Archive for category Jan Brett Posts

Hedgie’s Treasure Trove for May 24th

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on June 4, 2009

Fun projects for the start of summer and the end of school!

~ Make an Armadillo from a Milk Carton
http://www.janbrett.com/armadillo_carton_project_page.htm

~ Take the Chicken Challenge
http://janbrett.com/games/chicken_challenge.htm

~ Learn How to Draw a Hedgehog
http://www.janbrett.com/how_to_draw_a_hedgehog.htm

~ Bake Hedgehog Cookies
http://www.janbrett.com/bake_hedgehog_cookies.htm

~ Hedgehog Coloring Costumes
http://www.janbrett.com/costumes_main_choice.htm

~ Learn How to Draw a Bear
http://www.janbrett.com/learn_to_draw_a_bear.htm

~ Play Mouse Concentration
http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/mouse_concentration.htm

~ Hedgie Loves his Classmates Coloring Page
http://janbrett.com/hedgie_loves_his_classmates.htm

~ Make a Creature of the Deep
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_creature_of_the_deep_high_bandwidth.htm

http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_creature_of_the_deep_low_bandwidth.htm

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

Download a Free Jan Brett How to Draw Video –
http://janbrett.com/video/video_main_page.htm

Read all about Jan Brett’s books and get the best bookstore prices –
http://www.janbrett.com/bookstores/hedgies_lets_go_shopping.htm

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May 2009 Hedge a gram

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on May 2, 2009

THE EASTER EGG ~ Russian eggs

This is Jan Brett and this is my May hedge a gram. I enjoy sharing my life as an author/illustrator by telling you tidbits about my unfolding book projects. I have just received the proofs from my spring 2010 book, THE EASTER EGG. Printing a book is complicated, because like almost all the printing you see, like the photos in a magazine, only 3 colors are used, plus black. The colors are magenta, a pinkish red, blue, and yellow. The art director and printer work together to combine these colors to make the printed page look as much like the original art work as they can. In my paintings I do not use black, instead I use a mix of ultra marine blue and van dyke brown. I think it makes a more vibrant black. I’m very pleased with the proofs, especially since I always finish the book in a flurry of last minute changes, fixes, and rush jobs. This year I stayed up all night long, three times. It’s better to plan, although sometimes I think that if I had longer to work on the book I could find a way to fill the time!
I have written my next year’s story, THE THREE LITTLE MAPIMBI, although my husband and I have a hard time remembering how to say the Swahili word, we may have to call it THE THREE LITTLE DASSIES which is the word for the hyrax.

Rock Agama Lizard

I have a huge pile of books I have brought back from Africa. I need images of the hyrax, of the agama lizard, the leopard tortoise, and the black eagle; the animals that appear in the story. I have many photos I took in Namibia as well. I’ll rely on my photos for examples of the Herero people’s dress. I bought many of the hand made dolls made to sell to tourists as well, because the cotton cloth used in the women’s long, Victorian style dresses and head scarves are unique and very beautiful.
The photographs we took of the landscape are even more valuable to me, because it is stark, but majestic. Because of the lack of tall trees, you can see great distances. The vegetation is dominated by a blubbery odd shaped plant called the euphoria. It’s also poisonous to everyone except for rhinos, who can eat it. I hope there will be a place in the book to show fairy circles. These are barren circles about the size of a small car set in areas of grass and desert plants. There are many theories about how they appeared, but it is weird to see ten to twenty on the side of a hill. I would also like to paint the welwichita plant. It looks like beat up green ribbons, scrunched up in a lifeless landscape. There are male plants and female plants. The females have colorful cones. Even though the plant is about the size of a car tire, it can be hundreds of years old. Older than my great great grandparents. If only they could talk!

Book dummy sketch of the three mapimbi

     I have started on my book dummy, a cartoon version of my book that only takes a few weeks. I’ll make lots of changes along the way. The dummy is meant to be built and rebuilt in order to reflect the best way to tell my story. Although it’s not the easiest part of my project, it will be the most creative. The hardest part is thinking up a good story to start with. It was amusing to retell THE THREE LITTLE PIGS in an African setting, because the mapimbi are chubby like pigs with bulbous noses, and no tails. Mapimbi live in stone houses which makes the indestructible stone house from the traditional tale just perfect for mapimbi.
     I hope as you read this, your mind is traveling ahead and thinking about a story you would like to interpret with your favorite animal. In my case, I like learning about an animal I don’t know much about.   Today I have a stack of books ready to learn about the pimbi, also called rock dassie, also called hyrax.
     Good luck and create something wonderful today!

Love,

Jan Brett

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Hedgie’s Treasure Trove for April 23rd

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on April 28, 2009

Top Downloads!

