Witty Title Coming Soon

Fractured Fairy Tales

2012-01-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

I recently did some short comics for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader (chuckling encouraged.) They put out some pretty fun books for kids (grown -ups too.) This story is for a collection of fractured fairy tales called "The Enchanted Toilet." Fun times.

My friend Michelle did some good stories for the book too.

all images in this post copyright Portable Press 2012

Picture Book Marathon 2012

2012-01-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

This year's Picture Book Marathon is coming up in February. I'm a bit sad that I can't participate this year (due to a time sucking secret project that I'm working on.)

But I got to do the logo for this year's PBM. So that was fun.

The "leap!" bit comes from this year being a leap year. One extra day. Woot.

My Talented Friends

2012-01-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

I know some amazingly talented people. See for yourself.

Jed Henry just made this great book trailer:

Jed authored and illustrated Cheer Up Mouse. It will be available in print Fall 2012.

Julie Olson just released her first ebook:

More info on that can be found HERE.

She even made free coloring pages of the book available HERE.

Mike Phipps makes the coolest Tees and Ties around:

You can buy them HERE and HERE.

See? Aren't my friends the coolest?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I had the wonderful opportunity to be on a set-building crew locally here in Utah. We we building a set to resemble ancient Jerusalem. Here is one of the videos shot on that set.

It was a great project to be a part of. Merry Christmas.

PS: Pretty much all of the "stone" you see in the video is styrofoam blocks carved to look like stone. It was mounted on plywood walls and sprayed with cement from a high-pressure hose. Then the cement (thousands of square feet) was textured by hand with brushes and such. That was what our crew did on the show. It was grand. I loved this job.

PPS: The porch where Mary meets to talk with Martha was my favorite place to eat lunch every day. I ate many a turkey sandwhich there.

PPPS: You can see more of the videos shot on this set HERE. Or just download the FREE APP.

Stop It George, Just Stop It

2011-11-16T20:13:00.001-08:00

How many times is he going to repackage this garbage? I try to ignore it, but every time I see him screwing with Star Wars it irks me.

I'm starting to resent the whole series. Even the good movies. And I hate that.

Grrrrr.

Octorok

2011-11-07T00:08:00.000-08:00

Just messing around with gouache and Photoshop.

Cardboard Cyborg

2011-11-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween I wanted to see if I could make a costume for exactly $0. Turns out, I can. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you cardboard cyborg. Truly a marvel of modern science.

I'll see if I can get some better photos posted soon to show off the details.

I love Halloween. Does it show?

Inktober Concluded

2011-10-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yup, it is about over. But I saved a couple of my favorites for the end. I really like the dishwasher robot. I want one of my own. And even robots are more fun in space.

Now I need to finish building my Halloween costume. It also involves robots. And cardboard.

Inktober Continued

2011-10-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

A bunch more robot coloring pages.

Inktober

2011-10-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's Inktober, a holiday season only observed by illustrators and the ink people who live at the bottoms of dry wells.

In honor of the season I'm posting a bunch of free coloring pages on one of my favorite subjects: robots.

Go ahead and print them out for your kids (or yourself.) Enjoy.

Gouache Pixels

2011-10-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

I'm probably way too excited, but folks, it is happening. Very soon. Just a few more weeks.

I've got Zelda on the brain. I can't help it.

Gouache Doodle

2011-10-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Can I post something without actually saying something about it?

Probably not.

Gouache Doodle

2011-10-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

I also really like the word "gouache." It's pronounced "gwash." Before I knew that I called it "gow-a-che."

Live and learn.

Gouache Doodle

2011-10-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

I really should post more art on this here art blog. Here is a little gouache doodle.

I really enjoy the word "doodle." It is much fun to say aloud.

Making New Art Friends

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I emailed an artist whose blog I follow with a simple question. She answered my question and then soon found my blog as well. In no time we made plans to do an art trade.

The artist in question is Jess Bradley. She's got a great sense of fun and humor. You can see her art here. And also here. And some more here. And also a bunch of other places that you can get to from those places I already mentioned.

Now on to the art trade. All this cool stuff came from far across the Atlantic (from Bristol, UK am I right Jess?) to get to me here in Provo Utah, USA.

My favorite bit was the trading cards.

But the keychain was cool too. Previously my keys were boring. Now they are happy.

You can see all the details about the stuff here. Lots o' goodies.

Hooray for making new friends.

Best Shoes Ever - New Creative Writing Prompt for C.K.C.

2011-09-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

It's back to school time and in honor of the season I made a new creative writing prompt for my free educational website: creativekidcentral.com

And here we go.

Teachers, if you want a free powerpoint version of this prompt you can get it here.

Illustrators, if you draw any super shoes I'd love to see them, maybe even post them on my blog.

Remember

2011-09-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it is but I find it harder to deal with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center now then I did ten years ago. It might be because now that I have a wife and child the concept of loss means more to me. I don't know.

I wanted to draw something to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 but I don't know quite how to put my feelings down in a single image.

Then I found these wonderfully moving animated shorts done by Story Corps.

Did you make it through without crying?

I didn't.

More Photoshop Mouse, Mouses, Moose, Moosen?

2011-09-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Don't worry folks, I know that the plural of "mouse" is "meese."

I spent my day off doodling out another cute mouse (and a fat lady wearing a peacock on her head.) But in a totally different style than the last one. I was going for "cute."

I like how it turned out, but then I turned off the layer with the black line work. And that's when it got interesting.

I almost like the second one better. It doesn't read as well as the first but I think it is more visually interesting. I wonder if I can figure out a way to combine the textures of this one with the flat color chapes of the last mouse. Must get to experimenting.

What do you folks think? Is there something interesting going on here? Should I pursue it?

Photohop Mouse

2011-09-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

I've been messing around in Photoshop today. And I came up with this:

It's a bit of a departure for me and I'm mostly pleased with it. I must remember to have my characters do something more than just stand there.

