Interview with Jackie Morris

Interview by Marya Jansen-Gruber

I'd like you to meet Jackie Morris, the talented artist who illustrated a beautiful fairy tale called Singing to the Sun.

What did you think when you were first sent the text for Singing to the Sun?

I first heard the story of Singing to the Sun at a children’s book festival in Swansea. Viv was doing an evening event and I went along to listen. The story made pictures dance in my head, and after the event Viv asked me if I liked it. When I said yes she replied 'Good, because I wrote it with you in mind.’ And from there we began to look for a publisher together. The story was originally published in a collection of stories and the others in the collection are equally beautiful.

What do you think of the message that it imparts to young, and not so young, readers?

There are so many messages in the book if you want to look for them. For children, one message is that maybe love is better than wealth and power, but it is a thing to be freely given. For fathers, a reminder that daughters have free will and are fed up of being given away as prizes in stories. For parents, the message can be that arguing is frightening for children. For women, that it is always a good idea to keep your wolves close, if you have a wolf, and that cats are smart and music can often provide answers.

The artwork that you created for the story has a magical, ethereal quality. What inspired you to create these pictures in this way?

I love medieval manuscript, textiles, animals and birds. I suppose really the words inspired the images. Each book that I do is different, each a response to a different text.

How were the illustrations created?

The illustrations were created with watercolor on hot pressed paper, after 27 years of practice and much blood sweat and tears. Firstly, I did small thumbnail drawings and sketches trying to catch the characters, then went on to the finished work, which is larger than the published work. Some pieces flowed easily, others I had to work on a few times. I loved the wolves who are very much a side issue in the text, so I brought them down from the golden mountains to be beside the princesses, ready for when the princes get the answer wrong.

This is not the first fairy tale that you have illustrated. Do you have a fondness for this genre?

I have a fondness for story. I love listening to storytellers. I love the way a really good story can live in your heart and mind and grow with you and help to make sense of the mad world we live in.

What do you think fairy tales give children?

Hope. Understanding. Courage. Insight. Pleasure. Passion. Music. A connection through history to all the people in the world who have ever told the story before, who have ever listened to it. A place in the world and in time.

Did you like to read when you were a child, and if so what did you like to read?

I struggled to read when I was a child and only persisted because I knew that what was hidden in books behind the code of the alphabet was worth knowing, worth breaking through to. What I love to read now is stories that have magic, not necessarily witches and wizards, but that magical power where an author can make you believe, make you care, for a character whose bones are paper, whose blood is the letters on a page. Discoveries this last couple of years have been Robin Hobb, The Book Thief and Stardust. Two of my favorite books I read as a child were White Fang and The Call of the Wild.

You have created illustrations for many charitable organizations. What do you like about doing this kind of work?

I like to use the work I do for good. I do not want to advertise cars, do illustrations for banks and big business. I always felt very priveleged to be able to work for Amnesty International and Green Peace and Oxfam.

You often use one of your cats as a model for your paintings. What does he think of this?

Max is a private kind of cat who likes to sleep in cupboards. He does not often come to sit on a lap and tends to keep out of the limelight, unlike the ginger brethren who dominate the house. But I think he is secretly quite pleased. He is very handsome and dark like midnight with emerald eyes.

If you could travel anywhere in the world to paint where would you go and why?

I would go to Venice in Spring. The colors of the buildings, the madness of the water-filled streets, the crumbling decay are all inspiring. I would go to the arctic where the colors play in the sky and on the land and I would wait and watch for polar bears. I would go to Bhutan or Nepal and sit quietly and watch cranes fly over high mountains and hope a snow leopard would be watching me. I would go beneath the sea where great whales sing and see them swim and leap from the water, before it is too late, before there are no more and I would go to a jungle in India and wait for a tiger to burn the emerald forest bright. And for now I will go to my studio and paint some more.

You can find out more about Jackie on her wonderful website. If you are a cat lover do take the time to visit the blog written by her cat companions. Her journal will show you what the life of an illustrator is like.

Greatest Fiction Travel Books of All Time

The November issue of the Conde Nast Traveler magazine featured an article on the 69 Greatest Fiction Travel Books of all Time. Included on this list were Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Crime and Punishment, Don Quixote, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Heart of Darkness, Lolita, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Odyssey, One Hundred Years of Solitude, On the Road, The Shipping News, along with a host of others.

