Hi, this is Jan Brett, letting you know what’s happening in my life as a children’s book illustrator and writer. If you have ever traveled to a foreign country, you may recognize the feelings I experienced after a trip to Africa. I did miss drawing and painting every day, which makes me feel like my true self. What made the trip valuable, was that I was filled with new images of landscapes, animals, birds and African people with traditional clothes and manners that impressed me in a way that makes me want to draw them. I am filled with a motivational excitement that makes me want to bring the images to life on paper.
In the traditional village I visited in Namibia, Otjongombe, I admired the long dresses, shawls and turbans the woman wore, especially since they were created from beautiful fabric. Most of the women made their own dresses and kept to a certain style that has been worn for generations.
 Herero Family from Namibia |
I bought many samples of cotton printed fabric to use when creating the clothes for the 3 Little Dassie (rock hyrax in English) that will be characters in my book. I brought colored markers with me, so I could experiment with just how I could transform the tradition dress of the stately Namibian woman to the dassie who I will dress just like them, but who are a bit chubby and short limbed.
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 Pimbi or Rock Hyrex in Namibia at Little Ongava |
My husband and I went to a school where I met the children of the village. They performed a program of song and dance which we greatly admired. We had some time to chat with the children who liked practicing their English with us. Their birth language is either Herero or Himba. They were interested in how old I was, so I told them that I was 59. I left some of my books for their library, since they all could read English and a beautifully illustrated science book about extreme animals that I bought especially for them, as well as President Obama lapel pins since the President’s father was from Africa. Everyone we met in Africa is elated by our country’s choice of President Obama.
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 K.J. Kapewa Public School in Otjongombe, Namibia
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During our two week trip to Africa we went for our second time to Namibia and our first time to Tanzania. Spending time in the bush or wilderness area learning about African birds, mammals, and reptiles is my idea of an energizing, inspiring, awesome time. Our African guides, Martin Benadie, who is South African and specializes in birds, Uanee Karuuombe, a Himba guide who introduced us to the Herero people, and Peter, our guide in Tanzania, brought events and encounters into focus and shared their knowledge. For example, Martin could walk into a stand of acacia trees listen carefully, and then point out eight different birds. Sometimes he would hear a bird call and then would imitate it with a whistle, and the bird would come out to investigate. Often he spotted birds unknown to the local guide.
In Namibia, Uanee helped me understand about the pride the Herero have of their beautiful cattle. Peter, whose family have lived on the Serengeti plains for generations, looked at a herd of zebra (properly known as a dazzle of zebra), and see that they were intently staring at a fixed point not far off. He drove us in his Lad Rover slowly that way, and soon we saw the elegant cheetah the zebras were looking at but who had been hidden from our sight.
Excited as I am by all the new African ideas, I am still finishing my Easter egg book, correcting, polishing, and adding to the year’s work. It will take all my self control not to start work on 3 Little Dassie! Happy creating, reading and especially drawing.
Your friend,
Jan Brett
#1 by joce on March 1, 2009 - 8:17 am
Je souhaitais vous dire… toute mon admiration pour vos illustrations pleines de fraicheur !
Je me suis permise d’ajouter à mes articles certaines d’entre elles. Mais, à chaque fois, j’ai ajouté un lien vers votre site.
J’espère que vous ne m’en tiendrez pas rigueur.
#2 by rhalee on March 2, 2009 - 4:34 am
Hi Jan,
I love your blog entry! The videos of Africa are terrific. I can hardly wait to see your illustrations of the mapignis and the bright textiles.
Rhalee
#3 by Book Lover on March 4, 2009 - 12:08 pm
Hi Jan,
Fascinating entry to the blog here (not that the others aren’t great!), I’d love to go to Africa having studied it as a student many years ago. I’ve been doing some short stories of varying subjects and illustrating them myself lately and I love so much the style of African art that you see – it’s so vibrant and colorful. I found this book in particular – The Art of African Women hugely inspiring…it’s nice to let oneself go painting and just go for it!
BL
#4 by BC on March 10, 2009 - 12:49 pm
I love the videos of Africa. I loved the dresses the ladies wore, and I loved their hats. I hated for the video with the school children to end. They were so sweet. Can’t wait for the Three Little Mapignis!
BC
#5 by Mrs. Holden's 3rd Grade Class on April 3, 2009 - 1:04 pm
Hi Mrs. Brett,
We just completed a webquest using your website. We are so excited to see your new books and we really liked looking at the pictures of Africa. It looks like you had lots of fun when you were there. We look forward to more of your book and blog entries.
Mrs. Holden’s 3rd grade at Osceola Mills Elementary in Pennsylvania
#6 by Jan Brett on April 3, 2009 - 6:22 pm
Dear Mrs. Holden’s class,
Thanks for doing your webquest on janbrett.com I love Africa and am already planning THE THREE LITTLE MAPINDI for my fall book for 2010.
Best regards,
Jan Brett
#7 by jill shirley on April 11, 2009 - 8:05 pm
We are doing our author study this month on all of the books. I am so interested in the beautiuful people of Namibia. I enjoyed your nice comment about our new president and how his dad was from Kenya. We are enjoying the book that you sent to our library. We love all of your books and my students have especially enjoyed Armidillo Rodeo. We have a lot in the south and my students can relate to the story well. Even one student said her mom almost hit one and it rolled into a ball and jumped in front of a car. My class is writing responses to all of your books. We are planning a class book with one student as the illustrator and the partner as the author. I have so many talented and gifted students. We hope I can show the video with the school children to my class. We are getting ready for an important test for Georgia. It is the C.R.C.T. Hopefully after the test we can also do a webquest and incorporate into my science as well as social studies. LOVE your books and all the wonderful drawings. My students now can predict what is happening on the next page by looks at your wonderful illustrations that give them clues. Please come to Georgia and visit us sometime. (My county is the poorest county in the state of Georgia). We need good role models and help to encourage good reading and art in the schools. Have a great Easter!!!!!
