Shennen Bersani's Weblog

Achoo! Puzzles

I’ve created a new Crossword Puzzle for Achoo! Why Pollen Counts. Find these, crafts and coloring pages over at www.achoowhypollencounts.com. 

Welcome to Gnu York!

I’ve been waiting to share this art! I was a guest artist for Geeks Who Drink. I was assigned to illustrate eight cities with animals in their name - more or less. Last night my art was the visual round for all the quizzes across the country, hundreds of them. My son, Ryan, is a quiz master at the Hong Kong in Harvard Square. As we would say in Boston, this was wicked pissaah! Check out Ryan’s roundup of last night’s events here.

Can you solve these?

BTW, check out my handmade jewelry shop, HeartGlimmers, on Etsy. Perfect for your holiday gift giving. And for all the young ones in your life, find my children’s picture books on Amazon here. I’m currently illustrating book 31, there’s over 2 million copies of my books out there! 

Tracy and I at the Hong Kong.

Books, art, jewelry

I want to leave a post here saying hello to anyone who finds me through GWD! My usual gig is illustrating children’s picture books (or writing them!). I’m currently working on my 31st. You can find most of them searching my name here on Amazon. I’ve illustrated a wide assortment of subjects; from realistic non-fiction to whimsical fiction, I’ve created something for just about any family. If you have little kids in your life please check them out. Books make awesome gifts.

This website www.achoowhypollencounts.com has some of my free coloring pages, craft projects, and more.

I also sell my handmade jewelry over at HeartGlimmers on Etsy. I randomly add new pieces, so take a fresh look every now and then. Here are some samples.

Time permitting I even do portrait commissions. You can reach me at sbersani at mac dot com. If I’m too busy, I have friends I will recommend. 

Simple math and word search pages for Achoo! Why Pollen Counts

Here are simple math and word search pages for you to print out. Find more coloring pages and craft projects at www.achoowhypollencounts.com.

 

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts is now in Portuguese, German, and Spanish

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts has been translated, it is now available in Portuguese, German, Tejas Star Award-winning Spanish, and English! Children’s books are the perfect tool for learning new languages. Purchase your copy of any of these at Arbordale.

Hatschi! Warum Pollen wichtig sind (Achoo! auf Deutsch!)

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts has been translated into German! I am so excited, my Pennsylvania Dutch Mom was solid German, née Zimmerman, she passed in ‘89, but I’m certain from Heaven she is proud of my accomplishments. 

Currently the book is available as an interactive Arbordale ebook - it reads to you, and you can click on the animal characters to hear the sounds they make! You can purchase here: Achoo!

Soon to come, it will be printed auf Deutsch, in paperback!

Also available in the Tejas Star Award winning Spanish!

Gesundheit! 

Happy New Year 2019, most recent painting

I’m sharing my most recent acrylic painting, a 24”x36” commissioned piece I did over Christmas week. 

I am available to paint commissioned pieces, depending upon my illustration schedule. Contact me for details.

Wishing all a wonderful and healthy 2019! Happy painting! 

HeartGlimmers - my new Etsy shop!

I am thrilled to announce the opening of my Etsy shop - HeartGlimmers. Soon it will be filled with necklaces, bracelets, and earrings! Take a look: HeartGlimmers 

Some samples:

 

 

 

Achoo! Pollen Snow Globe Craft

Step-by-step-step instructions to make your own pollen snow globe, brought to you by Achoo! Why Pollen Counts, and Shennen Bersani. There are two versions, one very inexpensive and easy, the other a bit more complicated using more supplies. Either way you can use repurposed used containers. Just wash them out and they are ready to go! 

 

 

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts! Make this fun pollen snow globe! Here I used recycled containers, my coloring page printout, and simple items I bought at a craft store.

 

 

Print out this page for your airborne critters.

 

 

Here are the supplies I used. You can get very elaborate, or very simple. I’ve used some little animals to create a forest environment.

 

 

I selected plastic and silk flowers to create a forest in the jar. In one of my snow globes I used green felt for the grass. In another globe I used this fancy ‘fairy’ grass.

 

 

After you have your supplies you will want to color in your airborne critters. Get as fancy and creative as you’d like!

 

 

I painted a coat of gold glitter fingernail polish on mine to give them a shimmering effect.

 

 

Now cut out your critters.

 

 

Glue them back to back. When they sway they will show from any direction.

 

 

Once the glue dries sew a short piece of string to each one.

 

 

Use a piece of duct, or other strong tape, to attach the string to the underneath of the lid.

 

 

Add glitter!

 

 

Screw on the lid and shake! Don’t add water, pollen floats in the AIR. This globe was made using a used jelly jar. This is an inexpensive and easy pollen snow globe. You might want to glue the lid in place so little tykes don’t open and spill onto your rug!

 

 

Now I’m going to make a couple more advanced globes. Repurpose used containers. Here I’m cutting a piece of felt to use as grass.

 

 

I’m adding glue, I am wearing gloves to keep my hands clean. You can also use a hot glue gun.

