Wild Gobbles to you

Emily's words

I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.

--Emily Dickinson

The cycle of nature, reflected in library art activities

I did a presentation at the Iowa City Public Library last week. I shared a bit about the new book, and then the library had arranged some simple art projects for the kids to do afterward. One was making an owl mask. One was a cardinal bird magnet. One smart child really listened to my talk. His owl mask was portrayed eating his cardinal magnet!

November

Here's a favorite poem for this month. I've always wanted to illustrate it. I love the repetition. The poem was used as lyrics to a track on an Art of Noise album from the 1980's.


November
by Thomas Hood

No sun--no moon!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--
no proper time of day--
No sky--
no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!

Haunted Happening

Thank you all who attended our triple Tallgrass author's book event Sunday at the Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City. We had a cozy crowd with a smattering of very engaged children. Cool! Nialle the owner has made this Indie book shop a wonderful place, complete with resident cats. It smells like Powells in Portland, so I feel at home!

Our three books can all be found online or in your local bookshops:

The Chiru of High Tibet by Jackie Briggs Martin
The Hanukkah Trike by Michelle Edwards
Where Do Birds Live? by Claudia McGehee

and if you are burning for a signature in any one of these titles, please let me know and I can make it happen!

Done!

Just as the goldfinches shred the last of our dried sunflower heads- it's on to the finch sack feeders now- I post an image of summer. Something to remind us of warmer days as we look out to a couple months of white ahead. This will be a new print on my Etsy site soon. I have a whole flock of new birds coming out. Tweet.

Haunted Bookshop Signing

Please join me and two of my picture book
author friends
Jackie Briggs Martin and
Michelle Edwards for a reading
& author signing at

The Haunted
Bookshop
203 North Linn Street
Iowa City, Iowa
(319) 337-2996

Sunday,
November 14th
3pm

We'll have a little talk, then refreshments-
-frosted cakes, and other treats- including Lucy's sugar cookies (oh yeah)
will be available after.