THANK YOU LETTERS from students at Big Lagoon School, Trinidad, CA

I am always delighted to receive thank you letters from students after I do an author visit at a school. In October I visited Big Lagoon School in Trinidad, California, as part of the bi-annual Humboldt County Children’s Author Festival. After my visit the children in Ms. Rebecca’s class wrote letters and created illustrations to tell me how much they enjoyed my visit. Just a few of the comments: “Thank you for coming. It was fun.” “I like that you enjoy writing about animals.” “I liked when we did our wingspan.” “I hope you come again.”

I’m glad the children had a good time during my visit. Perhaps some of them will become authors one day!

HUMBOLDT COUNTY CHILDREN'S AUTHOR FESTIVAL: Four Days Celebrating Books and Reading

Author visit at Ambrosini School, Fortuna, CA, for the Humboldt County Children's Author Festival

I am home now in Los Angeles and am thinking about all the amazing events of last week. It was wonderful to be back in beautiful Humboldt County for the Humboldt County Children's Author Festival.  I sensed an extra level of enthusiasm for the festival after waiting an extra year since the last festival because of Covid. Special thanks go to Festival coordinators Joan Williams, Becky Giacomini, and Linda Lorvig.

My art from A Day and Night in the Desert on exhibit at the Morris Graves Museum, Eureka, CA.

The Festival Committee and the dozens of volunteers do such a good job making sure that everything goes smoothly. From the opening reception and art exhibit, to the Thursday night potluck and student performance, to the Sky Walk at the Zoo and Banquet on Friday, to the book signing at the Humboldt County Library on Saturday, everything was great. 

Author visit at Cuddeback School, Carlotta, CA.

My schools (Ambrosini on Thursday and Cuddeback on Friday) were terrific. The students were enthusiastic and asked great questions. I thank Kim Gans, the librarian at Ambrosini, and Principle Blaine Sigler at Cuddeback for helping to prepare the students for my visit. At Ambrosini, each class had focused on one of my books and created a poster for display on the walls of the MPR. 

 

Mural by 1st graders inspired by Keeper of the Light

I was especially impressed by the first graders' mural of my new book Keeper of the Light. One of the students from that class came to the library on Saturday with his family and proudly told me that he had drawn the giant bell. 

Redwood Sky Walk at the Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka, CA

On Friday afternoon, after we had finished our school visits, we had a special tour at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka of the new Redwoods Sky Walk. This was a special treat, especially to have a guided tour by the zoo director. I learned, among other things, that the park has the distinction of having the tallest redwood in an urban area anywhere in the world!

 

At the Carson mansion, site of the Friday night banquet.

Friday evening was the traditional banquet, held at the elegant Carson Mansion at the edge of Humboldt Bay, a chance to celebrate with community members--at my table there were three librarians--and to hear each author give a short talk. The challenge is keeping one's remarks to less than 3 minutes!  

At the Saturday book signing at the library with author/illustrators Bob Barner and Bethanie Murguia.

On Saturday, at the library, I made a point to take pictures of all the authors (including a selfie of me)--in our colorful Take Flight With Books t-shirts. 

This year's festival theme was Take Flight With Books. The display at the Humboldt County Library featured my books A Zebra's World, A Moose's World, and Hatching Chicks in Room 6 next to a giant papier mache balloon.

The special thing about the Humboldt County Children's Author Festival is spending time with the other authors and getting to know the local volunteers who are involved in making it happen. Special thanks to Peter Springer for arranging my travel. I have been coming to the Festival since 2007 and enjoyed it every time.

 

Take Flight With Books Poster. Cake by Ramones (dessert at banquet)

Again, to all the volunteers and members of the committee, thanks so much for inviting me again to be part of the Author Festival! It is always a highlight of my year.

For more about the festival and its history, take a look at Peter Springer's blogpost.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY CHILDREN'S AUTHOR FESTIVAL PROMOTION VIDEO

A year from now, in October 2022, I will be participating in the biannual Humboldt County Children's Author Festival. In anticipation of that I have made a video for the Humboldt County Office of Education to help promote enthusiasm and prepare students and teachers for the festival. You can see my video on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/602047329 . Here is the text of the video:

I am CAROLINE ARNOLD, author of Butterflies in Room 6 and 170 other books for children.

I am so excited about the Author Festival coming up in October 2022.

            I always love to come to beautiful Humboldt County.

            I love visiting schools like yours to share my books and learn how you are using them in your classrooms and libraries.