What do you folks think, should I do more like this?

Folio Academy

2011-08-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Will Terry, a buddy of mine, and Wayne Andreason, a guy I don't actually know, just launched a pretty cool website: folioacademy.com

It's an instructional site with art tutorials on a wide variety of subjects. There are already a bunch of cool videos up on the site and they add more all the time.

Cool stuff.

Maximus Cloud: Amateur Adventurer

2011-08-17T01:09:00.000-07:00

For a job I've been working on lately. Really fun job. I dig this one.

He's kind of the stock adventurer character (akin to Link and others.) Only, he sucks at it. I could write dozens of these stories. I just might (eventually.)

Robot Name Tags

2011-08-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again and my wife is setting up her 5th grade classroom. My contribution every year is the student name tags on the outside of the door. This year's theme: robots.

They make pretty good coloring pages and they're all yours folks if you want 'em. Enjoy.

Cecil Is On the Move

2011-08-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Chloe and Sophie are in Boston and they took Cecil along with them to see the sights.

Cecil at the Boston Harbor:

Cecil in front of the USS Constitution showing off his new pants:

Sometimes Cecil wants to go where everybody knows his name:

I have to say I'm a bit jealous. I've never been to Boston. Someday I will have to see more of this great big country.

A huge thanks to Chloe and Sophie for the update.

The Votes Are In

2011-07-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

You folks voted for which ridiculous label you want to see illustrated next. And the winner is:

"Animal Hats"

with "Handlebar Mustache" and "Guy Holding a Sword" coming in at a close second.

Stay tuned for the actual illo to pop up on this here blog in a few days.

Lost Monster #3 - Cecil

2011-07-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to take another Lost Monster with me to Chautauqua last week while I was there for the Highlights Foundation Writer's Workshop. I decided to call him Cecil.

And then I picked out a hiding spot in the square at Chautauqua.

Two days later I got this great email:

Hi Will my name is Chloe and I have found your monster. I live in Dallas, TX and I am 10 years old. My sister's name is Sophie and the sign that said take me home is her monster! Sophie is 6. After the summer we are going to tour the Nation in a RV for a year and my sister and I will be home schooled. Every place that we go I am going to take pictures of Cecil and I.

Thank you for doing this !!

These kids are awesome. And I'm kind of jealous of their upcoming tour of the country. It sounds like Cecil couldn't have ended up with a better home.

Writing/Illustrating Summer Camp

2011-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I spent last week at the Highlight's Foundation Writer's Workshop at Chautauqua. It has been a really wonderful experience. I've been to a few writing/illustrating conferences in my time and this has to be pretty close to the best one out there (if not the best.) The faculty and staff are fantastic. They are approachable and warm and giving with any information you care to ask them about the industry or your work.

This week I've been paired up with Eric Rohmann, who really knows his stuff. He's been helping me with a couple of picture books I've been working on. It feels as if they are going from good, to great this week.

Aside from the conference being great, it just happens to be held at one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. All of Chautauqua is populated with little Victorian cottages and other buildings built around 1900. It's incredibly charming, like Main Street USA in Disneyland was a real town, and you can go there, and I found it. And I want to go back.

Check out some of the local scenery:

Really amazing place. Really amazing conference. Did I communicate that well enough?

Vote for Ridiculous Labels

2011-07-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

I just added a list of labels to my blog.

If you take a minute to inspect the list of labels (on the right, at the bottom) then you will see that I have over a hundred different labels. Most of the labels have only been used once. Most of the labels are sad.

You can help make these lonely labels not so sad. I made a poll (located on the left, at the top.) So go ahead and vote for which label you want to see used again.

The winning label will get a unique illustration posted right here on this very blog. And then you can look at it. Right here on this very blog. Everybody wins!

Your choices:

Animal Hats
Easter Island
Foreign Film
Handlebar Mustache
Guy Holding a Sword

So vote on the left! And then wait anxiously for your vote to be turned into a rocking illustration.

Things and Other Things #1

2011-07-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Yup. Journal comics. I've been meaning to do this for a while. Babies may slow blogging but they are also a catalyst for determination and productivity.

Other things that I have been doing a lot of lately? 4:00 am Netflix.

Shows Popular during 4:00 am feedings: The Cosby Show, Star Trek - TNG, Avatar - The Last Airbender, Phineas & Ferb, and Psych.

Fatherhood Slows Blogging

2011-07-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

This here blog has been pretty light on updates this last month. That's because I'm a dad now. Babies take a lot of time just before and just after they are born. Many of you already know this.

So here's the kid, Maxwell McLean Strong. (He is 2 weeks old today.)

These photos were taken by Hannah Gibson, a family friend. She's got a great blog.

Here's my rendition of Maxwell:

I think I pretty much nailed the likeness.

I'm Not Sure Why it Is

2011-05-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

I love animated movies. And there look to be some great ones this year. But for some reason I'm not nearly as excited for this:

and this:

as I am for this:

Is that strange? I don't quite know what to make of it.

Unfinished Picture Books - New Creative Writing Prompt for C.K.C.

2011-05-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

It seems like ages since I updated www.creativekidcentral.com with some new content but that changes right now. Today's creative writing prompt makes good use of some leftovers from the Picture Book Marathon this year.

Waste not, want not.

If you want your own copy of this creative writing prompt then head on over to www.creativekidcentral.com and download it there.

Mothers Day Paper

2011-05-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

This Mothers Day I had a problem. I didn't have any wrapping paper that wasn't left over from Christmas. So I made some. I cut a length of plain white paper off a roll and painted it with my gouache paints (which have been feeling neglected of late.) It only took about 20 minutes.

That was fun. I wonder how one gets into designing wrapping paper for money. Anybody out there know about these things?

Can you guess what's inside? You're right, it's a book. Surprise!

Happy Mothers Day everybody (but mostly moms.)

