Yep–the Second Annual Kidlitart Picture Book Dummy Challenge kicks off next week!

Watch the #kidlitart blog for a special introductory post and #PBDummy success story from the lovely and talented Greg Matusic, followed by a breakdown of the 2012 challenge schedule.

I wish a Happy, Happy New Year to the entire writing community: may all your kid lit wishes come true in 2012!

There’s little more than a week left to 2011, and I’m cutting this one pretty close to the wire.
Last year at this time I signed up for the Off The Shelf Challenge. I rummaged through my shelves of books to find the ones thathad gotten buried and neglected and made a promise to them, myself and the lovely folks over at the challenge’s home blog that I’d ruffle through their pages in 2011.

I DID!!

I read the original 15 books on my list. I’ve also read close to 30 books not on the list. I’d have to say, I never thought I’d find the time to read 15 books, let alone the nearly 50 I have.
What can I say? It’s amazing how much one can accomplish when the TV stays off.
For 2012, I think I’ll be concentrating on more personal challenges. Although I’ve already signed up for the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge. I am hopeless.

Join founders Dianne De Las Casas, Elizabeth O. Dulemba, Katie Davis, Tara Lazar, Wendy Martin Illustration & more in celebrating Picture Book Month! Peek from Dianne: “Picture books celebrate childhood. They speak universal truths and help children better understand the world around them. They are often a child’s first exposure to fine art and poetic language.”

Yes, I’m one of the founders. That’s what happens when you speak up for something you feel strongly about on Twitter. You get drafted before you even know it.

Picture Book Month is the result of a Twitter brainstorm with the above people and others speaking their minds on how the picture book needs some love. After the ill-conceived NY Times article declaring the picture book dead, authors and illustrators talked back. The print picture book is not dead, is very much alive and vital and a needed tool in helping children on their road to literacy.

Picture books teach many things beyond the story in their pages. They also help to form lasting and loving bonds between parent and child.

Find out more about the founders who are interviewed in a pod cast here.

Visit the Picture Book Month web site for daily blogs from picture book authors and ilustrators from around the world. (Suzanne Bloom, Denise Fleming, Leslie Helakoski, Eric A. Kimmel, Tammi Sauer, Dan Yaccarino, and Jane Yolen to name a few) On the web site you can also download images and activity sheets, a cool calendar, and if you are so inclined become a supporter. Tell your child’s school, you local library and indie bookseller. There’s plenty of room for everybody to climb on board to celebrate.

Read * Share * Celebrate!

One week left before Halloween.

What’s scary to me this week is how much work I’ve got coming up in November.

A lot of it has to do with actually finishing things I started at the beginning of the year. With a little over 60 days left, that doesn’t leave much wiggle room.

I’ve decided not to do National Novel Writing Month again this year. The very idea of any book 50,000 words long makes me shiver. Trying to write that many words in a holiday month is tatamount to insane. So, no new novel for me.

However, I have not let myself off scott free for November. There is another challenge called Picture Book Idea Month, where participants come up with 30 picture book ideas in the 30 days of November. I’ve done this challenge the last two years and “won.” In addition to being a participant this year, I will also be a guest blogger. My post will be online on November 14. In it, I will talk about the picture book challenge and give away a finish signed, original painting created just for the event.

And, as an off shoot to this, several of my writer friends and I are working toward having November designated as a worldwide celebration of picture book and literacy. The web site is almost live. I will send out more detailed information as soon as it’s available.

There are several other personal book related projects in the works, and I opened an Etsy shop last month. I sell Hardened Leather Masks, Amigurumi Plushies and an assortment of beaded items. I’ll be adding quilts of my own designs soon.

Have a wonderful week.

Do you have a special request for a coloring page? Let me know either via an email or through one of my social networking sites. I’m on Twitter and Facebook.

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and/or click here to view more coloring pages!

Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Email your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpage (at) handcraftedpagan (dot) com and I’ll post it to my blog!

I send out coloring pages to let people know about me, my art and my children’s books. Help support my efforts by spreading the word or buying any of my books. Please stop by any of my social networking sites to leave me a message (here is good too!) and let me know how you like the coloring pages. Remember, I provide these pages free of charge for your own personal use. Do not reproduce them or use them for any other purpose without my written permission.

Yesterday, my husband and I were visiting my mother-in-law. We go to see her every Sunday. This week she was baby sitting my nieces and nephew. The two girls are in their last childhood years, one turning 12 next month and one will be 14 at the end of the year. The boy, the youngest of the siblings is about 8.

While making pleasant Sunday lunch conversation, the question of what they were going to be for Halloween came up.

The eldest said she didn’t know. The middle child stated she was going to be either a ninja or a sock monkey, she hadn’t decided yet, and the boy proclaimed proudly he was going to be dressed as Mario. He then went on to explain to his poor old aunty he meant the character in his DS game.

It occurred to me, that many kids will be dressing in similar costumes, bought off the rack, tying into some game, movie or television show. When my kid was little all her costumes were home made. She was a princess, a pumpkin and a dalmatian. I’m sure there were others, but I don’t recall them at the moment. Now that she is nearly grown, she makes her own costumes. This year she plans on being a monarch butterfly.

I wonder if the ease of buying an off-the-rack, pre-fab costume is draining creativity from the newest generations of children. It takes very little thought or imagination to go to the corner K-Mart and pick a costume from the dozens on display. This is just a symptom of a wider trend, though.

I remember playing made up games when I was a child, hand-held video gaming wasn’t even a concept yet. My parents only allowed my brother and I to watch TV between 6 – 9 PM. Other than that it was either playing outside or reading a book. Or, as my mother threatened when ever we complained of boredom, she’d find us something to do. This usually entailed some form of housecleaning and was to be avoided at all costs. My brother and I spent many an hour concocting games and activities to while away the free hours after school and homework.

After our Sunday lunch, all 3 children pulled out their DSes and “played” a game “together.” One sat across the room from the other two. All three had their eyes glued to their screens. They sent each other messages through their games. Maybe I’m hopelessly outdated, but it seems to me there is no real interaction happening between these siblings wired into their programmed games. That concerns me.

What are your thought?

Today’s coloring page was a special request by Tara and Autumn. Thank you both for a wonderful suggestion.

Do you have a special request for a coloring page? Let me know either via an email or through one of my social networking sites. I’m on Twitter and Facebook.

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and/or click here to view more coloring pages!

Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Email your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpage (at) handcraftedpagan (dot) com and I’ll post it to my blog!

I send out coloring pages to let people know about me, my art and my children’s books. Help support my efforts by spreading the word or buying any of my books. Please stop by any of my social networking sites to leave me a message (here is good too!) and let me know how you like the coloring pages. Remember, I provide these pages free of charge for your own personal use. Do not reproduce them or use them for any other purpose without my written permission.