They define fiction travel books as those "in which a place is as important a character as the protagonist."

Kane/Miller has several books that we feel would fit right in with this definition, including:

My Father's Shop

The Wickit Chronicles (Book #1), Ely Plot

The Wickit Chronicles (Book #2), Fen Gold

Little Fish

Are We There Yet?

Kali and the Rat Snake

New Clothes for New Year's Day

Sosu's Call

Tibili

Of course, we also have books coming out in the spring which would also make great additions to the list, including our middle grade fiction, Hannah's Winter and Moonrunner.

Bookmarks - NorthPark

For those of you who subscribe to School Library Journal, this is nothing new but even though this children's library was featured in the July issue, I thought it deserved another mention.

Dallas Public Library - BookMarks

I love the design and bold colors within the library and would love to visit the NorthPark shopping center - if nothing else but to see the library.

Stanford University Bookstore

I arrived in San Jose yesterday morning. I went directly to the campus after driving down University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. I rented a bike as soon as I checked into my room and got settled in.

I met a wonderful group of people yesterday afternoon during the opening session as well as during the cocktail reception and dinner. The evening closed with an inspiring speech from Dorothy Kalins, former executive editor of Newsweek, and the first woman to be named Adweek's Editor of the Year.

Today, there were five separate sessions with many wonderful speakers, including Robert Miller (Harper Studio), Paul Saffo, Bill Tancer, and Kevin McKean (Consumer Reports).

Tonight, I will attend the 8pm session on the Art of the Interview presented by Dick Stolley (Time, Inc.), Greg Curtis and Mark Miller (Newsweek).

Until then, I enjoy the ambiance at the University Cafe. There was a bit of a problem with the internet connection on campus but I hopped on my bike after the last session this afternoon and found this hip, comfortable & computer friendly cafe which I plan on returning to later this week.

Also a place where I've returned to after my first discovery was the Stanford University Bookstore. That place is so overwhelming with its 5 floors of books, art & office supplies, clothing and computer products to explore.

Their kids section was amazing, and very busy. I definitely plan on stopping in this week and introduce myself to the buyer - if I can time it so that we're both there at the same time.

Stay tuned for more updates from Palo Alto.

Stanford Professional Publishing Course

Tomorrow morning, I leave to attend the 8-day Professional Publishing Course at Stanford University.

Although I've been told to "leave work behind," and not check in with the office or check email (yeah, 8 days' worth of email when I get back - that's a good idea!) - I will attempt to update the Kane/Miller Kidlit blog with highlights from the course sessions.

For those who are also addicted to social networking sites, you'll understand why I'm so excited to be in the same room as Guy Kawasaki. I'm very eager to hear what he, and the other speakers, will be sharing with us.

Wearing My Conference Shoes

In preparation for any conference Kane/Miller attends, there are certain things that we must always keep in mind.
ALSC posted several Conference Tips on their blog - meant for those attending sessions, workshops and yes, walking through the Exhibit Hall. Several of these tips also carry over to exhibitors (I've made comments - italicized - from this exhibitor's point-of-view):

*Take Snacks. And take them with you to the conference hall (Concession stand food is an exhibitor's only alternative). Pack small zip lock baggies of pretzels, M&Ms, whatever gets you through the day. You’ll save money and time – the food lines are always long! *More food tips: Vendors have food. Candy, especially. Stop and see their goods, chat with them, and then eat their chocolate. Watch for free food events in the exhibit hall (We'll have chocolate globes at ALA - unless they somehow get consumed between San Diego and Anaheim).

*Scope out the local restaurants. Every time you walk somewhere, keep an eye out for good food spots. There will be a lot of librarians competing for the eateries, so if you see a cool, off-the- beaten-track spot, jot it down. (We make reservations ahead of time to avoid such competition.)

*Spy Pad! Take a little notebook with you and keep it handy for jotting down.. restaurants, ideas, phone numbers, etc. Keep it handy, as well as a good pen. Put the address and phone number of your hotel in the spy pad, just in case you need it — taxi drivers do NOT always know where they should go (Very good tip. I also bring a book).

*Swag…. Either take an extra bag to cart home all the freebies or be judicious in your picking up. Those free books and stickers get heavy. You can ship stuff home, too. Usually there is a handy postal service right at the conference center (Feel free to JUST SAY NO to an exhibitor who's handing you stuff - left and right - we'd rather see you turn it down than have you throw it away at the end of the day).