This is a Test

2011-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is only a test. Had this been a real page of comics there would have been multiple panels and an actual story.

Remember that comic I'm working on? It's happening.

I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want it to look. All I've figured out so far is that I want it to be super simple for the sake of speed. But I also want it to be appealing based on the simple shapes and color and such. My major inspiration for the whole project has been Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Lost Monster - Go Find Vinny

2011-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

It took a while (due to wet weather) but I sent Vinny out into the world all alone. Somebody please go find him and take him home.

He's hanging out in a park up on the eastern hillside of Provo, Ut. If you live locally he could be all yours.

Lost Monster #2 - Vinny

2011-04-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

I made another one.

Now I just need to find someplace to hide him.

Fantastic Opportunity

2011-04-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference? It's amazing.

Do you want to learn more about how to make books for kids? Do you live in or near Utah? Then you should go.

I've been three times in the past few years. And I have learned more things there than I can even list. The faculty and presenters are fantastic this year. Check 'em out.

Artsy Happenings at the Baby Shower

2011-03-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Some good friends of mine threw my wife a baby shower over the weekend. They had some fun activities that included "Match the Celebrities to their Ridiculous Baby Names." Another activity was "Decorate the Onsies with Cool Iron-On Fabrics." And it went something like this:

Also, it turns out, my sister is awesome. She took one of my favorite old Threadless T-Shirts (which I had previously given to my nephew) and she made this out of it:

Rocking. My friends and family are great. I love them so much.

Drawing Tommy Pugmire

2011-03-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand (it won the reader poll) "A Problem Involving a Megalomaniacal Mustache: A Tommy Pugmire Story" is going to be my next big area of focus. [Also, a picture book I'm working on with Rick Walton. More on that later.]

So I've been drawing the main character of the story, Tommy.

I've been studying the drawings of Scott Morse to improve my gestures. His stuff is super expressive.

Lost Monster - Moe Finds a Home

2011-03-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Moe isn't homeless any longer. He was found by local artist J. Kirk Richards (who incidentally happens to be a friend of mine.) Kirk tracked down Moe the monster and gave it to his son, Bryan. Awesome.

Then he blogged about it. Thanks Kirk, you rock. You rock too, Bryan.

What do you folks think, should I do this again?

Lost Monster Experiment - MOE UPDATE

2011-03-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I sent Moe out into the world. All by himself. I hope someone takes him home.

If you live locally in Provo, Utah then you can find Moe behind one of the cool, old buildings on Center Street. See you later Moe, I hope.

*UPDATE* I went by to check on Moe today. He's still there. If nobody picks him up in a couple of weeks then I'll move him to a more noticeable spot.

And The Winner Is..

2011-03-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

"A Problem Involving a Megalomaniacal Mustache (A Tommy Pugmire Story)"

Second Place goes to "There's An Ocean in My Bathtub."

Honorable Mention for these ideas (they pretty much tied for third place):

Thanks for voting folks. I had fun with this. And I was sort of surprised at the outcome.

My Friend Jake...

2011-03-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

... is selling prints of his illustrations to help with the relief effort in Japan. More info on his blog.

Lost Monster #1 - The Experiment

2011-03-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

A few days back I was inspired by this cool post on this great blog. And I wanted to do something similar. So I made this guy:

Now I need to find a good place to hide him. I really hope he finds a good home and I get the picture back. If this works then I want to do it again. (And yes, that is my foot.)

Thanks for the inspiration Isaac, Gracie, Lily, Elijah and Aaron Zenz. You folks rock (get it?)

Vote for You Favorite PBM Idea 2011

2011-03-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, I'm curious to see which of these ideas you liked best. I added a poll to my blog on the lefthand side. (If you're reading this in Google Reader you'll have to visit the actual blog to vote.) If you want to persuade others to your favorite feel free to leave comments to that effect.

<------------------------- This Way to Vote

Vote for as many as you like. And tell your friends.

Need a reminder of your choices? Here you go:

Cock-a-Doodle-DON'T

My Great Aunt Fanny's Bottomless Bag

The Groblets Came to Visit

Francis & Maxwell: Brothers in Orbit

Groundhog Quits

Gumball Machine

Lonely Lenny the Valentine's Carrot

Ice Cream Man to the Rescue!

Monkeys Don't Do Math

There's an Ocean in My Bathtub

Purple Space Cows from Quasar Beta Prime

Samantha Who Never Says Anything

Something in the Fridge is Growing!

You Are Sooooooooooooooo BUSTED!

Monsters Love Clothes

Training Wheels for Francis

A Problem Involving a Megalomaniacal Mustache (a Tommy Pugmire story)

We Can Eat 10,000 Cookies!

Who Stole My Lucky Blue Car?

You may have noticed a few choices missing. I took the liberty of removing the entries that were jokes, or sequels, or things I'm already working on. These are the real story ideas above.

Personalizing Gifts

2011-03-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had a birthday today (same as Dr. Seuss) and my wife, being very intelligent, suggested that I paint something fun on the gift box. So I did. And then I snapped a couple of photos with the cheap camera on my phone.

My friend's name is Katherine. She goes by "Kat."

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Grand Finale

2011-03-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Man, this was fun. I could write a whole book of these.

It took a while to make this happen but it is now finished (at least until I decide to add color.) I'm pleased with it.

By the way, some people might not call this a picture book, but I think all sequential art resides in the same house. So, yeah, deal with it.

Notice of Delay

2011-02-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Due to reasons of exhaustion and overestimating my ability to finish a big project in a short period of time, the Grand Finale of the Picture Book Marathon 2011 has been delayed. Look for it some time tomorrow.

Peace y'alls.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 25

2011-02-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

One more day to go folks. Tomorrow I have something special planned for the finale. Come on back. It's going to be fun.

