LEO POLITI MURAL, OLVERA STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA: The Blessing of the Animals

Blessing of the Animals, mural by Leo Politi, Olvera Street, Los Angeles, CA

On a recent trip to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles I was reacquainted with the wonderful mural painted by children’s book author/illustrator Leo Politi commemorating a favorite festival, the Blessing of the Animals. 

Leo Politi, 1908-1996, painted the Blessing of the Animals in 1978.

THE BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS is celebrated each year on Saturday, the day before Easter. People gather with their pets at the historic center of the city on Olvera Street for this festival. Their pets can be as large as a horse or as small as a mouse, and each one is decorated with ribbons, hats, or flowers. Every type of pet is welcome. Many participants dress in colorful Mexican costumes. Everyone waits patiently in line as the robed priest sprinkles each pet with holy water and blesses it, thus ensuring a happy, healthy year ahead. (Read more about this tradition and see photos in guest post by Ann Stalcup.)

The mural "Blessing of the Animals" is under the archways of the Biscailuz Building at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument.

Now the Mexican Cultural Institute, the building was the Mexican Consulate for 30 years.

Leo Politi was the ultimate California writer and California illustrator.  His books, with their colorful depictions of children, animals, processions, and everyday life, capture the heart of Los Angeles. I actually once met Leo Politi, at a luncheon sponsored by what was then known as SCCLCYP, and is now CLC (Children's Literature Council of Southern California).  The luncheon that day was held in a ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel.  I had just published my very first book, an easy read story about birds, and I was feeling totally intimidated by the roomful of other much more established authors.  We were seated two at each table, along with librarians and other guests, and it was my luck to be paired with Leo Politi, winner of the Caldecott Award and the author and illustrator of dozens of books, including Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street.  Because of his fame, I expected him to be larger than life, but discovered that he was completely unassuming.  During the program I noticed that he was much more interested in drawing pictures than listening to speeches. One by one, he took the programs off the table, drew our portraits on the back of them, and then gave us the drawings.  When I realized what he was doing, I sat very still to make it easier for him to draw his picture of me.  I wish I could say that I still have the drawing, but I don’t.  It disappeared at some point when I cleaned out my files.  I do have the memory, though, and the lesson that all the time, all around us, there is always something interesting to see, to write about, to draw.

Leo Politi also created the mosaic floor below the mural, depicting fish and other aquatic animals. The mosaic was restored in 1999.

Beginning in 2005, the Leo Politi Golden Author Award was presented by California Readers (a support group connecting children's book authors and illustrators with school libraries in Los Angeles) to the California author who had the most books in the California Collections over time. In 2008 it was given to me, at the annual "We love California authors and artists" luncheon.  (Sadly, California Readers is now defunct.) I am proud to have this connection with this talented and beloved man. And I was delighted to be reminded of him and his love for the life and traditions of Los Angeles on my visit to Olvera Street.

This book, published by California Readers in 2005, includes a biography of Leo Politi, his books, remembrances of Leo, and a list of the recipients of the Leo Politi Golden Author Award

 

 

CALIFORNIA READERS CLOSING ITS DOORS

As of August 2014, California Readers will be closing its doors. The main reason is the fact that LAUSD has not been funding personnel for its school libraries for the past several years and the people needed to coordinate the program in the schools are not there.
I am so sad to learn that California Readers will no longer exist.  It has been a wonderful organization and done so much to help connect authors like me with the many schools in the LA area.  I have really enjoyed the opportunity to do school visits both during the regular school day and after school for the LA's Best program.  And I will miss the annual luncheon, which has always been a highlight of the year.  I thank California Readers for honoring me as a Leo Politi author and for everything else it has done to promote reading, writing and the love of books.

Author Visit to Haynes Charter School in Tribute to Amy Werner

Books donated to the Haynes School Library in Memory of Amy Werner

Amy Werner, a teacher/librarian who lived and worked in Los Angeles, California, created Melody of Words, a yearly community festival that connected local students with local authors and illustrators.  Over the years I participated in many Melody of Words festivals and have fond memories of Amy.  She was a tireless promoter of the value of books and reading.

