HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY! Illustration from my book A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST

It is February 2nd, the day that groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) are reputed to come out of their holes to check the weather. Here's a groundhog (pictured on a spring day) from my book A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST wishing you a HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY, where ever you are!

According to Wikipedia: Groundhog Day derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog (Marmota monax, also called "woodchuck"; Deitsch: Grundsau, Grunddax, Dax) emerging from its burrow on this day sees a shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks, and if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early. While the tradition remains popular in modern times, studies have found no consistent correlation between a groundhog seeing its shadow or not and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather.

Look for A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST in your library, or buy it on KINDLE.

A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE DESERT: Spanish Edition

I just discovered that there is a a Spanish edition of my book A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE DESERT (Capstone/PictureWindow Books, 2015). It is called Un Dia y Una Noche en el Desierto (2021). Look for it at the Capstone website or on Amazon. Here is the description on Amazon.

Tic-tac, tic-tac. Un pájaro carpintero da la bienvenida a la mañana en el desierto de Sonora, y con él, la galardonada autora/ilustradora Caroline Arnold pone en marcha el reloj para un ciclo de 24 horas de actividad animal en el hábitat del desierto. Ilustraciones de papel recortado, texto en forma de historia y características como recuadros, datos curiosos y un glosario educan mientras entretienen. 

Tap-tap, tap-tap! A woodpecker welcomes morning to the Sonoran Desert, and with it, award-winning author/illustrator Caroline Arnold starts the clock ticking on one 24-hour cycle of animal activity in the desert habitat. Cut-paper illustrations, story-like text, and features such as sidebars, fun facts, and a glossary educate as they entertain.

ART PROJECT FOR KIDS: Eyes in the Dark--Drawing Nighttime Animals

When daytime animals go to sleep, nighttime animals wake up. Imagine what it would be like to go on a nighttime walk and see some of these nocturnal animals peering in the dark. 

Here's how you can make your own illustration of the animals you might see.

You will need:

    Black construction paper.

    Chalk.

    Googly eyes. (You can buy these at a craft store.)

    Glue.

Use the chalk to draw your animals on the black paper. Glue the eyes in place. What kind of nighttime scene did you create?

Animals that are active at night are called nocturnal animals. You can read about both daytime and nighttime animals in my Day and Night books.

VISIT TO THE MILL VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, Mill Valley, California

Children's Room of the Mill Valley Public Library, Mill Valley, CA.

On a recent trip to the Bay Area in Northern California, I visited the beautiful Mill Valley Public Library, tucked among the redwoods in the town of Mill Valley in Marin County. The large windows of the library look out onto Mill Park, a grove of giant redwood trees along Mill Creek, which was roaring with water after a week of heavy rain. In the early days of Mill Valley the water power of the creek ran a sawmill. Today the  trees are preserved as a public park.

Redwood trees in Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA.

My parents lived in Mill Valley for thirty-seven years and I often visited both the redwood grove and the library. On the day of my recent visit (during the Christmas holidays) the library was busy with families and people checking out books. When I looked at the catalog I found that the library has 44 of my books in its collection. I was pleased to see that a number of them were checked out, including my book about Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog. 

Entrance to the Mill Valley Public Library.

REMEMBERING EDITH RENFROW SMITH, July 14, 1914—January 2, 2026

Edith Renfrow Smith, age 110

Edith Renfrow Smith, the first black graduate of Grinnell College, lived a life devoted to her family and community. After graduation she moved from Iowa to Chicago but always maintained close family ties to the town of Grinnell where she had grown up. She has died at the age of 111. I first learned about Edith when I was involved in the production of the children’s book about her life, NO ONE IS BETTER THAN YOU: Edith Renfrow Smith and the Power of aMother’s Words, written by Monique Shore. (I provided editorial advice.) In the book I learned about Edith's childhood in one of the few Black families in Grinnell and about her later life in Chicago, where she married and raised her children, became a teacher, and then, after retirement, spent many years as a volunteer in the community.

In September 2024 I was honored to meet Edith and talk with her about her memories of Grinnell during the time that my husband Art’s father and his siblings were also growing up in Grinnell. (Edith was a classmate of Art’s uncle Don.) Edith was a living, breathing link to the past, and I was impressed that her mind at 110 was still so sharp. Her key to a long life? A positive outlook and joy for life. When asked about her secret she said:

“The Lord gives you the birthdays, and you take ‘em,” says Edith. “You have no choice. Take what you have, make use of it, and be thankful for what you have. Don’t let life pass you by. Remember, this is your life. It’s wonderful to live long enough to enjoy just being here.”

Edith will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Her memory will live on.

You can read her obituary in the Chicago Sun Times.

Edith in her graduation robe and as a young child with a ribbon in her hair. (Temporary wheat paste murals in Grinnell, created for the dedication of Renfrow Hall, 2024.)  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

"The world is so full of a number of things,

I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

....Walter Louis Stevenson

As I have been going through boxes of mementos, I found the Golden Book verson of A Child's Garden of Verses, poems by Walter Louis Stevenson--one of my most loved books as a child. Some of the pages are torn and colored with crayon, but it is still one of my favorite books. (The poems were first published in England in 1885.)

As a new year begins I think back on so many of the books I enjoyed as a child and how they began my love of books and reading.

May the new year be filled with more good books!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: Celebrating with BABAR AND FATHER CHRISTMAS

Among my favorite books as a child were the stories of Babar the elephant, which we checked out from our local library. Written originally in French, we read the translated English version. There are more than a dozen Babar books. Babar was created by author/illustrator Jean de Brunhoff in 1931. After his death in 1937, the series was continued by his son Laurent de Brunhoff.  In Babar and Father Christmas (1940), Father Christmas brings gifts for the whole elephant family, including the children-- Pom, Flora and Alexander--cousin Arthur, and the monkey Zephir.

In this holiday season I send you best wishes for a very happy celebration with your friends and family!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

From The Intrepid Tourist