New Arrivals!

My copies of "The Tree That Bear Climbed" and "Desert Baths" arrived in the mail on Friday! Check out reviews and synopses of the books, and preorder by clicking the titles.

 More info coming soon...

Groundhog's Day Coloring Page

Enjoy your FREE downloadable Groundhog's Day coloring page, featuring a scene from the book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by me, and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing.

If you have not checked out my website in a while, click HERE.  There, you can find more coloring pages and check out books I have illustrated, as well as new books coming out in 2012.  You can also "like" the "Prairie Storms" fan page on Facebook.

New Coloring Page...FREE!

Feel free to click the pic to download my latest Prairie Storms coloring page!  In this scene, we see a cougar taking refuge from a chilly, November hail storm.

"Prairie Storms" book launch and GIVEAWAY!

Head over to the blog of well-respected children's book illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba for a chance to win a FREE copy of my new book, Prairie Storms.  Also, be sure to read the interview with the book's author, Darcy Pattison, and myself, about how the concept for the book and the illustrations all came together.  You can also watch a book trailer there, to preview this exciting new book!

Illustration Friday: "Gesture"

One of the best things about our dogs is that they are there with a friendly gesture when they know we are hurting....wonderful, even if their kisses smell like dog food.  :)  (Illustration taken from Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!, published by Sylvan Dell.)

I received this review of my latest book, Prairie Storms, from Sylvan Dell last night, and wanted to share it with you:

PRAIRIE STORMS (reviewed on July 15, 2011)

A passel of prairie wildlife weathers a year of storms.

In February, “The hibernating ground hog stirs, awakes. It unplugs the door to its den and peers out. Soft billows of fog blot / out the sun.” June sees “Puffy morning clouds build and build all afternoon until thunder clouds tower high. Flash! Boom! The white tailed doe and fawn both flee, helter-skelter toward a tree.” Skunks endure dust storms. A cougar shelters from hail. A prairie chicken digs for roots after a blizzard. Each double-page spread presents a different prairie beast and a different weather event for each month. Pattison’s text is descriptive and refrains from anthropomorphizing; however, it ends abruptly, giving this more of the feel of a list than a cohesive tale. Rietz’s watercolors of realistic animals in various areas of the grassland habitat are a good match. Six pages of activities and quizzes on animals, weather, habitats and seasons follow December’s spread.

Best for classrooms or school libraries looking to plump their science collections. (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Here is an exciting sample of an illustration from the book...

Prairie Storms author, Darcy Pattison, is having a give-away over at Goodreads.  Enter between now and August 10th for your chance to win a free copy of our book.

You can also now follow both of these books on Facebook!


And finally...

Check out what's new over at my fine art blog, when you get a chance and are in the mood for something different.

Illustration Friday: "Stay"

True friends stay with you through life's ups and downs.

We all need encouragement to stay the course at times.  Find out how Champ's friends encourage her during her battle with cancer in the book I illustrated, Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!, written by Sherry North and published by Sylvan Dell.  And watch for my latest book, Prairie Storms, to be released in August.  To see previews of the book, check out my website.

Video Preview of "Prairie Storms"

Watch this exciting book preview video of my new book, Prairie Storms, written by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by me.  The book is just weeks away from its release date.  I am so excited.  Watch the video HERE!  (Thanks to Darcy for putting together this video.)

Illustration Friday: "Remedy"

Sometimes the best remedy is love.

Get the heart-warming, award-winning book I illustrated, "Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!"(published by Sylvan Dell) right here.

Check out what's new over at my fine art blog.

Or...my website.

Illustration Friday: "Midsummer Night"

Here is a preview illustration from my latest book, Prairie Storms, set for release in just a couple of weeks.  The book was written by Darcy Pattison, and published by Sylvan Dell.  We have a follow-up book, called Desert Baths, which will be coming in 2012.  It has been wonderful working with both Darcy and Sylvan Dell.  In this illustration, an earless lizard shimmies to find shelter from a dry, crackling lightning storm in the middle of an August night.  You can download a free coloring page version of this illustration here.

"Prairie Storms": February coloring page

To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me!  Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book.  Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top.   Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer.   The image size is 8.5" X  11".  I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.


This week I am featuring the coloring page for the month of February: a prairie dog peeks out of his snow-capped burrow on a foggy morning.  Will he see his shadow in the snow?

"Prairie Storms": August coloring page

To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me!  Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book.  Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top.  Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer.  The image size is 8.5" X  11".  I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.

This week I am featuring the coloring page for the month of August: an earless lizard searches for shelter as the sky crackles with heat lightning.

Champ's Story book signing!

Thank you to Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Arlington Hts., IL, for hosting last night's event.  It was a great success!  If you would like to schedule a school visit or book signing for any of my books, please drop me an email.

Here I am explaining how a story becomes a book.  The original art for the cover of "Champ's Story" is framed and displayed on my table along with copies of the book.

Here I am with local authors Michael Bellito and Jackie Pilossoph, who were also signing their books.

Another shot of the original art and the book cover.

"Champ's Story" book signing tomorrow at B&N

Tomorrow I will be signing copies of the award-winning "Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!" at Barnes & Noble in Arlington Hts., IL, from 7 to 8:30pm.  Click HERE for more info.