Here’s a list of the 15 most downloaded pages from janbrett.com

1. ~ Compound Words, a compound word is made when two words are joined to
form a new word.
http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/compound.htm

2. ~ The Seashell Rounding Activity Page. Rounding makes numbers easier to
work with in your head. If you do not need an exact number, you can round a
number to make things simple.
http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/rounding.htm

3. ~ On Noah’s Ark Horses Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/mural/on_noahs_ark_horses.htm

4. ~ Honey…Honey…Lion! Lion Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/mural_hhl/mural_hhl_lion.htm

5. ~ The Umbrella Coloring Mural Main Page
http://www.janbrett.com/mural_umbrella/umbrella_mural.htm

6. ~ Jan Brett’s How to Draw Videos
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/video/video_main_page.htm

7. ~ Jan Brett’s Sight Word Lists
http://www.janbrett.com/games/jan_brett_dolch_word_list_main.htm

8. ~ Jan Brett’s 2009 Calendar
http://www.janbrett.com/2009_calendar/2009_calendar_main_page.htm

9. ~ Ordinal Numbers Cats in Line Activity Page
http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/ordinal.htm

10. ~ Is Hedgie the Best? Game and Coloring Page Reward
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgies_the_best.htm

11. ~ Learn to Draw your own Bear
http://www.janbrett.com/learn_to_draw_a_bear.htm

12. ~ On Noah’s Ark Coloring Mural Main Page
http://www.janbrett.com/mural/on_noahs_ark_coloring_mural.htm

13. ~ Honey…Honey…Lion! Mural Main Page
http://www.janbrett.com/mural_hhl/honey_honey_lion_mural.htm

14. ~ Jan Brett Booklist
http://www.janbrett.com/booklist.htm

15. ~ Spring Flowers Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/spring_flowers.htm

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

Download a Free Jan Brett How to Draw Video –
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/video/video_main_page.htm

Read all about Jan Brett’s books and get the best bookstore prices –
http://www.janbrett.com/bookstores/hedgies_lets_go_shopping.htm

2 Comments

April 2009 Hedge a gram

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on April 5, 2009

Two cochin hens showing the round shape they are famous for. They belong to Tom Roebuck.

     This is my April hedge a gram – time to let you know what I’m doing in my job as a children’s book illustrator and writer.
     I finally finished my Easter book. It took a long time to finish with all the eggs, bunnies and pussy willow framing on every page. The last few pages were especially fun because I got to imagine what the Easter bunnies wagon looked like, pulled by beautiful cochin hens. Cochins are shaped like feathered globes – their tails don’t stick out, they fall in a pouf in the back, their feet are feathered and they have a roley poley look. I named them after flowers, but Roley Poley would be a good name for a Cochin hen. Despite their roundness, they are very dignified due to their very serious eyes and stately way of walking. Where I grew up in New England, it was very likely we would have snow on the ground on Easter morning. My sisters and I would be excited to see rabbit tracks, but we never thought of looking for wagon tracks!
    I am always sorry to leave the world I’ve created when it’s time to move on to my next book, but I know I can always go to the feed store and see Tikki the beautiful black “velveteen” rabbit who lives there. She always greets everyone by standing up on her haunches. I’ll miss painting the rabbits.

Euphorbia plant in Windhoek, Namibia. It's is primarily found in the tropical regions of Africa.

Euphorbia plant in Windhoek, Namibia. It is primarily found in the tropical regions of Africa.

My trip to Namibia, Africa was like a treasure hunt. I took photos of the rare welwichita plant and euphorbia, cactus like plants that look weird to a person from Norwell, Massachusetts with our pines, birches and maples. I brought back lots of fabric that is distinctively Namibian. I may use it in the borders of my new book, and I’ll definitely use it to create the dresses of the three little mapimbi.
One of the first decisions I’ll make when creating my next book, THE THREE LITTLE MAPIMBI will be the size and shape it will be. My books tend to be big, because I need room for the borders. I usually tell part of the story in the borders. Every day I turn over in my mind, what kind of African animal should play the role of the big bad wolf, because it is an African version of the three little pigs. Some days I think the eagle would be perfect. There’s something scary about their wide reach from the sky. An eagle could carry the mapindi off in their talons and leave them stranded in their high nest.

Leopard in Botswana for my trip for Honey...Honey...Lion

     That would be exciting, and a good border story. On the other hand, the wolf character could be the leopard. We have seen many in Africa, and the sight of the yellow gold coat covered with velvet purply black rosettes (also called spots!) is arresting, and would be fun to draw. I may end up creating two book dummies, and then work it out with Joe, my husband who always gives input, and Margaret, my editor who has helped me so profoundly in the last twenty books.
    Which reminds me, THE MITTEN is having its twentieth anniversary this fall. It’s a book that always makes me smile, and this past winter I worked with the designers at Putnam to create a new jacket.
     After I finish the text for THE THREE LITTLE MAPIMBI, I’ll start on the book dummy. With the exception of the story idea itself – that is the time the book really takes shape, an exciting time it is, too!
     I hope you are all thinking of stories that are just bursting to be told. The world will be a better place from your efforts. It always amazes me to think that it only takes effort and imagination to create a new book.

