It's here! 2013 Ladybug Picture Book Award!

Look what I got in the mail this week -- the 2013 Ladybug Picture Book Award for Little Dog Lost!

The crystal award is designed by Pepi Herrmann and it is beautiful.  I will always cherish it and proudly display it right by my art table as a source of constant inspiration.

Thank you to all little readers in New Hampshire for giving Little Dog Lost this great honor.

Ladybug Picture Book Award!

And now for some really FANTASTIC news:  Little Dog Lost is the winner of the 2013 Ladybug Picture Book Award!

*dances, jumps and twirls around the room*

According to the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library, "The Ladybug Picture Book Award is designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books.  A committee of children's librarians from around the state selects 10 picture book titles early in the year.  Then, during November, New Hampshire children from preschoolers to those in third grade choose the award winner."

How cool is that?  Honestly, I was so honored just to be nominated this year.  Winning the award is just the best Christmas present ever!

A HUGE thank you to all children's librarians, teachers and children who read and shared Baltic's amazing tale!

Talking About Art Supplies

Well, hello there!  It's been ages, I know.  I had big hopes of keeping to a schedule, adding new content to my blog on a consistent basis, but here I am, 4 months after my last post... tsk, tsk, tsk.

But wait, I have a good excuse!  I was working very hard on my second picture book, which I'm happy to say is DONE (and art was delivered on time, yay!) *happy, happy dance*  Aaaand, the book has a new title, ready?

Ladies and Gentlemen, keep your eyes open for... SLEEPOVER WITH BEATRICE AND BEAR! Coming 2014 from Nancy Paulsen Books and yours truly.

On my last post about working on book 2, I said that I would be talking next about my favorite art supplies.  This sounds like a great way to get back into blogging mode!

My favorite watercolor paper lately is Fabriano Artistico Extra White, 140 lbs, hot pressed.  I use blocks - they're more expensive than sheets, but easier to store and do not require stretching.  That beautiful watercolor pan set was a gift from my parents (Sennelier artist watercolors) and it's been put to great use!  I also use tube Winsor & Newton artist watercolors.  Pen nibs and holders, as well as a selection of brushes, and Winsor and Newton Black India Ink.  In a jar, a selection of Prismacolor color pencils (there are a lot more that I keep in clay pots by my window).

My studio is a corner near a window (see the clay pots with pencils?)  It can get a bit messy and crowded, but it's home!

This is where I worked on both Little Dog Lost and Sleepover With Beatrice and Bear, and while I do most of the inking and painting there, I also use the kitchen table and any other surface available for drawing and sketching, cutting paper, using the light box, etc.

Welcome to my world!

BIG, BIG News! | GRANDES, GRANDES Notícias!

I'm very happy to announce that I have a NEW two-book deal with Nancy Paulsen Books!

Yay, indeed!! 

2012 was an amazing year with the publication and warm reception of Little Dog Lost: 2012 Horn Book Fanfare, 2012 Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Eric Carle Museum 2012 Picture Book of Distinction, and 2013 Gryphon Honor Award.  I'm now working on the paintings for my next picture book, Beatrice and Bear, due out spring 2014 (more about that on future posts!)

So it makes me SO happy to share the amazing news that I will continue to work with editor Nancy Paulsen, art director Cecilia Yung, and book designer Marikka Tamura on two more picture books!  I couldn't have asked for a better team!

And, of course, a HUGE thank you to my fantastic literary agent, Teresa Kietlinski from Prospect Agency!

Estou super animada de anunciar que tenho um novo contrato de 2 livros infantis com Nancy Paulsen Books!

2012 foi um ano incrível com o lançamento de Little Dog Lost e sua muito carinhosa recepção.  Estou trabalhando agora no meu próximo livro, Beatrice and Bear, a ser publicado na primavera de 2014 (mais detalhes seguirão em futuros posts!)

Por isso alegra-me muito compartilhar a notícia que vou continuar trabalhando com a editora Nancy Paulsen, diretora de arte Cecilia Young e designer Marikka Tamura em mais dois livros infantis! Melhor equipe não existe!

E, claro, um IMENSO obrigado a minha fantástica agente literária Teresa Kietlinski da Prospect Agency!

I LOVE Blogs!

