Sunshine Smile Publications Illustrator Showcase

Oh wow… check it out!   My Illustrator Showcase is up over at Sunshine Smile Publications!
http://www.sunshinesmilepublications.co.uk/showcase/showcase-roberta-baird

In my interview, you’ll read about past and current projects. What I’m promoting now… which is of course,

I See the Animals Sleeping a Bedtime Story.
You’ll also read about books we’re reading at home,  a wee bit about process and more…

So let me tell you a bit about Sunshine Smile Publications. They are:

A paramount site for book news and information.
A platform to showcase talented creators of Children’s & YA books.
A publicity and promotional tool for the children’s book industry.

http://www.sunshinesmilepublications.co.uk/

…. and they’re really nice to work with! Check out their site… pass it along!
You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life Art Contest Winner!

“In just five days, more than 25,000 votes were cast in our Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. art contest, in which the public submitted their own interpretations of our global literacy campaign slogan, inspired by the 12 illustrators who did the same.”     Blogged by Morgan, one the  On Our Mind @ Scholastic bloggers.

Mine was the winning entry!!!

So a big thank you to Scholastic for the opportunity to be in a contest like this, with such a great message about reading, and to the other contestants. It was a pleasure to be in the company of such creative artists!

Thank you to all the people who voted… you guys are amazing!

Read Every Day! Lead a Better Life!

Safari


When on safari, take only pictures….

Leave only footprints….

And please don’t wake the animals!

My newest illustrated book I See the Animals Sleeping, a Bedtime Story, written by Thomas Heffron, Illustrated by me, and produced by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine comes out in June 2011!

I can hardly wait!!!

Houston SCBWI Conference 2011

So every year I write a little about the conference right after I’ve attended, but this year I seem to have procrastinated for lack of words..or photographs… or exhaustion maybe. I don’t know.

I won’t give you the line up or the deets of everyone’s talks. There are plenty of blogs that have already covered that. Besides, I don’t want to spoil it for you should you get the opportunity to hear the wonderful speakers that were there! http://www.scbwi-houston.org/calendar/2011-conference-the-art-of-book-craft/.  I will tell you though, how I felt at the conference.

I’ve been very busy this year with my first illustrated book,  I See Animals Sleeping coming out in June 2011, a completed book dummy and working to get my portfolio in order for the conference, So I felt tired and a little anxious. Isn’t there always a little anxiety when you show your portfolio? You  might as well be showing your heart… but there is was.   My quirky heart… I mean portfolio!

I had my portfolio review with Laurent Linn, who I must say,  is the nicest and most intuitive reviewer I’ve ever experienced.  He gave me ideas and directions and confirmed some things for me. I needed to hear what he had to say!

And you know what… I won the portfolio competition!  …. and now… my head is full of all kinds of ideas…. and some are … well kind of quirky!

Layer

Shhh…. Under layers of earth the platypus is sleeping.

Platypus spend around half their day resting in short, oval-shaped burrows of about 3 to 8 m long that they dig into earth banks around rivers, lakes or streams. They often have multiple burrows scattered along their home range. Females also dig elaborate nesting burrows around 20 m long with multiple chambers and earth plugs which they share with their unweaned young. The burrow is expertly hidden from predators. You might walk right by it and never notice it.

A sneak peek of my newly illustrated book coming out in the spring of 2011.



I’m Booking It!

I’m so excited to show you a sneak peak of my first illustrated book!
The book is a bedtime story full of sleepy, cuddly creatures of all kinds.  Look for it in early spring of 2011!

May sleep envelop you as a bed sheet floating gently down, tickling your skin and removing every worry.  Reminding you to consider only this moment.  ~Jeb Dickerson