            I love viewing the exhibit of children’s book illustrations at the Morris Graves Museum and seeing how other artists like me illustrate their books.

            And I always look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones at the festival.

 I love the theme of the 2022 Festival– Take Flight with Books.

            It is perfect for my books about birds and butterflies–true masters of the air.

            Books help us take flight in our imaginations–to faraway places, to other times in history, to the secrets of the natural world–even when we are stuck at home as we have been in this last year.

            When I was ten years old I met a girl who loved to read as much as I did. We went to the library together and checked out stacks of books. In the summer, we would spread out a blanket in the shade of the maple tree in my back yard and read our books together, sharing our favorite parts.

            I didn’t know then that I would grow up to be a writer. But I realize now that my love of reading helped me to become a writer. I was learning how other writers made their books exciting and made me want to turn the page. That’s my job today.

            Some of you may want to be writers or illustrators when you grow up. My advice is simple:  practice, practice, practice!

One way that you can practice your writing is by keeping a diary. I always keep a diary or log when I travel, which helps me remember all the exciting things I did and saw after I get home.

One way you can practice your art is by drawing in a sketch book. I like to go on sketching trips at the park with my granddaughter, who also loves to draw. Last summer during the pandemic it was a perfect outdoor activity when we couldn’t meet inside.

            I still love to read and draw and I belong to two book groups–one to discuss adult books and the other for children’s books.

            I also belong to a writer’s group. We share our stories and offer comments, helping one another to become better writers.

            By October 2022 I will have two new books to share with you-- Planting a Garden in Room 6: From Seeds to Salad, my third book with Mrs. Best and her kindergarteners, and Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fights the Fog, the true story of an intrepid lighthouse keeper in San Francisco Bay at the time of the 1906 earthquake.

            What I missed most during the pandemic were my in person visits to schools and libraries.

            I look forward to joining you in 2022 to Take Flight with Books at another wonderful Humboldt County Children’s Author Festival.

            Until then, have fun reading, writing, and drawing!

            Thank you!

           

WIN A PRIZE at the HUMBOLDT COUNTY AUTHOR FESTIVAL 2021 CHALLENGE

Take the Author Festival 2021 Challenge to get ready to Take Flight With Books in 2022!

Under normal circumstances, October 2021 would be another wonderful Humboldt County Children’s Author Festival, with authors, like me, doing in-person visits at schools and libraries.. But, because of the pandemic, the festival has been postponed a year. Instead, there will be a free virtual challenge for kids and teens that includes reading, learning about authors and their books, and writing, drawing or making video book reviews.
Author Festival 2021 Challenge begins Monday, September 20 and ends Saturday, October 23. To learn more and how to sign up, go to the Festival website: https://www.authorfest.org/home. Watch the video for an overview of the festival and a sneak peek at authors who have participated in the past. And when you sign up for the challenge you will find longer videos of all the authors–including me!
Have fun with the challenge! Everyone who completes the challenge wins a prize!
And get ready to Take Flight with Books in 2022.

LETTERS FROM STUDENTS: Author Visit Follow-Up

I love to do author visits and to feel the excitement that surrounds my appearance at a school. But the real value for the students is in the preparation and follow-up. I love to get letters and thank-you notes from students and teachers after my visit. They tell me what the students remember and what most impacted them about my program.
A few months ago I was pleased to receive a packet of thank-you notes from Mrs. Ritter’s kindergarten class at Jacoby Creek School in Arcata, which I visited in October during the Humboldt County Authors Festival. In the picture above you can see me (without any hair!) and the table with my book display. I love the drawing of the tiny butterfly in the book in my hand!

Note: One of the casualties of the coronavirus pandemic is the suspension of school and cancellation of author visits. I don't expect to do any on site author visits in the near future, although perhaps when school reopens there will be the possibility of Skype or Zoom visits. Time will tell.

ARTS ALIVE! Children's Book Illustrations at the MORRIS GRAVES MUSEUM OF ART, Eureka, CA

Illustration from A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, pp. 6-7

Illustration from A Day and Night in the Rain Forest, pp. 8-9

I am pleased to have two of my cut paper illustrations from my book A Day and Night in the Rain Forest currently on exhibit at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, California, as part of the bi-annual Humboldt County Author Festival. 

Select works from participating illustrators, along with copies of their books, demonstrate the processes of illustration in children’s literature.  The art exhibit will be on view from September 7 through October 27, Wednesday–Sunday, 12:00–5:00. School groups can book tours for a personal look with one of the museum docents. Many thanks to Lucy Quinby on the Author Festival Committee and Jemima Harr, Executive Director-Curator of the Humboldt Arts Council, for organizing the exhibit. I am glad to have my work included in this exhibit. If you are going to be in Eureka during this time, please stop by and see the show! 