Amy was also an active member of California Readers, which supports authors and illustrators connecting with schools.  Amy recently passed away and many donations were made in her memory to California Readers. As a tribute to Amy, California Readers is using those donations to sponsor author visits to schools in the area of Los Angeles where Amy lived and worked (the West Valley) and to make a gift of the author’s books to the school.  On Monday, I had an excellent visit to Haynes Charter School, where I spoke to children in kindergarten through fifth grade.  They were an enthusiastic audience and asked excellent questions. I thank Amy Werner's family and California Readers for coordinating this tribute to her memory and for helping make my visit to Haynes School a special day.

ED PERT AWARD Author Visit to Crestwood Street School

Signing the Author Wall at Crestwood Street School

Last Thursday I had an excellent author visit at Crestwood Street School in Rancho Palos Verdes,  where I spoke to four groups of children grades K-6.  They were enthusiastic during my presentations and asked terrific questions at the end.  Crestwood Street School had won the California Readers Ed Pert Award and my visit was one of the benefits. The sponsor of the award is the Winnick Family Foundation. Crestwood Street School will also  be receiving 100 books from the 2014 Elementary California Collection for their library.  My books A Warmer World and Your Skeletal System are in the collection.  I thank Gwen Davies for organizing my day and helping to prepare the students for my visit.  At the end of the day I signed a special “Author Wall” in the library where I joined numerous other authors who have visited the school in the past.  A photo taken of me during my visit will be added next to my signature.

We Love California Authors and Illustrators Luncheon, 2014

Last Saturday I was at the annual We Love California Authors and Illustrators Luncheon celebrating 18 years since California Readers was founded.  Held at the Castaway Restaurant with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills (with hawks soaring on the updrafts of the warm sunny day), it was an enjoyable afternoon with authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, students and their parents, book sellers and book lovers, all enjoying lunch together and listening to a terrific keynote address by author Janet Tashjian. I sat at a table with four enthusiastic fourth graders and their parents from Vintage School, winners of last year's Ed Pert award.

In between courses, Martin Burton, our expert master of ceremonies, drew raffle tickets to find the lucky winners of the 21 baskets of books and goodies assembled by the luncheon committee. Also, Ann Stalcup accepted on behalf of Leo Politi Elementary School the display of Leo Politi books which will now be permanently kept at the school. The Ed Pert and Literacy Award presentations were made and President Karla Forbes handed over the reins to incoming President Heather Biggs.  As always, it was a fun and rewarding event celebrating the connection between authors, illustrators and schools.

Visit to Young Authors of LA’s Best

I recently had another successful visit with students in the LA’s Best Young Authors Program, this time at Maurice Sendak School in North Hollywood.  I was greeted with a colorful welcome poster made by the children in grades K-2 and could see that they clearly had enjoyed dipping their hands in bright paint to make the design.  I spoke first to the younger grades and shared with them A Zebra’s World, Wiggle and Waggle and Who Has More? Who Has Fewer?  Then, with the older children (grades 3-5) I presented my slides and talked about my life as a writer and how I get ideas.  As the children lined up to leave, I noticed that several of them were carrying musical instruments.  I am pleased to know that they are having so many opportunities to develop their talents and creativity.  Perhaps some of them will grow up to be writers or musicians someday!
My author visit to the LA's Best Young Authors Program was sponsored by California Readers.

"If I were a color I would be blue like the sky": LA'S BEST YOUNG WRITER'S PROGRAM

Coloring Wiggle and Waggle at LA's Best Young Writer's Program

“If I were a color I would be blue like the sky.” 

“If I were an animal I would be fast as a cheetah.”

