Shennen Bersani's Weblog

The last of the moves

The past few weeks I helped Ryan move, helped Karlene move into a temporary sublet of a sublet, and finally, yesterday I helped Karlene relocate to her new residence.

The last of the moves, it proved to be the most challenging in terms of parking and physical labor.

This street clearly was built during Paul Revere's lifetime, or earlier, when roads only had to be wide enough for horse passage. The alleys are still original cobblestone. The entire day was a backup of congestion and traffic jams. The locals sat outside on lawn chairs, drinking beers, watching the entertainment.

Karlene's room doesn't have a closet, so she found this Ikea wardrobe for sale on craig's list.

A delightful gal living in the South End was herself moving this weekend and the wardrobe wouldn't fit into her new place. She lived in the attic of this brownstone, four severe flights up.....

Karlene, my Mountaineer, and I went to pick it up - disassembled in two boxes, it was the worst, most heaviest thing I have ever moved! Pat, Karlene's boyfriend, had gone off to return the U Haul van - thank goodness he was back at the house when we returned! Surprisingly, Karlene still had strength to go on...

almost done...

done!

...as all four of my children get back into the groove of fall - it is time for me to meet my deadlines on a couple trade books and numerous educational illustrations.

I have three new books being released in 2008 -

Ocean Odyssey, A Zig Zag pop-up book
The Feeding Tree
My Sister, Alicia May

I'll update on these as the time draws near.

Summer endings

Yesterday was spent in the sunshine, as Bethany and her teammate Morgan honed their beach volleyball skills at the Newport Volleyball Club's end of the summer tournament.

My Ball!

Morgan is 6' 1" tall!

Kerrin and Ryan check out the surf.

sunburnt

Moving Day

I helped my son Ryan and his girlfriend Lauren move today from their fourth floor East Boston (aka Logan Airport runway) apartment to a third floor flat around the corner from Brown and RISD.

Lots of stairs!

So, what do you do with the big stuff? Break our necks like in Boston? Naw, go through the window~! Click on the photos to enlarge them.

housepainters were working outside today

let's start with the boxspring

Lauren has a twin sister Heather

ok, so let's try the sofa - the painter's ladder should come in handy

love seat? Piece of cake!

Thanks everyone!

...Tuesday, I help Karlene move

Dog Days of Summer

Kerrin is first flute in her middle school band. She practices everyday, often here in my room as I work.

It's magical listening to her.

She's been away at summer camp for two weeks; she has another ten days to go....

..days before she left we hung out at the Apple Store

She hasn't been away before, I miss having her about. I miss hearing her practice her flute.

The youngest of four, she has a lot to look up to. Her brother is a mathematical and linguistic genius. By her age, 13, he was already acing college Calculus. He took to Latin and Ancient Greek like child's play. When he tired of math, he worked at the Boston Globe - wrote numerous articles for their Sports Dept.; he's interned for the Boston Bruins, now works for the Red Sox.... How do you beat that?

Karlene found her own niche. She was in a national TV commercial, she's danced professionally with Boston Ballet... Gorgeous, tall, slender, brainy, she's working at a large Boston law firm - working her way to becoming a true Ally McBeal.

Bethany's strong willed, has a mind of her own. She is talent personified. With an IQ that rivals Ryan's, she has other interests than being academic Top Dog. She is a kick-ass volleyball player, a first-place long jumper, she is a gifted visual artist - winning a Silver Key in this past year's Boston Globe Scholastic Awards, she is first oboe in her high school band and Wind Ensemble. She masters everything she attempts - then, bored, usually walks away from it. This is my favorite link to her chess. After two years of slaughtering all the boys at her school, the day she beat Ryan she quit playing.

She and Kerrin play poker, loser washes the dishes.

So then there is Kerrin. She has brains, beauty, and talent to look up to. Does she falter under sibling rivalries? Nope, not one bit.

She earned her straight As in the same gifted and talented program from the same teachers that her older siblings had. Unlike all of them, she studies Chinese. She is the only person I know of who can beat Ryan at the game of Set. Instead of dancing, she is a blur of motion as a competitive majorette. Following her two older sisters' footsteps, she earned her spot as a starter on her school's volleyball team. And, as mentioned, she is a talented musician.

