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.

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.

MY ART ON EXHIBIT AT UCLA: The Silvia Winstein UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Arts and Crafts Exhibit 2024

Illustrations from A Day and Night on the Prairie (top) and A Day and Night in the Forest (bottom).

I had a fun day yesterday at the Silvia Winstein UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Arts and Crafts Exhibit 2024, held in the Faculty Center on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, I enjoyed talking with the other twenty-four artists and seeing their work, which ranged from paintings and drawings, to photography, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry. I exhibited illustrations from my books A Day and Night in the Forest and A Day and Night in the Prairie.  They are giclee prints of my original cut paper art. After setting up the show in the morning, it was open to the public for viewing from 11am to 4pm, with a festive reception at 2pm. It was my first time to join this group. I thank the Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center and Shirley Ho for all the organization that makes this annual event such a success. 

All the artists who exhibited in the show. (Photo by Albert Hsu.)

MY ART ON EXHIBIT AT UCLA MAY 21: Silvia Winstein Arts and Crafts Exhibit--Save the Date!

Fox and Porcupine, pp 16-17, A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST

The annual Sylvia Winstein Arts and Crafts Exhibit is a long-standing campus tradition. This year the Emeriti Association and UCLARA are collaborating to highlight more creative work than ever from emeriti and retiree members and their spouses. 

Save the date: Tuesday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Morrison Room of the UCLA Faculty Club. The exhibit offers the rare opportunity to both see the work and meet the artists. The 28 artists will be exhibiting sculpture, photography, oil painting, watercolor, ceramics, weaving, calligraphy, and jewelry. The featured retiree artist is Michelle Shin, whose primary interest is oil paintings of natural scenes in California and in Korea. She had a solo exhibition in Seoul in July 2023 and was part of a group show in New York City in November 2023.

I will be exhibiting giclee prints of illustrations from my books A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST and A DAY AND NIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE (Picture Window Books, 2015).

Fox and Skunks, pp 12-13,  A DAY AND NIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE

CARDS AND PRINTS AT ETSY

Cards and giclee prints of illustrations from my Day and Night books are still available at my Etsy site: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolineArnoldArt .

They are the perfect way to brighten up your walls or send a greeting to a friend!

A Day and Night in the Rain Forest

A Day and Night in the Forest

A Day and Night on the Prairie

A Day and Night in the Desert

NGSS Standards and A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE RAIN FOREST

The Next Generation Science Standards provide guidelines for science education from K-12. Based on a report produced by the National Research Council they call for a new approach to teaching science. Books like mine can be used in support of achieving these standards, especially in Life Science (LS) and Earth and Space Science (ESS).

A Day and Night in the Rain Forest by Caroline Arnold (PictureWindow Books, 2015)
A Day and Night in the Desert by Caroline Arnold (PictureWindow Books, 2015)
A Day and Night in the Forest by Caroline Arnold (PictureWindow Books, 2015)
A Day and Night on the Prairie by Caroline Arnold (PictureWindow Books, 2015)
NGSS Standards for grades 2, 3 and 4:
2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
3–LS2-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Book Review in Grinnell Magazine

I am pleased to have my books reviewed in the summer issue of the Grinnell Magazine on page 15. I studied art and literature at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, and graduated with a major in Art. An almost complete collection of my books can be found in the alumni section of the college library.
Here's the announcement of my recent books in the Grinnell Magazine:

A Day and Night in the …
Prolific children’s book
author/illustrator Caroline Scheaffer Arnold ’66 has published two series of animal board books that were rewritten for younger readers. From the habitat series: A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, A Day and Night in the Desert, A Day and Night on the Prairie,and A Day and Night in the Forest (Capstone: Picture Window Books, 2015). From the animal series: A Zebra’s World, A Panda’s World, A Polar Bear’s World, and A Penguin’s World (Capstone: Picture Window Books, 2015). Arnold also authored Living Fossils: Clues to the Past, illustrated by Andrew Plant

Note: Books in the Habitat series are available in hardback, paperback and as e-books; the new books in the  animal series are board books, adapted from my earlier series Caroline Arnold's Animals.