Plot Synopsis:

Magic gumball machine. Kids float. Yeah.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 23

2011-02-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

I think I'm bending the rules on this one, but technically this isn't a new picture book idea and I didn't write it. It was actually written by Rick Walton, a buddy of mine. But I am illustrating it. So I figured I would use it for the marathon.

I'm still in the planning stages of the book, so these are really just some quick compositional sketches that I colored.

Plot Synopsis:

There is a little girl who is afraid of monsters but she figures that monsters are not very scary if she just calls them bunnies. Then she races all around the house checking out all of the places that "bunnies" usually hide. In the closet, under the bed, in the attic, in the basement, etc.

She runs into the backyard and there finds a cute little bunny (a real one.) She sees it and cries, "Monster!" and runs away.

------------------------------

It's more involved than that but that is the gist of it.

Look for more info on "I'm Not Afraid of Bunnies" coming soon on this here blog.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 22

2011-02-26T02:24:00.000-08:00

I think I'm all caught up now. Or maybe I need to do a recount.

Plot Synopsis:

Younger brother knocks over Mom's favorite vase. Mom isn't home. Older brother spends the next hour torturing younger brother with thoughts of what Mom is going to do when she finds out.

older brother - "Do you remember George, our oldest brother?"

younger brother - "No."

older brother - "That's because he broke Mom's other favorite vase when you were just a baby. He should be back from military school when he turns 18."

younger brother - "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I'm dead. What am I gonna do? Mom is going to kill me."

older brother - "Yeah, probably. Or, instead of killing you, she could..."

And that's where the real mental torture begins. Can you tell that I have two older brothers?

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 21

2011-02-26T00:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but I'm really entertained by this idea.

Plot Synopsis:

It's the leftovers. THEY HAVE GONE BAD!!

The whole family must fight back.

(Yeah, that's all I've got for this one.)

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 20

2011-02-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

So far behind schedule. Must catch up.

Plot Synopsis:

Rooster has a cold. And try as he might, every morning when he tries to wake the farm, he can't get out more than a tiny squeak. The farmer, fed up with late morning wake ups, is starting to interview new birds for the job. Rooster has to do something.

All of the animals try to help out and offer various remedies for Rooster's cold. "Chicken soup? Are you crazy!?!"

Will Rooster find his crow again? (I'm pretty sure that he will.)

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 19

2011-02-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

Yeah, this one is just weird. But it was fun to mess around with a funky color scheme.

Plot Synopsis:

Ice Cream Man is a local hero. Whenever someone is sad Ice Cream Man shows up with an ice cream cone in hand. Ice Cream Man, and his loyal sidekick Sprinkles the monkey, know that ice cream makes everything better. But then Ice Cream Man takes it too far.

He puts ice cream on everything, pizza, shoes, dogs, cats, little old ladies. It's funny at first, but then he goes nuts. Ice Cream Man creates an ice cream blizzard that threatens to bury the city forever. Can Sprinkles stop his best friend in the whole world from creating an irreversible disaster?

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 18

2011-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

B-Movie fun in picture book form!

These folks show up on Earth (in Iowa) because they've heard that the grazing is top choice in the galaxy. They are friendly and really only want a snack, but people run in terror from the purple heard. The cows can't figure it out. Why is everybody freaking out?

I really want to make this one. And yes, I fully intend to do it in 3-D and include 3-D glasses. Kids love that stuff.

On the Subject of Hippos Riding Bicycles

2011-02-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Picture Book Marathon idea/sketch was based on a favor that I asked of some friends a couple of weeks back. Let me explain.

When I go to schools and talk to kids about writing and illustrating stories one of the things that I like to talk about is how, with stories, there is always more than one right answer. To demonstrate this I gave this assignment out to some folks: Draw a picture that has a hippo on a bike (or a tricycle or a unicycle.)

This is what I got in return:

from Michelle Weaver:

from Jed Henry:

from Jake Wyatt:

from Anthony Holden:

I have the best art friends.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 17

2011-02-21T00:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I'm behind again. Time to catch up. I'm going to make it. 26 illustrated PB ideas. For reals.

So, today:

Plot Synopsis:

Tommy and Sophie live down the street from a family of hippos. Francis (the hippo family son) is trying to learn how to ride the bike that he got for his birthday but it's not going well. So Tommy and Sophie decide to help out.

Their methods are a bit unusual.

I'm a Guest Blogger

2011-02-20T22:25:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I did a guest post over at Lynne Marie's Kid Lit blog. Lynne asked me to share a writing/illustrating tip, so I did. You can find that here.

Lynne runs a good blog. Lots of guest bloggers sharing lots of good info.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Break Number 2

2011-02-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Yup. I'm too beat today to do a real post.

But I have started work on the grand finale for this year's marathon. It's going to be good. I promise.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 16

2011-02-18T00:46:00.001-08:00

This is a poem written by my friend Neil Hughes (who doesn't have a blog to link to.) He brought it to our critique group and told us that he had written a whole bunch of these. I told him that this poem begs to be illustrated. To me it felt like an excerpt from a "Where the Sidewalk Ends" for angsty teens.

I think the subject of this poem looks like this.

Forgiveness

by Neil Hughes

After the pain

after the rage

after the ....

The what?

Then the rage.

Again.

Then harsh words.

Then the self loathing,

and rage,

again,

after the ....

The what?

The pain.

After it's simmered

and slowed down

and popped up

then down further

then exploded up

then down to the deepest place

in the minute and smallest vile

at the bottom of the sea

and it sucks in the ocean

and spits out a whale at your face.

And you dodge the whale.

What whale?

Then the giant squid.

What giant squid?

Then the shark.

What shark?

And the sea urchin.

What sea urchin?

Then the slug.

What? Oh that little thing?

That's nothing.

Then what about the urchin?

It's kind of spiky cute.

And now the shark?

Doesn't he need water?

And the squid?

Yeah.

And the whale?

Yep.

And the ocean?

That's to swim in.

With all my friends.

