Moon Jump: Download FREE Coloring Page!
- At June 21, 2016
- By Aviva Gittle
- In Books, Coloring Pages
0
Here is a free coloring page from the book Moon Jump written by Mark Megson and Aviva Gittle. Illustrated by award-winning artist Carlos Brito.
Download FREE Moon Jump Coloring Page
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Bonnie Ferrante – #3 on The Gittle List 2015
Bonnie Ferrante earned the #3 spot on The Gittle List for The Amida Tree, a book she wrote and illustrated. (Read my review.)
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? Had you ever gotten an award for any of your other work? It’s always lovely to have someone recognize your work as worthwhile. I have won several writing contests and been awarded three Ontario arts Council grants for novels in progress.
What’s your earliest memory of drawing or writing? I can’t remember writing my first story but I can remember creating it. I was a puppet fanatic and used to entertain other neighborhood children with my shows on the back step. Thirty years later I met one of my previous audience members and the first thing she mentioned was how much she had loved those little plays.
What children’s book contains your favorite illustrations? There are far too many wonderful illustrated books to pick just one: Zen Shorts, The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit, The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, Peppe the Lamplighter, Grandfathers Journey, The Eleventh Hour and more.
What is your favorite children’s book? This changes constantly as I become aware of new books. I do have a soft spot for The Jolly Postman or Other Peoples Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.
The Amida Tree interior illustration by Bonnie Ferrante.
Which artists or writers most influenced or inspired your work? Eric Carle, Graeme Base, Beatrix Potter, Dick Bruna, Ezra Jack Keats, Maurice Sendak, C. S. Lewis, E. B. White, Bill Martin Jr., Arnold Lobel, A. A. Milne, and many, many more.
Why did you decide to self-publish? I started late in life, trying to get published after I retired. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough healthy time left to wait while a manuscript circulates through publishing houses for months or even years.
Do you prefer to work digitally, by hand, or both? I used to work in acrylic and pencil crayon but since developing Parkinson’s disease, I now work digitally. It is a huge learning curve. As my tremor increases, that is also becoming more difficult. So now I’m trying out photography (which is always been a passion), in my books.
Tell us about your latest project. I have several things on the go. I switch back and forth between projects, letting them lie for a while in order to come back with fresh eyes. My newest publication is Tell Me Where: Animals and Babies. It is a collection of humorously modified photographs that teach children spatial concepts.
The Amida Tree interior illustration by Bonnie Ferrante.
Tell us 3 strange and wonderful things about you. Not much pressure there! I am a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Lay Leader. I’m a seventh generation Canadian. I love doing all needle arts and am continuing to sew and stitch in spite of my tremor.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Make time to do what you love.
What do you do to market your books? I’m not very good about this. I am on word press, twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media. I do presentations at schools, libraries, and public venues.
Any advice for writers thinking about self-publishing a children’s picture book? Get it vetted by someone who is a tough critic and won’t spare your feelings before you publish. Pay someone if you have to.
Bonnie loves living in Northern Ontario, Canada even though she spends most of the long winter indoors writing. She chants, bikes, gardens, reads, stitches, volunteers, studies the Dharma, draws, photographs, plays/works on the computer, attends live theatre, enjoys being trounced in Scrabble by her husband, Fred, and is presently tackling decorating her new home. Her granddaughters keep her young. Once upon a time, she was a public grade school teacher.
Contact Bonnie:
Website
My Blog
Amazon Author Page
Facebook – Author Page
Facebook – Books for Children
Twitter
LinkedIn
Goodreads
Pinterest
YouTube
Tumblr
Bev Stone – #2 on The Gittle List 2015
Bev Stone, earned the #2 spot on The Gittle List 2015 for The Red and Black Ladybug. Bev is a two-time winner; her book, They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming snagged the #1 spot in 2014.
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? I was elated! I thought it was quite brilliant to announce them one at a time this year. I know, I, and I’m sure many others, anxiously awaited each new day, and each time another book was announced, I thought, ‘Wow, that book sounds so great!’ Then of course I worried that mine might not make the list. I’m enormously grateful to Aviva Gittle for putting in the time and effort it takes to showcase and help all of us indie writers.