*Take a poster tube for all the cool posters you are going to bring home (We offer rolled posters for this reason).

*Take advantage of the free shuttles! Get the schedule down on the first day, and you’ll be set (See you there).

*Read your conference book and make a plan. Perhaps you’ll veer from the plan, but having one is half the battle. Jot down your daily schedule, including where the room is, in your Spy Pad. Then you can leave that heavy book in your room. (Don't walk and read. I've seen several near-miss accidents when people have walked through the Exhibit Hall while staring down at their Spy Pad! Plus, you may miss something fabulous!)

*Go to the workshops that sound fun. I always go to some that I think will be GOOD for me to attend, even though another sounds more fun. Do the fun thing at least once, whether it applies to your job or not. It will apply somehow. (Please remember to visit the vendors in the Exhibit Hall - we're lots of fun!)

*Sit in on Notable discussions. Check the schedule– you can see how committees work and get to hear lots of opinions. Good networking place, too! (Networking is key.)

*Wear your badge at all meetings and events, but take it off when you go out into the street. (Exhibitors will most likely take their badges off before stepping onto the Shuttle Bus. Save us a seat. We'll be standing all day.)

*Network, network, network. Introduce yourself, ask friends and colleagues to introduce you. Go to events that you get invited to, even if it is just for a quick hello. (Yes, yes, yes - talk to people in line - even when you're trying to get into the restroom!)

*Do something fun. Give yourself a treat and do something non-work related. (And invite me along!)

*Drink lots of water. Take your own water bottle. Remember, tap water is regulated, and is probably just as good as that $2 plastic bottle of H20 you don’t need to buy! (Where are the $2 bottles? I think they're closer to $3 these days!)

*Go to the ALSC meetings. Great place to network and to hear division news. (Kane/Miller will have a table at the networking reception Thursday night. Stop by and pick up a FREE book.)

*Check out the author signings at vendor tables (they’ll be listed in your conference book). Books are often cheaper at conference, and you can get them signed… never too early to shop for those holiday gifts! (Kane/Miller won't have authors present...or books for purchase. We will have chocolate!)

*Use the Internet Café to check your e-mails. Don’t take a laptop just for e-mail! You can do it on site, for free. (Kane/Miller will be blogging during ALA - laptop required.)

*Take comfy walking shoes. You are going to be walking a lot. (Exhibitors will be standing during the day. Most of us will not be wearing comfy shoes.)

*Dress in layers. It may be hot outside, but those conference rooms can be downright frigid. (Air-conditioning one day, heater going the next. This is the most important tip from this list.)

*Take at least one dressy outfit. You might get invited to something swank and you should be prepared. Dressy, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. (Exhibitors - don't forget to bring at least one comfortable outfit - you may actually have time to lounge - or work out - before bed).

*Have fun! Conference can be exhausting, but mostly it is very exciting and inspiring. Enjoy every minute! (Exhibitors will need a vacation after the long - always over a weekend - event - thank goodness for the 4th of July!)

Golf, Dinosaurs and Traffic

The U.S. Open began here in La Jolla today. Apparently, the traffic was supposed to cause a major disruption to residents and those of us who work in the area. This morning was unusually quiet on the roads, especially for a Monday.

My son and I played golf last night. Granted, we were playing with a plastic golf set, and he's still learning the rules of the game but, we had a lot of fun.

He's especially interested in dinosaurs these days, so I made sure to pull out the copy of Could a Tyrannosaurus Play Table Tennis? from his bookshelf before bed. I turned to the page with the Gallimimus playing golf which led to giggles and him explaining to me, as he read me the additional pages, that dinosaurs weren't quite equipped to play golf, or any other sports and activities mentioned in the book.

Kane/Miller recently sent copies of the above title, by Andrew Plant, along with Dinosaurs, by Bénédicte Guettier to the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. They put together an art contest - Dino Art 2008 - and celebrated their four-year anniversary (or birthday) this last weekend.

I was pleased to not only learn about the great resources the center provides, but to also discover a wonderful new destination when traveling through Colorado. If you're in the area, I encourage you to check it out, if you haven't already.

See you in L.A., Baby!

