MY ART ON DISPLAY AT THE UCLA EMERITI/RETIREES ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHIBIT

On Tuesday, May 19th, I was one of 23 artists exhibiting at the annual Silvia Winstein UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Arts and Crafts Exhibit at the UCLA University Club in Los Angeles, California. I showed prints of my cut-paper book illustrations. Many thanks to Chair Kay Deeney and all the people who make the event happen. This year's featured artists were Shirley Ho, calligraphist, and Craig Schoenbaum, photographer.

The tradition of the show began many years ago when Sylvia, the young widow of UCLA Chemistry Professor Saul Winstein, had a tea for some friends and displayed several paintings. Artistic emeriti friends and spouses were so enthusiastic that Sylvia organized and supported what has become a very special yearly celebration. 

The event is  jointly presented by the UCLA Emeriti Association, the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center, and the UCLA Retirees Association. 

MY ART ON DISPLAY AT UCLA, at the Annual Silvia Winstein UCLA Arts and Crafts Exhibit

On Tuesday, May 20th, I was one of 27 artists exhibiting at the annual Silvia Winstein UCLA Arts and Crafts Exhibit. I showed prints of my cut-paper book illustrations. Many thanks to Chair Kati Radics and all the people who make the event happen. An added feature this year was Art for Fire Victims in which artists donated pieces to give to people rebuilding their homes after the terrible fires of last January. I donated an illustration from my book A Koala's World.

The tradition of the show began many years ago when Sylvia, the young widow of UCLA Chemistry Professor Saul Winstein, had a tea for some friends and displayed several paintings. 

 

Artistic emeriti friends and spouses were so enthusiastic that Sylvia organized and supported what has become a very special yearly celebration. 

 

The event is  jointly presented by the UCLA Emeriti Association, the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center, and the UCLA Retirees Association. 

 

 

CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR ALTADENA: Vroman's Book Drive to Help Children and Families Affected by the Wildfires

A week ago I brought a number of my books to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena as a contribution to the book drive for children and families of Altadena who have been affected by the recent terrible wildfires. Vroman's is partnering with Children's Books for Altadena. I could see by the number of huge boxes of books already collected that many people have contributed. I know the books will go to good use. I was happy to help.

CONVERSATIONS WITH ART: My Book Illustrations on Exhibit, Los Angeles, CA

Caroline with her art on display at Belmont Village Senior Living, Los Angeles, CA.

On Thursday, November 14, I had the pleasure of participating in the opening reception for Conversations with Art, an art show at Belmont Village Senior Living in Los Angeles featuring works by UCLA Emeriti and Retirees. I was one of ten artists. Each of us had the opportunity to discuss our creations and inspiration.

Four giclee prints of illustrations from my animal books published by PictureWindow Books are on display, two from A Panda’s World and two from A Bald Eagle’s World. I talked about my beginnings as a children's book writer and illustrator and about the cut-paper technique that I use to create my art.

Conversations with Art is coordinated by Alicia Thomason at Belmont Village Senior Living and the Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center at UCLA. It will be up for the next three months at Belmont Village Senior Living located at 10475 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024. 

If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and enjoy the art!

  

Review of SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL in Publishers Weekly July 8 Issue, p. 188

If you subscribe to Publishers Weekly, look in the July 8th issue for an excellent review of SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the 1950s at North East Neighborhood House. It is in the back of the magazine in BookLife, in the memoir section, at the top of page 188. While the review has been available online since the beginning of June, this is the first time it has appeared in print. I'm hoping that this will help spread the word to an even wider audience.

See my post of June 7, for the full review. Here is my favorite paragraph:

"Settlement House Girl is engaging, tracing Arnold’s growth from a young girl to an adult journeying into being a writer in her later life, but it’s also a valuable contribution to the social history of 20th-century America, offering urban history enthusiasts a wealth of information about the daily lives of families living in mid-century cities. The detailed accounts of Arnold's experiences provide a unique glimpse into the fabric of community life during this era, highlighting the interactions and shared experiences that defined the settlement house environment."

Cover of July 8, 2024 Publishers Weekly

The July 8th issue is the Fall 2024 Children's Preview issue of PW, focusing on the new books for children. It is the perfect issue for the review of my memoir, which, although written for adults, shows how children's books and my love of reading provided the background for my future career as a children's book author.