Along with 25 other authors and illustrators, I will be participating in the Author Festival, October 16-19, 2019, visiting schools, signing books at the library, and enjoying being with friends and book lovers in beautiful Humboldt County.  I always look forward to it!  For more information about the festival click here.

Cut-Paper Animals by Students at Coastal Grove School

I was away for the month of December and came home to a pile of mail including an envelope with wonderful cut-paper art and note from Jenny Hales, the Education Coordinator at Coastal Grove Charter School in Arcata, California. I had visited the school in October as part of the Humboldt County Author Festival. After my visit, the fifth grade students were inspired to create their own cut-paper art in the same manner I use for my books. I absolutely love the art--the students did a fantastic job of making the animals realistic and colorful. I especially like the texture of the paper and the use of watercolors to create various color shades.
Thank you so much for sharing!

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

AUTHORS AHOY! School Visits and More in Beautiful Humboldt County, CA

I am just back from Eureka, CA, and the wonderful Humboldt County Children's Author's Festival--great schools, great people, great authors and illustrators, great Humboldt county scenery--who could ask for more? The theme this year (you can tell by the hats) was Author's Ahoy!

Humboldt County Chamber Readers who performed my book Wiggle and Waggle

Every two years the hardworking festival committee invites twenty-five author and/or illustrators for four days filled with a variety of activities–author visits in the schools, a reception and illustrators’ exhibit at the Morris Graves Museum, a potluck dinner with entertainment by the talented Chamber Readers, a banquet–held this year in the elegant Ingomar Club, and a community book signing at the Humboldt Public Library.  This the fourth time I have participated in the festival, and each time it gets better and better.

Welcome banner, Mattole School, Petrolia

On the first day of school visits my driver, Jere, took me to the wild and beautiful Lost Coast where I visited Mattole School in Petrolia and Honeydew School in Honeydew.  The long ride from Eureka went through Ferndale, up and down over the hills, with spectacular views of the ocean and Cape Mendocino.  At Mattole, I spoke to two groups of children, first the primary grades and then, after the earthquake drill, to the upper grades.

Questions and drawing, Mattole School

The children had read several of my books and prepared questions and wonderful drawings for me.  I could see that their favorite books were about giraffes and zebras!  Then after a delicious lunch at Mattole, I went to Honeydew School where the children had learned about platypuses in my book A Platypus’ World. Then I read them my story about another “mixed-up” animal The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers.  Afterward my driver took my through the majestic redwoods to Highway 101 and we headed back to Eureka.

"Whale Come" at Redway School

On the second day of school visits my driver, Linda, took me to Redway School, also near the redwoods.  The children there had made wonderful welcome posters and prepared questions.  At the end of my presentation the children gave me their questions which had been written on index cards.  Most drew pictures on the other side.  Among my favorites was a picture of me and the student under a colorful rainbow.

Banquet dessert.  Delicious cakes by Ramones

Friday night was the celebratory banquet at the Ingomar Club. Because it was our first time there, the authors were treated to a special tour of the house before the dinner. After a delicious meal, each of the authors gave a three minute talk.  I’m always amazed at the talented company I’m in and  how each one of us is unique. Then, on Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 we all signed books at the Humboldt County Library, before heading home. It is a tradition that we all wear our festival t-shirts for the signing.
 

"We are excited to see you and to have a real author at our school." Letter and Zebra pictures from students at Redway School..

It was a full four days with many events to remember.  I thank all the people who work so hard to put it on.  You do a terrific job! 

Art Exhibit, Morris Graves Museum, Eureka, CA

I am pleased to have two of my pieces of original art for my books, A Polar Bear's World and A Walrus' World on display at the Morris Graves Museum in Eureka, California.  As part of the bi-annual Humboldt County Children’s Author & Illustrator Festival, they are among select works from winning illustrators demonstrating the processes of illustration in children’s literature.

The exhibit opened in September and groups of school children visited and learned about the art from docents. I thank Lucy Quinby of the Festival Committee and Jemima Harr, Executive Director and Curator of the Morris Graves Museum for doing such a good job of mounting the exhibit and working with the children.  It was so nice to have the books displayed alongside the art so viewers could see where the illustrations fit in the books. The exhibit will be up until October 29, 2013.