January is almost over.  This month marks the third anniversary of Baltic's rescue and one year since the publication of my first picture book based on his amazing adventure.  It's been a great ride! 

Earlier this month the blog The Classroom Bookshelf posted a really neat review of my book, offering ideas and resources for teachers and educators.  Check it out:

The Classroom Bookshelf: Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Nam...: Written and Illustrated by Monica Carnesi Published by Nancy Paulsen Books in 2012 ISBN 978-0-399-25666-0 Book Review...

I simply LOVE blogs.  I started blogging in 2007 in order to participate in Illustration Friday, one of the best decisions I've made.  Through the blog I made new friends in the US and all over the world.  My blog was also instrumental in the launch of my career as a picture book author and illustrator.  Social media outlets have exploded and now there are so many different ways to maintain an online presence: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.  All great, but I'm still partial to blogs :-)

The 2013 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (a must read for any aspiring author and/or illustrator) includes a piece written by my agent, Teresa Kietlinski, where she talks about the importance of blogs for illustrators:

Really cool reading and very, very true. And while it's hard sometimes to keep blogging consistently, it is definitely worth the effort.  One of my goals this year is to post at least twice a month.

So share a recent picture book you like or a fun sketch, talk about a favorite illustrator or about your creative process.  Yay for blogs! 

Spotlight on Books and Illustrators | Iwona Cala

Recently I did a post mentioning the beautiful Polish picture book about Baltic and his amazing rescue written by Barbara Gawryluk and illustrated by Iwona Cala.

Iwona is a super talented Polish illustrator (and architect!)  -- check out her blog to see some of her amazing artwork.  For Baltic, she used oil pastels to paint full-page illustrations.  I love the colors and texture!

She also often uses watercolor and other media and is the illustrator of many more children's books -- here are just a few:

 

I was delighted to be contacted by Iwona, who saw the post and suggested we exchange books!  She sent me a signed copy of Baltic with a lovely dedication, as well as a copy of another book (the one with the adorable baby on the cover), a beautiful story about adoption written by Agnieszka Fraczek.

But that's not all -- she also told her publisher, Wydawnnictow Literatura, about our virtual meeting and they arranged to send me another copy, this one signed by the author AND Mr. Adam Buczynski, the officer who rescued and adopted Baltic! Wow!

Thank you so much, Iwona!

Little Dog Lost is a Horn Book Fanfare 2012 title!

I'm so very excited -- Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic is a Horn Book Fanfare 2012 title!

This is such a great honor!  Thank you, Horn Book!

Baltic in the News!

It's been almost 3 years since Baltic was first spotted floating on an ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.  Rescued on January 25th, 2010, and adopted by the crew of the R/V Baltica, Baltic became an international celebrity (and the inspiration of my first picture book!)

What has he been up to?

Baltic's amazing story also inspired a Polish children's book, written by Barbara Gawryluk and illustrated by Iwona Cala:

And now, Baltic's story is going to be a children's play!

 Miniature City Theater has developed Baltic. A dog on an ice floe, based on Barbara Gawryluk's book.  Located in Gdansk, Miniature City Theater is one of the oldest theaters in Poland, in existence for over 65 years.

The play is for children ages 5 and up and opens on December 16th.

I wish I could go!

Baltic Digital Story

On February 15th this year I did a Skype visit with a group of Kindergarten and 1st Grade students at St. David's School in Raleigh, North Carolina, as part of their Book Lover's Week celebration.  It was a lot of fun!
Afterwards, the children in Mrs. Williams' Kindergarten class worked on a project inspired by Little Dog Lost: where did Baltic go after he was rescued?  Each student wrote, drew a picture and then read and recorded their story.
And the result is WONDERFUL!

Great Big Original Sock Dogs Contest!

LEAVE A COMMENT AND WIN CONTEST

I'm a BIG FAN of Stacey Hsu and her amazing creations at Original Sock Dogs.  Her work is beautiful and unique, and 10% of every purchase is donated to the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.  So, so cool!

Stacey created the custom made Baltic sock dog for Little Dog Lost -- Look how great he looks!

I know!  Adorable, right? Now you have a chance to win one of her one of a kind creations.  Run to her blog and leave a comment to win!