LEO POLITI ART ON EXHIBIT AT LAPL, Los Angeles, CA: Scenes from the City's Rich Past

Angel's Flight, Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, CA, drawing by Leo Politi

“There was no easy way to get to the top of Bunker Hill from the steep east side, so in 1901 engineer Colonel J.W. Eddy built ‘Angel’s Flight’, and all through the years, since then, his two little cable cars, Olivet and Sinai, have been taking people up and down the Hill…” (Leo Politi) 

Leo Politi (1906-1998), award winning children’s book illustrator and artist of iconic Los Angeles scenes, is the quintessential California artist. His art tells the story of Los Angeles as it was in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Many of his paintings are in the collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. Recently, they have been mounted in a permanent exhibit in the children’s book department, along with photos of the artist at work. An excellent remembrance by Tina Princenthal, Senior Librarian, of Leo Politi and his impact on the people and life of the city is on the LAPL blog. The post includes a list of Leo Politi's books available at the library.

Painting: House of Nell McKinzie. Photo: Leo Politi with admirers.

“One of the few original residents of Bunker Hill is Nell McKinzie…She lived at 245 Bunker Hill Avenue all of her life…'Father built a plain house because he could not afford the gingerbread ornaments’ she said almost apologetically one day.” (Leo Politi)

“I asked Miss McKinzie: ‘Do you remember the Hill when you were a little girl?’ ‘Oh, yes,’ she answered. ‘Everywhere on the Hill there were beautiful homes! My sisters and brother and I used to play with other children of the neighborhood…” (Leo Politi)

Feeding the pigeons.

I went to see the Leo Politi exhibit on a recent visit to the library. It was wonderful to view the original art up close and to read the accompanying descriptions. The exhibit is in two parts—in rooms at each end of the main reading room of the children’s department.  Here are a few examples from the exhibit. I recommend that you go yourself to see them all.

Brousseau Home

“With the huge noisy city buzzing  with life all around it, the old Brousseau mansion now stands lovely and silent.” (Leo Politi)

Artist Colony Sketch.

”The many intricate stairways winding up and down Clay Street, from one building to another, and from one floor to another, gave the place a quaint atmosphere which attracted artists…” (Leo Politi)

REMEMBERING EVE BUNTING: My Friend, My Mentor, My Role Model

Eve Bunting, 2017. Santa Cruz, CA

More than forty years ago I was invited to a party to celebrate the publication of Eve Bunting’s 100^th book. I was in awe. How could anyone write, much less publish, one hundred books! Eve kept writing, surpassing 250 books and winning countless awards. Last week, at age 94, Eve passed away. Her first book, published in 1971, was The Two Giants, an Irish tale. She is a giant among today’s children book writers and will be sorely missed.

I first met Eve Bunting in 1977 when I heard her speak at the summer conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers—SCBW—at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. (The “I” for illustrators was added some years later.) Eve was already a prolific author and as she spoke in her lilting Irish accent, I said to myself, if she ever teaches a class in the Writer’s Program at UCLA Extension, I will take it. The following spring, her class in writing middle grade fiction was offered, and I signed up, along with twenty other fledgling writers. Week after week we each brought chapters of our novels to class. Eve read them aloud and we learned about voice, point of view, setting, character and all the elements necessary to write a compelling story. But probably the most important advice she passed along was the role of a writing group. She often mentioned her own writing group, Lunch Bunch, which had grown out of the writing class she took as a beginning writer. So, like Eve and her classmates had done, at the end of our ten-week class, we formed our own group. We met once a month thereafter, critiquing one another’s writing, sharing news, and soon celebrating our own publishing successes.

It was in Eve’s class that I met Herma Silverstein. (Herma and I subsequently collaborated on two books and she also published a number of her own.) For many years, Herma, Eve and I celebrated our birthdays together, exchanging small gifts, eating lunch at a nice restaurant and then going shopping. I don’t remember how this tradition started, but Eve always liked to go out to eat and  loved to shop, especially if we could find bargains! Eve’s birthday is December 19^th, and I have many fond memories of arriving at her house in Pasadena all decorated for Christmas, before we went out for our birthday lunch. Eve’s husband Ed, after he retired, was always there with a smiling face to greet us at the door. At our lunches Eve would always share her newest books and publishing news and be eager to hear ours. After Herma moved to Palm Desert, we met less often, but Eve and I did go on an expedition together to see her new house and go out to lunch there. (Herma passed away several years ago.)

The last time I saw Eve in person was in 2017 after she moved to Santa Cruz to be closer to her daughter. It was on a day trip to Santa Cruz from Oakland with my friend and fellow writer Joanne Rocklin. (Joanne had also been a student in one of Eve’s UCLA classes.) Not surprisingly, Eve had some new books to show us. Again, we went out to lunch, but instead of going shopping afterward, we took a walk along the ocean cliffs on the path that began just outside the door of Eve’s house. 

During the Pandemic it was not possible to visit in person, but Eve and I kept in touch by email. In my last email from her, when she was 93, and recently moved to a retirement community, she wrote:

I am well.  I enjoy where I am and know how lucky I am to find such a place.  I’m not writing.  ...  My last little PB has done well. “Hello, Baby, I’m your Mom.”  So who knows…maybe I’ll do another!

Love, Eve

I don’t believe that Eve wrote another picture book since that email. But I wouldn’t be surprised to hear she that she is coming up with new story ideas up in Heaven!

Eve was my friend, my hero, my role model. I will miss her.

Caroline, Herma, Eve, 1995.

Note: Eve's many accomplishments are highlighted in this article from Kirkus Reviews.

A longer obituary appeared in Publisher's Weekly.

IN MEMORY OF CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR, JOAN HEWETT (1929--2022)

My good friend, children’s book writer Joan Hewett, author of more than 20 books, passed away last week. (Joan’s obituary is in the LA Times, Sunday, October 16.) Joan’s books, illustrated by her husband, photographer Richard (Dick) Hewett, are carefully crafted, the words and pictures working together to tell real-life stories--life as an immigrant, actor, or animal trainer, building a subway, running for office, rescuing wildlife, baby animals growing up at the zoo, and other topics. In 1986, after the terrible fire at the Los Angeles Public Library, Joan helped recruit other children’s book authors and illustrators, including me, in an effort to raise money in support of the Children’s Literature Department.

I first met Joan in 1977 in a writing class at UCLA Extension. She and Dick had just published their first book, The Mouse and the Elephant. We became friends and went to the SCBW conference together that summer. (There was no “I” in “SCBW” at that time.) A few years later, when I needed a photographer for my book Pets Without Homes I started working with Joan’s husband Dick. The rest, as they say, is history. Dick and I did nearly 50 books together, but at the same time he continued to do books with Joan, as well as other photographic work.

One of Joan’s projects in the last few years has been finding a permanent home for Dick’s photographs—both his magazine work and children’s book illustrations. The photos are now archived in the Los Angeles Public Library photo collection and are being prepared for an exhibit.  Joan’s family has suggested that anyone who would like to make a donation in memory of Joan can donate to Photofriends.org, the support group of the library photo collection.

The last time I saw Joan was a few months ago when I visited her and shared my new book. Her mind was sharp and she was eager to talk about books and news of the day. I have so many good memories of time spent with Joan—in writing groups, at SCBWI conferences, at author festivals, at her home in Eagle Rock, at family events. Joan was an excellent cook. We watched each other’s children grow up and shared news of our grandchildren. I learned so much from Joan about the craft of writing and creating photo picture books. Even though she is gone, she will be long remembered. I will miss her very much.

 

PHOTO TIP #4 for Illustrating Your Next Book: DIFFERENT SETTINGS, ANGLES and ACTIVITIES

For many years I worked with professional photographers who illustrated my books with their photos. We worked as a team--I wrote the text and the photographer took the pictures. I learned a great deal about photography from them. Recently, I have been both author and photographer for several of my books, including Hatching Chicks in Room 6 and Butterflies in Room 6.
As I was cleaning out files recently I found a list of photo tips from my friend and fellow Grinnellian, Martha Cooper, a professional photographer and illustrator of three children's books, My Two Worlds, Lion Dancer and Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope. At a class we taught together some years ago she handed out a list of photo tips. 

Today, almost everyone is a photographer--we carry cameras in our pockets in our phones. Whether you are illustrating a children's book, creating a magazine story, or assembling a slide show or family album, or even just sharing a favorite photo with a friend, I think you will find her advice useful. She says:

LOOK and THINK before you shoot. A good eye is more important than a good camera.

Tip #4: Try different settings, angles and activities. Move your subject around or move around your subject. Shoot wide, medium, and close-up shots as well as horizontals and verticals of the same shot so that you (or the editor) will have choices for a layout. 

Example: During the years I worked with Richard Hewett, my role was both writer and photographer's assistant. I helped carry equipment, spot photo opportunities, and sometimes posed as model to give human scale to the picture. For the photo that we used for the cover of our book, The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde, I agreed to climb a ladder in one of the cliff dwellings so viewers could see the relative size of the structures. In another photo, a close-up of my hand holding pottery fragments gives the reader a sense of the relative size of the pieces. The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde is available as an ebook on Amazon.

Photo by Richard Hewett

PHOTO TIP #3 for Illustrating Your Next Book: TELLING A STORY

For many years I worked with professional photographers who illustrated my books with their photos. We worked as a team--I wrote the text and the photographer took the pictures. I learned a great deal about photography from them. Recently, I have been both author and photographer for several of my books, including Hatching Chicks in Room 6 and Butterflies in Room 6.
As I was cleaning out files recently I found a list of photo tips from my friend and fellow Grinnellian, Martha Cooper, a professional photographer and illustrator of three children's books, My Two Worlds, Lion Dancer and Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope. At a class we taught together some years ago she handed out a list of photo tips. Today, almost everyone is a photographer--we carry cameras in our pockets in our phones. Whether you are illustrating a children's book, creating a magazine story, or assembling a slide show or family album, or even just sharing a favorite photo with a friend, I think you will find her advice useful.

LOOK and THINK before you shoot. A good eye is more important than a good camera.

Tip #3: Your photos will probably tell some kind of story. Even if there is no inherent chronological order, you will need strong opening and closing shots and logically sequenced photos in between.  (Martha Cooper)

All of the books in the zoo animal series published by Morrow Junior Books are life cycle books--beginning with the birth of a young animal and concluding with the animal's independence. The logical sequence of the photos was the real time development of the story. I worked with photographer Richard Hewett on these books.

Pages 4-5, Penguin, photos by Richard Hewett

In Penguin, the story of Magellanic penguins at the San Francisco Zoo, we began with the parents building a nest. The story then proceeded to show the egg, baby chick, and the young chicks ready to be on their own. The final photo looks to the future and shows an adult penguin, bringing the story full circle.

Page 45, Penguin, photo by Richard Hewett

Penguin is no longer available as a print book, but you can find it online as an ebook.

HERMA SUE SILVERSTEIN: In Memoriam

Herma Sue Silverstein, 1945--2019

I first met Herma in the spring of 1978 when we both took a class taught by noted children’s book author Eve Bunting in the UCLA Writer’s Program. Soon after Herma and I became writing partners and co-authored two books together. After that Herma went on to write many of her own books and I continued to write as well. In 1997 Herma graciously hosted a party for me at her house in Santa Monica celebrating my 100th book.
Herma and I always got together to celebrate our birthdays and were often joined by our friend and teacher Eve Bunting. Many of our gifts to one another had writing themes, or in Herma's case, a connection with her beloved pet dogs. One year Herma gave me what I thought was a rather unusual birthday gift–a small artificial pine tree to decorate the living room of my new house. During most of the year the tree sits in a corner, but at Christmastime I bring it out and decorate it with lights and ornaments. It will always remind me of all the good times I had with Herma.
A few years ago Herma moved from Santa Monica to Palm Desert and we met less often, but we still kept in touch. Every year I send a Christmas card to Herma. This year the card came back so I looked her up on the internet and discovered on her Facebook page that she had passed away on May 23, 2019. The announcement was made by her brother, who wrote that her illness was unexpected. He wrote that she went into hospital in early March and was in hospice care by mid-May. Herma was always so full of life. I loved her Texas accent and infectious laugh. I will miss her.
When I looked up Herma on the internet, the first thing that came up was her books, listed on Amazon. She will live on through her writing and in the memories of her family and many friends.

AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books

I have just learned that Butterflies in Room 6 has made it to the longlist for the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Children’s Science Picture Book category! The book is one of eight books that were selected. Out of this list, the judges will chose four finalists. 

The Prize celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults and is meant to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality science books for all ages. I am so pleased and honored to have my book on this list.

WHY I WRITE FOR CHILDREN, Panel Discussion at LAPL sponsored by FOCAL

FOCAL Panel: Caroline Arnold, Michelle Markel, Hope Anita Smith at the Los Angeles Public Library

Last Sunday I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Los Angeles Public Library in downtown Los Angeles with friends and fellow authors Michelle Markel and Hope Anita Smith participating in a panel discussion of "Why I Write for Children" sponsored by FOCAL, the support group of the Children's Department at the library. (FOCAL stands for Friends of Children and Libraries.) We had an enthusiastic audience and a book signing afterwards.
Some of the questions we fielded included:

• When did you first think about becoming a writer?
• What inspired you to write for children?
• Do you find yourself drawn to certain topics? Why?
• What is the most difficult thing and/or the most exciting thing about being a writer?
• What is the most surprising thing a child has asked you at a school visit or bookstore event?

A big thank you to all the volunteers at FOCAL--especially Renny Day, Caroline Gill, and Lauren Okayama for organizing the event.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN TAIWAN: Celebrating Reading

On my recent trip to Taiwan, I discovered this charming statue of a girl reading in the park adjacent to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in the capital city of Taipei. I love that she seems totally absorbed in her book and that reading is celebrated in this public place. Taiwan has one of the highest literacy rates in the world--98.7 percent. Besides learning to read and write Chinese, children begin learning English in first grade at school.

During my visit I stopped in at the large Eslite bookstore in Taipei and found a wide variety of books for children in both Chinese and English. I also found Chinese translations of many popular English language books, including one of my all-time favorites, The Little House, now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

And, to my surprise, I discovered that what I thought was strictly an American holiday--Halloween--is enthusiastically celebrated in Taiwan as well. As in America, children love to dress in scary costumes and go out trick or treating. The bookstore was full of Halloween themed books to help celebrate.

ABFFE Holiday Art Auction: Illustration from A KILLER WHALE'S WORLD Helping Support Free Speech

Illustration for pages 8-9, A Killer Whale's World (PictureWindow Books, 2006)

A full-size print of an illustration from my book A Killer Whale's World will be one of more than 70 pieces of children's book art in the ABFFE Holiday Art Auction on eBay.

The auction launches on eBay on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at noon, Eastern Time. "We need help telling people about this wonderful source of holiday gifts,” ABFFE President Chris Finan said. "If you have a web site, you can connect directly to the auction using our new web badge. Or you can just tell a friend.”
The web badge can be copied from the ABFFE web site and connected to eBay using this link.  It is also available to American Booksellers Association members in the BookWeb DIY's Designs & Downloads.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), is the bookseller's voice in the fight against censorship. The week-long eBay auction will feature work from the leading artists and illustrators working in book publishing today. More than 50 artists and illustrators contributed to last year's auction. "The Holiday Children's Art Auction will give people around the country a chance to purchase wonderful holiday gifts and support free speech," ABFFE President Chris Finan said.

The holiday auction is the online version of the children's art auction that is held during BookExpo America (BEA). Both auctions help support ABFFE's defense of the free speech rights of kids. The BEA auction will be held on May 28 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the River Pavilion of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

UPDATE from Chris Finan:
NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 5, 2013 - The Holiday Children's Book Art Auction that closed Tuesday hit a new high, raising more than $10,000 to help defend the free speech rights of kids.  Winning bidders walked away with 80 pieces by leading artists and illustrators.  "We are delighted by the success of this year's auction," Chris Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), said.  "The holiday auction has grown rapidly since it was launched last year.  We are very grateful to the artists for their support."  ABFFE, the bookseller's voice in the fight against censorship, uses the proceeds of the auction to support the Kids' Right to Read Project, which assists people fighting book challenges in schools and libraries, and Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read.