Monthly Archives: November 2012

As I wrap up my last post about the Texas Book Festival, it’s important to note that today’s author, while last, is definitely not least.  As a matter of fact, he was the biggest surprise to me.  Since I’m currently working on 2 manuscripts for children’s picture books (ages 4-8), I was “bouncing-in-my-seat happy” to hear from Rob Scotton, Tad Hills, and Philip Yates.

When I read Mr. Saltzberg’s biography, his appearance on the panel didn’t excite me.  I saw he’d written many board books for preschoolers, but had just published his first picture book, Andrew Drew and Drew.  http://youtu.be/m5jeZJ8Renw

 

What I thought I really needed was to hear from the other authors who had done what I hope to do.  Surely this guy had nothing to offer me.

But I soon discovered how wrong I was.

Right off the bat, I related to the inspiration for his latest board book, Arlo Needs Glasses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEpNPMCWltc

He shared about his 75 pound golden doodle and the dog’s poor catching skills.  Look at Arlo with a bandana…so cute!  My two silly dogs have also inspired the seeds of ideas for my manuscripts.

Then, near the end of the session, each author/illustrator was encouraged to stand by an easel pad and show their method of illustrating.  When it was Barney’s turn, he removed the marker cap and began talking.  And like me, he spoke while gesturing with his hands.  All of a sudden, OOPS, he’d made a stray mark on the paper behind him that he was supposed to use.

This “mistake” was the springboard for him to share his vision for art and his work.

Let me give you some context.  If you’ve ever seen a child with a blank piece of paper, you know what happens when he or she makes a mistake, tears it on accident, or erases too hard and rips the paper.   “I messed up.  I need a new piece.”  And if you don’t immediately comply, the child will either get mad or end up close to tears.  It seems this “broken” piece of paper just will not do.

Barney Saltzberg sees this as a problem and he has helped become part of the solution.

In Beautiful Oops, his interactive multi-texture and sensory board book, he shows kids the beauty found in the unexpected.

Did you tear your page by mistake?  It’s now the alligator’s mouth.

Did you accidentally spill a paint glob on your page?  Look at that glob for a moment.  What do you see?  Perhaps a puppy or bird shape?

Did you bend your paper?  No problem.  Turn it into the penguin’s face.

The story ends with a lasting message: “When you think you have made a mistake…OOPS…Think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful.”

This might not sound like a big deal to you, but for me (a struggling perfectionist) it was an attractive reminder.  And as a former elementary teacher, I know many children that also struggle with performance anxiety. Open your mind, relax, and let art happen!

If you’re more of a “I’ll believe it when I see it” kind of person, please enjoy one of these classroom visit videos and watch the kids’ reactions to this adult’s behavior.  Kids LOVE him and you will too!
10-minute version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0A3QhGVyDs
2-minute version here: http://youtu.be/gC6fF5IJjjU

Barney further explores this idea in his next project called 2 + 2 = Banana.  There are no right answers, no ONE and ONLY way to do things when it comes to creative expression.

So at the end of the day, I actually spent more money on Barney Saltzberg’s books—yes, preschool board books—than the other authors.  And yes I did have fun pulling and lifting all the flaps.  It was especially fun to try the variety of glasses on Arlo to help him find the perfect pair.

This author/illustrator is also a musician, frequently creating silly songs on the fly when he’s visiting classrooms.  Listening to him, I was inspired by his open mind and passionate creativity.  He is full of energy, ideas, and (most appealing to me) a freedom to make mistakes and explore those mistakes for potential beauty.

Little kids aren’t the only ones who need to hear that.

Author Links:

http://www.barneysaltzberg.com
http://barneysaltzberg.blogspot.com

Interview about his Dual-Book Tour with 2 different publishers
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/54316-workman-and-abrams-team-up-for-barney-saltzberg-tour.html

Crazy Hair Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcshjFgOYE4

What a pleasure it was for me to meet Rob Scotton at the Texas Book Festival last weekend.  This author from Rutland, England, loves to talk.  But I can assure you that each of us in the audience loved to listen–to his ideas and accent!  His picture books about Splat the Cat are very popular, causing a long book signing line at the festival.