------------------------------

So, for today's entry I submit a collection of illustrated poems for angsty teens written by Neil Hughes and illustrated by Will Strong. It would be great. I know it.

(If I have time tomorrow then I'll draw a quick illo with the girl and all of the sea creatures.)

Family Photo

2011-02-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

This is mostly an art blog but I love this photo too much to not post it.

Maxwell McLean Strong is due around June 19th.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 15

2011-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Plot Synopsis:

Baxter and his Great Aunt Fanny are going to the museum today but when they get to the car out front Fanny can't find her car keys. They are in her bag somewhere. Fanny starts looking.

Fanny starts pulling stuff out of her bag: umbrella, sunglasses, gum, cell phone, lipstick, aspirin, bobby pins and a granola bar.

But she still can't find her keys.

Fanny goes down even farther in her bag. She finds: seashells, high-heeled shoes, a fishbowl, a globe, an ant farm, a candelabra, and a dictionary.

But she still can't find her keys.

Fanny and Baxter keep looking through the bag. They find: a goat, a robot, crutches, a top hat, a fire hydrant, a T-rex skull, a unicycle, and a goat.

Baxter and Fanny empty out the entire bag on the lawn and when they're done there are piles and piles of stuff. The last three things to drop out of the bag are: a hamster, a tooth brush and ... THE KEYS!

But then Fanny looks around and sees the giant mess they have made. "We can't go to the museum now," says Fanny "We've made such a terrible mess."

"It's okay Aunt Fanny," says Baxter "I saw something over here that might help."

Baxter pulls out a ticket booth from the piles of stuff. "With all this cool stuff we can start our own museum" says Baxter.

And so they did. And the whole neighborhood came to see it.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 14

2011-02-16T00:20:00.001-08:00

If you are going by the official rules of the Picture Book Marathon then today's entry doesn't really count. But since the purpose of my creative writing prompts is to help kids write their own stories I'm going to count it.

By the way, I've got more of these over at www.creativekidcentral.com. And they are FREE! I know a bunch of teachers that use these in their classrooms. Kids love them (I have seen this with my own eyes.)

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 13

2011-02-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Have you been to an elementary school Valentine's Day party in recent history? It's pretty much like this.

I meant to post this yesterday, but ya know...things. They happen.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 11 & Day 12

2011-02-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different.

I built this guy out of cardboard and painted him up all pretty with acrylic paints. He's actually a box for my wife's valentines (5th grade party tomorrow.) They go in the mouth.

And then I liked him so much that I decided to come up with a simple story. And then another.

It may sound funny but I would love to illustrate a book this way. Though if I were to really go for it I would need to learn how to take a decent photograph (these look much better in person.)

(Also, I'm sorry about the lack of decent cardboard backgrounds. These are just sketches after all.)

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 10

2011-02-12T01:59:00.000-08:00

No plot synopsis. I'll let you folks decide.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 9

2011-02-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with yesterday's preschool book that I did another one (in which my favorite shoes make a cameo.)

MONSTERS LOVE CLOTHES (by Will Strong)

Tall monster wears shoes.

Short monster wears a hat.

Chubby monster wears pants.

Bumpy monster wears a dress.

Slimy monster wears a coat.

Fuzzy monster wears underpants.

Skinny monster wears a tie.

All monsters love clothes.
They're delicious.

These are fun. I can't promise that there won't be more of these before the Picture Book Marathon is over.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 8

2011-02-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

Today's book is called "MONSTER MOVERS." It is intended for preschool kids. It would be nice and chunky (good for chewing.) The illos would all be very simple too. One quick and lively image per page.

MONSTER MOVERS (by Will Strong)
Fuzzy monster jumps.
Tall monster waves.
Bumpy monster crawls.
Slimy monster slides.
Short monster runs.
Skinny monster hides.
Chubby monster flies.
All the monsters dance.

I think I need some more pages. Oh well. Any excuse to draw monsters, right?

Today's idea was inspired by Will Terry's new e-book. Check it out.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 7

2011-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: Frank loves bath time. He plays and plays until he's wrinkly all over.

One day in the bath Frank discovers that his tub is connected to the ocean. All different kinds of sea animals show up in his bath (some more friendly than others.) Mom hears the commotion and starts coming up the stairs to investigate. She opens the door just as all the animals hide themselves.

Mom leaves. And the bath time party resumes. When the bath is over Frank towels off and says, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 6

2011-02-07T23:58:00.000-08:00

Plot Summary: our Main Character (let's call him Quentin) loves his little metal cars so very, very much. And the blue one happens to be his favorite. And then it goes missing. And Quentin goes to every room in the house blaming his brothers and sisters for the disappearance. In the end it turns out to be somewhere Quentin would never have guessed.

When I was a kid I was always losing things. And with 5 siblings there were plenty of people to blame it on instead of myself.

This cover is based on a true story. Early this morning when my wife went down to the parking garage she noticed that the car was gone (kind of hard to miss really.) We both immediately thought the car was stolen. Bad news.

After my brain woke up a bit more I vaguely remembered driving the car to a friend's house on Saturday but I didn't recall driving it home. Turns out that I left the car at this friend's house for a couple of days and just walked the two blocks home without thinking about it.

That's the biggest thing I've ever lost. Good thing it didn't go far.

Taking a Break to Digest

2011-02-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

The Picture Book Marathon allows for two days off during the month on February. And I'm taking one of mine today. The Super Bowl is over and though I didn't really pay any attention to the game I did eat. I'm way too full of Gumbo (cooked by this guy) to even think straight. Tomorrow will have a new idea. I promise.

The gumbo (and everything else) was fantastic by the by.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 5

2011-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today it's an idea for comics. It's not strictly a picture book but it is a story for kids. In a book. With pictures. So, yeah.

This story is called "A Problem Involving a Megalomaniacal* Mustache, a Tommy Pugmire Tale."

So let's start with Tommy.

