Just Like That, A SKWATCH is Born!

Meet the Skwatch Family! Rosco, his baby sister Skwink, Poppa and Ma. The Krypti-Kid Chronicles, is a new series that's been brewing in my north woods brain and after having sasqustches pop up in a few of my books, it seems the time is ripe. In fact, this year during a school assembly I had a young lad request a squatch puppet. Hmm. The kids were intrigued at spotting the squatch in my The Young GeEK's Guide to Getting Outside book as we read it together. The big guy is popular with the little ones!

I've always loved the idea of a Yeti or Sasquatch running around out there. My young son thought he saw one in southeast Michigan once, their presence was reported in the Mio area along the AuSable river and more. Even HOLLY WILD wears a Bigfoot Convention shirt, an event I noticed in being held in Christmas, MI in 2006.

Who doesn't love a good mystery, and even better, deep in the heart of the thick, dark forests of Michigan and other places. Who knows, maybe I'ill set up a Squatch cam here! But until then, this quirky, angsty, pre-teen character has appeared on my sketchbook page and iPad. I will occassionally add his other cryptic pals and videos for you enjoyment as I develop the cast.

Finally, Rosco breathes! It takes illustrators making lotsa, lotsa sketches to develop a hero.

Here is a video of Rosco and family being developed. Fun stuff to watch his face change and become an awesome character. I have been drawing and redrawing him trying to find the look I want and with my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, it worked! I love the big lunk. And just like that, a skwatch is born! Note: next time I will record the drawing so you don't have to dislocate your neck.

Bears, Trees, Books, OUR MOVE--OH MY!

CLICK and download a FREE super secret book!

It has been one WILD RIDE for me and the rest of the ladies at Bear Track Studios! In mid-February of this year our lives and business in Pinckney was uprooted and we took up new residence in the MANISTEE NATIONAL FOREST, Bitely, Michigan!

The home to bears, and bogs, and many, many trees! And we all LOVE it here!

"March is Reading Month" was a fun and wild ride for us! Books sold out, flu happened to two Bear Track girls, and top all of this with boxes and BOXES of books and lives scattered about our new, amazing home.

NOW we are settled and we are ready to roll! To celebrate our move we will be offering contests and promotions. So be on the look out for those--we are cooking up a heaping helping of fun summer reading stuff. 

A Kool Pre-K to Kindergarten Book Kickstarter Kick-off!

I grew up in Clarkston, MI. The woods and pond were my playground. My siblings and I had an awesome gravel pit to jump and black muck pond to play in.
Later, as my kids grew up in Goodrich, we planted and played in the clay. 
Now my grandkids visit me in Pinckney. Here, we romp on five acres of sandy soil. 
Michigan has such diverse habitat! And if there is just one thing kids love--it's DIRT. The substrate of where they live and play. It becomes part of them--literally! I say this as I watched my youngest 2 1/2 half year-old granddaughter joyfully toss dirt into the air and have it rain down her shirt--before rolling in the grass.

Harkens to mine and my children's
childhood. Whether rural Clarkston
 or suburbs of Goodrich, kids
"dig treasure"--garbage!

Rocks, sticks, water. These are kid's first outdoor play things. It keeps them creative, healthy, and soaking up vitamin D. This is the focus of my new picture book, HOLLY WILD: The Young GeEK's Guide to Getting Outside. Get kids out and into the dirt and into the backyard for wild "kid time!"

The visible neighborhood in back
offers a safe feeling, yet wild enough
for play! (My brother and I had a
yellow tent growing up in Pontiac.)

"Kid time" is a time for kids to be themselves, a time for exploring with no "helicopter parents" hovering to direct or misdirect nature activities.

As the author of "How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature", Scott D. Sampson says, "let  them (kids) learn and engage like the playful scientists they were born to be...Throughout these early childhood years,  the primary goal is wonder, and more wonder." (A fabulous book BTW!)
In "The Young GeEK's Guide to Getting Outside", the book covers a day of unstructured, wandering play--which means learning through sensory investigation. The very things I present about in classroom visits.

How many of you growing up did this?
How many of you still do?

In the book, our young GeEKs (Geo-Explorer Kids) in training are being gently guided by Holly Wild and her Team on an Alphabet Adventure into the wild BACKYARD! Although not an adult, Holly has learned some things in her 10 1/2 years, and imparts cool stuff and smart stuff to kids. Things like: outdoor observation skills, what NOT to touch, and what to poke, and then ends the young cousins' day in a tent for a nap. (Looks like the energetic youngsters were keeping Holly and her Team, Tierra and Sierra, on the run).

Fun reader prompts and games inside.
Just like in the mid-grade Holly Wild
books. Sweet stuff for lil GeEKs to do!