 

 

I’ve glued down the felt, added fake flowers, and now I’m adding the glitter.

 

 

Securely tape your thread underneath the lid. Again, I recommend duct or strong tape that won’t fall off.

 

 

Secure the lid and enjoy! Once you are finished have fun shaking and playing with your globes!

 

 

If you enjoyed this craft check out my Night Creepers firefly craft here. Print out both coloring sheets and mix & match to create your own unique projects, just like Heather and Ivy did! Love their craft!

 

 

You can buy Achoo! Why Pollen Counts from its publisher, Arbordale here, at Amazon here.

LitPick TOP CHOICE BOOK REVIEW AWARD and Author Interview

 Scroll down for my interview with LitPick. Check out their fabulous video review! 

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts has received two 5 star reviews from student reviewers at LitPick. This earns the book their highest honor, the LitPick Top Choice Book Review Award! Wow, I am so honored and excited! Here are the two reviews:

Student Review
Jonny
Age at time of review - 12 
Reviewer's Location - Matthews, NC, United States 
View Jonny's profile 

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts by Shennen Bersani is about a baby bear who comes out of his den in the spring, sneezing so much that he wishes pollen didn’t exist. When he meets up with his mom, she cleans him up and explains how important pollen is. Then he wanders around and meets all sorts of critters who explain why pollen is important to them too.

It’s a cute story with catchy language that is easy to understand and educational at the same time. It even has a “For Creative Minds” section at the end that has interesting information about allergies, pollination, and bees. A couple of activities about flower parts and pollinators make learning fun, and anyone can read more about allergies, pollen, insects, and bears if they look up resources listed in the bibliography that is included. The very best part of this book is its beautiful artwork. Happy pictures with bright colors and a swirling effect that mimics pollen in the air practically jump off every page.

Opinion: 
Achoo! Why Pollen Counts is written for children ages 5-8, but I can’t imagine who wouldn’t love this book (no matter how old they are)! It is a fantastic multi-purpose book that is perfect for anyone who enjoys nature or wants to know more about pollen. The artwork is detailed enough that young children can picture walk themselves through the basic story. Parents can help their children learn the names of specific creatures that they may not have seen before or do not know yet. Anyone could use it as a guide to help others understand allergy symptoms better, what pollen is, and how it’s used in nature. The more I read this book and looked at its pictures, the more detail I saw and the more I learned. It was like taking a real nature walk outdoors and finding something new to explore with every next step.

hawkreader10
Age at time of review - 13 
Reviewer's Location - Corning, New York, United States 
View hawkreader10's profile
​
Achoo! Baby Bear is allergic to pollen. And he gets covered in it as soon as he wakes up from his long winter hibernation! As he struggles to get rid of the sticky yellow dust covering his fur, Baby Bear decides he does NOT like pollen. He even says that he wishes pollen didn't exist. But as his other animal friends wake up, Baby bear learns that pollen does a lot more than just make him sneeze. In fact, many other animals and insects rely on pollen. His friends Sandy Spiderling, Zoe Zebra Butterfly, and some honey bee larvae even eat it! Will Baby Bear be able to use all his new knowledge to make the best of this “sticky” situation?

Opinion: 
At first, pollen might seem like a strange subject for a children’s book, but in Achoo! Why Pollen Counts by Shennen Bersani, the curious young reader will learn many interesting facts about pollen right along with Baby Bear. The easy to follow storyline and colorful pictures will engage young readers and help them learn about pollen in a fun way. Parents who are reading with their children will probably learn a lot, too.

Bersani packs a lot of scientific information into her story, while still keeping it at a level that young children can understand. Additional information and activity pages in the back of the book offer an opportunity for children to apply their new knowledge.  

I would recommend this book for children three to seven years old to enjoy with their parents. Kids with allergies will be able to identify with Baby Bear and maybe see a brighter side to pollen.

My SIX MINUTE AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH LitPick

 SIX MINUTES WITH SHENNEN BERSANI: Joining LitPick for Six Minutes with an Author is Shennen Bersani, author and illustrator of almost 30 books. Her book, Achoo! Why Pollen Counts, is perfect with spring right around the corner. One of our student reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars, saying, “It is a fantastic multi-purpose book that is perfect for anyone who enjoys nature or wants to know more about pollen.” 
 -----
***How did you get started writing?
When I was very young, my parents sang songs to me. By the time I reached fourth grade, I was writing my own songs, composing them, and singing along with my guitar. As I grew older, I took creative writing classes and expanded my writing into stories. I always dreamed of being an author.
***Who influenced you?
My mother was my biggest influence. She encouraged me to keep journals. I filled my journals with poems, songs, stories, and drawings.
***Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?
I am very fond of earth science, nature, and animals. I don’t have a particular favorite book, I simply love learning new things! I gobble up any books I can find on animals and their habitats. 
***What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?
Read, write, edit.
Read as much as you possibly can. By reading the works of others, you get an understanding of what makes a successful poem, song, or story.
Take a notebook along with you; you can keep one handy in your backpack. When rhymes, poems, or story ideas come to you just jot them down. Read your entries over at the end of the day. Add descriptions, including how you felt at the time, if you were happy, sad, tired, hungry; was it cold, hot, sunny, dark, or raining? Expand on these notes to write poems, stories, plays, books. 
Then comes the edits. This is the hardest part but most important. It is natural to feel your first draft is fabulous and couldn’t possibly be improved! You struggled over your words, selecting just the ‘right’ ones - and it took so darn long for Pete’s sake! There is no way you will want to change anything, it will kill you to do so! Wrong, and I’ll prove it. Set your first draft aside for a few days, a week, or a month... then reread it out loud to yourself. Time has a way of changing our perspective. You will now chuckle at yourself and find all sorts of words or sentences you will want to change and correct. Oops, there you missed a period, and there’s a misspelled word. I simply can’t stress how important edits are to improve your writing. I just wrote this answer over a dozen times. 
***Where is your favorite place to write?
I love sitting alone near my aquarium, surrounded by plants and photos of my family. I have this set up in my studio where I also illustrate books. I write out my research notes and my story arcs freehand on sheets of paper first, then type them up on my computer where I edit, edit, edit.