Kerrin's hair has grown considerably longer since this picture was taken. With the heart of an angel, when she returns from camp Kerrin will for the second time donate her hair to Locks of Love so a cancer patient may have a wig.

Back in January, after a classmate sent Kerrin the Meet your Meat web site, she became a staunch vegetarian. Articulate and intelligent, she will hold her own on any animal rights debate. After a few months of listening to her strong-willed opinions I myself went to the site. I decided to stand in solidarity with her - not so much for the animals' rights, but for health issues. Why eat arsenic-laced chicken breasts? What is healthy about that? You don't have to believe there is arsenic in your chicken, but it is rather logical if you realize that it takes enormous amounts of feed to 'feed' the chickens - those grains have rat poison on them to control the rodents it attracts - the chickens eat the rat poison, you ultimately eat the arsenic. Chicken just tasted rubbery and unpleasant after I learned all that.

I will admit that as soon as I dropped Kerrin off at camp, while I drove down the mountainside, I turned to Bethany and told her that I desired a cheeseburger. My friends listened to this hunger pain for a couple of days, too. So Bethany goes to Unos, has one, and comes home looking ill - "It didn't taste good Mom, honest, it just wasn't worth it."

I haven't indulged.

So, what is Kerrin eating? She wrote me a letter; she is eating donuts for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, and mashed potato sandwiches and cooked carrots for dinner. I can just hear her informing campers what disgusting ingredients are in those roasted wieners they are consuming! She is an ace.

We miss you Pumpkin. I'm getting dish-pan hands! LOL!

Reflections

So my Mountaineer's engine is dead, which didn't get me down until yesterday when the rear tire came off my bike a mile from home and the lawn mower choked and coughed it's last breath...

Fortunately I have photos of Italy on my wall - they can brighten the darkest day.

Bethany, Kerrin, and I went to Italy in April 2004. We traveled south to north. Karlene also went, she traveled north to south. At one point we left a hotel in Florence before lunch and Karlene checked in after lunch. She and I called each other, exchanged journey stories, and racked up a fabulous phone bill. Worth every penny.

We left poor Ryan back at BU, he was in class minoring in Italian!

I took over 1,000 digital photos. Here's just a couple. First off, what the heck is with this hair? Kerrin laughed herself silly when I told her that I was going to post this - why not laugh at myself??

Me, in the subway in Rome - notice my reflection behind me.

What's not to love about the Ponte Vecchio? I got hypoglycemic after crossing it and required some gelato. Tough, I know.

Now this one is a personal favorite. Here is Bethany with her younger sister Kerrin. Guess what? Kerrin is taller than Bethany now!!

You never can go wrong with a couple of gondolas. When I was a child we always ate at a local Italian restaurant - I can still see the red gondola printed on the take-out pizza box lid. I dreamed of traveling down the Grand Canal. ...it was better than I dreamt.

We were told that this was one of the holding cells for Christians - umm, waiting to meet the lions - in the Colosseum.

Oh No! Androcles, watch out!!

phew!! Androcles gets freed!!

illustrations by Shennen Bersani © McGraw-Hill 2002

Okay, so I got a little silly there - those were from Androcles and the Lion; a flash from my illustrating past. Here's what the interior of the Colosseum really looks like:

Let's leave Italy on a cheerful note!

flowers in Milan

Inside and Outside

Barbara has been urging me to take fresh photos of my studio space, I made it as far as taking a pic of my latest addition - an orchid.

I took the butterfly photo last year and the skate eggs on the wall are from Ocean Counting Odd Numbers.

As my work continues on The Feeding Tree I felt a compulsion to put up a couple of bird feeders in my front yard. Here is a baby robin who visited my fence.

In the book the family makes homemade feeders, here is my first study of one for the book - this illustration got published in the current issue of Vineyard Style Magazine. My illustration of the feeder for the book will be in technicolor! LOL!!