Clarkston folk will
recognize this sign. Tee-hee!

When I began the book I figured it was an ABC of outdoor things Holly Wild would encourage. But as I began illustrating it the "story" unfolded quite magically( as usual)! My childhood popped up, my own children's "back forty" adventures squeaked out, and even my forays into our wild five- acre Pinckney yard here with my granddaughter oozed out between the cracks! 

Make time for Tent Time!

I began to research my memories and new discoveries (see Scott Sampson's book title above). Holly Wild has her adventures throughout "exotic" places and parks in Michigan. Beaver Island, Porcupine Mountains, Sleeping Bear Dunes (notice they are all animal names!), which I find is right on target for kids her age. But what kids the age of 2-6, the recipients of my new book, require is a more kinder, gentler landscape to roam. Of course! Their own backyard!

So the book became more personal as the cry for getting kids into the dirt and into nature becomes louder (I've long been a follower of Richard Louv). And for good reason. Dirt and nature time is vital--let me repeat--VITAL for kid's health, school work, happiness--their well-being! Check out the Children & Nature page on Facebook or hop over to their site for more info. http://www.childrenandnature.org/ Yay! I was on the right path.

This rhyming ABC book is full-color, hard cover, 36 page, 9 x 11" landscape book (the "original laptop!") is perfect for a quick nighttime or naptime read (PreK-Kindergarten ages). Of course, the prompts and games further the experience and keeps the book fresh each time it's read. 

We here at Bear Track Press are proud of this piece as it promotes the environmental and educational values that goes into all of our works. And even better, it will be printed right here in the USA! What better time to release this Kickstarter for this project during June, Great Outdoors Month. http://www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/



And if you believe in all of this good outdoor stuff, just watch the video below and visit the Kickstarter site. You'll find all kinds of goodies and free things that go along with the book and awesome rewards to inspire you to inspire families and kids to GET UP and GET OUT! But you have to act soon because we have 28 more days in our campaign!

Let's all GROW great kids! Thanks!
Lori

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/136394808/holly-wild-the-young-geeks-guide-to-getting-outsid?ref=video

NEW Year, NEW Stuff, NEW Books!

www.loritaylorart.com 2014

Somewhere between holidays,and snow days I have had time to work on new book projects of the GRAPHIC nature. Not graphic as in "wait a minute Lori you're a children's author!", no, graphic as in ART, more ART and lots more ART! 

My last post dealt with new characters for a new story-line. And now here I am putting together COMIC BOOKS! In the last few years graphic novels and comics have been hitting the educational scene and I am so there! 

Befuddled "Crazy-Cat"

I have been crazy researching on how comics are a great way to TEACH! My personal teaching favorite is the comic character hero, Max Axiom. Max teaches chemistry, ecology and biology. Yes, comics teach and entertain. And yes, comics are fun and full of color. More of my favorites rich in content Thoreau's Walden graphic novel and Mouse Guard, Owly, and for funny fun Lunch Lady and the Magic Pickle.

"Tricky-Track Rabbit" the trickster 

And yet comics teach everything from science to history, math, poetry and more. Graphics--art--is a wonderful way to connect to kids--especially boys. The pictures break up the text and will get hesitant readers to read. And enjoy it--which is important with the lack of readers we keep hearing about.

"Ol-Man-Ramshackle" (actually Tricky-Track Rabbit in disguise)

Graphic novels and comic art is another way to tell a story, visually as well as literally. And I do love a good story. Pictures can say way more than words and convey emotion and evoke emotion. And humor is a good way to teach, part of the reason that I have always been interested in Native American legends, myths, and fables. Legends and fables are a fun way to get good ideas across using animals. 

(I found a young man in Ann Arbor sporting a frock like this, without the burs.)

So these are a few pages from my comic Crazy-Cat, Don't Chase That Rabbit!, that I hope to have published this summer. Crazy-cat finds out the hard way that his obsessive hunt for the trickster rabbit, Tricky-Track, causes him to miss out on life and thereby loses a part of himself--his beloved tail. This is a fave tale of mine I read many years ago. Not only are most traditional Native American tales entertaining, but they teach behavior and responsibility. How to be or not to be. Something else kids and adults need.

(I enjoy adding Arthur Rackham-ish trees that give clues...)

With this story I switched up the political views of the day to make the story more kid friendly. I came up with my own descriptive names instead of any one Native American tribal name for the characters. I had fun with a sing-song style of language here, too. And like my Holly Wild books, I give a bit of natural history, talk about predators and animal adaptations and included games and activities at the end. 

New year, new works, new fun! NEW STUFF!

Snow Days, Art Days: Building NEW Characters!

