Oakland Public Library Teen Room

Last week I went with my eleven-year-old granddaughter to the Oakland Public Library so she could return her books and check out new ones. We arrived at the main door and then walked up the long stairway to the second floor and then down a long hallway past the history department to the teen room. Although I had been to the library numerous times before, I had always gone to the children’s room, which is on the lower level at a separate entrance. This was my first time upstairs in the teen room, a spacious high ceilinged room filled with large bookcases organized by book type–fantasy, romance, manga, adventure, etc.–radiating from a central lounging area with couches for reading and relaxing. Music was playing through loudspeakers–a contrast to the usual quiet associated with libraries--and on the walls were posters of local events of interest to teens. It was a room designed to be welcoming to teens and a place where they could relax, read and hang out–as a number were doing as we browsed the shelves selecting books. A while later we left with my granddaughter happily carrying a pile of new manga books (her current favorite) plus several hardback novels recommended by the helpful librarian. It was great day at the library and a new experience for me!

AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is Now a Kindle Book

My book, AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by HarperCollins in 2000 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is illustrated with pictures that I obtained through photo research from a variety of sources including my own collection. Many came from my several trips to Australia, including an extended stay in 1999 when my husband was there doing a research project. I am happy to have AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.


"The continent of Australia is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Tasmanian devil, koalas and echidnas make their homes in leafy forests and woodlands. Other animals, such as kangaroos and wombats, inhabit dry grasslands. Still more species, like the bilbies, live in the hot desert, while along the coast fairy penguins parade to their burrows in the sand. Young readers will discover how each animal--from dingo to glider, quoll to platypus--is able to adapt to its own special environment in the wild." (from the flap of the original book)


REVIEW
School Library Journal
Arnold divides her well-organized text into sections that cover the four diverse biomes that are found on the Australian continent and focuses on particular creatures that inhabit these areas. The two-paragraph text describing each of the 17 animals is encased in a beige block to set it off from the full-color photographic background. Striking, close-up photos complement the author's comments.

National Geographics and an Urban Native Plant Garden at Esperanza School in Los Angeles

A week ago my 43 years of National Geographic magazines found a new home! Mrs. Oasay, a wonderful 5th grade teacher at Esperanza Elementary School in Los Angeles, is going to use them with her students. For many years I used the National Geographics for my research and I'm thrilled they are now getting a new life! Thanks so much to Principal Brad Rumble for helping to arrange this!

With Mrs. Oasay, Brad Rumble and Student with my boxes of National Geographics

After I delivered my National Geographic magazines at Esperanza, Brad took me on a tour of the school including the beautiful renovated library and the amazing natural garden filled with native plants, birds and other wildlife.

Principle Brad Rumble in the Esperanza School Garden

Bees were buzzing and a pair of doves was foraging in the plants along the path. Brad told me that two species of hummingbirds have been observed feeding on the flowers and that many other species have been seen and recorded by the children. The garden is an oasis in the heart of the city and a place where students can have hands on interaction with the natural world. This living laboratory is a wonderful asset to the school and to the neighborhood.
To find out more about how the garden project has impacted the whole school and the surrounding neighborhood, read Brad Rumble's excellent article Planting the Seeds of Change.

WATCHING A SOLAR ECLIPSE, from SUN FUN by Caroline Arnold

Pinhole eclipse viewer, from Sun Fun, text and illustrations by Caroline Arnold

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse will be seen over North America. The path of the full eclipse will pass over 14 states and a partial eclipse will be seen in many more.

It is never safe to look at the sun directly. Here's how you can experience an eclipse safely. This project is in my book Sun Fun, originally published in 1981 by Franklin Watts, and now available as an e-book on Amazon or downloadable on Epic at your school or library.

My book SUN FUN, originally published in 1981 and now available as an ebook on Amazon, includes eleven projects for primary school age children to learn about the sun. With the solar eclipse coming on August 21st, making a pin hole viewer is the perfect activity to safely observe the eclipse. (The illustrations in the book are my own, created in the days of pre-separated art. I had to make a separate drawing for each printed color.)
Enjoy watching the eclipse safely!

IMAGINE II: Illustrators Art Exhibition

A Day and Night in the Desert, 9:00 am

I am pleased to have two pieces of art from my book A Day and Night in the Desert in IMAGINE II: The Art of Children’s Books, an exhibit of art by children’s book illustrators at the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona, California.The exhibition runs from August 12 - September 23, 2017.  It is co-hosted by the SCBWI, with many thanks to Gina Capaldi. I am one of many Southern California illustrators whose work is displayed. The featured artist this year is through the family of Caldecott winner Leo Politi. One wall will be dedicated to his work.

A special VIP Illustrators and Librarians Reception will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 5 pm. This event will include the Pomona Library Foundation and the Pomona Unified School District and book sales! We encourage you to join us. The famous Downtown Pomona Art Walk will follow from 6-8 pm.



Where:
dA Center for the Arts
252 South Main Street
Pomona, CA 91766
Phone: 909-397-9716

Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm to 4pm (til 9pm on Thursday)

A Day and Night in the Desert, 3:00 am

AFRICAN ANIMALS is Now a Kindle Book

My book, AFRICAN ANIMALS is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Morrow Junior Books in 1997 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. AFRICAN ANIMALS was my 100th published book! It is illustrated with pictures that I obtained through photo research from a variety of sources including my own collection. Photo research is a bit like being on a treasure hunt and as I searched for just the right photos to illustrate this book it brought back memories of my trip to Africa twenty-five years earlier. I am happy to have it now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

REVIEWS
School Library Journal, March 1997
Superb full-color photography, simple but intelligent language, and excellent organization make this a standout in the growing field of nonfiction for the very young. Almost two dozen African species, mostly mammals, are brought to life and placed in the context of their environs. A brief introduction to this lush continent, and a final note about extinction will get children (and the adults reading to them) thinking about their own place in the world. Animals are grouped by habitat (grasslands, forests, and deserts), and basic locator maps show the extent of each area on the continent. . . .Occasional questions provide a natural segue to open discussion. . . . This is a book that youngsters will want to return to again and again. Share it with story-time groups or suggest it for one-on-one reading.

Booklist, March 1997
Prolific wildlife writer-photographer Arnold takes a lucid look at 20 African animals. arranged by habitat (grasslands, forests, and deserts), the book features color photographs of such wild beasts as zebras, warthogs, and gorillas. . . . They show close-ups of the crocodile's sharp teeth, the dark markings on the cheetah's nose, the python's scaly skin, and the leopard's rosette-shaped spots. Given the brevity and simplicity of the text, it is surprisingly informative. Basic characteristics are cited along with questions to the readers: "How would you like to sleep in a tree at night?" Well done.

A Walk in the Desert Snap Words

Vocabulary words from my book A Walk in the Desert  flash on the screen in this YouTube video for children to recognize and read. The video is by Sharon Sinclair.
Reading Street Grade 2 Unit 1 Week 4. Published Oct 4, 2014.