"Don't just pin it - try it out! Pinning with purpose is a blog full of tried and true pinned items, LDS, family, and holiday activities."
Our guest today is a 30 Days or Less alumna and the author of a charming children's book. As you can imagine, writing a book for children is no easy feat, especially for a first timer. Carrie agreed to tell us about the process that took her from a simple idea she had while working
Yay hello weekend! I've made a colouring in page to celebrate. If you're feeling a bit bored, or if you can't be arsed going out in the freezing cold, or if your kids need entertaining for ten mins while you put your feet up and have a glass of pinot, or if you're trying to avoid cleaning the bathroom ... this one's for you. Click on the pic. Print it out. And put your bestest felt tip pens to work. You're welcome. *for personal use only
A blog post sharing four basic tips of drawing illustrations for a children’s book. Video tutorial is included.
Teach children about emotions with activities to identify, express, and manage their feelings appropriately in school with these tips!
Renowned pedagogue Shirley Givens' series for beginning violinists is widely respected for its clear, child-friendly format, and its sensible progression through techniques. There are lots of pictures, fun and familiar songs, and even pages for coloring! Ms.Givens uses a "Movable Do" system to teach pitch relationships and good intonation. Recommended for very young children. Book 2C, Meet Vibby Vibrato, teaches vibrato step-by-step with many songs and exercises. First, posture and violin hold are reviewed. Vibrato is begun in 4th Position; next, the student moves to 3rd Position with the help of a partner. Finally, vibrato is learned in 1st Position - again, first with a partner. The Violinland character "Vibby Vibrato" is the cheerful guide through the many fun violin exercises and songs. The young violinist earns a Vibrato Certificate at the end of the book. "Young children love the violin! It is small and huggable – and it makes sounds! How to nurture this initial enthusiasm for the instrument and to transform it into a deeper love of music is the object of my books." "Don't be misled by the seeming simplicity of the material! The books are written from a child's point of view while incorporating the most exacting standards of modern violin technique. But there are other important features of the books that contribute to their uniqueness: *The young student is encouraged to participate actively in his own learning by developing his own imagination. *There is discovery and improvisation. No imitation or copying from CDs. *Training the child's own pitch awareness from the start assures early in-tune playing. *Note reading and harmonic awareness from the beginning cultivate musical literacy for a lifetime. *A wonderful rhythmic foundation is established through body movement" - Shirley Givens
Learn about Andy Warhol and the pop art movement that started in the mid-1950s. Step-by-step instructions are also included for kids to create their own Andy Warhol strawberries.
Zoo animal themed two step directions book/flashcards target helping young children learn to follow 2 step directions by pointing/touching pictures in a scene. This resource includes 3 sets of 10 different pictures with 3 two step directions for each picture . The first level is kept simple and stud...
Need to know how to publish a book on Amazon? Discover all the steps for publishing your book on Amazon in this quick start guide!
Writing a children’s story? From planning to publishing your story, teach your child to write a story with this guide on writing stories for children.
Here are two elementary school level coloring book pages based around the theme of mushrooms. These pages feature whimsical and cartoon-style mushrooms in various shapes and sizes, with some including playful elements like fairies or insects. The designs have clear, easy-to-color outlines, making them perfect for young children to enjoy coloring! ► This listing is a digital instant download only. No physical product will be mailed. ► Personal use only. ---------------------------------------------------- WHAT YOU GET ---------------------------------------------------- • 1 high quality PNG file with both pages - Size: 8.5x11" ► Print as many as you'd like! ---------------------------------------------------- PROCESS ----------------------------------------------------- STEP 1: Add the item to your cart and complete checkout STEP 2: Download your files from: https://www.etsy.com/your/purchases STEP 3: PRINT AND COLOR!! Etsy will also send your download link once purchase is complete. ---------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT ----------------------------------------------------- All designs are for personal use ONLY. Files cannot be resold, altered, or used in the production of commercial products. ---------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT INFORMATION: ---------------------------------------------------- You CANNOT upload the files to any social media including BLOGS and offer them as a FREE DOWNLOAD. Buyer may not resell, share, trade, give away, or redistribute files in any way (whole or in part) without expressed written permission from the designer. By purchasing and downloading these files, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions stated above and in our shop policies. Thanks and enjoy!
Music teachers often need to leave sub plans for non-musical substitute teachers. This post is filled with tried and true lesson plans that are practical and comfortable for any teacher that steps into the music classroom. Children's books, videos, worksheets and more are discussed.