The winter months are my creative months. I hibernate and ideas come to light and I work on them. I sketch them and begin building a world and story. And so the story begins from my memory and rabbit raising experiences of over 14 years ago. 

This is Ooglie Haargaard. He is a new character and new protagonist, rabbit hero for a new series I am working on. Made of Sculpley polymer clay, wrapped wire, and beaver and muskrat fur. He wears and old shirt of mine, a leather bag, and weasel jaw necklace and carries an actual beaver chew walking stick.

I decided I wanted to write about this rabbit's struggle. And it was for him from the get go, which is perfect fodder for a story. His story was a life and death struggle to live and then to continue to live. 

We or rather I, had raised pets rabbits for close to seven years. So I had a lot to work with. I sketched and drew my struggling hero first and then last weekend I created him from clay and wire. I glued on hair bits (hare bits, heh-heh) and gave Ooglie (his first name) a mo-hawk hairdo. This sparked creative license as the real rabbit had lost his hair and I thought this would work well in the story. So I gave him patchy fur and he wears clothes because, well, we dressed the real rabbit, Justin Thyme (Just in time :) in clothes to keep him warm when he lost his fur (he did get better).

I recycled materials that I had saved and glued clothing on the maquette, because, yes, I  HATE sewing. Extra Heavy Gel Medium works for what I need this guy for. While he was drying I sat down and recalled the place where we raised our rabbits. Goodrich. I had lived in Goodrich for 15 years so knew the area wildlife and habitats well. From memory I sketched our house, the yard, behind the yard and beyond.

And a story was born.

Now I needed a villain. I made a crow that same day and put him aside. Crow Boss, not a very strong bad guy--more of a trickster type, but a persuasive fellow who leads his crow bunch, Buzz, Burr, and Bob. I let that incubate this past week as I wrote more. 

Now I really despise making predators the bad guy. They do what they do to keep balance. But to another mammal or herp perspective, they are the enemy. So I came u with Danger the Hawk, and Haunt the Great Horned Owl. Still, they weren't really the villain I was looking for.

Then it hit me as I remembered all of the wildlife in the near woods and the most shocking find I had made in Goodrich. A wild boar! And boars are pretty bad dudes and do a bunch of damage.

The day I came across this wild find in Goodrich I was astounded--not what you are expecting to be on a bike path. Someone's car had either hit the boar or someone shot the animal because it died in a small field just off the dirt road. Nonetheless, here lie a wild dead pig that I almost ran over with my bike. As I was investigating the crime scene, a stout, striped critter ran through the grasses pell mell. Now having worked on a pig educational exhibit for the Metropark's Wolcott Farm Museum, I knew that young wild pigs were striped and figured that the young was still out and about. Then I started putting clues together remembered the wallow I had stumbled upon in the woods behind the house earlier that spring as I watched a hawk and her nest in the woods. At the time, I figured deer lived there with all of the tracks I found, and I was more focused on the hawk and the one million swarming mosquitos so left the woods. Then stories of torn and shredded gardens ans sightings came out. Here lie the culprit.

So yesterday, another snowy creative day, I created Baron von Pighoofen! or Baron BoarRegard. Here he is in the building process. I never really know how to start a sculpture, so I began with this big pig's pigginess. His royal snout! Pretty soon I had the head and hooves baking in the oven and ran in search of a boar bod. I repurposed a porcupine puppet (we have two) so the porky became a porker! I glued on hair and cut off hair and so my villain was born.

I now have begun writing the plot and putting together ingredients for the story. I have a world, strong good and bad characters and extras to add in as I go along.

By building the clay and wire critters, it helped me get into the their brain and how they would act and be.

My rabbit hero's name, Ooglie Haargaard, came to me in a dream. I woke in the middle of the night to write down with the name, Ooglie Haargaard. before I knew who he was or would be!
It wasn't until the next day did I decide he would be a rabbit.

I am excited to see where this tale and series will go. It is about released and escaped pets and wildlife living and struggling together in the big, dangerous suburban world. Each trying to survive. And it all began with a dream and clay.

Book Reorder, A 2014 Celebration!

Books I have illustrated and written! www.loritaylorart.com/publications.html

I remember as a child the day that Scholastic book order forms went home. It was always the highlight of my elementary school career and I quiver now when I see my granddaughter's book order form. When the Book Fair came to the school, my heart pounded at the sight of shelves of paperbacks waiting for me, and my heart pounds when I download books onto my iPad. Having a real, live author/poet visit the school in Clarkston was beyond excitement, and I still feel the same today when I visit with other author/illustrators. You see, I have always been a nut about books. A passionist you could say.

