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.

Artist Craig Orback has one of his paintings featured in an exhibit at the Washington State History museum. Please visit his blog for the details:

 

http://craigorback.blogspot.com/

 

Congratulations to artist Roberta Baird on the success of the "The Swamp Where Gator Hides" , Dawn Publishing. The book and app have been well received in the marketplace and received the following awards:

        2014 IBPPG Next Generation Indie Book Award (Finalist – Children’s Juvenile Non-fiction)

        2014 Green Book Festival Award (Honorable Mention/Children’s Category)

 

 

and The Legend of Ranger won a Mom's Choice Award.

Congratulations to artist Wes Thomas for being chosen by the SCBWI chapter as June's Featured artist of the month! Wes's work will be seen on a banner on their homepage and in the Illustrator's Gallery. Also find information and artwork on their twitter account (@scbwi) and the Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/SCBWI) We hope that everyone enjoys seeing Wes's fabulous artwork!

Charlotte Award/ Craig Orback

Congratulations to Artist Craig Orback! "The Can Man" published by Lee and Low in 2010, has won the  New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Award for 2012.

This is an especially high honor as the winners are voted for by thousands of students across New York State and the winners are only chosen every 2 years.

We wish artist Craig Orback and author Laura E. Williams our heartiest congratulations for touching the lives of so many young people with the wonderful content of "The Can Man" story.