What’s you earliest memory of drawing or writing? My earliest and best memory of drawing and painting is in Ms Moscerelli’s 6th grade classroom. Teachers, please know that all the wonderful things you do have a lasting effect on your students. Ms Moscerelli loved art so her class started with an art project every morning. When it was time to put that project away and open our math books, she’d say, “everyone open your books to page ….. ; then she’d say, “Bev, you can continue with your art.” Now, I may not be great at math as a result, but she certainly made me feel very special and helped to start me on my art journey.
What children’s book contains your favorite illustrations? There are so many talented illustrators out there and so many illustrations I love. The Lion And The Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney has to be one of my recent favorites and one purchase I made from last year’s Gittle List, The Kings Dream, written by Harris Tobias and illustrated by Cathy Reene, has some beautiful illustrations.
What is your favorite color or color combination? I love blue hues. I 
usually work with a pretty small palette. Some people say they can recognize my art by the colors I use.
Why did you decide to self-publish? You know, I find self publishing very easy and a perfect fit for me. I’m very happy with the whole process because it allows me to illustrate my own stories and put out as many books as I’d like. The thought of self publishing is a little scary at first — just like anything unknown — but I’ve been publishing with Createspace for about 3 years now and they’ve made it a great experience so far.
Do you prefer to work digitally, by hand, or both? I illustrate all of my stories with watercolors on watercolor paper.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The best piece of advice I was ever given was when my daughter and son were born and friends told me to ignore all the little things that really don’t matter and spend all that precious time with my babies. That wasn’t hard to do at all! Now I can apply that to things around the house that I don’t want to do so that I can spend my time writing and illustrating instead. That works, right?
What do you do to market your books? Well….Hmmmm, I have to admit I’m not very good about marketing my books. I think I’m getting better but I have to be honest, if I could just write them and illustrate them and not worry about marketing, I’d be happy. Actually, the best thing I’ve done, is to enter my books in the The Gittle List contest. In her prompting to get the word out for all indie writers, she’s led me in directions I wouldn’t have otherwise gone, Twitter, for example. You can follow me @Bevstone13. Thanks Aviva Gittle! Also, Melissa Crane, who is in charge of media at the gallery where I show my paintings, has been amazing at getting the word out locally.
Any advice for writers thinking about self-publishing a children’s picture book? All I can say is that it’s been a wonderful experience for me, so if you’re thinking about self publishing, definitely give it a try. I would caution however, have no expectations, accept to enjoy the process and the fact that you actually succeeded in getting that book you’ve been working on in print. Yay!!! Do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Bev Stone is an artist and indie 
children’s book author. Bev started painting and drawing at an early age and was first introduced to watercolor in elementary school. Today Bev paints in both watercolor and oil and continues to write children’s books while living in the beautiful state of Idaho, overlooking the Snake River. Many of her paintings and book updates can be found on her website, www.artbybevstone.com.
You can follow Bev on Twitter: @BevStone13
Credits: All illustrations in this interview post are created and owned by Bev Stone and come from her award-wining children’s book The Red and Black Ladybug.
The Gittle List 2015 Winners Revealed!
Here are The Gittle List Winners for 2015!