We leave for Los Angeles on Thursday morning and will be in Booth 5129 over the weekend. Please stop by and say hello if you're one of the thousands walking the aisles. Oh, and in case you didn't already know, we'll be in the Children's Section.

Flat Stanley

If you are a teacher, parent or librarian, you are probably aware of who Flat Stanley is and what it means to be presented with the opportunity to share your part of the world with a flattened version of your child, or a child you know.

My cousin's daughter - who is in the second grade - sent me a flattened version of herself and kindly asked me to share the sights of California with her (and her classmates). I was thrilled that she thought of me and even more excited to share with her the travel experiences that I was able to encounter on behalf of Kane/Miller.

I included photographs in the return shipment back to Armstrong Elementary from my recent trip to Dallas (TLA), Las Vegas (a personal adventure) and Atlanta (IRA).

The great thing about the Flat Stanley project is that it provides young people with the opportunity to learn about other parts of our world. I realized that this concept is not unlike the books Kane/Miller provides.

As a young reader, and even now, I love discovering new places and adventures while reading a book. Oftentimes I learn more about myself and the way others live in different parts of the world, or within our own country.

If you have a travel experience that you would like to share with Kane/Miller readers (especially if it ties in with a children's book), please do. We're always looking for more ways to invite young people to explore the world around them.

Sightseeing in Atlanta

We've been in Atlanta for less than 48 hours and already, we've either driven or walked past a few places that I would love to spend time in:

Georgia Aquarium
The World's Largest and Most Engaging Aquarium



MODA
Museum of Design Atlanta

Later this week, we'll be highlighting several of our customers in the Atlanta area. More cities will be featured in upcoming blog posts.

International Reading Association

Kane/Miller arrived in Atlanta today for the 53rd Annual Convention hosted by the International Reading Association.

If you're in Atlanta this week for the convention, please stop by and say hello. We'll be in Booth 2357.

We'll be highlighting our recent releases from Spring 2008 as well as our recent award-winning titles: Ziba Came on a Boat, The Zoo, New Clothes for New Year's Day and My Cat Copies Me.

Parenting Party

Kane/Miller is one of several co-sponsors of the upcoming Parenting Party happening May 22nd at The Airport Lounge in San Diego.

Travel and commUNITY are themes for the first annual Happy Healthy Hip Parenting Party.

Tickets are $10 per person ($15 at the door). Each guest will receive two drink tickets and a chance to win some FABULOUS prizes throughout the night. Appetizers will be served until 9:30pm and there will be music and fun to help keep the party going.

We hope to see you there!

Young Readers (& Writers)

I spent last week in Minneapolis, representing Kane/Miller at the national conference for the Public Library Association.

Actually, I stayed in St. Paul (where I was born and raised) with my parents. My son traveled with me to experience the meaning of Spring: watching the final bits of snow and ice melt.

We flew from San Diego on the same flight as Brian Selznick, author/illustrator of award-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian, my son and I, and a hand full of other travelers spent almost that entire day in the San Diego airport as our 8:45am flight was delayed by nearly five hours.

Brian, on top of the fact that he is a brilliant illustrator and a fabulous storyteller, is also a great individual. He was genuinely interested as my son showed him how his toy worked and explained the fundmanetals of having a car that changes into a robot. I have a great respect for anyone who takes the time to listen to a child - especially when one is waiting at the airport.

While at PLA, I purchased two signed copies of one of Jon Scieszka's new books - one for my son, the other for my nephew. They both loved the book, of course.

After explaining to my son how lucky he is to have such a wonderful library of books (some of which he has yet to grow into) and the opportunity to meet authors and illustrators, it occurred to me that it might be something he can comprehend just yet.

But, as he often does, my son surprised me. Last night at dinner, he announced out of the blue, "When I am a grown-up, I'm going to write a story and there's going to be NO pictures."

I can't wait.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

I hop on a plane tomorrow morning to head to San Jose where Kane/Miller will be exhibiting at the CABE (California Association of Bilingual Education) conference.

I will be working on this week's newsletter while on the road which will include highlights from a book event that Kane/Miller co-sponsored this past weekend as well as featuring some of our authors and illustrators who will be celebrating a birthday in the next week.

Don't miss my follow-up from yesterday's meeting with one of our Australian authors and be sure to visit Felice Arena's website which has been recently revamped.

Where in the World is Kane/Miller?

