HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here’s a turkey from my folding board book for tots, Who Has More? Who Has Fewer? illustrated with my own cut paper art. It is wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving! You can find this book on Amazon. It features seven birds–owl, dove, chicken, duck, goose, turkey and swan–and you can count their eggs on one side and their babies on the other. A companion book Who is Bigger? Who is Smaller? Features seven different farm animals.

LIVING FOSSILS: Clues to the Past, Review in Publishers Weekly

My new book LIVING FOSSILS: Clues to the Past (Charlesbridge, February 2, 2016) got a very nice review in the November 16, 2015 issue of Publishers Weekly.

Dinosaur buffs are a natural audience for this informative overview of six living species that closely resemble their distant ancestors. Plant’s (the Ancient Animal series) naturalistic acrylic paintings shift between “then” and “now” as Arnold (Too Hot? Too Cold?) Compares the lives of modern-day animals and their prehistoric forebears. Bulleted sidebars present reasons why certain animals have persisted; horseshoe crabs, which have existed for hundreds of millions of years, have hard shells that protect them from predators, can adapt to ocean temperatures and saline levels, and require little food. As readers explore the characteristics that have led to these animals’ resilience, it may raise questions about how other creatures–including, perhaps, humans–will survive the test of time. Ages 7-10. (Feb.)  Publishers Weekly November 16, 2015 

Author Visit: Ronald Reagan Elementary School, Bakersfield, CA

In the Ronald Reagan Elementary School library, Bakersfield, CA

A week ago I had a very successful author visit at Ronald Reagan Elementary School in Bakersfield, California, with four presentations to students in the multipurpose room and book signing in the library during the lunch period. I had great audiences and was pleased with the enthusiastic response to my program by both students and teachers and excellent questions at the end of each session. With the youngest students we learned about zebras, went on a lion hunt, and sang the Wiggle and Waggle song. With all the students we talked about birds and measured wingspans. It takes three students with their arms outstretched to make one California condor! These extremely endangered birds can be seen in the mountains of Kern County not far from Bakersfield.
I thank principal Pam Somes for organizing the day, making sure that everything ran smoothly, and for a delicious lunch. I thank the librarian for sharing my books with the students in advance of my visit. And I thank the parent and teachers who helped with the very busy book sale. It was a very full and satisfying day!

Author Visit at Loudon Elementary School, Bakersfield, CA

Last week I had a full and rewarding day visiting Loudon Elementary School in Bakersfield, California. I was greeted by colorful welcome banners in the multipurpose room where I gave two presentations, one to grades 1-3 in the morning and another to grades 4-6 in the afternoon. I was pleased with their enthusiasm and excellent questions. In the morning I also presented to the kindergarten students and to a class of TK students, who especially liked my Wiggle and Waggle puppets and learning about animals. At the end of the day I received some charming letters and drawings by several classes of the primary students. I thank kindergarten teacher Janerl Lampson for coordinating my visit and making sure that everything ran smoothly. I also thank Principal Sharon Dunn for all her help during the day and for a delicious lunch. And I appreciate all the teachers and the librarian for sharing my books in the library with the students before my visit and for their support of reading at all levels.

Prints of My Illustrations Now Available at YESSY Art Gallery

Sample page from my Yessy Gallery

I have recently opened an online art gallery at http://www.yessy.com/csarnoldbooks where you can purchase high quality prints of my illustrations in the books in my Caroline Arnold’s Animals series. Soon I will be adding images from my new Caroline Arnold’s Habitats series. Take a look and consider buying a piece of art either for yourself or for gifts during the holiday season!

Project: “WORMS AND DIRT” FOR DESSERT

"Worms and Dirt" Dessert, inspired by Wiggle and Waggle

My book, Wiggle and Waggle, five stories about two hard working worms that live in the garden, has inspired numerous school projects–from building a worm bin for composting to cut paper art to wormy math word problems to recipes for a worm party. In the third story of the book, “A Day Off”, Wiggle and Waggle pack a lunch of dirt rolls, bug juice, and mud pie and then go on a search for the perfect place to have their picnic.

At one of my recent school visits the children had read Wiggle and Waggle. After my presentations, we all had lunch together and enjoyed a delicious “worms and dirt” dessert. The “dirt” was made of brownie chunks and the “worms” were the gummy variety. It was the perfect way to end the day.

For a downloadable packet of more Wiggle and Waggle projects, click HERE.

WORMS IN THE GARDEN Art Project

Wiggle and Waggle art project, North Coast Learning Academy, Eureka, CA

Wiggle and Waggle were worms. 

They lived in the garden. 

All day long they dug in the dirt.

My book, Wiggle and Waggle, five short stories for beginning readers about two hard working worms, has inspired numerous gardening and art projects for children. On a recent author visit to North Coast Learning Academy in Eureka, California, I found that the children had made wonderful construction paper pictures of Wiggle and Waggle digging in the dirt.

They drew the worms on pink paper and cut them out. (Wiggle has googly eyes. Waggle has glasses.) Then they folded a large piece of brown construction paper in half and cut four slits, making three strips across the paper. They then inserted the worms under the top and bottom strips to make them look as if they are sliding through the dirt. The final step was to attach a piece of green paper, notched at the top to look like grass, behind the worms. And, voila! We have Wiggle and Waggle digging in the garden!