the same sun, moon, and world.
Little Squarehead (Written by Peggy O'Neill; Illustrated by Denise Freeman): A sad little girl is taunted and teased because of the odd shape of her head, but her world changes when she discovers courage, confidence, and compassion.
Dreams to Grow On (Written by Christine Hurley Deriso; Illustrated by Matthew Archamault): A young girl explores the possible careers she might follow when she grows up--from doctor to sea captain, and everything in between.

Classic Fairy Tales

2009-07-08T17:59:06Z

The Children's Book Group over on GoodReads has a great discussion going about classic fairy tales. The group is recommending several different picture books for parents whose children have somehow missed out on these nostalgic tales.

For those looking for a modern twist on a traditional tale, I highly recommend our own Little Ruth Reddingford and the Wolf. In this retelling, Red uses her Native American heritage to help overcome the bullies waiting for her on the way to her grandmother's house.

Bedtime Book Sale!

2009-06-24T22:11:21Z

With schools out for the summer, now is a great time to start (or continue!) a tradition of bedtime reading.

Three terrific bedtime stories are on sale through the end of the month. Sky Castle, part of the Jody Bergsma Collection, encourages children to build their own castle in their dreams. In To Sleep With the Angels, a young girl calls on her angels to help her drift off to sleep. And many a parent will be familiar with the premise of What If..., in which a boy delays bedtime by asking his mother a series of outlandish "what if" questions. Each of these delightful books can be bought for just $12, through the end of June.

Book of the Week: Your Father Forever

2009-06-01T17:03:31Z

Just in time for Father's Day, Your Father Forever is a beautiful celebration of the unconditional, unbreakable bond between father and child. Beginning with a father and newborn's first meeting, Travis Griffith's simple yet deeply moving book journeys through the most treasured moments of a child's first years, from learning to ride a bike to reading bedtime stories to pondering the grandeur of the universe, all of which make up the unique relationship shared between a father and his children.

With colorful, detailed illustrations and affirming promises from a father to his "sparkling celebration of life," children will be warmed with an understanding of the completeness of their father's love, while adults will be reminded of their own cherished paternal relationships.

Written by a new father enveloped in the strength of his own devotion to his child and illustrated by a new mother similarly moved, Travis Griffith and Raquel Abreu share this expression of parental love with the world. Now through Father's Day on June 21, this loving book is on sale for only $12.