Over the years the great thing about Vineyard Style Magazine is that John and Charlie have given me leeway to be experimental with my illustrations. The next issue will show a different side of me.

The Journey Home - The Beginning

I grew up in Weymouth, MA with one kid sister, Holly McNeil. I spent my childhood looking out for her, loving her, forever frustrated that I couldn't communicate with her as a peer. She has Down syndrome. Today, very healthy and active, she is 40 years old and I am her legal guardian.

Holly age 7, Christmas, 1973

Holly age 40, myself 45, Christmas, 2006

My daughter Karlene, 20, took this photo of me and Holly last Christmas. Holly, just shy of 4'11", told her niece Karlene, 5'9", "When I grow up I'm gonna be tall like you Karlene!"

Just recalling the conversation still makes me weepy.

On our mother's deathbed so many, many years ago, I promised my mother that I would look after Holly. As I have found, some promises are hard to keep - and some ghosts never lie down.

With four children in a five room house there hasn't been any room for Holly to stay with me, other than an occasional slumber on my couch. She lives with a wonderful caregiver, Phyllis. She attends an adult day program. She has her own friends, she has a warm, caring disposition. She likes to write long letters and sends them in the mail. She loves music, she loves to sing and dance.

Living in the present.

A couple of months ago I found myself working on two British mass market book projects and a trade book for Mitten Press, The Feeding Tree. I received an email from publisher X asking to see my portfolio. I assembled it and drove off to the post office. While I was in the parking lot I received a phone call from editor Jean Cochran at Pleasant Street Press. She had found me on childrensillustrators.com and was very impressed with my work. She told me about her press, was surprised at the coincidence that she was in Raynham, MA and I was only a stone's throw away in Brockton - but she had found me on a British website. We found it more coincidental that we both had graduated from Weymouth North High - a school that no longer exists. I graduated a few years before she attended, I eventually got married and moved here to Brockton.

We were having a nice conversation until she said, "Let me tell you about the book! It's the story of two sisters told from the older one's perspective, the younger one has Down syndrome...."

I went completely silent, barely speaking, "You couldn't have known... you couldn't have known this about me..."

Mother's Day

On Mother's Day my son Ryan came home to help me clean the yard and mow my lawn. I told him about the book. He pointed out the dates, Jean and Holly had attended Weymouth North High School together. He said this book was written for me to illustrate.

My conversations with Barbara went along the same lines, that I was meant to illustrate this book.

A couple weeks went by, reliving my childhood. I knew an emotional journey for me was just beginning. Reading the manuscript choked me up. The floodgates of emotions and memories overwhelmed me.

I knew I had to illustrate the book; I was certain that I could bring to it the sparkle of my own shared experiences. My heart was filled with love for the two girls. I knew I had to meet with them. This past Wednesday I did. Jean and I met at author Nancy Tupper Ling's house and Jean drove us to Southern Connecticut. There we met with the girls, their younger sister, and their mom Cheri.

Alicia and Rachel

Donna highly recommended that I write a journal, capturing the details and progress I make as I take on this assignment.

To that end, I want to thank Michael Palmer for suggesting the wonderful book Born Early and his editor, Jennifer Enderlin, for describing in detail for me the heart surgery her son underwent. One scene in the book has Rachel holding Alicia after her heart surgery - but their mom Cheri didn't take a photo of this as it was too painful. With the generous help from others, I hope to lovingly illustrate this moment in Alicia's young life.

The Journey Begins

Beautifully written by Writer's Digest Grand Prize award winning author Nancy Tupper Ling.

MY SISTER, ALICIA MAY
8 x 10, 32 pgs - hard cover
Nancy Tupper Ling
Illustrated by Shennen Bersani

Summary
Based on the lives of two real sisters, My Sister, Alicia May touches on the joys and challenges of growing up with a sibling who has Down syndrome. Exquisitely written with humor and compassion by Nancy Tupper Ling, this book expresses beautifully that both sisters are, indeed, very special girls. Ages 5 & up.

Available Fall 2008.

My personal thanks already (and will often) go out to Jean, Nancy, and Cheri.

