Earth Week Extravaganza, Day 5: Illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin

Hi there readers!

Guess what?

It's Earth Day.

Let's hear it for Mother Earth!

Woo-HOO!

Time to contemplate, share, and take action in helping to make an impact on the conservation of this planet we call home.  How will YOU be celebrating Earth Day?  Do tell...just wait til you reach the posts end, okay?  ^_^

In other EXCITING news, today is the FINAL DAY as in DAY FIVE of the 'Fins, Wings and Other Things' blog tour with Peachtree Publishers.  Let me just take a quick moment to say THANK YOU to Emily and all of the Peachtree authors and illustrators that took time out of their busy schedules to share their thoughts with you (and me) this week.  It is much appreciated and we learned some fascinating things!  Now speaking of "final days", today's post marks your final chance (notice emphasis on all the "final" things here...hehe) to get your entries in to win that FIVE BOOK Peachtree prize pack.  Here's what it includes....

One copy of each of the following titles....

A Place for Fish
Written by Melissa Stewart
Illustrated by Higgins Bond






About Habitats: Grasslands
Written by Cathryn Sill
Illustrated by John Sill






At the Sea Floor Café
Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Leslie Evans






Bring On the Birds
Written & Illustrated by Susan Stockdale

 

Planting the Wild Garden

Written by Kathryn O. Galbraith

Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin

 

Sound good?

I thought it might.

Now, you still have time to get in on the fun of the previous posts this week.  Just click on the links embedded above and you'll be whisked away to the correct page to submit your entry.  Speaking of entries, let's get on today's post, shall we?  It comes to us from a celebrated illustrator and speaks to the beauty and inspiration she finds in nature for her work...it also happens to be the book I shall review tomorrow here on the site while tallying the entries to see just who won.  Let's give a warm welcome to Wendy Anderson Halperin!

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Planting the Wild Garden 

To draw people I have explored the human skeleton. To draw animals I have studied their skeletons. Their adaptations are fascinating. Skeletons help artists understand how animals and people move. It helps to understand something as you attempt to draw it.

The moment I first read the manuscript for “Planting the Wild Garden” by Kathryn O. Galbraith my curiosity was ignited. As books arrived for my research, hours passed oblivious to the world as I entered the wonderful world of plants and their unique challenges based on rain, animals, insects, sunlight, climate and soil. That initial introduction has led me down a new path of wondering. There are 2 books I would like to recommend to anyone: SEEDS by Kesseler and Stuppy (published by Firefly) and Karl Blossfeldt (published by Taschen).

When we look closely at the adaptations nature has developed, we can only be inspired. The coconut became a favorite as it can travel over 5,000 miles then land on a sandy beach and inside is enough water and food to sustain the seed until the new coconut tree begins. Another seed I discovered is designed to attach itself to the ostrich leg and travel that way. I have tried in the book to illustrate some if the beautiful designs in seeds.

As soon as I began to draw seeds and their traveling systems I began teaching children how to draw them. That has led to many more plant related drawing projects with children. I hope the book inspires children to wonder as I have about seeds and plants as that wondering is probably an infinite path.

I am developing an area of my website for Drawing Children Into Nature and we will be posting children’s “Nature Journaling” starting with drawings from students in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Anyone is invited to submit drawings from nature to me and I will put them on the website. The website is drawingchildrenintoreading.com and there will be a link there. Please put the name of the plant and the date on your drawing. You can put your name and state also. I will also post some of my nature drawings from Michigan where I live. Anyone can send their drawings to dciroffice@gmail.com.

 

 

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Illustrator Bio

 

Wendy Anderson Halperin is the illustrator of over twenty-five books, including Thank You, God, For Everything and Turn! Turn! Turn! She also created the award-winning project "Drawing Children into Reading." She lives in Michigan.

 

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What a journey indeed.

It's always fascinating to learn a bit more about where a story came from, but to hear how it touched the creative soul of an illustrator is not something you get the behind the scenes view of everything.  Thank you so much for sharing!

Now, fair readers....it's your turn once again.

Time to get your final entries in for that prize pack of bookish goodness.  Once you've finished today's entry, feel free to go back and enter on the previous posts this week for additional chances.  It's A-okay with me.  ^_^  Anywho...on to today's entry.

FIRST....

This fabulous Earth Week promotion was brought to you from the great folks over at Peachtree Publishers and so of course the titles being featured are from their current catalog of books.  In reviewing the titles included in the prize pack (as listed above), which one peaks your interest the most?  Which one are you most excited to read for yourself?

Leave your title choice in the comments below.

SECOND...

Fill out THIS FORM.

(Oh and yes...there are BONUS POINTS available this time around.) 

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There you have it.

The sparkling end to a week filled with bookish and earthy goodness.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I and thanks for stopping by!

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour today, including...

A Word’s Worth - Review of A Place for Fish

Abby the Librarian – Review of Planting the Wild Garden

There’s a Book – Review of About Habitats: Grasslands

Good luck to all those that enter.

Until next time...happy Earth Day....and happy reading!