Learn how to draw Elmer and his elephant friends. This lovely worksheet helpfully breaks down drawing into simple stages.
Inside: You can publish a children's book. You can do it this year! Let's get started with three different paths forward. Shortly after publishing Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind I started getting messages that were worded much more eloquently but essentially boiled down to this: But, like, how? It's a great question! And a question
Share Wildflower Ramblings!I am excited to bring you the best rhyming books for children! We created a free printable book list to take with you to the library, so you can easily read these with your kids — check it out below!! We have chosen some classics for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, and some collections...
Before having my third (and FINAL!) child and finding that I no longer have time to brush my hair let alone do anything else, I used to run a 6 week evening course on how to write and illustrate children's books. Being a fan of reuse, recycle and re-hashing old material I thought I might blog the course so that anyone out there who might be interested in taking up this noble profession (which according to my husband amounts to little more than 'colouring in') can glean what they may from my musings. The first three weeks are how to write a picture book, the following three are how to illustrate one. Obviously this is, at best, a brief introduction to the discipline but I hope it might serve as a starting point for a few who may have the talent and inclination but be a little lost on where to begin. I was at that point 14 years ago when I started self-teaching myself by reading just about every article I could lay my hands on and quizzing any professional who didn't take out a restraining order. There will be homework! If you chose to do it, great, if you want to send it to me for my perusal please do and if I get the time to get back to you then we'll both be doing well. Picture Book Writing Course Part 1 What Makes A Good Picture Book It's Tough! True story; Dr Seuss was at a dinner party when he met a Brain surgeon, the brain surgeon said ‘oh, are you that guy who writes those little books for children? I’ve always thought that when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to write one. Dr Seuss replied, ‘ ‘Ahh yes, and I’ve always thought when I had a free afternoon one Saturday I’d love to do a little brain surgery’ I'm not suggesting that what I do is brain surgery (it's actually more like rocket science;) but there is a misapprehension that it’s easy to write for children and get published. I thought so! Until the harsh realities and rejection letters beat my optimistic spirit violently down. The truth is that writing picture books is a particular artform with it’s own rules and requirements - it’s a craft that takes a long time to master - (and clearly I am in no way near to mastering it yet). It is also an EXTREMELY competitive field. I spoke with a small publisher a few years back who told me they get 100 unsolicited (i.e. not through an agent) manuscripts a week - of which 2 a year might get published. It took me 2 years of hard slog to get illustration work and 8 years of writing picture book manuscripts before one was published - and this is quicker than many. So why do so many people think they can do it? 1) Every parent/grandparent/teacher/aunt with a grain of imagination has made up stories to adoring children and thinks they would be good enough to be published. Unfortunately kids love the attention of anyone making up stories for them whether the stories are any good or not. We all have the ability to make up a story, but this doesn't make us all writers. I can make beans on toast - doesn’t make me a chef! 2) People think their book will change the world! People often get into writing children’s books with projects they are truly passionate about - pets, family anecdotes or memories, or a moral they wish to impart and then take it terribly personally when they hit their first wall and refuse to compromise or take advice. 3) People think it’s easy because unlike a novel, it’s short! But just because there aren’t many words doesn’t mean there isn’t much story. Children's author Mem Fox once compared writing picture books to ‘writing War and Peace in Haiku’. A slight exaggeration, maybe, but one of the most difficult books I've ever written is Zoo Girl - and it's told in only 20 words! But trying to get the story right first, with emotional ups and downs, cliff-hangers, a strong beginning, middle and end, character depth etc. and then condense that down and tell as much as I could in the pictures rather than the words was an immense challenge. It's easier to ramble. As this blog entry is proving. 4) People think it pays well - true if you have a big hit like The Gruffalo but this is exTREMEly unlikely and many books go out of print after their first print run so the writer gets no royalties and may be paid an advance of just £1000 - £3000. Why do most people fail? The fact is that most would-be children’s writers have no idea what they’re doing. They simply haven’t taken the time to learn about writing for children. Let's face it, you wouldn't try to fly a fighter jet without first taking flying lessons. So why do so many people think they can write a children's book without first learning how? (I admit this is a terrible analogy - no one, so far as I know, has ever died a horrible plummeting death from trying to write a picture book without the proper training, but you get my point.) So what’s the secret? Simple - In order to get your picture book published, you MUST find out what publishers are after and then give them EXACTLY what they want. And, the good news is, children's book publishers are desperate for good children's books, because, as I’ve