When I recently visited the LA’s Best Young Writers at Anatola Elementary School I found these were some of the things they had written in their idea books.  I loved the fact that the students (grades 1-5) were learning comparisons and personifications.  Their idea books are preparation for their final project which will be books beginning “I Am...”as in "I am a dancer", "I am a good friend", "I am a brother". Each one will be personal and unique.
As I always do when I visit young writers, I gave a presentation of how I work as a writer and how I get ideas from my own life, just as they do .  Afterward, while I read my book Wiggle and Waggle, the children colored drawings of Wiggle and Waggle working in the garden. (Wiggle has googly eyes and Waggle wears glasses.)  I am always amazed when I do this project that even though all the children start with the same picture, each one turns out to be different and individual.
LA’s Best is an after school program in the Los Angeles Schools.  Author visits to the Young Writer’s workshops are sponsored by California Readers.

BIO BLURBS for CALIFORNIA READERS: Recent Years in a Nutshell

The We Love California Authors and Illustrators Luncheon is coming up soon.  Click HERE for more information and online registration.
How many times have you been asked to prepare a bio in 50 words or less, 30 words or less, or some other seemingly impossible small number? Every year, for the California Readers luncheon, to be held this year on Saturday February 22, 2014, authors are asked to prepare a short bio to be read aloud for their introduction to the people in the audience--teachers, librarians, students, friends and other authors and illustrators.  The bios are meant to be short, and, if possible, contain some sort of twist, or surprise. I attend the luncheon almost every year, and as I looked through my computer files and read my bio blurbs for past luncheons I was reminded of the various books I've done over the past decade. A few years are missing either because I didn't attend the luncheon or I didn't save a copy of my blurb.  In any case, for highlights of my recent writing activities (and a few personal notes) here they are:
 
2013: Her newest book is TOO HOT? TOO COLD? Keeping Body Temperature Just Right.  You may not know that when Caroline was ten years old she attempted to read all the books in the public library.  Did she?  No, but she came close.

2012:  Her newest book, A WARMER WORLD, focuses on animals and how they have been impacted by climate change.  Caroline loves doing school visits.  Her favorite question came from a student who asked: If you could meet one extinct animal, what would it be?  Her, answer: a small feathered dinosaur.

2010: Her love of travel and fascination with the natural world has inspired her newest books, A POLAR BEAR'S WORLD, A WALRUS' WORLD, A MOOSE'S WORLD and A BALD EAGLE'S WORLD, all illustrated with her own cut paper art.  If she had traveled to the Arctic 65 million years ago, she might have seen dinosaurs instead of polar bears.  Read about these hardy polar reptiles in her other new book, GLOBAL WARMING AND THE DINOSAURS.

2009: Her newest books are A KOALA'S WORLD, A KANGAROO'S WORLD, A PLATYPUS' WORLD, and A WOMBAT'S WORLD, all illustrated with her own cut paper art.  Caroline recently returned to her home state of Minnesota to participate in a 5K snowshoe race. She didn’t win, but the trip helped her get in the mood for illustrating her upcoming books about Arctic animals.

2008: She had a bumper crop of new books in 2007 including WIGGLE AND WAGGLE, five stories about two hardworking worms, SUPER SWIMMERS: Whales, Dolphins and other Mammals of the Sea, GIANT SEA REPTILES OF THE DINOSAUR AGE, and TAJ MAHAL, co-written with Madeleine Comora, about the great love that inspired this magnificent building. 

2006: Her newest book is a tall tale, The TERRIBLE HODAG AND THE ANIMAL CATCHERS about a fearsome creature with the head of an ox, feet of a bear, back of a dinosaur and tail of an alligator.  Caroline has recently resumed her career as an artist and has four new books that she illustrated with cut paper collage.  The are all about black and white animals–pandas, zebras, killer whales and penguins–and she assures you that she cut out every single spot and stripe.

2005:  Her most recent title, PTEROSAURS: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age, tells about amazing prehistoric flying reptiles with giant wing spans and difficult to pronounce names (the “p” in “pterosaur” is silent), that flew over the earth in dinosaur times.  Although most of Caroline’s books are nonfiction, she also writes fiction and has recently resumed her career as an illustrator.  She has two new board books for toddlers, WHO IS BIGGER? and WHO HAS MORE?, that she illustrated with cut paper collage.