Each year, The goal of The Gittle List is to find 10 great indie children’s picture books out of the thousands self-published. There are now 30 wonderful books to choose from. Any (and all) of them will be a cherished gift for the little ones in your life. Click on the book cover or book title link to buy online. It’s quick & easy!*
Gittle List Winner #1 Guess What is in the Ocean? written by Nancy O’Neill and illustrated by children around the world
Gittle List Winner #1 Guess What is in the Ocean? by Nancy O’Neill makes the top of the Top 10 for several reasons. First and foremost, all of Ms. O’Neill’s Guess What? books are illustrated by children from around the world. Their talent never ceases to amaze me. Next, your child (and you) will learn something in every book. Finally, I love that it is a series. Ms. O’Neill earned a spot on The Gittle List 2013 for another Guess What? book. The colors in Guess What is in the Ocean? are just beautiful. Among my favorite illustrations is “The Seahorse” by 12-year-old Nicole Delfino of Rome, Italy. Ms. O’Neill writes all the books in rhyming verse. Not an easy thing to do and she does it very well. Of course, I recommend buying the Guess What? books that won spots on The Gittle List. But, guess what? The whole series would make a great gift for the little ones in your life. 😺
Gittle List Winner #2 The Red and Black Ladybug written and illustrated by Bev Stone
More of Bev Stone’s beautiful puffy clouds (from the book’s back cover)
#2 The Red and Black Ladybug written and illustrated by Bev Stone is about a ladybug who insists that any flying creature who wants to hang with her has to be red and black like she is. Told in rhyme, it is a wonderful story of how someone can lose their identity trying to fit in, but ultimately rediscover themselves. A message of self-worth (and the beauty of diversity) important for both children and adults to hear. Ms. Stone’s illustrations never disappoint. She has a style all her own with colors that are both soothing and mesmerizing. Ms. Stone won the #1 slot in The Gittle List 2014. She proves again with The Red and Black Ladybug why her books deserve to be in the Top 10 — of any list. 😺
Interior illustration by Bonnie Ferrante
Gittle List Winner #3 The Amida Tree written and illustrated by Bonnie Ferrante
#3 The Amida Tree written and illustrated by Bonnie Ferrante is the author’s answer to The Giving Tree. Ms. Ferrante explains it best in a comment she wrote about the famous and beloved book by Shel Silverstein: “As a teacher, seeing other teachers espouse The Giving Tree as a story of love, I was appalled. Love doesn’t enable the other person to remain emotionally stunted and environmentally destructive. When I retired, I wrote an alternate story called The Amida Tree. (Amida is the symbol of Infinite Compassion and Eternal Wisdom.) To live a happy, fulfilled life, both wisdom and compassion are needed in balance. The boy didn’t live a happy life.” I had never read The Giving Tree so I bought a copy. The Amida Tree stands on its own as an important and captivating children’s book. But, reading it in the context of the author’s comments, and in contrast to Shel Silverstein’s book, made the experience deeper. Your thoughts? Should you read both books (which I highly recommend), please leave your comments here. 😺
Gittle List Winner #4 You Talk Funny Too written by Lee Coulter; illustrated by Simone Wolowiec
Illustration by Simone Wolowiec
#4 You Talk Funny Too written by Lee Coulter and illustrated by Simone Wolowiec reminds everyone that everyone has an accent. So, when you think someone from another country “talks funny” remember that you sound pretty funny to them, too! Lee Coulter wraps the message in humor in this rhyming story. Ms. Wolowiec’s illustrations add to the learning experience by showing all manner of folk from around the world in colorful outfits and surroundings. You Talk Funny Too has a glossary of flags and a map highlighting all the countries represented in the book. You and your child will have a lot of fun and learn a bit about the world, too!