When I stop and think about it, I had the love of storytelling--both writing and illustrating--since I was in sixth grade. My teacher told me that is what I would do when I grew I up, which made my young heart ecstatic. And in middle school I won awards for art and a contest in writing. But then by the time high school rolled around, a REAL career was suggested to me by my father. A real career, like the medical field. Art was a hobby--not a real job.

Build a Holly Action Figure! Find it and
more on Holly's Hangout Page!
www.loritaylorart.com/hollywild.html

But I still hung on--no clutched on--to the dream of illustrating and books, even after high school graduation when I was gifted a Gwen Frostic book which inspired me to take a commercial art class at the vocational school where I had taken medical assisting. Funny thing that medical field thing--I every job I had in it someone always told me that I should be doing art. Huh?! Drawing pictures and not blood. Hmm! Finally after flailing around in the medical laboratory field of pouring urine, pipetting blood clots and serum, did I take the serious art plunge. I struggled, practiced and perfected, day-after-day, year-after-year, through raising children and taking care of grandchildren. 

Now after all that hard work, can I look back and see where I have been and where I want to go with my art and storytelling craft. It's exciting really--I have so much more to say and do. Working on a mid-grade realistic fictional series like Holly Wild, illustrating ebooks, and now branching out into Kindle, picture books and perhaps graphic novel chapter books I realize this is my job. I'm a passionist for books.

And so it is with great excitement that I begin 2014 off by ordering 1,000 more HOLLY WILD: Bamboozled on Beaver Island (Book 1) books. I can't wait to see what else will come about this year.

"Crazy Cat Chase That Rabbit" www.loritaylorart.com/illustration.html

Crossing Borders

November. Thanksgiving. What does this bring to mind? Falling leaves, frost, winter? Turkey, family, eating? Now add to the end of those pyschopompish words-school kids. Ah! Pilgrims and Indians (American or Native Americans or First Nations). Why is it that it seems at this time of year Native Americans are mentioned most? Does it have to do with that first Thanksgiving and stereotypes?

I attended the Crossing Borders 33rd Annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar on Nov. 5. (See last post) and was interested in what the guest speaker, Cynthia Leitich Smith, a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, had to say and how that relates to my work as an artist, author and illustrator. The focus of the seminar was helping readers undstand, appreciate and relate to others--the crossing of borders--from racial ro cultural to economic and more.

The final speaker of the day, Debbie Reese, who is tribally enrolled at Nambe Pueblo in northern New Mexico, gave us all valuable information regarding American Indians in children's lit. For more information see her site:  http://www.americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net/.

This talk not only interested me as an author/illustrator, but as a Michigander, long influenced and inspired by Michigan Native tales. As a child, I traveled to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park. The Odawa or Ojibwa legend, depending on who you talk to, sparked my 5 year old imagination as my brother and I posed in front of a gift shop next to a man in Plains regalia. (Notice that I said, "man", not warrior or brave, and "regalia" not costume.)




"Sleeping Bear:  The Legend" (detail) 2007, Lori Taylor

Since then, I have spent my life studying, reading, going to powwows, and talking and sharing with people about the Great Lakes Peoples and their stories. Heck, I grew up right here and spent my life running through the woods and waters of Michigan, how could I not try to understand the voices of the People and the land that I was raised on.

From artist, Frank Ettawageshick, to writer, Simon Otto, to a healing lodge in Ann Arbor and Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways, and more I have gleaned understanding from native teachings. Debbie gave us a great list of kid's books to read by Joseph Bruchac and Louise Erdrich and recommended the PBS, "We Shall Remain", for us all to understand their stories better.

I have studied the Sanilac Petroglyphs (I love the art there) and crawled across rock walls with Lake Superior at my back to see pictographs in Canada. These are images that speak with powerful emotion reaching out to touch others that witness them. As an artist, all art that speaks is art to be shared.

"Wisdom of the Elders: MAEOE Conference" 1993

Yesterday, I crossed the border--to Canada, to visit the Art Gallery of Windsor to see the Group of Seven exhibit of Canadian painters. Inserted in the exhibit was a piece from Canadian artist, Emily Carr. As I sketched her work, Yan Mortuary Poles, I realized that here was a Canadian artist, like me, with a strong desire to preserve the history or her home and the stories of its Peoples, as well as her love of the deep, dark coastal forests.

As a storyteller, I will continue to learn and tell these stories of my Michigan home in art and word. If these stories inspire and fire our imaginations for us to do great things for each other and care for our home--our land and waters--then is that not what those stories were preserved and intended for--to make a better place for all? I have learned alot in the past 30 years and I am thankful for the sharing of all Native stories of their home--which is my home and my grandchild's home.

November? Curling up at home--all of our homes, with good books and good stories!