New PRINTS at My Etsy Shop: Rain Forest, Desert, Forest and Prairie

A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, Noon

I have just added eight new full size prints to my Etsy shop. Each one is a limited edition gallery quality print made from an  original cut-paper illustration I created for the books in the Caroline Arnold's Habitats series published by Picture Window Books (Capstone):  A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE RAIN FOREST, A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE DESERT, A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST, and A DAY AND NIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE. The quality of the scan is impressive. Even though the paper of the print is flat, it retains the three-dimensional quality of the layered paper of the original art. Each print is 10 1/4 inches by 20 inches with a one inch white border.
I will continue to add more art to my Etsy site as I have prints made of illustrations from the other books in the series. If you have a particular illustration that you would like to have a print of, please email me to let me know.
To see all of my prints and cards go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolineArnoldArt .

A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, 6:00 a.m.

A Day and Night in the Desert, 6:00 a.m.

A Day and Night in the Desert, 3:00 a.m.

A Day and Night in the Forest, 6:00 p.m.

A Day and Night in the Forest, 3:00 a.m.

A Day and Night on the Prairie, 6:00 a.m.

AUTHOR FESTIVAL ILLUSTRATOR EXHIBIT, Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA

A Day and Night in the Forest, original art for pages 2-3, exhibited at Morris Graves Museum, Eureka, CA

Every two years, in conjunction with the Humboldt County Author Festival, a special exhibit of original art from books by participating authors and illustrators is displayed in the youth gallery at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, California. The exhibit runs for two months before the festival so the general public and children in visiting school groups can become familiar with the work before the authors arrive.

Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA

I am pleased to have my art included and this year I contributed two pieces from my book A Day and Night in the Forest. The festival, held this year from October 14-17, always begins with a reception at the museum. I always enjoy the show and the opportunity to see the work of the other illustrators--Bob Barner, David Biedrzycki, Bethanie Murguia and Kathleen Pelley. I thank Lucy Quinby, the school and author liaison for the festival, for making the arrangements, and Jemima Harr, curator at the Morris Graves, for coordinating the exhibit. It looked terrific! The exhibit dates are September 5th to October 25th.
You can read about my school visits during the author festival in my previous post and see some of the terrific cut paper art created by the students.

A Day and Night in the Forest, original art for pages 14-15 and 2-3

READING ACROSS THE UNIVERSE at the Humboldt County Author Festival, Eureka, CA

Signing books at the Humboldt County Library

Last week I participated once again in the wonderful Humboldt County Author’s Festival in Eureka, California. http://www.authorfest.org/ The theme this year was Reading Across the Universe. This was my fifth time at the author festival, and each time it gets better and better. For forty years the Author Festival Committee has been bringing authors–this year there were 23 of us--every two years for two days of visits to schools and a day of book signing at the beautiful Humboldt County Public Library. 

Authors at the Ingomar Club wearing our Across the Universe Bug-eye Glasses

In addition, there was a welcoming reception on Wednesday evening at the Morris Graves Museum of Art; a potluck dinner on Thursday evening with space ship table decorations made by local students and a wonderful dramatization of some of our stories by high school students; and on Friday evening a gala banquet, held this year at the Ingomar Club (the historic Carson Mansion) overlooking the harbor.

At North Coast Learning Academy

My first school visit was at North Coast Academy in Eureka where I spoke to three enthusiastic groups of children in grades kindergarten through grade eight. Before my visit the children had read a variety of my books (provided by the county library) and the wall of the room was decorated with wonderful artwork ranging from worms in the garden inspired by my book Wiggle and Waggle and paper plate zebra masks inspired by A Zebra’s World to drawings of sharks and the Taj Mahal. I was pleased with the good response to my presentations and the good questions. And I thank the parents and teachers for the delicious lunch!

At Kneeland School

My second day of school visits was at Kneeland School, reached by a beautiful drive up a winding road into the mountains above Eureka. Children have been attending this school since 1880! This year the 25 students range from kindergarten to seventh grade. I spent the first hour with the lower grades, where everyone had a chance to use my Wiggle and Waggle sock puppets to act out the story, and then, after recess, I presented to the upper grades. Everyone in the school had created cut paper art, inspired by my book A Day and Night in the Forest. Two people had even made porcupines–cutting out lots of quills! We all had a delicious lunch of homemade soup. 