Gittle List Winner #5 Have You Ever? written and illustrated by Cotey Gallagher
Interior illustration by Cotey Gallagher
#5 Have You Ever? written and illustrated by Cotey Gallagher is a book of alliterative verse meant to introduce children to grammar concepts and advanced vocabulary. What it really does is make you laugh. A lot. Kids are guaranteed to get a kick out of Ms. Gallagher’s illustrations. Colorful, unique, and fun. I’ve posted one of my favorites, the soda-sipping salamander sporting roller skates. Don’t worry if you, I mean your child, doesn’t know some of the words. A glossary is provided. Have You Ever? also has a couple of activity pages so the reader can create his or her own alliteration and draw a picture of it. Personally, I think it’s good for kids to be exposed to vocabulary words beyond their current reading level or comprehension. After all, that’s how they learn. 😺
Gittle List Winner #6 Amos Likes to Jump written by Margaret Lowder; illustrated by Ellen Davis
Interior illustration by Ellen Davis
#6 Amos Likes to Jump written by Margaret Lowder and illustrated by Ellen Davis is the first board book to win a spot on The Gittle List. Amos is a dog who believes that he is quite famous for his jumping abilities. Children will adore the cape-toting, sneaker-wearing, furry hero. I love that Amos is an adult dog (any puppy can be cute). The artist, Ellen Davis, hilariously captures Amos’ joy for jumping. The story, told in rhyming verse, is funny and imaginative. I loved the illustrations — especially the one of Amos flying in the sky on the back of a big bird. Amos Likes to Jump is one of The Gittle List books that will be going to my younger grandson for the holidays. Maybe a pair of sneakers and a cape, too. 😺
Gittle List Winner #7 No Birthday for Mara written by Mariana Llanos; illustrated by Julián Galván
Interior illustration by Julián Galván
#7 No Birthday for Mara written by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Julián Galván is the story of a little girl who becomes convinced that everyone has forgotten her birthday. And Mara was counting on her parents giving her a polka-dotted baby elephant as her gift this year! Ms. Llanos is on a Gittle List winning streak — this is her third win in three years. No Birthday for Mara has lots of humor and Julián Galván’s illustrations bring it to life. Ms. Llanos follows the story with a serious discussion about feelings. This is a great opportunity for adults to talk with the little ones in their life about anger, sadness — the full range of human emotions that can be challenging for some children to understand and deal with. There are also a few activity pages and a coloring page. No Birthday for Mara is also available in Spanish (Mara sin Cumpleaños).
Gittle List Winner #8 Sleep Sweet by Julianne DiBlasi Black
Interior illustration by Julianne DiBlasi Black
#8 Sleep Sweet written and illustrated by Julianne DiBlasi Black is the ultimate bedtime story. It feels like it is wrapping the reader in fairy dust. Ms. Black is a talented artist, but she matches her dreamy illustrations with sweet poetry about where other creatures and natural entities sleep and what they dream about. Wondering whether mountains, “sleep under starry skies and dream of faraway places” will stir the imagination of any child — and many adults. There is an application that will allow the reader to view the pictures in 3D. Perhaps I’m old school, but I feel the technology is not necessary. All the wonder comes from the words and illustrations that Ms. Black created. Rather than holding up an iPhone to view the pages, put your arm around your child and lull her to sweet dreamland by reading Sleep Sweet to her at bedtime. 😺
Gittle List Winner #9 Grammy’s Rockin’ Color Rap-a-licious Rap by Rhonda Paglia; illustrated by Nicole Resele
Interior illustration by Nicole Resele
#9 Grammy’s Rockin’ Color Rap-a-licious Rap, written by Rhonda Paglia and illustrated by Nicole Resele, is a fun way to teach children colors. Actually, it’s an hilarious way that the adults will enjoy as much as the kids. Indie author Rhonda Paglia starts off by teaching you the “BOOM Shee-boom-boom” beat. This should be especially fun for grandparents reading to their grandchildren. Nothing looks sillier to a 4-year-old than their granny or grampy “shee-boom-booming” their way through a book. Be sure to add a little shoulder shakin’ and pump up the volume. The learning continues with activities that ask children to “help grammy” by, for example, circling all the red things they see in a picture or matching all the rhyming pictures and words. Artist Nicole Resele clearly had a lot of fun creating grammy’s colorful outfits. A big step up from the standard (and boring) “yellow banana” “purple grape” books. A perfectly fine way to teach kids their colors, but not nearly as entertaining as Grammy’s Rockin’ Color Rap-a-licious Rap. 😺
Interior illustration by Kajiah Jacobs.
Gittle List Winner #10 Going to the Park by Elizabeth Gorcey, illustrated by Kajiah Jacobs
#10: Going to the Park written by Elizabeth Gorcey and illustrated by Kajiah Jacobs is the story of a little girl named Liv and her best friend (and dog) Bowie. It’s written the way a little girl would describe her life to anyone who might listen. And that’s the problem; Liv’s parents are often too busy to listen. Until one day Liv dresses up in grown-up clothes and declares that she won’t be the kind of adult who spends her days on a computer and a cell phone. Parents are you listening? Kajiah’s drawings are mostly muted colors so the pink, Liv’s favorite color, pops off of every page. Going to the Park is hard cover with high quality paper and end paper that the artist filled with adorable little illustrations. Most self-publishers can’t afford to have their book printed in this way. A rare and wonderful treat for children’s book collectors like myself. 😺
Have you self-published a great children’s picture book?