Young Authors at LA’s Best Have Fun with WIGGLE AND WAGGLE

Recently, I spent an hour with enthusiastic young authors grades one through five at the South Region #10 school in Los Angeles.  The class was part of the LA’s Best after school program offered at many schools. I showed slides, had the children act out the first story in Wiggle and Waggle using my sock puppets, taught them the Wiggle and Waggle song, and then after the slides were finished, the children colored pictures of Wiggle and Waggle while I read the other four stories in the book.  I was impressed by how colorful the children made their drawings and how each one used their own creativity to make their drawings different.

LA’s Best works with California Readers to bring authors like me to the schools.  I have been participating in the program for several years and always enjoy my visits with young authors.
Note:  A printable pdf of the Wiggle and Waggle coloring page can be downloaded at the Charlesbridge website.

We Love California Authors and Illustrators Luncheon: California Readers

On Saturday, the 23rd of February I attended the We Love California Authors and Illustrators annual luncheon, a gala affair sponsored by California Readers celebrating the connection between the creators of children’s books and schools and libraries.  It was held at the Castaway Restaurant in Burbank, with a spectacular view of the city on one side and the beautiful hills and golf course behind the restaurant. I always enjoy the luncheon because it is an opportunity to visit with teachers and librarians and other authors; to see the amazing displays by the winning schools showing how they have used books in the California Collection; and to hear inspiring talks, this year by Kendall Haven, winner of the Leo Politi Award, and award-winning authorTony Johnston, our keynote speaker.  I thank all the hard-working members of the California Readers board and luncheon committee for putting on such a successful event.

Raffle Basket of Caroline Arnold books

Before the luncheon a raffle was held to raise money for the organization.  Most raffle items were baskets of books, perfect for a classroom or school library.  I was pleased that one of the baskets featured my books and a polar bear print that I donated.  There were a number of other raffle items as well.  I was the lucky winner of a beautiful necklace!

One of the goals of California Readers is to promote author visits to schools in the Los Angeles area and I have done many such school visits over the years.  California Readers also partners with LA's Best to bring authors to speak to children participating in the after school young authors program.  I am currently involved in visiting several LA's Best schools and enjoying it very much.

Leo Politi Award, California Readers

The Leo Politi Golden Author Award is presented by California Readers to the California author who has had the most books in the California Collections over time. This year, it will be given to Lisa Yount, at the annual "We love California authors and artists" luncheon on February 25, 2012.  Congratulations Lisa!

Leo Politi was the ultimate California writer and California illustrator.  His books, with their colorful depictions of children, animals, processions, and everyday life, capture the heart of Los Angeles. I actually once met Leo Politi, at a luncheon sponsored by what was then known as SCCLCYP, and is now CLC (Children's Literature Council of Southern California).  The luncheon that day was held in a ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel.  I had just published my very first book, an easy read story about birds, and I was feeling totally  intimidated by the roomful of other much more established authors.  We were seated two at each table, along with librarians and other guests, and it was my luck to be paired with Leo Politi, winner of the Caldecott and the author and illustrator of dozens of books.  Because of his fame, I expected him to be larger than life, but discovered that he was completely unassuming.  During the program I noticed that he was much more interested in drawing pictures than listening to speeches. One by one, he took the programs off the table, drew our portraits on the back of them, and then gave us the drawings.  When I realized what he was doing, I sat very still to make it easier for him to draw his picture of me.  I wish I could say that I still have the drawing, but I don’t.  It disappeared at some point when I cleaned out my files.  I do have the memory, though, and the lesson that all the time, all around us, there is always something interesting to see, to write about, to draw.

Held on the last Saturday in February, the "We love California Authors & Artists " luncheon honors California authors and artists, especially those chosen to be in the California Collections. It also includes the presentation of the Ed Pert Awards, the President's Award, the Bonnie O'Brian Award, and the Leo Politi Golden Author Award. The keynote speaker at the luncheon is always an author from a California Collection.  In 2008, I was honored to be the recipient of the Leo Politi Award. 
For more information about the luncheon go to Californiareaders.org.