#8 by jill shirley on April 11, 2009 - 8:09 pm
My 2nd grade class is writing responses to all of your books. Thanks for giving us such rich and wonderful ideas. I enjoyed your nice comment to the woman from Namibia about our president’s dad. We would love for you to visit us in Georgia sometime. We are still enjoying your book your sent to us and we read all of them we can get our hands on. Come see us –we live in the poorest county in Georgia. We need rich vocabulary and pictures from your books. I have used the books to incorporate reading and writing into science and social studies. Thanks soo much and we love your web site!!!
#9 by danusia on June 25, 2009 - 7:07 pm
Hi,
I am really impresed. This webside is fantastic and very very helpful. I am first time here and just want to say thank you.
Danusia
#10 by Maria Jackson on September 1, 2009 - 9:06 am
I have a keen interest in doing interaction with the people all around the world. this site provides great information about African people, its quite interesting.
#11 by john edelson on September 11, 2009 - 6:40 pm
Jan. Did you meet any Peace Corps Volunteers when you were over there? I’m a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (we are never xPCVs, we’re RPCVs) from West Africa so I love looking at your pictures.
I’ve been thinking recently about my time in West Africa and the schools and needs there so I liked running across your post. For more on school needs in West Africa, you can click on my name.
#12 by Loreen McDonald (teacher) on September 12, 2009 - 1:29 pm
Sawubona, Mama Brett!
We are a Grade One Class in Zululand, South Africa, in a place called Eshowe.
Our teacher reads your books to us. We like The Mitten and The Hat. But it doesn’t snow here. We also liked Noah’s Ark.
you are a good artist.
We are excited because Mrs McDonald told us that you are writing a book about dassies. Did you know that their cousins are the elephants? We want you to paint beautiful pictures of Africa.
When you come to South Africa you must come visit us. We would like to meet you.
From the Grade One Class
of John Wesley School – Eshowe
in Eshowe, KZN, South Africa
#13 by Jan Brett on September 16, 2009 - 10:04 am
Thank you for your note. I love working on the dassie book. Please email me from my Home Page your school address. I’d love to keep in touch.
Jan Brett
#14 by esnest on October 19, 2009 - 4:41 am
I really like this article. Thank u for so nice article
#15 by Elizabeth Wynn on February 25, 2010 - 10:16 pm
Long ago I came across a copy of the Mitten that my son an I read to pieces. I became a fast fan of you then and 30 years latter my son, daughter and grandchildren all seem to sketch little Hedgies on notes and letters. we all love your books and I am looking forward to seeing you in Albuquerque with my stepgrandson and your easter book. He wants to paint our eggs now–dying is just too quick and plain. there is a tradition of filling empty egg shells with confetti for Easter that on easter you break over each others heads to shower family and friends with good wishes for the new year. this year we will be decorating them with your style of bunny eggs! thank you for the wonderful times with my kidds your books have led to.
#16 by hailey on April 4, 2010 - 9:10 pm
WOW I CANT BELEIVE U WENT TO AFRICA
#17 by Norma Bosse on April 11, 2010 - 9:44 pm
Hi – I did have the joy of meeting you at Wegmans in Hunt Valley. My daughter and I told you that I have a granddaughter editor for Penguins. We sent her a picture taken of you and a 7 yr. old boy from Hereford Middle School and he just became spelling winner for Baltimore County. He is an avid fan of yours. His mother gave us the picture and my granddaughter thought you would like it. You are definitely a favorite of our family and we look forward to your next work.
#18 by kiliegh on April 12, 2010 - 11:58 pm
hi- i enjoy your website i hope i can learn more stuff.
#19 by leyla on May 18, 2010 - 11:48 pm
i like your books.
#20 by michelle on November 2, 2010 - 2:23 am
Hi Jan Brett, i am a really big fan of your books. i have read your books over a year so far and i hope you make another book. the three books i love the most is The Christmas Reindeer, Honey…Honey…Lion!, and On Noah’s Ark. i hope your proud of me cause i read all of your books, I think…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#21 by Michelle Bristol on April 28, 2011 - 11:23 am
Love your books too. It must have been amazing and inspiring for you to go to Africa.
#22 by Wanda on May 3, 2011 - 4:22 pm
I’ve never left North America, and this looks like an incredible experience. I hope to one day have the opportunity to visit different cultures in their home environments…
#23 by Oscar Harper on May 3, 2011 - 9:13 pm
Thanks for posting the pictures and updating us.. I too am a big fan of your books.. thanks again
#24 by debbiep on May 4, 2011 - 4:08 pm
what great videos!!!! wonderful.. Thanks!!
#25 by Mark on May 11, 2011 - 4:42 pm
I love your books.. they are inspirational and great to read.. glad I found your blog
#26 by Chaser Cruz on May 25, 2011 - 4:35 pm
I would like to congratulate the author for this wonderful blog. I like the way you tell your stories and it seems that as you read you actually have a role in the said story. I like your creativity and your imaginations fits the dresses you create. Hope I could read your book in the future.
#27 by Zane on May 26, 2011 - 7:49 pm
The women’s dresses are stunning! I love that they made them. How refreshing to see something original and not off the rack.
#28 by Kay on May 31, 2011 - 4:43 am
I look forward to reading the story of your trip to my son, especially the dassie drawings.
#29 by George McBarnes on May 5, 2012 - 8:59 pm
I simply love your works – all my children are crazy about it. Hopefully there’s plenty of ideas and material, for many years to come…