AUTHOR VISIT at Echo Horizon School, Culver City, CA

With Librarian Claudette Brown in the Echo Horizon School Library

On Monday, I had an excellent visit with second and third graders at Echo Horizon School in Culver City, California. Librarian Claudette Brown had done a super job of preparing the students by acquainting them with a wide variety of my books. Soon the students will be doing their own research projects. I met with the students and their teachers in the beautiful school library. I began with several activities and my slide presentation and concluded by reading my tall tale about a “mixed-up” animal, The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers.

Then, after making a list of various real animals for inspiration, the students had a chance to create their own imaginary “mixed-up” animals using a worksheet I had provided. Claudette had also arranged with local bookstore, Children’s Book World, to order books that students could purchase for autographing. I am sure that long after my visit is over, the students and teachers will be remembering our day together. I know that I will! Thank you, Claudette, for inviting me!

New Animal Cards at My Etsy Shop: toucans, jaguars, black bears and more

Cards: images from A Day and Night in the Rainforest

Toucans, jaguars, bison, and a family of black bears, oh my! If you go to my Etsy shop, CarolineArnoldArt, you can find cards with rain forest animals and more--illustrations from my recent book series Caroline Arnold’s Habitats. Cards are blank on the inside so you can write your own message.  Sets of cards also make perfect gifts for the animal lovers in your life.  Making the art is the first step in creating my cards. Each piece of art is a cut paper collage which I then scan to make my cards.  Each card is then printed and packaged by hand in my studio.  I use a thick 100% cotton rag paper to make gallery quality prints. If you can’t bear to send the cards, they are beautiful framed.

Cards: Images from the series Caroline Arnold's Habitats

BLOG ROLL: Thanks, SCBWI, for Featuring my Blog!

I am thrilled to have  the Society of Children’s Bookwriters and and Illustrators (SCBWI) featuring my Art and Books blog on the current blog roll on the SCBWI home page. Thank you, SCBWI!  My blog will be on the blog roll until March 1st. Every other month the SCBWI highlights selected member blogs to “promote its stellar SCBWI members.” Other bloggers featured this month are Stephen Ingram, Joan Broerman, Tom Travers, Lynn Becker, Jacqueline Bach, Brad R. Cook, Nancy Vo, and Henry Herz.
Take a look and check out all the great blogs!

STARWALK KIDS MEDIA Acquired by Isabella Products, Inc.

I am passing along the news that StarWalk Kids Media (digital publisher of 45 of my books) has just been acquired by Isabella Products, Inc. For more information click HERE. The StarWalk Kids Media brand will become the Fable Learning Division of Isabella Products.

CONCORD, Mass., Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Isabella Products, Inc. ("Isabella") announced today that it has acquired StarWalk Kids Media LLC ("StarWalk") for an undisclosed amount. StarWalk is a leading publisher and distributor of exclusive, high-quality eBooks delivered through its content platform and award-winning StarWalk Reader™. Isabella, a leading wireless consumer device and services company, is the creator of Fable®, the award-winning browser-free tablet for children ages 3-10. The acquisition bolsters Isabella's move to provide robust learning solutions to retail consumers and classroom educators in PreK, Elementary, and Middle Schools as well as public libraries. The combined companies create a burgeoning multilingual content collection and a turnkey capability for content development, licensing, and distribution, with a current reach of over 2.8 million students.
(From www.morningstar.com)

ULURU: Australia's Aboriginal Heart now available at StarWalk Kids

In the middle of the Australian continent, a huge sandstone rock rises more than a thousand feet from the flat desert floor. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, this imposing landmark is now called Uluru, the name given to it by the Anangu, the Aboriginal people who live on the land around it. A site of ongoing geological processes and exceptional beauty, it is unlike any other place in the world.

My book, ULURU: Australia's Aboriginal Heart, illustrated with photographs by my husband Art, is now available in the StarWalk Kids Media digital library. Inspired by a trip to Australia's "Red Center," the book focuses on the natural history around this geological wonder. You can read about our visit to Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park at my travel blog The Intrepid Tourist.

ULURU is also available as a Kindle book on Amazon.

Uluru: Australia's Aboriginal Heart

Illustrator:	Arthur Arnold	Publisher:	StarWalk Kids Media
Genre:	Informational	Fiction:	Nonfiction
Target Age:	11 - 14	Grade:	6 - 8
Pages:	64	Subject:	Social Studies SocialStudies/People; Places
Narration:	no	Lexile Level:	1180L
Guided Reading Level:	W	Reading:	RI.7.2 RI.6.5 RI.8.8
Writing:	W.8.4W.7.7W.6.9	Speaking and Listening:	SL.6.1
Language:	L.7.6	AR Level:	7.8
AR Quiz:	73101

Tips for Conquering Writer’s Block, at Author Joanne Rocklin’s Blog

Do you want some great advice on how to conquer writer’s block and get answers to other questions every writer faces? Then go to Joanne Rocklin’s blog on her newly updated website and you will find a long list of useful tips. Joanne and I have been friends and colleagues for many years and I was honored that she asked me to contribute to her blog. I passed on a tip suggested by one of my editors when I was writing my book A Guide Dog Puppy Grows Up--and that was to think about telling the story in the present tense. Here’s what I wrote:

My book A Guide Dog Puppy Grows Up tells how dogs are trained to work with blind people by following one puppy from birth to graduation.  My first manuscript had all the facts but seemed to be missing something. Then my editor suggested changing the tense from the past to the present. I did and suddenly the story came alive, making us feel as if we are participating in the action. So, if you are stuck in your story, take a look at the tense and see if changing it makes us see your story in a new light.

Go to Joanne’s website. You will find lots of other tips and information about Joanne’s wonderful, award winning books. Her most recent title is I SAY SHEHECHIYANU, illustrated by Monika Filipina, a beautiful picture book suitable for all Jewish festivities, celebrations, and the proud “first times” of childhood.

UCLA Extension Writers' Program Celebrates 50 Years

Wearing the Writers' Program 50th anniversary T-shirt

The UCLA Writers' Program was established in 1966 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016. I began teaching in the program in 1982 and had many talented students in my classes over the years, many of them now publishing their own books. My career began by taking classes in the Writers' Program and then, a few years later, after I had become a published writer, I began teaching. At present I do not have any classes scheduled, but I am proud to be part of this highly successful program and thank Linda Venis, Director of the Department of the Arts and Program Director of the Writers' Program for her superb leadership and friendship through the years and her devoted staff who make everything run smoothly. Congratulations on 50 terrific years!