As always, if you have bought a copy of "Champ's Story" and would like me to sign a bookplate for you to affix inside the cover, contact me and let me know.  I will sign one and send it right out to you.

"Prairie Storms": New Book Release Coloring Pages!

To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me!  Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book.  Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top.  Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer.  The image size is 8.5" X  11".  I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.

Read a NEW Interview with Yours Truly!

I was interviewed by writer Karin Cameron over at her blog, "Karin Won't Stop Talking".  Go take a look and find out how I got my start as an artist and children's illustrator, and what advice I can give to others in the biz.  Be sure to leave a comment and tell Karin you stopped by.  She is a marvelous host and an awesome writer.

Here is a rough sketch I made for the upcoming book "Prairie Storms", due out in August 2011!

Become a fan of "Champ's Story" on Facebook!

You can now join the "Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!" fan page on Facebook.  Just click HERE, and the click the "Like" button at the top of the fan page.  Post your stories about the book, photos of your child reading the book, your own stories about how cancer has touched the life of you, your child or a pet.  I hope you enjoy this new way to interact with the publisher, author Sherry North, illustrator (me), and other fans of the book.

Illustration Friday: "Chicken"

Two different illustrations for the topic "Chicken".  

The first illustration is for the current children's book I am illustrating for Sylvan Dell, titled "Prairie Storms" (2011).  It is a prairie chicken, also known as a prairie grouse.

The second is a coloring page I created, called"Chicken Dance".

"Prairie Storms"

Finally!  I have been wanting to show you the cover of the latest book I am illustrating for Sylvan Dell, titled "Prairie Storms".  Here it is!  Ta-daaaaa!  It is due to be released in summer of 2011.  I am currently illustrating the inside spreads.  It has been such an interesting project to research.  This past weekend I went on a photo excursion at the Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary near my home to photograph prairie plants, trees, the sky, etc.  Each of the 12 spreads inside "Prairie Storms" will feature a different month, different animal, and different storm.

"Champ's Story" Gets 5-Star Review on Amazon.com!

Since the release of my latest book "Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!" last week, the response has been overwhelming.  Check out this review I found today on Amazon.com.  It made my day!
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This review is from: Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too! (Hardcover)

I do wish there were more books of this ilk and this quality available for children. For adults, "cancer" has become one of the most terrifying words in our language. Most adults have some understanding of this disease, and after the initial shock of the diagnosis, can rely on knowledge, maturity and practiced emotions to deal with it...on some level at least. Children on the other hand know from a very early age that fear is involved but so often do not know why. They not only have fear of something they know is "not good," but they also have a fear of the unknown, which is indeed just as traumatic. The author, Sherry North has used the story of a young boy and his beloved pet dog to inform the younger set just what it is they are dealing with when cancer; either of a family member, loved one, friend or pet, enters their life. Cody and his pet Champ are preparing for an agility show and Champ is running through her paces. While petting Champ, Cody discovers a lump on her side. Cody makes a good choice in telling Champ she needs to see a doctor. Cody knows there is something wrong. The author and illustrator, Kathleen Rietz then take us upon a journey; a journey of a victim of cancer. From the visit to the doctor's office, testing and on to the diagnosis of cancer and the treatment, the reader follows step by step. The child learns what to expect and when to expect it. The young boy shows the typical emotions of a child in this situation; shares his thoughts with his friends, and above all, becomes Champ's caregiver. You can see the care and love radiating out form the illustrations and words. The author has used straight forward simply language to tell a complex story. Her tone is matter of fact but extremely tender, loving and understanding throughout the entire work. There is nothing scary or heart wrenchingly sad about the story; it just explains in a very understandable way what a child might well face. Information will quite often take away a lot of fear and the author certainly supplies quite a lot of good and valid facts in a relatively short book. Truthfully, I was amazed at just how much information she was able to pack into so few pages. The last four pages of the book are sort of a "cancer fact primer" for adults to use in teaching children of this subject. Facts are given so that the reader can understand just what cancer is, how it is treated, fact and fiction surrounding this disease, coping with cancer and chemo and a page on what you can do to prevent cancer as you grow up. The art work in this book by Kathleen Rietz is extremely well executed. Each of the frames, which cover two pages each, are done in mellow and soothing colors. Each illustration fits the text perfectly. The artist has captured the mood of each picture perfectly on the face of the dog without overly anthropomorphizing her subject...I like this...it adds much to the overall message of the book. This is a very skillful writer and skillful artist that have teamed up here! This is an ideal work to be used in a classroom. Giving children knowledge of this disease before he or she has to actually face it, as many, many will, gives them a bit of a head start in the process of learning to deal with the many issues they will be faced. Don Blankenship The Ozarks

Look what I got!

Last week I received my first copy of my latest illustrated children's book "Champ's Story: Dogs Get Cancer Too!", by Sylvan Dell Publishing, written by Sherry North. The book is due to be released this August.

It's such a great feeling holding a new book in my hand. It always brings back memories of all of the hard work that goes into illustrating a children's book.


I dedicated the book to my dog, Sunshine. :)