Artist Steven Petruccio has added his artwork to a free coloring books to be distributed to kids for the Montefoire Children's Hospital Healing Arts program. The coloring book has a Nature theme and was part of an effort through the Picture Book Artists Association.

You can find more information about the coloring book via this link:
http://www.montefiore.org/coloring-pages

And more information about the PBAA:
http://pbaaorg.blogspot.com/

Here is a copy of Steven's page for the coloring book

Kudos to Steven and to all the PBAA artists for contributing their talents to such a worthy cause!

Congratulations to Kate Cosgrove on having her artwork shown in the move "Arthur Newman" which stars Colin Firth and Emily Blount. Look for her 2 pieces of artwork titled "Wheels on the Bus" and "Expect the Unexpected". How exciting!  See the two images here and happy hunting to find them showcased in the movie.

The Four Menards /Titles for Sale

We are happily announcing that the series of "Inky" titles and "The Invisible Giant's Whisper" title are now available for sale on the Apple I-Books site. These books were authored by the Four Menards and illustrated by artist Gabhor Utomo. They can be purchased for the amazing price of .99 cents and up to $4.99. All profits from these books go to school safety! A very worthy cause indeed. Pls. do visit the site and see these whimsical and beautifully illustrated titles.

Art from "The Invisible Giant's Whisper"

Art from the "Inky" series  

Jewish Book Council Starred Review!

Congratulations to artist Craig Orback and author Trudy Ludwig for the wonderful starred review from the Jewish Book Council for "Gifts from the Enemy". This a fantastic book- very worthy of great praise. Here is the review for all to see:

The issue is, how soon do we want to introduce the subject of the Holocaust to children and how? It seems younger and younger. The book under review is adapted from Alter Wiener’s autobiography: From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography. The point of this story is that even among evil, one can sometimes find good. The good in this story is the German woman employed in cleaning the factory where the Jews provide slave labor, who brings the boy a sandwich which she hides in a waste can each day. What a righteous act! Using a minimum of text and vocabulary, mostly appropriate for readers ages 9–12 years, Wiener’s story is simplified and depends on the dramatic illustrations for their impact. The text starts out sparse and simple and becomes more ample and mature as the story progresses. The art is the story, however, and it is prize-worthy.

Congratulations to artist Oksana Kemarskaya and Arte Publico Press. The book "The Patchwork Garden" is the recipient of a Skipping Stones Honor Award for 2014! The honor is awarded to books that promote understanding of cultures, cultivate cooperation and encourage a deeper understanding of the world's diversity. Kudos to the author , artist and publisher of this fine book for a job well done!

The book was also named an Honor Book for the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People!

Congratulations to artist Shelley Dieterichs and author Renate A. Moore on the recent release of the book "Mystery Picnic on Stone Mountain". Pls. visit the following charming video to see more about this fun title.

Book trailer link:http://web.photodex.com/view/ba2x4bm4

 

 

Congratulations to artist Craig Orback on a terrific new book review from the School Library Journal for the recently released book "Gifts From the Enemy" published by White Cloud Press.


Ludwig, Trudy. Gifts from the Enemy. illus. by Craig Orback. 32p. glossary. White Cloud. 2014. Tr $17. ISBN 9781935952978.

Gr 4-6–Ludwig bases this picture book on Alter Wiener’s memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography (AuthorHouse, 2007). In a first-person narration, Wiener explains that he was 13 when the German soldiers killed his father; he was 15 when the Nazis came for him. The descriptions of his experiences in the concentration camps are accompanied by Orback’s Norman Rockwell–like illustrations that convey the horror of the time period. The brightly hued illustrations of the small town of Chrzanow are in stark contrast to the dark and agonizing depictions of the camps. Among the darkness and despair, however, came an unexpected gift from the enemy: a German factory worker left him a sandwich every day for the 30 days he worked in the building. The book concludes with an afterword by Wiener, a paragraph explaining the Holocaust, vocabulary, discussion questions, and recommended activities. Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives.