Giving Thanks

Sarah Josepha Hale was the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book Magazine. She loved Thanksgiving and the holiday featured prominently in her magazine and in her novel, Northwood A Tale of New England. Later, it became her goal to see Thanksgiving celebrated as a national holiday. Sarah lead a letter writing campaign, reaching out to 5 U.S. presidents. 

President Lincoln loved the idea and saw it as a chance to bring together a country torn apart by Civil War.

Learn more about this inspiring history and the origins of the traditions we still observe today in our book, Giving Thanks– available fall 2022!

January 2022

The New Year has been a very busy and snowy one. Here’s a few pics from our little world. Thanks for checking out my site and posts, lots of love folks!❤️

Local Collaboration (a year in the making!)

I’m packing up these books with my markers, crayons, and paper and heading to the Carnation Festival in Alliance, OH today August 5, at 6:30 pm. Come out and join in the fun with Early Childhood Education Alliance! We’ll be reading and drawing trains together and each kid in attendance will receive a complimentary copy of Clackety Track - special thanks to Arts in Stark for making this event possible - for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/539314023931502/?ref=newsfeed

Special Delivery

Special delivery from Colchester, England - Trains: A Ladybird Book written by Elizabeth Jenner. Available in America, August 8.

Trains, A Ladybird Book

Arrival status: on time

Our next book, Trains, written by Elizabeth Jenner and published by Ladybird Penguin Random House, releases in the UK May 8, in America August 8!

https://www.penguin.co.uk/.../a-ladybi.../9780241417171.html

President's Day 2021

A fav page from Bones in the White House, by Candice Ransom, on this President's Day–

Happy accident– as I was scanning in and recoloring my drawings of the old Sage of Monticello, I noticed a duplicate version of his eye, positioned on top of the other, made for a perfect deep-set eye lid. : )

Merry Christmas!

I found this sweet poem and made the accompanying drawing for Brad’s mom, for Christmas. She loves birds and especially her Bluebirds that come every summer, I thought it might be fun for her to have one year-round.

Meet Teddy

We’ll never forget driving to that little farm in Ravenna to meet Teddy, it was 7 months ago today. He was there with his foster family and Brad and I were coming down with Jack to test the waters, would the two brothers get along? It ended up being a perfect reunion, almost as if no time had passed between them. At one point we were all standing together talking and I kneeled down to meet Teddy at his level. He lit up and seemed to smile as he walked over, tail wagging! I’m not sure if that’s the moment our little adventure began, but he’s been at my side ever since (when not chasing squirrels).

George Washington Bust

Brad said I could treat myself to something after he recently got himself an Apple Watch. Meet George. I’m pleased with the quality and scale of this copy from the Museum Company. In October 1785, renowned French sculptor, Jean-Antoine Houdon, sailed to America and eventually up the Potomac to Mount Vernon to create a study for this bust. After seeing a full standing version of the statue, the Marquis de Lafayette exclaimed, "That is the man himself!” Thomas Jefferson was also a fan, he purchased a plaster copy from Houdon’s Paris studio to keep him company at Monticello.

Joe Biden for President 2020

“Now let me quote an Irish poet, Seamus Heaney, who wrote the poem The Cure at Troy. I believe this to the core of my being, HISTORY SAYS DON’T HOPE ON THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE, BUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME, THE LONGED-FOR TIDAL WAVE OF JUSTICE RISES UP, AND HOPE AND HISTORY RHYME. We can make hope and history rhyme because of what we’ve seen. There’s nothing we can’t do. This is about the future, not about the past, it’s about our children and grand children, it’s about leading this country and leading the world once again. Folks we just have to remember who we are, my Lord, this is the United States of America! It’s time for America to get back up and once again fight for the proposition that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. We say it so often in school that we forget how profound it is. We have never lived up to those words, but until this President, we have never walked away from them. I believe this with every fiber of my being. It’s who we are.” -Joe Biden

Yankee Magazine May 2020

Landscape for a charming short story– thanks Heather Marcus and Lori Pedrick for the fun collaboration!

Mentor Lagoons

We found a cool new spot to walk, The Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve and Marina. Lots of great trails and forest trees along a pristine shoreline. Looking forward to coming back when it’s warmer and these trees fill out!

‘Clackety Track’ selected for Choose to Read Ohio 2021-2022 Booklist!

“The State Library of Ohio and the Ohioana Library Association, with the Ohio Center for the Book and the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council, are pleased to announce the 20 books selected for the 2021 & 2022 Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) booklist.”

Thank. you so much CTRO for recognizing Clackety Track and for helping spread the word!

Local Artists at Trinity–

I’ll be here next Sunday with my picture books and cards and it means the world— Trinity was my first stop upon moving to town in ‘02, when a safe, affirming place was needed most. I hear there will be paintings and jam for sale as well, please swing by!

Best Books of 2019!

As you can see, we’re in excellent company here! Thank you New York Public Library and many thanks to those who know and treasure these books the most, our librarians–
https://www.nypl.org/books-music-movies/recommendations/best-books/childrens/2019

LGBTQ Community Center, NYC

A book like ‘Stonewall’ calls for us to come together and last night, a few blocks away from the historic Stonewall Inn itself, we did just that! Rob Sanders, sharing an evening (and an umbrella) with you— it doesn’t get better. Thanks so much Howard Willams and the gracious team at the LGBT Center for having us, my dear Illustration Rep Pat Lindgren for being there as well, and to all those who came-