A Big City Kitty Ditty!

I consider myself to be very rich in family and friends - so I was fortunate to have watched my dear friend Barbara Johansen Newman work on her latest book
Tex & Sugar A Big City Kitty Ditty.

Watching Barb paint in her studio took my breath away! ~ and had inspired me to do my own acrylic paintings!

...but yesterday was Barbara's day - and she graciously shared it with all her friends and family, 145 of them!

Barbara and Rob

Phil Newman and Sharon Holm

dueling artists!

Liz and Eric Dubois

Donna and Bruce Berger

the Tex & Sugar Bar

The Barmen

She's actually not drinking that!

She actually IS drinking that!

Put that down!!

more tacos??

There were SO many children's book writers and illustrators there - I just didn't take too many photos! And, as always, it was a treat to see Barb's parents and Phil's mom... but the very best part for me was being able to spend time with all four of my kids! (The older they get, the harder it is to get all five of us together...)

Ryan, Bethany, Shennen, Kerrin, and Karlene Bersani

Thank You Barb and Phil for such a fabulous time!

Going International

The translation rights to Ocean Counting: Odd Numbers was sold to Korea Hemingway, a Korean publisher.

bers

scenes from Ocean Counting: Odd Numbers

My double page spread Monarch on the Move first published in chickaDEE Magazine, June 2006 was translated as Monarque en migration and republished in Les eXplorateurs, Mai 2007.

two of the six illustrations from Monarque en migration

A visit to Erie PA

The past two days I have been in Erie, PA. I have been to PA countless times in my life visiting my mother's large Pennsylvania Dutch family, but I had never gone as west as Erie. The city surpassed all of my preconceived expectations! Not only are the people wonderful (a fabulous basket full of Erie souvenirs and homemade banana-nut bread was waiting in my hotel room for me - thanks to the thoughtful women from OLCS), but the Lake is simply gorgeous in this location!

I thought that I was on Cape Cod!

I was greeted at the airport by Our Lady's Christian School's librarian Nancy Andersen. After a quick stop to one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at, the Bel-Aire Clarion, Nancy brought me out to dinner. Here we met up with a number of other OLCS teachers:

Yesterday I gave presentations to all the students, K-8. It was heartwarming to me to have the kindergarten children wholeheartedly applaud every time one of my illustrations came up on the screen! And it was equally rewarding to have the junior high students engrossed in my presentation, asking me well thought out, purposeful questions.

These kids are top notch. One of their fellow classmates, a fifth grader named Brittany, is in Children's Hospital awaiting a heart transplant. In one day's time, these kids raised over $5,000. to help her family!

Another impressive thing the OLCS students are doing is in the Erie community. They have been working with an artist-in-residence to create glass birds which will be displayed for one year in the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle.

The birds will be hung in the tower, flying free beyond the glass windows.

The students have already been preparing the inside walls of the tower. Nancy Andersen brought me to visit the TREC to show me poetry the kids have already written on the walls in chalk.

In addition to our visit to the TREC, Nancy gave me a tour of the Peninsula. I was captivated by the sight of little houses anchored on the lake.

My many thanks go out to Nancy, Jeanne, and the rest of the Author Day Committee for making my visit so memorable!

Playing in Boston's Symphony Hall

Today my daughter Bethany played her oboe in Boston's Symphony Hall.

She is part of Brockton High's Wind Ensemble. They recently competed in the MICCA Festival. MICCA stands for the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association. Under the direction of conductor Vincent Macrina, the Wind Ensemble earned Gold in the recent competition.

Stars at Symphony was a presentation of all the Gold winners.

Brockton High's Wind Ensemble enters Symphony Hall.

Congratulations!!

A visit to the Liverpool Elementary School, Liverpool, NY

A visit to the Liverpool Elementary School - otherwise known as; What DOES Mom do when she is away??

I just returned hours ago from a three day trip to Liverpool NY. Since this is April Vacation Week in Massachusetts I took along my daughters Bethany and Kerrin.