Tommy is smart, funny, a huge dork and generally acts without thinking things through (he's much like me at age 11.) Tommy has noticed that grownups get to do all the cool stuff, like see scary movies and get tattoos. So he decides that he wants to be a grownup too.

But Tommy can't figure out how to make anybody believe he's a grownup (the fake ID was a complete bust.) Then it dawns on him, Facial Hair! That's the ticket.

So Tommy find this mustache one day. Where does he find it? In his cereal box of course. How did it get there? That is explained in the actual story and would take much too much room here to explore.

So Tommy slaps that hairy little sucker on his face and starts convincing people that he is actually a grownup. Things work out pretty well for a while.

But what Tommy Pugmire doesn't know is that the mustache of good fortune is actually an evil mustache.

The evil mustache sends tendrils up Tommy's nose and through his sinuses to wrap around his medulla oblongata. The 'stache takes over Tommy's body and Tommy is helpless to stop it! What will happen next?

-------------------------------------------

I've written it all down and it will eventually get made. But for right now these sketches will have to do.

What's that you say? This particular Picture Book idea doesn't seem so slapped together as the others? That's because I've been working on this one on and off for 2 years now. Yikes. Time to get on that. Just as soon as I finish that e-book I'm working on.

(*see Napoleon or Justin Bieber)

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 4

2011-02-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Today's idea gets logged under "weird."

Groblets are explorers. They like to go camping in strange places, like inside your ears. This isn't really a bad thing though because groblets are great story tellers. After a long day of exploring, when the groblets have settled down for the night, they tell fantastic stories. And never the same story twice. This is where story ideas come from.

You may think somebody is really creative but they most likely have a groblet infestation.

If you've been enjoying this year's picture book marathon then I suggest you check out a few other illustrators who are also doing a book idea a day:

Julie Olsen

Jed Henry

Nate Hale

They are all doing fun stuff.

Something Really Cool

2011-02-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

I kind of hate Google for some of their policies and political moves but I also LOVE Google for all of the cool things that they have given me (and the rest of the world.) Google's latest cool thing is called Google Art Project. And it is amazing.

It's basically like the GoogleMaps Street View but for art museums. You can virtually wander around a bunch of really cool, world-class museums and check out the art. All of it. And the zoom levels are amazing.

Just check out these detail shots of Starry Night by Van Gogh.

Thanks Google. Cool stuff.

http://www.googleartproject.com/

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 3

2011-02-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

I'll let you folks decide what this one is about.

It's funny. I didn't always hate Math. We used to get along. But somewhere in the middle of the 4th Grade we had a falling out. It got really bad for a while; we couldn't even be in the same room without someone getting angry.

It's not like that anymore. I don't really hate math, I've grown out of that. Sometimes Math and I pass on the street. We smile and wave but that's about it. We both know that if we ever tried again to be more than just casual acquaintances it would all end in tears. So we just steer clear of that pitfall.

And we're both much happier for it.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 2

2011-02-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

In honor of the weird holiday for which I hold a strange fondness. It probably has something to do with Bill Murray.

Synopsis: Groundhog is fed up with his job. No one appreciates him and everybody complains about his weather predictions. And everybody thinks his name is Phil because the last guy that had the job carved it above the office door. So Groundhog leaves to find work that is more glamorous and exciting.

Meanwhile, Monkey tries his hand at Groundhog's old job with terrible results.

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 1

2011-02-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

This book might not be for everyone. It would probably only have and audience of two.

So yes, the baby is a boy. And he is due on June 19th. And we are most likely naming him Maxwell McLean Strong.

And yes, tomorrow I will have a real Picture Book Idea to post.

It's Marathon Time

2011-01-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

Yep, a marathon. But no running involved. February is Picture Book Marathon Month.

Picture Book Marathon logo by Nate Hale

It's simple, 26 picture book manuscripts in 28 days (I get 2 days off.) Since I like to draw I'm going to instead aim for 26 picture book covers in 28 days. Maybe with a short plot synopsis to make the cover more coherent?

Get all the details here: http://www.picturebookmarathon.org/

So, now I'm accountable. Why do I do things like this to myself?

Lift Ticket

2011-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today is my father-in-law's birthday and he's a really difficult person to shop for. Tiff had the great idea of getting him a ski pass to use when he visits next month. The only problem with that is that Sundance Ski Resort doesn't have cool gift certificates to give as a gift. So I painted this and we sent it across the country with his birthday card.

I'm in the Local Paper

2011-01-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

I was hanging out in my wife's class on Friday when a reporter showed up. I had no idea what was going on but he just started taking pictures while I was playing "The Monster Game" with some of the kids. I found out later that the reporter was doing a story on what kids do during recess on really smoggy days (it was really smoggy on Friday.)

Somebody told the reporter "That guy in there is a local author/illustrator." That's when the guy came in snapping a bunch of photos.

I think the whole thing is pretty funny.

So, I'm Learning...

2011-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

It turns out that the only way to learn how to make comics is to actually make comics. And the process is so much more complicated than ever I anticipated. But it's a whole lot of fun.

New Coloring (Mosaic) Page

2011-01-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

Tiff requested a new coloring page for her class to commemorate the new year but she wanted this one to be a little different. She wanted me to make something with big spaces that would work well for a torn-paper mosaic activity. Ta-da.

Her kids came up with some really fun solutions to the torn paper assignment. Check 'em out.

This sort of thing usually looks tedious to grown-ups but kids dig it. Get a few kids around the table with some construction paper and some glue sticks and they will go for a good long while.

A Gift From a Friend

2011-01-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Today I went into Tiff's class and just sat at a table to draw comics (coming soon to this blog.) A 5th-grader named Joe came over to watch. Joe is an art enthusiast and has recently started drawing all the time. We had a short conversation while I drew comics.

Joe- Hey, Will. Do you have a favorite drawing?

Me- No, I don't think so. It would be too hard to choose.

Joe- Oh.