***What else would you like to tell us?
Don’t ever get discouraged! Follow your dreams wherever they take you. I have piles of unpublished stories. The more books you read, the more you write, the better your writing becomes. 
Also research as much as possible. I crisscross the country doing research and asking people I meet countless questions. I try to learn as much as I can about a subject before I write about it. 
-----
Thanks for joining us, Shennen. We love how your parents began by igniting this passion inside of you that you continued to fan into flame. Your advice about placing a first draft to the side is very helpful, and we know it will benefit many students and other writers. We look forward to your next book featuring natural elements.


Website, blog, social media links: http://www.shennenbersani.com
https://www.facebook.com/shennen.bersani
https://twitter.com/ShennenBersani 

 

Must Have Books For The Elementary Classroom

100 Book Trailers - Must Have Books For The Elementary Classroom

Author and teacher Kate Narita has complied a list of Must Haves for teachers, and Achoo! Why Pollen Counts made her list! Check out Achoo! and her complete list here.
And don't miss all the free Teaching Activities and Quizzes
​on Arbordale's Achoo! Why Pollen Counts page.

Check out this great spring blog post from Arbordale! 

Pollen season 2018 has arrived, what better way to teach your children Why Pollen Counts! 

Looking Forward to Cheetah Dreams AND Choose to Read Ohio 2019 & 2020

It’s spring in Boston, but I’m looking forward to September. I’m excited to announce Cheetah Dreams, written by Linda Stanek and published by Arbordale, will be released. It’s my 14th Arbordale book - and I promise the art will knock your socks off! Check out its Arbordale page

Linda and I also brought you the 10th Children’s Choice Award-winning Once Upon an Elephant, and also Night Creepers! Check them all out over at www.arbordalepublishing.com. 

Also HUGE news for Once Upon an Elephant! The book was selected for Choose to Read Ohio 2019 & 2020. Read about it here.

2018 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books

Congratulations to my illustrated book, Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal, written by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Honey Girl was selected as a 2018 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book. Check out the complete list here. 

I traveled far from my Boston home to the shores of Oahu to do research for my illustrations. Here's a bit about this amazing book:

Hawaiian locals and visitors always enjoy spotting endangered Hawaiian monk seals, but Honey Girl is an extra special case. She has raised seven pups, and scientists call her “Super Mom.” After Honey Girl is injured by a fishhook, she gets very sick. Scientists and veterinarians work to save Honey Girl so she can be released back to the ocean. This true story will have readers captivated to learn more about this endangered species. 

   

Visiting the Berea Elementary School

Yesterday I had the honor of visiting the Berea Elementary School in Montgomery, NY. What an amazing staff and group of kids! I was welcomed with this amazing display in the entry foyer:

 
Look at Baby Bear from, Achoo! Why Pollen Counts!

Isn't this fantastic! WoW!! I can spy characters from over a dozen of my books! Words can't express my love for this! My heartfelt thanks to Mrs. O'Brien for creating this display.

Plus the snakes and bugs at breakfast and lunch! Double cool!!

But this was just the beginning. Morning meet and greet with teachers, luncheon with students, a thousand fabulous questions, and two over an hour long presentations... it was an amazing day sharing my knowledge, speaking about writing, illustrating, book creation, pollen... and so much more. An enormous thank you to Mrs. Storaska for organizing the event, and to Vice Principal Ms. Ryder for introducing me. The entire staff at Berea are amazing!

Night Creepers!

Night Creepers is here! 

Written by Linda Stanek, who also wrote Once Upon an Elephant, and illustrated by me. Check out Arbordale's page.

I have a fun craft for you using repurposed plastic beverage bottles. First, you can download and print this firefly coloring page: 

Find all the instructions with full photos here.

 

 

Once Upon an Elephant wins the 10th Children's Choice Book Awards

Once Upon an Elephant is this year's 3rd and 4th grade category winner for the 10th Children's Choice Book Awards!  THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 

Read the official press release here

Learn more about the book here