Merry Christmas!

First Peas to the Table is on Facebook!

This is a book I'm really excited about! Classroom gardening, spring, contests and kids! It's called First Peas to the Table and it's coming out this spring from Albert Whitman & Co. Susan Grigsby and I teamed up again, and it's a great story. More to come - teacher's guides, coloring pages, an maybe even a contest!
Visit and like the new Facebook page! :)

Halloween!

What if...

Squirrels eat pumpkin...are they Zombie Squirrels?

A scary moonlit night...the old tree stump looks like it might have a face...

Dog tags

I kept all of dog's tags. Strung ribbon through them, made a loop, and they're Christmas tree ornaments. :) This one I did on cold press watercolor paper with Winsor Newton colors.

Yupo!

I got some "Yupo" paper and experimented with it. It's very smooth, and watercolor can "sit" on top of the surface, almost the way it looks on a paper palette. The experience was very frustrating for me so far...

 

I think the watercolors were too thin and light.

So I did a really loose sketch of a maltese, and threw on darker, richer colors. This is when I realized that unless your hands are superclean, oils will leave areas that the paint won't adhere to.

So without any pencil, I loaded up some brushes with green and brown and did this. Ah, I think I see how it should work now.

Next I'll experiment with printing a drawing onto it from my Epson. Then make sure I don't use any lotion on my hands before painting!

Sketches

Some sketches to share...

Celebrate!

Squirrel sketches

In the Garden with Dr. Carver wins the Growing Good Kids Award!


The American Horticultural Society and the National Junior Master Gardener Program are pleased to inform you that In the Garden with Dr. Carver published by Albert Whitman & Co. was selected as a 2011 Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Award winner.

This book awards program was established to recognize and build awareness of picture books that effectively promote an understanding of and appreciation for gardening/plants and the environment. Through engaging story, illustration and design, In the Garden with Dr. Carver was designated by our book awards committee as exemplifying excellence in this aim.

Click here!

Bestseller list!

In the Garden with Dr. Carver is on the Shelf Awareness blog's best seller list! Neat!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lucky bunny...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photos and Video from my School Visit at Brophy

I visited a 4th grade classroom at the Brophy School in Framingham, and local reporter from the Patch was there. She took photos, video, and wrote this very nice article about the visit. :)

Thanks Susan Petroni!

Way Tugeau!

My agent, Chris Tugeau, has recently entered the world of blogging! Check it out here. :)

Lucky Beans has been named one of the Smithsonian's Notable Books for Children!

Lucky Beans has been named one of the Smithsonian Magazine's Notable Books for Children!

7 Impossible Things!

7 Imp is always a cool place to visit...but this time I'm in it!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Blessed Yule, Happy Kwanzaa to all!

Kite

 

I love the words "What if?". Here's a boy out with his dogs flying a kite. What if...he came across a broken kite? What if it's exactly like the kite he's flying? What if this is a picture about a time travelling adventure?

Winter holidays...

School Library Journal reviews In the Garden with Dr. Carver

K-Gr 3–In this story set in the early 1900s, African-American elementary-school students Sally and her classmates get scientific lessons from Dr. George Washington Carver, who arrives in a “funny-looking wagon” pulled by an old mule, his “movable school.” Everyone in the small Alabama town has heard of the famous plant scientist, however, and pays attention to what he has to say. The setting seems slightly idealized. The characters look healthy and well-dressed, although they do talk about the difficulties of farming land depleted by years of growing cotton. The focus of the story is on Carver teaching the children about plants though, not economic conditions, so Tadgell’s sunny color palette, rich with earth tones, is appropriate. Sally, in a bright red dress and white pinafore, stands out in the gardening spreads. The watercolor illustrations include many humorous asides of children acting like children–making horrified faces as they taste Dr. Carver’s menu of “chicken” made from peanuts and wild-weed salad, or being silly with friends when they are supposed to be listening. Scientific and historical information is well-presented through the gentle text and lighthearted illustrations. Teachers will find many uses for this appealing book.–Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, VA

October SLJ review

GRIGSBY, Susan. In the Garden with Dr. Carver. illus. by Nicole Tadgell. unpaged. notes. CIP. Albert Whitman. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-3630-8. LC 2009048124.

A is for Anansi Conference

At NYU this weekend! I'll be there. :)

http://africanastudies.as.nyu.edu/object/anansi.html

Wheaton Quarterly Article

I'm honored to have been interviewed by Sandra Coleman for my alma mater's magazine, The Wheaton Quarterly!

Rutgers University Reviews: In the Garden with Dr. Carver

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, September 3, 2010

By	Yana V. Rodgers

In the Garden with Dr. Carver (Hardcover)

Botanist and inventor George Washington Carver achieved professional acclaim with his scholarship in plant pathology and agriculture at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. His strong desire to use hands-on methods in teaching farmers and mentoring children led him to travel across the South in a wagon specially equipped with extension materials and pulled by a mule.

Carver's novel use of the movable school contributed to improved understanding of how alternative crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes could improve soil quality and diversify people's diets. As a highly educated and successful African American scientist, he also served as an important role model for children at a time of rampant discrimination and racial segregation.

This work of historical fiction presents young learners with a snapshot of George Washington Carver's extension work with children. Although the text and illustrations have a botanical focus, the story can motivate some useful economics-oriented discussions related to natural resources, innovation, and agricultural production. As one of the most famous African American inventors in U.S. history, Carver has left a rich legacy that is clearly presented in this appealing children's book.

Dr. Carver Exhibit Boston Museum of Science Exhibit!

This is neat! I plan to go & see this soon at the Boston Museum of Science.

In the Garden with Dr. Carver

By Susan Grigsby, published by Albert Whitman and Co., September 2010.

Check out these great REVIEWS:
Booklist
Rutgers University
Kirkus


Share some free COLORING PAGES with the kids.

Reviews: In the Garden with Dr. Carver

REVIEWS:
Booklist
Rutgers University
Kirkus

Coloring Pages for Dr. Carver

Booklist Reviews In the Garden with Dr. Carver

Booklist Review
Advanced Review – Uncorrected Proof
Issue: September 1, 2010

In the Garden with Dr. Carver
Grigsby, Susan (Author) , Tadgell, Nicole (Illustrator)
Sep 2010. 32 p. Albert Whitman, hardcover, $16.99. (9780807536308).

In this charming historical-fiction picture book, a young girl relates an educational and inspirational visit by Dr. George Washington Carver to her Alabama town. When Carver visits Sally’s school, his child friendly explanations (“Plants, like people, need nutritious food to help them grow”) and hands-on demonstrations invite the students’ curiosity and participation, as they learn about gardening, including the importance of respecting nature, and plant a school “kitchen” garden of their own. Concepts like composting and planting are well conveyed through Sally’s descriptive, sometimes lyrical narrative, which includes fun details like a school picnic filled with Carver’s recipes, such as sweet-potato-flour bread. The colorful watercolor illustrations, featuring soft touches and historical details, depict the rural setting and expressive characters; and attractive renderings of garden flora and fauna, labeled with scientific and common-use names, decorate the endpapers. Overall, this is an enjoyable, accessible, and informative
introduction to Carver’s work and philosophies as well as gardening basics. A brief endnote provides additional information on Carver.

— Shelle Rosenfeld

Cynsations!

I've been interviewed at the Cynsations blog! Check it out HERE. It's great sharing the illustration experience. Only one small snag: although I was born in Detroit, I didn't grow up there. Mostly Texas, on Long Island, and in Massachusetts. I'm still growing up in Massachusetts. ;)

Silly monkey