We have customers in all shapes and sizes, in cities large and small - bookstores, gift stores, toy stores, children's boutiques, even liquor stores (some of them) carry our books (some of them...you know which ones).

I recently received a lovely little email from a kidlit blogger who was pleasantly surprised to find our books in a toy store when she was on vacation. If you're heading out of town or just want to find out what stores in your area carry our books, send me an email and please let me know the name of the city or the zip code you'll be staying in (or near) and I will gladly send you a list of stores for you to check out.

Of course, you already know that you can find information on independent bookstores at BookSense, but if you're looking for more options, I'm happy to help.

Spring Book Festivals

PW recently listed the calendar for upcoming book festivals across the country. Here are the few that specialize in children's and/or international literature:

MARCH

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Warrensburg, Mo., March 9-11
http://library.ucmo.edu/childlit/clf
(660) 543-4306
e-mail: williamson@libserv.ucmo.edu

Fortieth year. Authors: C. S. Adler, Gary Blackwood, Patricia Calvert, Joan Carris, David Harrison, Patricia Hermes, Ard Hoyt, Dean Hughes, Claudia Mills, Dorinda Nicholson, Carolyn Reeder, Teri Sloat, Vivian Vande Velde, June Rae Wood. Activities: 40th anniversary luncheon with David Harrison, Sandy Asher, Patricia Calvert, C. S. Adler, and Dean Hughes.

APRIL

FAY B. KAIGLER INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

Hattiesburg, Miss., April 2-4
http://childrensbookfestival.org/index.htm
(601) 266-4228
e-mail: catharine.bomhold@usm.edu

Forty-first year. Authors: Vicki Cobb, Gerald Hausman, Kimberly Willis Holt, Loris Lesynski, Pat Mora, James Ransome, Will Weaver. Activities: luncheon with Barbara Immroth; author discussion panels; workshops for educators and librarians.

CHILDREN'S BOOKFEST

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 28
www.browardlibrary.org/web/bookfest/index.htm
(954) 357-7406

Second year. Authors/performers: Diane Ferlatte, Ella Jenkins, Jaime Riascos, Antonio Sacre, Dovie Thomason. Activities: quality children's performances; free arts and crafts; special storybook character appearances; free face painting; free books to the first 600 children; costumed character Geddy the Gecko; Puppets to Go; Moonlight Tales: Storytelling Under the Stars.

K/M Kidlit Drink Nites

Now that our conference schedule is posted online for the first half of 2008, I'd like to request that those of you attending the following events Save the Date for an official Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite.

Illustration from Jukebox PLA - Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, March 26th IRA - Atlanta, GA Wednesday, May 7th BEA - Los Angeles, CA Thursday, May 29th ALA - Anaheim, CA Friday, June 27th Details and venues will be announced on the official invites which will be posted to the K/M Kidlit blog.

Literacy Festivals Around the World

In preparation for Kane/Miller's upcoming participation in publishing events such as IRA, BEA, and ALA (among many others) it occurred to me that I'm not aware of all of the international literary events that take place.

After some quick research (What would we do without Google?), I found a link and listing of Six of the Best Literary Festivals (according to Harper's Bazaar). I won't be attending any of them - at least not this year - but it's good to know what's happening in the literary world, nonetheless.

1. Galle Literary Festival, Sri Lanka
2. Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, Columbia
   
3. Wexford Book Festival, Ireland
4. Festa Literaria Internacional de Parati, Brazil
5. Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Bali
6. Hay Festival Segovia, Spain
   

Don't miss FLIGHT 001 - for all your travel needs.

Bon Voyage!

Language Lessons for Little Ones

I love San Francisco. I can't wait until my son is old enough to really enjoy visiting new places and experiencing the city. There's so much to see and do there but for families who live in, or near the city, there is a wonderful opportunity to have your children learn a foreign language at a very early age. Language at Play offers courses in Mandarin, Chinese, Spanish or French.

For those of us who live outside of this beautiful Northern California city, there's always the Lingolook Flashcards.

Oh, and in case you haven't already been to the site, I highly recommend that you visit the San Francisco Musem of Modern Art online to get a glimpse of what the museum has to offer. Their gift shop (and print catalog) are filled with amazingly beautiful products (and books) designed by fantabulous artists. I can't wait to get my hands on the next catalog when it comes in the mail.

Geography Quiz

How well do you know your world?

Very challenging...and yet quite addictive and fun.