Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Countdown to SCBWI's Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference!


In just a few days, the 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference will begin! From Friday, January 27th until Sunday January 29th, children's writers, illustrators, agents, art directors, editors, publishers, and so many more, gather to meet, educate, and celebrate the children's book market. From the marketing intensives for writers and illustrators on Friday to Saturday's multitude of informational workshops, this three day event is nothing short of spectacular! With so much talent in a single place at one time, the conference offers those dedicated to the children's market a chance to mingle, network, and learn from each other's experiences.

To see the impressive guest list for this year's conference, stop by
There is also an official blog for the 2012 Winter Conference at
You can follow the unfolding action on Twitter as well via the keyword

Being a first time attendee, words can't express how excited I am to finally go to a winter conference! For other fellow first timers, some veteran attendants have shared tips for going to the big event on their blogs.  Both Moira Swiatkowski and Sera Miller offer great advice worth checking out! 

Bristol Bored by Moira Swiatkowski
Witnessing Truth by Sera Miller

Shortly after the conference ends, I'll upload photos and a follow up post about the incredible experience SCBWI's 13th Annual Winter Conference is sure to provide! Best of luck and safe travels to all attending! I'll see you there!



Thursday, January 5, 2012

2012 Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award Competition


The Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award competition is an annual contest in which members of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) are challenged to illustrate a piece of text from a story selected by dePaola himself. As a successful illustrator and writer, Tomie dePaola, whose books include Strega Nona, Pancakes for Breakfast, and The Knight and the Dragon (just to name a few), selects an illustration that embodies a unique style and vision. The winner is not only awarded a $1,000 gift certificate for art supplies, but also receives a fully funded trip to attend the New York Winter Conference in Manhattan.


This year, the challenge was to illustrate some lines of text from the story "Chicken Licken," in which Turkey Lurkey finds Chicken Licken, Goosey Loosey, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, and Ducky Daddles rushing to tell the king that the sky is falling. After being persuaded by the hysterical group, Turkey Lurkey decides to join them on their journey to the king.
With the announcement of the Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award winner only a few days away (January 9th to be exact), I decided to post my interpretation of the excerpt before the award is given out.
There are many unique, well rendered approaches to the "Chicken Licken" text by the talented illustrators of SCBWI up for view at http://scbwicontest.blogspot.com/. I highly recommend checking out their versions to see the stunning diversity of compositions, styles, and designs. Good luck to all those who have submitted to the competition!