See The Gittle List 2015 Winners
See The Gittle List 2013 Winners
Aviva Gittle writes and publishes children’s stories in English and Spanish. Her books are filled with beautiful illustrations from artists around the world. You can now order prints and mugs from all of the Kitten and Friends books, Nana books, and more! Each year, Aviva runs The Gittle List contest to support her fellow indie authors. Oh, she also loves children’s picture books and is always on the lookout for great ones. The 2016 Gittle List submission guidelines are due out in January. Follow @AvivaGittle and signup for Gittle News (look right) to be the first to know when they are posted! 😺
Cathy-Reene: #3 on The Gittle List 2014
- At January 17, 2015
- By Aviva Gittle
- In Artist, Feature, Gittle List
- 0
Artist Cathy-Reene won the #3 spot on The Gittle List Top 10 2014 for her illustrations in the book, The King’s Dream: A Fairy Tale by Harris Tobias. (See Aviva’s review and the other winners here.) Learn more about Harris Tobias and his writing here.
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? Very excited. It wasn’t expected at all – a perfect Christmas gift 🙂 My works were selected for exhibitions before but this is my first award for a book I illustrated.
What’s you earliest memory of drawing? I think I was probably 2-3 year old and was drawing a gigantic person. The major part of the picture I spent most of the time were numerous buttons on his coat, at least 20 of them: all of different shapes and sizes. My Mom used to keep thin school notebooks full of drawings. It was my “pen and pencil” period. I feel I should get back to it some time.
What children’s book contains your favorite illustrations? Too many to list here,
Illustration: Freccia Azzura
I am mildly obsessed with illustrated children’s books. However the first one that came to mind was The Moomins series by Tove Jansson.
Which artists most influenced or inspired your work? Lisbeth Zwerger, Rebecca Dautremer, Alan Lee, Robert Ingpen, P.J. Lynch, Benjamin Lacombe of book illustrators. More classical inspiration would come from Bouguereau, Abbey, Dulac, Nielsen. I try to maintain a couple of Pinterest boards were I collect the art that inspires me – I collect themes, color palettes, compositions, techniques, or simply feelings.
What is your favorite color or color combination? I am tempted to say blue but according to my recent portfolio it probably should be red and gold 🙂 I also like black and white with a splash of one other color.
Darwin Christmas Tree Card
Do you prefer to work digitally or by hand? If I am time-pressed or simply do not want to “fight” with the tools, then digital is my go-to media. If I have more time to spend or simply want to enjoy the process, I always choose making art by hand. I love doing pencil drawings when I need to think, need to relax or get distracted.
Tell us about your latest project. I’ve just finished a personal piece. I wanted to try my hand in creating a book cover for a fantasy genre with a focus on a portrait.
Tell us 3 strange and wonderful things about you.
- I have a my first degrees in microelectronics and physics
The Heart of the Clockwork
- My book collection has overflown all the bookshelves I have in my disposal and now creates an impromptu towers throughout my house making the navigation somewhat tricky and sometimes dangerous.
- When I draw or paint I am zoning out (or rather “zoning in”) and totally lose sense of time.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? When you are done with your art piece don’t be hung up on the things that are not “perfect,” move on to the next project and don’t look back.
Cathy-Reene is a freelance illustrator and character designer from the Pacific Northwest (Seattle). After graduating from San Francisco Academy of Art University she has been working in different genres of illustration including, but not limited by, children’s and fantasy book illustrations and concept art. She enjoys working with traditional and digital media as well as constantly mixing both of them in search of unique illustration mood and feeling. Buy Cathy’s Art on Etsy
Contact Cathy-Reene:
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest
*Please support my indie book business by clicking on the book covers or using the links posted in my blog to buy books and other products. This way, Amazon gives me a little commission that helps me continue the website for you and other readers. Thank you!
Credits: All illustrations in this post were created and owned by Cathy-Reene.
Bev Stone: #1 on The Gittle List 2014
- At January 10, 2015
- By Aviva Gittle
- In Artist, Author, Feature, Feature, Gittle List
- 0
Author/illustrator Bev Stone won the #1 spot on The Gittle List 2014 for her book, They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming. (See Aviva’s review and the other winners here.)
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? Had you ever gotten an award for this or any of your other books before?
They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming is the first book I’ve ever published, so The Gittle List is the first contest I’ve ever entered. It was amazing to get that email and learn that I had made the top ten list! I can’t tell you how many times I opened that email, reread it and checked the list again. :0). The book was written in celebration and appreciation of all the people in our lives who make the world a wonderful place and after reading Aviva Gittle’s beautifully written 
review, it was great to know that its sentiment and illustrations were understood and appreciated.
How did you hear about The Gittle List and why did you decide to enter your book?
I was searching the net looking for advice from other independent publishers when I came upon gotogittle.com and Aviva Gittle Publishing. I was impressed with the site and with the children’s books showcased there. I also appreciated the effort Aviva Gittle was making to bring attention to other indie writers and illustrators. I wanted to be a part of that, if I could, so I decided to enter my book.
What’s you earliest memory of writing and/or drawing?
I grew up drawing and painting but I didn’t start writing children’s stories until my children were born. Their bedtime story requests were always stories that I would make up on the spot. In fact I had a hard time remembering my storyline and characters the next night when they’d ask me to finish last night’s story. I’d figure out a way to have them fill me in without admitting I had no idea what last night’s story was about. They remembered every detail; I started writing them down.
What is your favorite children’s book?
I have several favorite children’s books. Top on my list are those by Shel Silverstein; Where The Sidewalk Ends, A Light In The Attic, The Giving Tree and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Both authors speak to all ages in a beautiful, fun, and entertaining way.
What was the inspiration for your book?
The inspiration for They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming came from the birth and continuing joy my two children give me and for all the many wonderful people in our lives who should be celebrated. It’s amazing how much of the wonder in nature you notice when wonderful people come into your life; flowers wave, bees dance and a dog’s bark can actually sound melodious.
Did you have to overcome any obstacles to completing the book and getting it published?
The only obstacle I had to overcome was myself; would anyone else enjoy what I was writing? And even though I’m an artist, self taught, or more accurately, forever learning, I never tried to illustrate for children – could I do that?
Tell us about your latest project.
My latest book, Snowpuppies, was published in November, 2014. It’s the first book in an 
adventure series about ten little puppies made of snow, each named after a snowflake. It was recently featured in a local television holiday special sponsored by fist federal bank.
I have dozens of stories that I’ve written, and I continue to write, so picking the next one to illustrate and publish is hard; they all want me to choose them next. :0) I guess there’s always the dart method. I’m also working on my own new adventure; a Snowpuppy story line that I would love to see as an animated movie.
Tell us 3 strange and wonderful things about you.
- I rafted down the Colorado river for two weeks in our family’s raft but can’t swim and am afraid of water; plus, I love to kayak and I live on a river. You’d think I’d learn to swim, right?
- I slice garlic on my sandwiches and in my salads and I swear I don’t have garlic breath.
- I carry jacks in my purse.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Do it!
Bev Stone is an artist and author of three children’s books: They a Told Us Something Wonderful Was a Coming, The Best You Can Be and Snowpuppies. Bev started painting and drawing at an early age and was first introduced to watercolor in elementary school. Today Bev paints in both watercolor and oil and continues to write children’s books while living in the beautiful state of Idaho, overlooking the Snake River. Many of her paintings and book updates can be found on her website, www.artbybevstone.com.
*Please support my book business by clicking on the book covers or using the links posted in my blog to buy books and other products. This way, Amazon gives me a little commission that helps me continue the website for you and other readers. Thank you!
Credits: All illustrations in this interview post are created and owned by Bev Stone and come from her award-wining children’s book They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming.