"Worms in Dirt" dessert

Dessert, in keeping with the Wiggle and Waggle theme, was worms in dirt--actually brownie chunks with gummy worms. The students at Kneeland know a lot about real worms and have their very own worm bin. On a daily basis lunch scraps are contributed to the worm bin to be made into compost.

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the author festival and thank the hard working committee for making it all possible. I also want to thank my drivers who ferried me around so expertly: Ann Wieland, who gave three of us a wonderful scenic tour of the coast on our way to the hotel from the airport; Stella Hawkins, who took me to North Coast Learning Academy on Thursday; and Byrd Lochtie, who drove me to Kneeland on Friday and then graciously took me for a visit to the Sequoia Park Zoo in the afternoon. I also thank Eureka Books who coordinated the Saturday book sale at the library. The Humboldt County Author’s Festival is truly a community effort and a very special event for everyone involved. Thank you all!

Across the Universe cakes for the Banquet

Black Bear Coloring Page

Black bears are North America’s most familiar and common bears. They typically live in forests, although they can also be found in more open areas. A mother bear gives birth to her cubs in late winter and by spring they are following her around as she searches for food. The cubs stay with their mother for a year or more. You can download a coloring page of a mother bear with her cubs HERE.
Find out more about black bears and other forest animals in my book A Day and Night in the Forest.

Book Signing: American Library Association Conference, San Francisco

Signing A Day and Night in the Forest in the Capstone Booth, ALA, San Francisco

The American Library Association Conference met in San Francisco at the Moscone Convention Center June 25-30, 2015 and I spent two very full and exciting days in the Exhibit Halls signing books, meeting friends, and roaming the aisles to attempt at view all the new books. In the Capstone booth, on Saturday, June 26, I signed A Day and Night in the Forest, one of four new books in the Caroline Arnold’s Habitats series. There was a long line and I signed furiously until all the books were gone. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet librarians and fans from all over and I thank Jennifer Glidden, the marketing manager at Capstone, for making all the arrangements, taking photographs, and for helping everything go smoothly. I enjoyed the chance to meet the other Capstone people in the booth as well and to chat with editor Michelle Bisson.

Outside the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco

The ALA convention was also an opportunity to meet with my agent, Andrea Brown, with whom I had a delicious lunch, and my editor at Charlesbridge, which will be publishing my book Living Fossils next year. I have already seen the proof pages with terrific illustrations by Andrew Plant. And I stopped by the StarWalk Kids booth to find out the latest news about the StarWalk Kids digital library, which includes many of my older books. Their catalogue, which continues to grow, now has more than 500 titles!

I went to the convention with my friends and fellow authors Joanne Rocklin and Susan Meyers (who both live in the Bay Area) and as we roamed the aisles we kept running into many of our other author friends as well as many of the librarians we have gotten to know over the years. That is one of the great things about ALA–the chance to meet and renew friendships, all in the midst of thousands of new and wonderful books from publishers big and small. I came home with a bag full of books, catalogues, posters and more. I only go to ALA when it meets in California, which occurs every five years or so. This conference brought back memories of my very first ALA, also in San Francisco, back in 1981, when I was a new author. I remember being overwhelmed by the wealth of books and publishers. I still am.

ALA: Upcoming Signing in the Capstone Booth, Sat. June 27, 10am

I will be autographing my book A Day and Night in the Forest in the Capstone Booth #3118 at the American Library Association convention in San Francisco at the Convention Center, Saturday, June 27th at 10:00 am in the Exhibit Hall.
If you are planning to be at ALA, please stop by and say hello!

PROJECT: Create Dramatic Night Scenes with Chalk on Black Paper

Drawings made with Colored Chalk on Black Paper

Several years ago I did an author visit to a school and saw wonderful pictures the students had made after reading my books about dinosaurs.  They had used colored chalk to draw on black paper, creating colorful dramatic scenes.  This same technique would be perfect for depicting all kinds of animals at night.  Look in my books A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, A Day and Night in the Desert, A Day and Night on the Prairie and A Day and Night in the Forest to find out what kinds of animals are active at night in those habitats. Then you can make your own dramatic nighttime pictures!