said, most of what they receive is rubbish! Children’s books like anything else are a business (a really fun one, but a business none the less) and as such we need to be creating products which will be appealing to the target audience - not just the children (although they should ALWAYS be at the forefront of our thinking) but the publishers, editors, booksellers that all come before a child even sees it. Hopefully in this course you'll get a strong idea of what publishers want, and how to create it and present it to them. It's also worth saying at this point that if you can overcome the odds, do the research and break into the business - it's one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and fun jobs around! This first session is What Makes a Good Picture Book? - If you don’t know this, how are you going to create your own one? The only way to do this is to research - know your market, love your market, visit libraries and children's departments in book shops, start collecting picture books that catch your eye (charity shops are a great source). If you don’t love children’s books, if you think they're beneath you, if you're scared of being stared at as you spend hours in the children's section of the library, leave now, this profession is not for you. Different kinds of picture books: I regularly get emails from people who have written 'a children's book' and when I ask what kind of children's book and what age it's aimed at they're a bit stumped, or the material in no way goes along with the age they tell me it's aimed at so you need to learn the difference between... mass-market activity books, board and novelty books, Early Readers, picture books, YA novels etc. etc. You'll get to know these by visiting those libraries and bookshops again and seeing what's in each section, holding them, looking at the blurb on the back, etc. In this course it's high-end trade Picture Books we're interested in - these are generally - 32pages, 12-14 full colour spreads, with full-colour, quality illustrations, and original tales told in less than 600 words. But within picture books there are of course different genres, for example; Humourous (eg. Dave, The Monkey With the Bright Blue Bottom, Olivia, Naked Trevor) Action adventure (eg. Gruffalo, Where the wild things are, ) Snuggly bed-time story (eg. Guess How Much I Love you, I love you Daddy, Cub's First Winter) and lots more besides, and many books of course span the whole lot. But it's worth thinking about what kind of book you want to write and which market you'd be aiming at. Characters Your picture book will need a main character and generally these are; Children - the same age or a little older than the target audince (which for a picture book is usually between 3-6 but can be much wider) Animals - usually young animals or an older animal with a child-like outlook Creatures - monsters, fairies, robots etc. Adults - very rarely the main character (Percy the Park keeper is an exception but he looks quite chubby and child-like! There are other notable exceptions but i think best to avoid as your main character) ok to include parents, teachers, doctors etc. - Adults children have come across in their own lives. Inanimate Objects - Again, there are notable exceptions but generally I would avoid writing your picture book about Simon the Stapler or Billy Banana. It's old-fashioned, it's dull, it's of little interest to publishers. The important thing is your picture book needs at least one character the child reader can identify with - so whether it's a robot monkey or bespectacled duck make sure they make choices and deal with emotions like a 5 year old child would. So what makes a book work well? THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE HERE by generally a great picture book must be; Original - publishers are looking for a new hook or concept Well written - we'll go into more detail about this next week but each word must be perfect. Beginning, middle and end - Straight in, exciting progression, pleasing ending Fit nicely into 12/13 spreads with action on each spread Attractive and entertaining to children and adults Children/main character solving their own problems, not adults stepping in to 'save the day' A Simple idea told clearly Engaging characters GREAT ending We will be looking at this list and going through it in more detail next week but for now; Homework! 1. Look at a selection of (fairly recent) picture books and as you read them and study the illustrations ask the following questions; What kind of book is it (funny, adventure etc.) What’s the basic plot? What is the atmosphere of the book and how is that conveyed? Why and how do the images and text work together? Is the book appropriate for its audience? Why? Is there a character the child can relate to? What is the child meant to gain from the book, if anything? Is there an underlying message or moral to the book? How does the narrative work - is there a definite beginning, middle and end? 2. Come up with 3 vague picture book ideas - include a main character and a rough plot line. Next week - How to Write a Picture Book
It’s August, which means it’s already Back-to-School season! How did the summer fly by so quickly? I hope you all had a wonderful break~ I’ve been busy preparing for Baby BumpR…
Inside: You can publish a children's book. You can do it this year! Let's get started with three different paths forward. Shortly after publishing Belinda Baloney Changes Her Mind I started getting messages that were worded much more eloquently but essentially boiled down to this: But, like, how? It's a great question! And a question
When you've decided on the traditional publishing route, the next step in the process is to query agents or book publishers directly. Here's a list of vetted children's book publishers that you can send your picture book without an agent.