Me- But I do have a lot of favorite artists. Have you ever heard of Bill Watterson?

Joe- I think so.

Me- He drew Calvin and Hobbes.

Joe- Oh cool. I like Calvin and Hobbes.

Me- Yeah, me too.

(Long awkward pause while I continue to draw comics. Then I realize that Joe wants me to ask him if he has a favorite drawing.)

Me- Do you have a favorite drawing Joe?

Joe- Yes. It's a drawing of a guy holding a sword. It's pretty realistic.

And then he drew me this. And then he signed it.

Thanks Joe. You rock.

Will Strong Recommends: undercity.org

2011-01-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

I ran across an amazing website the other day and I wanted to share it with you folks.

http://www.undercity.org/

It's all about Steve Duncan who describes himself as an "urban explorer and photographer." He is passionate about exploring the deep, hidden areas of big cities. And the places he finds are amazing. Who knew that these beautiful places exist underneath our feet? Steve did.

Just go check out the photos. They are beautiful.

There is a great documentary on the site too. Warning: Some f-bombs dropped during the film.

Also, here is a cool article from NPR on Steve Duncan.

My First Snowman (and second snowman)

2010-12-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

I made my very first snowman ever today (I grew up in southern California.) Yes, my first one even though I have lived in Utah for over 4 years now.

When I looked out my front door this morning I found this:

So very pretty.

I went in to my wife's class today to help with their Christmas party and help her clean up and organize and such for the new year. And during recess I took advantage of all the snow to make my first snowman.

I had a few dozen 5th-graders help me make a wobbly snowman that was about 8 feet tall. Rocking.

But then I wondered what I could really make with this new found medium of snow with a little more time and planning. So, with the help of my good friend Jason, a different sort of snowman came to life. We didn't finish until after dark.

Look familiar?

I hope it snows this much again this winter. I've got more ideas that require attention.

One of These Things Is Not Like the Others

2010-12-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Some early character sketches for a story I'm working on with a friend. (click to enlarge)

Yeah, a real story, with a real friend too. The story is called "I'm Not Afraid of Bunnies" and it was written by Rick Walton. I'll keep you folks updated on the progress of this book. I'm already having fun with it and I've only just begun sketching.

Monster Drummer

2010-12-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Requested by a 5th Grader named Joe. Here you go, Joe.

Animal Math - New Creative Writing Prompt for C.K.C.

2010-12-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

Let's get to it.

Yeah, I like animals doing silly things. When I'm stuck for something interesting to draw or write I usually try to take something normal and add something unusual to change it up. Interesting stories often follow.

I find this prompt to be especially fun on the illustration side of things.

For an example of this type of story come to fruition, check out David Shannon's "Duck on a Bike." It's super fun. And I LOVE David Shannon's illustrations.

Help Support a Worthy Cause

2010-11-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of the best Eagle Scout projects I have ever heard of. So I thought I would bring it to people's attention. Support the charitable project if you have the time and a few extra dollars.

http://www.matthewseagleproject.blogspot.com/

Magic Toaster Response

2010-11-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Tiff just had her class write responses to the Magic Toaster creative writing prompt. Pretty much all of the stories were fantastic but there were a few stand out illustrations that I wanted to share with you.

Sock Monkey Toaster is totally rocking.

This is an amazingly well put together (and legible) comic for a 5th grader. Betrayal!

And this Rainbow Toaster makes me laugh. Probably because I hear a slide whistle sound effect in my mind when I look at the second panel.

Tiff's class is getting really good at this. They've had a lot of practice.

Holiday Coloring Pages

2010-11-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

Tiff asked me to make some holiday/seasonal coloring pages for her class. So I whipped up these:

While Tiff was making copies before school this morning another teacher asked her if she could use the coloring pages in her class too. Then another teacher saw them. I think at least 5 teachers are using these same coloring pages in their classrooms this week. Fantastic. The more the merrier.

I'll put these up on the C.K.C. website as soon as I can find a better way to browse them on the site. For now you can just drag and drop from here on my blog. Enjoy.

Will Strong Recommends - Bookie Woogie

2010-11-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

A blog you should know about: http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/

The Bookie Woogie blog is one of the most clued in reviewers of children's lit around. Why is that? Because the reviews are done by actual children (with some assistance from their illustrator father.) Isaac, Gracie, Lily and Elijah (assisted by Aaron Zenz) post conversational reviews that give some fantastic insight into what kids really like in their books.

If you create stories or illustrations for children I highly recommend their site.

Also check out Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty for some fantastic art created by these kids. Super creative and fun stuff there. Honestly it's one of my very favorite blogs.

New Content at Creative Kid Central

2010-11-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

I just updated the Creative Kid Central website. There are two additions to the Lesson Plans page.

First we have Vocabulary Comics.

And then we have Making Language Arts Fun (with Rick Walton). Thanks Rick for letting me link to the fantastic content on your website.

Apart from that I added a page for coloring pages. Right now it has all of the monster name tags that I did for Tiff's classroom this year. Though, they are too hard to preview. I need to make it easier to browse the different pages.

Wow, links all over the place.

Wow, Thanks Folks

2010-11-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I looked at my ClustrMap (see the bottom right corner of my blog) and I noticed something awesome!

Yup, I got the big dot. Woot! So, thanks to all you folks in Utah for reading my blog. And thanks to all of you other folks out there as well. Somebody out there in the UK is paying attention.

If it weren't for the readers then I wouldn't have any reason to post. You're pretty much why I do this. So, um any requests? I guess?

Ideas About Good Ideas

2010-11-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Check out this video by Stephen Johnson and RSA Animate. It's about good ideas and where they come from.

So what do you folks think? Do Mr. Johnson's thoughts on good ideas jive with how you live your creative life or is he missing the point?

Also, check out more goodies from RSA Animate. They have some fun stuff going on.