When I travel, the girls are always curious as to just what I do... now they know:
I give presentations, I give workshops on how to make books, I sign my own books....

I spent two mornings giving presentations to K-6th grade, and two afternoons giving book making workshops to the third graders.

The entire staff at LE were phenomenal! Many thanks for the breakfast and lunch they provided us Thursday and Friday; and a special thanks go to art teacher Debbie Walsh and librarian Doreen Bergman for coordinating my visit. I won't soon forget you gals... extra thanks for the LE Gaters tee shirts!

In the book making workshops the third graders wrote their own alphabet books and illustrated pages from the book. I scanned in each page while I was at the school and I will print and bind them together for the kids over this weekend.

Windows make terrific lightboxes for tracing!

I thought this photo was funny - from this angle, it looks like the young girl is picking my nose...

LE is in the Village of Liverpool, just outside of Syracuse, NY and on the shore of lovely Onondaga Lake.

A visit to the Lincoln Elementary School, Grand Island, Nebraska

I returned home today after spending Monday and Tuesday at the Lincoln Elementary School in Grand Island Nebraska. Monday I gave five presentations and Tuesday I did one presentation and ran two workshops to future authors and illustrators.

Photo credit, Lane Hickenbottom, The Grand Island Indepentent full story: http://www.theindependent.com/stories/040307/new_illustrator03.shtml

During my workshops I gave the students one of my own assignments - an ocean pop-up book - to work on. Here we try to unravel the engineering of the folds.

...and here students work independently

I am interviewed for a school project.

My thanks to Maura Hendrickson for taking these photos.

This was my first time visiting Nebraska - and I LOVED it! I flew in from Denver on a small 20 seat plane to the sight of migrating flocks of sandhill cranes and was greeted by my host, Lincoln Elementary Integration Specialist, Maura Hendrickson. Maura showed me the sights of Nebraska - acres of cornfields, a one-room school house, small towns. I had a terrific time, making new friends, seeing new sights, visiting a wonderful school with bright, enthusiastic children!

A special thanks to Maura for all her help. She is a fabulous asset to her school!

I hope that my travels bring me back to Nebraska soon!

This stagecoach's last stop.

A one room schoolhouse.

A small town.

farm roads through the cornfields

from the airplane, cornfields as far as the eye can see...

A visit to the John Marshall School in East Hampton, NY

Oh the places you will go when you read (illustrate) a book......

Yesterday I visited the John Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton, NY. Wow, what a lovely location, I had never been to the Hamptons before and I was delighted by the ocean views and quaint seaside towns.

These kids were tremendous! I thank librarian Danielle Schuster for her wonderful hospitality.

Monday night I had a chance to do some site seeing. I stayed at the East Hampton House Resort and the hotel's staff was very helpful in directing me to the best eateries and 'sites'. I took a ride down to the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse.

Deer were grazing on the front lawn. Simply breathtaking.

Caught in the act in NY

Sweet Ruth McNally Barshaw captured me, again this year, in her SCBWI Midyear sketchbook.

Ruth keeps a record of the conference's events in sketchbook format, please check it out - SCBWI NY 2007 - her sketches are fabulous! And they helped land her her own book, ELLIE MCDOODLE: HAVE PEN, WILL TRAVEL which will debut on May 1st!!!

I wish you a world of success Ruth! I have seen the advance copy - it is great! Everybody, go out and buy it.

A Visit to the LCHS, Rogersville, Alabama

Each school that I visit touches my heart in a special way, yesterday I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting LCHS (Lauderdale County High School) in Rogersville, AL.

But, let me start from the beginning of my trip....

Thursday I head off out of Providence RI... I have a layover in Washington DC. I have previously skirted the city, but I haven't actually 'been to DC', so, while I had another week of US Air delays (giving me ample time to read The Fifth Vial), I also had a chance to sight see from the airport window:

...and later from the plane:

I flew into Huntsville, then drove 50 miles west to the Joe Wheeler State Park Resort. Thursday night's accommodations were at a lodge, miles into a state park. I drove in the dark, my headlights the only glow in the sooty darkness - occasionally spooking an opossum or raccoon family out of hiding. I was leery that I was traveling in the right direction - until I eventually came across the lodge....