Meet Splat the Cat

Inspiration #1

Listening to Rob speak, I especially found the “insider information” about his inspiration intriguing.  As a fellow writer working on 2 manuscripts of my own, I love hearing how the seeds of ideas get started.  I’ve found that my ideas come from everyday things that happen in life.  Anything can inspire.  Rob’s story is further proof of this.

Rob was running his lawnmower in his backyard one summer day when his eyes spotted this ugly beast on top of his fence. It had bald patches and a clipped ear.  It was his neighbor’s cat.  This particular cat had a habit of attacking Rob when he least expected it.  He kept his eye on the cat as he went back and forth with the lawnmower.  Suddenly, a gust of wind came and the cat teetered precariously.  It then hung in the air briefly before falling from the fence.  Rob thought to himself, “Surely this agile creature will land safely on his feet, as all cats do.”  But when the cat landed not so gracefully on its bum, he heard the word “SPLAT” in his head.  He immediately ran inside, lawn duties forgotten for the moment, and played with the idea of a character, Splat the Cat.

A key element for this artist was finding the look of Splat right from the start.  He needed a cat he could enjoy spending time writing stories.  Rob wanted to keep Splat simple.  As a child, Rob had practiced drawing characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto.  These shapes were simple and easy to practice with.  So he designed Splat’s rectangular body with his young audience in mind.

And what could be funnier on a chunky body than long skinny “arms” and legs coming off it?

Next Rob played with various ideas for the eyes, and finally settled on the “wide-eyed” look of the circles close together. This style is similar to Russell the Sheep, a beloved character from his previous picture books.  He also had fun with Splat’s tail, which expresses the character’s mood.

Rob Scotton’s illustrations are created using Painter and Photoshop.  He even has a pressure-sensitive stylus and pad that allows him to create the brushstrokes for Splat’s amazing fur!

I encourage you to meet Splat now at your local library or bookstore.  Then this summer, as “back to school” rolls back around, revisit this story and the Back to School activities below with your child or students.

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensimages/printable/splat_activity%5B2%5D.pdf

Inspiration #2

Rob Scotton’s latest book is just in time for Thanksgiving, Splat Says Thank You.  This idea has a totally different origin than the original Splat.

Rob was at a book signing and a little boy stood off to the side.  In between signings, this 6 year old kept asking him questions about his books.  It went something like this:

Boy: You wrote a Halloween Splat book, didn’t you?

Rob: Yes, I did.  Did you like it?

Boy: Yes, I did.

[long pause as Rob signs someone’s book]

Boy: You wrote a Christmas Splat book, didn’t you?

Rob: Yes, I did.  Did you like it?

Boy: Yes, I did.

[another long pause as Rob signs someone’s book]

Boy: You wrote a Valentine Splat book, didn’t you?

Rob: Yes, I did.  Did you like it?

Boy: Not really.

[another long pause as Rob signs someone’s book]

Boy: Are you going to write a Thanksgiving Splat book?  You should.

And this got Rob thinking later.  How would Splat and Thanksgiving relate or link together at all?  Being from England, he tried to focus on the main theme of thankfulness.  What things are we all universally thankful for?  And that led him to thinking of friendship.  A light bulb went off as he realized he could write a Thanksgiving Splat book where Splat was thankful for his best friend, Seymour.  This would also be a great time to write the two friends’ backstory of how they met and why they’re such good friends.

Parents and Teachers

This writer’s inspiration is a great example for your own young authors.  Sharing the “behind the scenes” of how published authors get their ideas can encourage your child to look around with “author eyes.”  Settings like the lunchroom, playground, and their own backyard can spark an idea for a character, setting, or plot.

Leave a comment if you decide to check Splat out for yourself. 🙂

Rob Scotton’s Website: 

http://www.robscotton.com/www.robscotton.com/RobScotton.com.html