New CKC Creative Writing Prompt - Summer Gets a Gift

2010-11-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting on this one for a few weeks. Things just kept getting in the way of my finishing it. But it is done. So here it is.

I have to give a shout out to my Madre for giving me the original idea for this one. Thanks Mom.

If you want to download a powerpoint presentation of this writing prompt then go to Creative Kid Central. You can get it there. Remember it's free if used for educational purposes.

I have plans to make the next couple of prompts much shorter so that I can get them posted faster. No more month-long waits. At least, that's the plan.

Mix It Up Day

2010-10-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Tiff asked me to make a sign for her classroom. The theme was "Mix It Up Day" and it will be posted outside her door to let the kids know that they will be rotating classrooms for part of the day. None of the kids really want to do this so the sign needs to be fun and colorful.

No problem. I like to have fun and to make fun. And how can I resist a great theme like "Mix It Up?" So I drew these guys:

Is it a chig? Or a picken?

Then I drew some letters and printed it out. I've had a hankering to use good ol' Crayola crayons on a drawing for a while now. So I colored the sign with crayons and glued it to a piece of board. Tah dah:

Actually, I made three of them. The other rooms need signs too.

Creative Kid Central Is Go!

2010-09-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

If you frequent this blog then you've probably noticed my recent fascination with making creative writing prompts for kids. Since I now have a small collection of prompts I figured I should make a place on the interwebs where they can be easily stored, sorted and downloaded. So over the weekend I put together a little website that I call "Creative Kid Central." Trust me, it's gonna be big (at least in my own mind.)

So yeah, I made a website. Click HERE to check it out. And stay tuned to this blog for announcements and updates on new C.K.C. content.

(PS: I built the C.K.C. using Google Sites. It's a nice little system. Pretty easy. And nice looking to boot. I'd recommend it to anybody looking to build a free website.)

New Creative Writing Prompt: Best Tree House Ever

2010-09-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

This week's Creative Writing Prompt:

Preliminary reports from Tiff's Classroom show that the kids really like this one. I have photographic evidence.

Note the intense concentration on the faces of the kids that hadn't yet realized that the camera had been taken out. It's the look of someone deciding between putting in a water slide, rope ladder or elevator in that spot. That intense look of concentration is the mark of a quality product, though it is short lived. Most 5th Graders go all cheese ball as soon as they realize they are being photographed and that just can't be helped.

I'm really digging this writing prompt thing. It's so much fun. More to come.

What is It?

2010-09-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

A few days back I started making something out of old scraps of dyed canvas that I had. Leftovers from making so many adorable monsters. So I decided to make ... an abstract art piece.

Note the interplay of the natural element (grass) and the rigid shapes, almost like city blocks. Thus the viewer is invited to consider what the grass really means, nature being forced into behaving. And so... the lawn.

You may have guessed that it's not really a pretentious art installation. It's actually a six-sided soft chair for Tiff's 5th grade classroom. This square is my favorite:

Part way through the sewing process I decided see how it fits.

Honestly, not so great. So instead of wearing it I stuffed the sucker with styrofoam packing peanuts. Then I jumped up and down on it to squish down the peanuts, then stuffed in some more peanuts. Then I smashed and stuffed some more. And then I sewed it all up and sent it to school with Tiff.

Then the kids found it.

I think they like it. Note the last kid's good taste in comics.

A New Writing Prompt For a New Class

2010-09-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

So, Tiff is teaching 5th grade this year and she loves it. She's used a couple of my old writing prompts already with her class this year and they love them. So I've decided to do some more. Here is the latest:

PS: When I get about a dozen of these together I'm going to collect them on a website so that teachers all over the world can use them (I can dream can't I?) So, if you're a teacher feel free to use this, and anything else I've posted on this blog, in your classroom.

PPS: If you're a creative type (author/illustrator) and you want to make one of these creative writing prompts for the website just let me know. I'll gladly take volunteer work.

Witty Title Coming Soon

Fractured Fairy Tales

Picture Book Marathon 2012

My Talented Friends

Merry Christmas

Stop It George, Just Stop It

Octorok

Cardboard Cyborg

Inktober Concluded

Inktober Continued

Inktober

Gouache Pixels

Gouache Doodle

Gouache Doodle

Gouache Doodle

Making New Art Friends

Best Shoes Ever - New Creative Writing Prompt for C.K.C.

Remember

More Photoshop Mouse, Mouses, Moose, Moosen?

Photohop Mouse

Folio Academy

Maximus Cloud: Amateur Adventurer

Robot Name Tags

Cecil Is On the Move

The Votes Are In

Lost Monster #3 - Cecil

Writing/Illustrating Summer Camp

Vote for Ridiculous Labels

Things and Other Things #1

Fatherhood Slows Blogging

I'm Not Sure Why it Is

Unfinished Picture Books - New Creative Writing Prompt for C.K.C.

Mothers Day Paper

This is a Test

Lost Monster - Go Find Vinny

Lost Monster #2 - Vinny

Fantastic Opportunity

Artsy Happenings at the Baby Shower

Drawing Tommy Pugmire

Lost Monster - Moe Finds a Home

Lost Monster Experiment - MOE *UPDATE*

And The Winner Is..

My Friend Jake...

Lost Monster #1 - The Experiment

Vote for You Favorite PBM Idea 2011

Personalizing Gifts

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Grand Finale

Notice of Delay

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 25

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 23

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 22

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 21

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 20

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 19

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 18

On the Subject of Hippos Riding Bicycles

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 17

I'm a Guest Blogger

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Break Number 2

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 16

Family Photo

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 15

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 14

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 13

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 11 & Day 12

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 10

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 9

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 8

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 7

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 6

Taking a Break to Digest

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 5

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 4

Something Really Cool

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 3

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 2

Picture Book Marathon 2011 - Day 1

It's Marathon Time

Lift Ticket

I'm in the Local Paper

Lost Monster Experiment - MOE UPDATE