It was a spectacular wood and stone building - the inviting smell of warmth wafting from the fireplace... the scent of Southern Hospitality in the air. But the best was yet to come, I awoke to this view of the marina from my balcony yesterday morning:

paradise

I soon headed off to the LCHS and was greeted outside by their wonderful librarian, Vicky Nelson. Gosh, is she a wonderful woman! She had baked me a cake and also had fresh breakfast crescents, water, and orange juice waiting for me in the library.

For me to say that the students of LCHS were fabulous children would be an understatement! They were some of the best kids I have met - filled with warmth and hugs for me, personal stories, and inquisitive questions!

I left them an apple to remember me by:

The Fifth Vial

I'm going to put a plug in here for my friend Michael Palmer's newest book, The Fifth Vial. The book is currently #18 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction list.

I picked up my copy last month at Michael's book launch party - a very nice time where Michael read out loud to us in attendance. (I always love it when authors read their own words... there always is so much emotion in their voices.)

I have been reading The Fifth Vial while I have been traveling, in airports, on planes, biting my fingernails as I look over my shoulder... this is a suspenseful medical thriller. Basically it 'feels' all too real. What if a sample of your blood is tissue typed and put into a massive database without your knowing it? What if you are the perfect match for a person of wealth or power and they need your organ? Who has the right to play God? Who is to say whose life is more important - say, a poor farm worker or a teenage virtuoso? And then the plot thickens...

Palmer fans will find all their favorites, locales of Boston, pet cats, hints at the supernatural, and a plot that makes you think.

Of course what I find the most fascinating is catching all the inserts from Michael's personal life tossed in. For instance, Ben the detective mentions that his zodiac sign is Libra. Wouldn't you know that Michael's birthday is October 9th.... also note that Michael's grandson's name is Ben, but I'm not sure if he's also a Libra - I'll have to remember to ask.

So I am about half way through the book, I am looking forward to tomorrow's trip to Alabama (again), I have a date with a killer.....

Young Authors Conference in Shelby County Alabama

Saturday I had the pleasure of presenting to the third graders at the Young Authors Conference in Shelby County Alabama.

Third graders from Shelby County find out just HOW big a whale shark is.

I flew into Birmingham on Friday, leaving terrible weather behind in Boston, losing my luggage along the way.... Upon arrival I went to dinner at Fox Valley Restaurant in Helena with program director Heather Mays, her husband, and authors Marsha Diane Arnold, Patricia Hermes, and Laurence Pringle. It was a nice treat to dine with such wonderful company!

Mrs. Mays coordinated some very impressive speakers for this year's conference.

Saturday we arrived early to the Thompson High School in Alabaster - there I also had the pleasure of meeting author Charles Ghigna and story teller (Times magazine writer) Verna Gates (Verna spent the next day in Selma with the Clintons and wrote about it for Time.com).

I was greeted by University students and a delightful third grade mother named Robin. I can't speak enough of the wonderful Southern hospitality that I received.

I gave three presentations to third graders, students who were chosen to attend this year's conference after writing and illustrating their own books in their classrooms. Students from 19 schools were bussed in for the day's activities - which also included story telling and face painting. It was a remarkable experience for me to see such enthusiastic kids! At book signing time, I looked through countless books written by the children, I saw some absolutely gorgeous illustrations and read some delightful stories!

Then, flying home Saturday night, I saw the lunar eclipse from the plane window - what an amazing ending to such a delightful weekend!

Boston Globe Scholastic Awards

Bethany photographing her print, Sink or Swim.

Bethany informs me that her piece was hung upside down - this is how she created it.

On Sunday, while I was in NYC, the Boston Globe had the ceremony for the Massachusetts Scholastic Art Awards.

My daughter, Bethany, won a Silver Key this year for one of her prints.

Today we went to see the winners on display.

Winning is becoming a family tradition. In 2004, Karlene, my eldest daughter's photography portfolio won a Gold Key and was sent to NYC.