Happy reading,

Jan Brett

10 Comments

Hedgie’s Treasure Trove for April 5th

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on April 3, 2009

Happy Easter, Happy Spring,

~ Hedgie’s Spring Bike Ride Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgies_spring_bike_ride.htm

~ Spring Flowers Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/spring_flowers.htm

~ Happy Spring Coloring Page Place Mats
http://www.janbrett.com/place_mats/happy_spring_coloring_place_mat.htm

~ Happy Easter Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/happy_easter_eggs_coloring_page.htm

~ Happy Easter T Shirt Transfer
http://www.janbrett.com/transfers/happy_easter_transfer.htm

~ Happy Easter Email Postcards
http://www.janbrett.com/vcards/gbrowse.php?cat_id=10

~ How to Draw a Chick
High Bandwidth
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_chick_high_bandwidth.htm
Low Bandwidth
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_chick_low_bandwidth.htm

~ How to Draw a Bunny
High Bandwidth
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_bunny_high_bandwidth.htm
Low Bandwidth
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_bunny_low_bandwidth.htm

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

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Hedgie’s Treasure Trove for March 18th

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on March 18, 2009

New Videos!

I’m back from my annual trip to Africa to get story ideas. I’ve created a new How to Draw video for you.

~ How to Draw a Stork
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_stork_high_bandwidth.htm
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/how_to_draw_a_stork_low_bandwidth.htm

~ Also new this week is a sneak preview of my spring 2010 book, THE EASTER EGG
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/the_easter_egg_high_bandwidth.htm
http://www.janbrettvideos.com/the_easter_egg_low_bandwidth.htm

Hedgie’s Treasure Trove for March 9th

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on March 10, 2009

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Projects and coloring pages especially for Saint Patrick’s Day.

~ Saint Patrick’s Rainbow Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/saint_patricks_coloring_rainbow.htm

~ Hedgie Leprechaun Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/saint_patricks_coloring.htm

~ Saint Patrick’s Day Coloring Placemat
http://www.janbrett.com/place_mats/happy_st_patricks_coloring_place_mat.htm

~ Saint Patrick’s Day Email Postcards
http://www.janbrett.com/vcards/gbrowse.php?cat_id=9

Leprechan takes a Hedgie Ride Coloring Page
~ http://www.janbrett.com/leprechaun_takes_a_hedgie_ride.htm

Bookmarks for Saint Patrick’s Day
http://www.janbrett.com/bookmarks/bookmarks_saint_patricks_day.htm

Also new this week is the Jan Brett Blog. I hope that it will be a
place where book lovers can meet and share information.
~ http://janbrettsblog.com/

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

4 Comments

2008 School or Library contest winner – Margaret Burgess

Posted by Jan Brett in Jan Brett Posts on March 3, 2009

presentation_university_place_elementary

University Place Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama.
If you look behind me, you’ll see rocketships from Hedgie Blast off!

      I’m just back from visiting the winning school from last year’s contest, and am looking forward to the drawing to pick this year’s winner. The drawing will be on this coming May 11th.
     Alabama is home to University Place Elementary, the exciting, vibrant school we traveled to in early March for a visit. Second grade teacher Margaret Burgess was the winner of last year’s contest where classes matched my characters, Teeka, Berlioz, Hedgie and many others to the books they appeared in. The winners were chosen at random, but after a day in Huntsville I could not imagine a more inspiring school to spend the day with welcoming banners, imaginative art on the walls and a thoughtful teacher whose students entered and won the contest.
     Ms. Burgess made our day memorable. We have a lot in common. We both keep poultry, have a child in the military with two tours in Iraq, and we both find children fascinating.
     Hedgie and I greeted the children who were attentive and enthusiastic during my talk. I told about how I got the idea for my latest book, Gingerbread friends, and drew them the Gingerbread Baby and peppermint puppy.
     During questions and answers, one boy asked, “What was the most difficult book I have created?” I really had to think about that one because the most fun and most valuable things I do are difficult. I finally decided it was my first book,Fritz and the Beautiful Horses,because I had never written a book before and was using hope and eagerness to keep me going.
About one third of the third, fourth, and fifth grades wanted to be authors or illustrators. When I me the students individually to give them a copy of my book The Three Snow Bears which were donated by my school publisher, Scholastic, most of them said they were readers, writers, and artists! The most popular pet was the dog, the favorite animal, tiger, most popular color, red. Most popular t-shirt for boys was The Green Hulk, for girls, Hannah Montana. Every child was energetic bright eyed and engaged. Hurrah for a wonderful elementary school!
     When we flew back to Boston after a day at University Place school, we saw the beautiful mountains and waterways below, and the Apollo rocket next to the museum. It made me think that University Place students can do anything!

Jan with winning teacher Margaret Burgess

Here’s Mrs. Burgess and me outside her school. The school

partners with the Universtiy of Alabama, whose

students are often reading buddies with students.

Jan, Hedgie, and wonderful teacher Dolly Jackson. I didn’t know Huntsville is home to the Apollo Rocket and has a space museum. It was space week and you will see Miss Dolly in her space coveralls next to Hedgie. The children learn about the space program. Some children have learned so much about science that they have joined the space program.