We Give Books - Little Dog Lost Online

We Give Books - Books

Read Little Dog Lost for a great cause! Check this amazing program: read a book online and help support literacy programs all over the world!

Leia Little Dog Lost por uma grande causa! Confira esta incrível iniciativa: leia um livro online e ajude a programas de apoio a alfabetização em todo mundo!

Book Launch Party!

Last week, on Wednesday January 25th, the second anniversary of Baltic's rescue, The Free Library of Philadelphia hosted the Book Launch party for Little Dog Lost.  Just look at the wonderful cake!

It was a fantastic event: among many other guests two kindergarten classes from Russell Byers Charter School came for the book reading and party.  What a great audience!  Also attending were my agent, Teresa Kietlinski from Prospect Agency, and from Penguin Young Readers Group my editor Nancy Paulsen, art director Cecilia Yung, and book designer Marikka Tamura.  What a thrill it was to all be together on this special day!


The following day Publisher's Weekly mentioned the launch party in its In Brief: January 26!

Pub Date is Today!

What a day! 

Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic was released today.

And....Horn Book picked it for its Review of the Week.

And....author Cynthia Leitich Smith posted an interview with me in her wonderful blog Cynsations.


I'm practically speechless.  What a great way to start the year!  Thank you all for your support and friendship.  I hope 2012 is off to a good start for you too!

By the way, if you're wondering about the cute Baltic sock dog, it was made by the talented Stacey Hsu of Original Sock Dogs.

Getting to Know Baltic

I first heard about Baltic on "All Things Considered" on NPR.  It was a brief story, recapping his amazing rescue earlier in the week, and concluding with the news that Baltic had been adopted by the crew: he was now an official crew member of the R/V Baltica!

Once I decided to work on a book about Baltic's adventure, I started looking for more information about him.  There were lots of news reports from all over the world, as well as photographs and videos.  Especially helpful were a number of interviews with the Baltica's crew done for Polish television that I had translated into English.  Mr. Paweł Rola, from the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), graciously gave me access to some incredible photographs of Baltic taken right before his rescue:

Unbelievable, right? This last picture is in the author's note in the book, courtesy of the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW).

One of my favorite videos about Baltic requires no translation: the images alone capture all the emotion and drama of that day.

Countdown to Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic

This is exciting!  My first picture book, Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic, is going to be released in early January.  In July of last year, I wrote a blog post telling all about the book deal and how it came about.

And now the reviews are coming in and I couldn't be happier.  Kirkus Reviews and Publisher's Weekly already had some wonderful things to say about the book, and this week I learned that The Horn Book gave Little Dog Lost a Starred Review.  Wow!!

Throughout December I'll add a few more posts detailing the process of creating my first picture book.  I hope you'll stop by!

HUGE News!!! | GRANDES Notícias!!!

I'm jumping for joy!!!

Estou pulando de alegria!!

I'm thrilled to announce that I have a TWO book deal with Nancy Paulsen Books, a new imprint at Penguin Young Readers Group.

The first is a picture book based on the true story of Baltic, a dog found stranded on an ice floe in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Poland this past January. This incredible story made news all over the world, and when I first heard about it I used it as inspiration for an Illustration Friday post on the theme "Adrift."

From there I began to write the story and work on some possible illustrations. Now, thanks to my extraordinary and very talented agent Teresa Kietlinski at Prospect Agency, the story has found a home and will become my first picture book. The topic of the second book is still to be determined, but needless to say I'm very excited about the many possibilities!

Estou alegríssima de anunciar que fui escolhida para publicar DOIS livros com Nancy Paulsen Books, uma nova editora do grupo Penguin Young Readers Group.

O primeiro livro é baseado na história real de Baltic, o cão que foi encontrado flutuando num pedaço de gelo no Mar Báltico, perto da costa da Polônia. Esta estória incrível foi noticiada no mundo todo, e serviu de inspiração para minha participação no Illustration Friday com tema "Adrift (A deriva)"

A partir daí começei a escrever a estória e fazer mais desenhos. E agora, graças a minha extraordinária e talentosa agente Teresa Kietlinski da Prospect Agency, esta estória vai se tornar meu primeiro livro infantil. O tema do segundo livro ainda será determinado, mas naturalmente estou super excitada com as possibilitades!