Which brings me to me. I credit where I am today because of my own winning roots. It wasn't enough to be a straight A student in art all through high school, I wanted to attend art school and my mother disagreed. She sternly stated her opinion; she said that I didn't have the talent, that I wasn't any good. Somewhere, deep inside of me, I disagreed with her. Getting chosen by Scholastic solidified my resolve, commitment, and determination. I felt that if they thought that I was talented, then my mother was wrong. As a high school student, seeing my pen and ink drawing on display in Boston was a life changing experience for me.

I took out school loans and put myself through the Art Institute of Boston. I believed in myself. I chose to follow my heart and my dreams.

I don't regret my decision for a moment. My mother passed away shortly after I finished up at AIB, before my career began....

Today, years later, I have a successful career as an illustrator. And I have been hired numerous times by both the Boston Globe and Scholastic. So, Miss Bethany, I could not be more proud of you! Follow your dreams, my angel, and allow them to take you to new heights. I'll always be there to support you.

Playing Tag in the Playground

I've been catching up with lots of school visit paperwork the past two days; and ignoring Barbara's tag. Barb and I were roomies in NY, and I listened to her as she read her email, and as she 'tagged' me. I immediately tried to think of six people that I could tag back... June, Liz, Monica, Janee, John Nez quickly came to mind... who else do I know with blogs? Donna? Paula? Janet? Ruth? Do they have them, do they still keep up with them?

I sighed wearily as Barb typed and smiled, "I tag Shennen, John, Liz, Janee...."

....my hands in prayer here, ...please don't say Monica....

"Monica...."

"You can't have June, she's mine!" I spoke out!

Unless I randomly tag strangers with blogs, the best that I can do here is tag June Goulding I simply don't know many bloggers other than the ones Barb took. What can I say, we travel in the same circle of friends.

The idea here is to post six obscure things about myself and then tag six friends and tell them to post six obscure facts about themselves.

I feel like I am breaking a chain letter :-(

Here goes: My Six Obscure Facts

1. My mother's mother was born in the town of Shenandoah Pennsylvania. Her name was Ruth. My mother named me after that town, just changing the spelling slightly, so my name is Shennen Ruth. My grandfather was a coal miner.

2. My mother's whole family was Pennsylvania Dutch. She was a night club singer in Pottsville, met my father, a Master Sergeant in the Army, married him and moved up to Massachusetts with him. I came along eight years later and grew up in the town of Weymouth, MA.

3. When I was about six years old my father won a pony for me in a gas station raffle. The gas station was in Jackson Square, Weymouth, about where Brady's Package Store now is. The pony whinnied late into the evening when my father came home from working second shift. A senior citizen neighbor often called the police, complaining. ...so funny, for my father was a cop. We ended up boarding the pony at Margett's in Hingham. (I know that these guys are septic cleaners, but they also had horses back then, maybe they still do...)

4. I was a Camp Fire Girl for two years; second grade and third grade.

5. In the sixth grade I sang a solo in the William Seach School Spring Concert, I Could Have Danced All Night.

6. As a teenager I had a green O'Day Widgeon sailboat. I used to bring friends out and we would run it aground or tip it over. I sold it to help pay for art school.

So, there you go! June, and anyone else who would like to jump onboard needs to post six obscure things about themselves and pass it along to cough, cough, six people.....

Big Apple weekend

I had a Big Apple weekend!

It started on Friday - I visited three schools in Middletown RI; the Aquidneck School, the John F Kennedy School, and the Forest Ave School. This was all part of Salve Regina University's March into Reading program. Wonderful librarian Renee Kaminitz was my guide for the day. I have to say that the children in Middletown are just delightful! It was my pleasure to be a part of this literacy program for two years in a row. The author/illustrator luncheon was fun, I got to meet up with my friends from last year, Stacy, Kitty, and Pat - and of course an old friend and colleague, David Biedrzycki.

I returned home to find a new book contract in my inbox. I'm thrilled to announce that I will be illustrating a new book for Mitten Press to be released in 2008.