Ready to write a children's book, but not sure where to start? Here are the 6 steps you must take if you want to write a children's books!
Spending the first week of school teaching classroom expectations and procedures is essential for a successful year. Glue is a tricky school supply for many little learners and there definitely needs to be instruction dedicated to teaching learners how to use this tool.Glue BottlesWhen learners are not taught how to use their glue correctly things
Inside you'll find an easy step-by-step Scream Art Project Tutorial and Scream Art Coloring Page. Stop by and download yours for free.
FREE printable Symmetry drawing activity for preschool and kindergarten kids. A fun art and math activity in one! Kids will complete the symmetrical pictures by drawing the other half.
Informative writing can be tricky in first grade, but this all about book is the perfect way for students to research their own animal and publish a book
20-page coloring download covers participating at Holy Mass From Your Arrival to the Prayers of the Faithful.Step-by-step: What to do when you enter the church What to look for in the church What to watch for (and why) during Holy Mass What your response is to everything you see and hear during Mass--the words, the gestures, the postures! Find PART 2 of our Mass coloring series and continue to follow along in the Mass HERE. For unlimited printing rights for a parish, school, co-op or other group, select the "unlimited printing" option next to the Add to Cart button above. Now...
Instructables user PenfoldPlant gives a great step-by-step guide to turning photos into coloring book pages using Pixlr , a free online imaging web
Free Printable Winter Mood Pdf Coloring Page. Free printable Winter Mood coloring pages for kids of all ages. You can print or download ...
This week we started our Kevin Henkes author study. Our comprehension focus is character traits and comparing characters, so his books are *absolutely
My 5 year old LOVES superheroes. Everything about them. He draws them, he talks to them, he pretends to be them. All of it. With this in mind, I created this printable comic book page that he can c…
Since I was the first animator assigned to "Lilo & Stitch", directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois asked me to fool around with animation designs for the film's cast. (Based on Chris' work). Here you see a few of my first attempts plus a few odds and ends I found. I drew these poses without having any idea who Lilo really is. Way too active. These are based on Chris' design. Nani ended up being animated beautifully by Stephane Sainte Foi. An early design idea for David. Remember him? This wasn't easy, trying to get authentic Hula poses into a baby body like Lilo's. To get these poses I studied footage of surfers. The following three pages show research for a Lilo Maquette. These were part of the model sheet package. Three first pass poses with Nani and Lilo on the surfboard. We started out with a kind of a wimpy social worker. That didn't seem to work in the sequence, so I was asked to try a design that would reflect the ultimate authoritative social worker, Cobra Bubbles. He was animated beautifully by Byron Howard.
It’s summer and the bugs are out so let’s draw them with illustrator Yuval Zommer
Pets themed one step directions book/flashcards target helping young children learn to follow 1 step simple directions. This resource includes 10 different pictures with 5 one step directions for each picture . The scenes in the picture are purposefully kept simple for our youngest learners. Keeping the visual distractions minimal can help children who are just beginning to learn to point to pictures. A data sheet and a key for prompting are also included. See thumbnails for examples of the layout. This activity is perfect for early childhood special education and the lower elementary level. It is also great for speech/language pathologists who are beginning to work on basic vocabulary identification and following directions. © Autism Little Learners Website/Blog. www.autismlittlelearners.com Visit my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/autismlittlelearners Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/autismlittlelearners/
As many of you know, my externship this semester is with adults. Since my week one update, I’ve grown to really enjoy my patients. So so so many of my patients have dementia. I’ve been hearing a lot about making memory & orientation books, but had difficulty finding templates, ideas, and examples online. So of […]
Noah's Ark is a classic Bible story. It has a prime spot in every preK Bible class or Sunday School. And for good reason....it's an amazing and
Inside you'll find an easy step-by-step How to Draw a Cicada Tutorial and Cicada Coloring Page. Stop by and download yours for free.
Note: My non-fiction book How to Self-publish and Market a Children’s Book (Second Edition) is out in print and as an eBook Whether you’re just starting out with self-publishing or are part way th…
When you've decided to write a children's book, it's easy to wonder how to actually get the art for the book. If you're an artist, then this might not be a concern at all but lots of picture book authors are not. So how do you get your picture book illustrated when you can barely draw a stick figure yourself? It's actually easier than you'd think! In this post, I've broken it down into two easy steps.