And then I raced off to New York City for the annual Midyear Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Convention.

For my Showcase Art Exhibit entry this year I thought that I would challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone by using acrylics instead of the usual colored pencil. Above is my entry, "The Great Cookie Robbery". Barbara Johansen Newman loved it, and I thank her for purchasing the original.

Barbara and I roomed together and we took the Acela home. I am telling everyone - Nothing beats the Acela First Class. I totally recommend it!

No Trans Fats

I painted these mice for a promotional postcard to bring with me to New York City later this week. New York, where I can eat trans fat free cookies and donuts!

Why does it seem that all the tastiest foods are high in trans fats? I'm bummed about Land o Lakes Country Morning Blend; those trans fats never tasted so good. It must be a good 25 years that I have used nothing but that product.

ho hum

If you would like one of my postcards, send me your email address and I'll be happy to get one out to you! There's a surprise on the other side!

I am often asked for donations from schools; but this one from a high school senior really touched my heart. I asked Ms. Campbell if I could post this in hopes that others will also donate to the Gorenflo Elementary. Since this is Ms. Campbell's senior project it seems best that you would also mention her name when donating books to Mr. Hunt.

Dear Ms. Bersani:

My name is Merrie Campbell and I am a senior at Downingtown West High School, located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I am working on my Senior Project for Community Service and despite my enthusiasm; I know I can’t take on all the work myself. I need your help.

As you know the Gulfport Mississippi area was one of the areas most affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I have adopted Gorenflo Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi who lost their library books and classrooms to the hurricanes. 96% of the children at Gorenflo live at or below the poverty level. Gorenflo Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi received major damage and the students were displaced into trailers and other elementary schools for over 15 months. They just recently moved back to their school.

It is important that we help these children, who lost their homes, their friends, and their families, get back to their schools. Children flourish in a nurturing classroom environment and being able to go to a classroom that is fully functional and a working library will be a big step to opening up the world to these children.

I know that the children of Gorenflo Elementary would enjoy your books and they would be a great addition to their lives.

I am asking you to help out with a tax-deductible donation of books to help this school rebuild their library. The Principal, Librarian and Teachers of Gorenflo Elementary would appreciate any help that you could provide. I hope we can count on you for a generous donation.

I thank you for your time and consideration of this request. I look forward to whatever support you can provide. Please send books to the attention of Mr. Rusty Hunt, Gorenflo Elementary Librarian, 771 Elder Street, Biloxi, MS 39530. The Biloxi School District Federal Tax ID is 64-6008267.

Thank you for your consideration and generosity.

Merrie Campbell
c/o Patricia Bell, Principal
Downingtown West High School
445 Manor Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 269-4400

A visit to the Broadmeadow Elementary School

Today I was delighted to spend the day visiting the Broadmeadow Elementary School in Needham MA. I gave five presentations throughout the school day and enjoyed every minute of it!

Christmas 2007 Thank yous

Fast becoming a holiday tradition, three years running, my dearest friend Barbara Johansen Newman and her husband Phil opened their home to me and my four children yesterday on Christmas. Barbara has the most loving family, her wonderful parents Lori and Paul of course were there as well as Phil's delightful mom Jean (my goodness, she is almost 92 and she doesn't look a year past 79!).

Barb is the most amazing person! A gorgeous table setting for 14, and more scrumptious food than I have had at Lock-obers.... My kids and I thank you Barb and Phil....

....so, here we are off the Atlantic coastline. Over by the Pacific Ocean lives my friend Kevan Atteberry. Barb happens to own his snowflake from the Robert's Snow collection and I told Barbara that I would show Kevan how lovely it looks hanging in her home. Merry Christmas Kevan!

My Christmas thank yous wouldn't be complete without also thanking Lynn Morrissey. Lynn is another one of my good friends and she had me do a portrait of her granddaughter Sophia for a Christmas gift to Sophia's parents. Well, with a hectic pre-Christmas schedule of band concerts and plays I didn't finish the framing until Christmas Eve. When my girls and I dropped it off Lynn made a small impromptu party out of it. With beautiful blond hair