Happy Valentine’s Day!
I hope your day is filled with the people you love (be they short or tall), sweet words, plenty of chocolate and pretty flowers, and blessings from the Lord.
XOXO
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Category Archives: The Writing LIfe
Illustrator Interview: The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup, Illustrated by Vikki Zhang
The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup
Written by Hunter Liguore
Illustrated by Vikki Zhang
Yeehoo Press, 2021
Welcome back, friends! Last Wednesday, Hunter Liguore visited to share about her new book. You can hop over to read that interview here and get your name in the hat to win a copy from Yeehoo Press.
Today I am delighted to introduce Vikki Zhang, the talented illustrator of The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup. Vikki joins us from China. Vikki has generously shared some of her works-in-progress and completed spreads, but you really need to read this picture book in person to see the details and feel the wonder of this lovely book. The partnership between Hunter and Vikki comes to life in each page!
Welcome, Vikki! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Vikki Zhang, I came from China, Jiangsu. I received my MFA of illustration at School of Visual Arts in 2018. Then I began my career as a freelance illustrator in New York. I created art for children’s books, editorials, book covers, brands, and product surface, etc.
I am also the founder and art director of Nianyi(年衣), a kids fashion brand, based in Beijing.
Wow, I see plenty of creative opportunities for you! Congratulations on your work!
Congratulations on your new book The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup! Once you read the manuscript from Hunter, how did you get your inspiration for the illustrations you created for the book?
Thank you, Angie. I am so pleased you enjoy the reading.
Hunter’s writhing is full of love and benevolence, like the yellow lamplight emitted from the deep woods. For the protagonists are a little girl and her grandmother, I am thinking of the objects and details appeared from my experience living in the grandparents’ home. The clock, the tablecloth, the pot, the outfits and so on are directly taken from the real life.
I am a nostalgia. I also got inspiration for this book from Victorian-Edwardian era’s picture books, antique cross stitch, decor and interior design of William Morris style, Carl Larsson’s watercolor depicting family, home and farm, poem about country life, delight rhythm in guitar, etc.
Oh, that’s what your illustrations remind me of-Carl Larsson! I love his work. And I love watercolors!
Where do you do your illustrating work? What process do you use as you create illustrations?
I am now work at the studio in Shanghai. While this book was finished in my parents’ home during the quarantine. The process begins with sketching on iPad. Then I printed them out, traced them on light box with pencil, and colored layer by layer with watercolor. There are some pages drew directly from iPad.
How did you celebrate the book birthday of The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup when it came out last August?
I called my dad and mom sharing this good news. It’s very exciting to publish it simultaneously in US and China.
I love the heart in The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup. The family relationships and the connections between ingredients and their sources is fascinating. It takes making soup to a deeper level. How do imagination and your childhood experiences impact your creativity as you illustrate?
My childhood experience had a profound impact on my art career. I am very grateful for each of my family member who gave me lots of love and care during my growth. They gave me a soft heart full of imagination. I read a line which says imagination is good memory. I can’t agree more with that. Those who can create fantasy and marvel are ones who are deeper engaged in the daily life than others.
I love reading how your family gave you a soft heart filled with imagination!
What are you working on now?
I am working on packaging designs, brand collaborations, series book art for young adults about Peking opera, and a picture book I wrote. As for Nianyi, we are preparing the 22aw collection.
You are very busy!
What tip would you give to a new picture book author or illustrator?
Don’t overthinking, let it flow, simply create things you are truly passionate about.
Be honest, be patient, focus, work hard
Thank you for the tips!
Surprise us! What else would you like to share?
The designers from Nianyi made the little girl’s red polka dress into the real product. The dress will be released in our 22ss collection!
When I drawing the little girl, her hair style is difficult to depict in specific angles. So I tie up my hair into the same style and took selfies modeling for myself.
I think that dress will be adorable!
I love this selfie Vikki took to help her see how to illustrate the little girl’s hairstyle!
Thank you so much, Vikki, for sharing your beautiful work!
Readers, you will want to find your own copy of The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup to enjoy! And don’t forget to swing over to the Author Interview post to read more about this delicious picture book and get your name in the hat to win a copy. Thanks for stopping by!
Author Interview: The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup by Hunter Liguore (Plus #giveaway)
The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup
Written by Hunter Liguore
Illustrated by Vikki Zhang
Yeehoo Press, 2021
It’s World Read Aloud Day! Here’s one picture book that will make your read aloud time scrumptious.
We all know how a grandmother can make the world go round. I’m a Nana, and I join with Nan as she cares for her loved ones by feeding them. Not only is this a delicious story, but The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup is filled cover to cover with delectable illustrations and tasty tidbits of all of the work involved in providing the ingredients and growing the soup. Lovely! Thanks so much to Kathy Temean, Hunter Liguore, Vikki Zhang, and Yeehoo Press for introducing me to The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup.
I’m glad you stopped by. Keep reading to meet Hunter Liguore and learn about her picture book, The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup. See the directions at the bottom of this post to find out how to get your name in the hat to win a copy.
***Coming soon: Swing back by to meet meet illustrator Vikki Zhang!
Now, let’s get to our interview with Hunter!
Welcome, Hunter! Congratulations on your new book! Tell us a little about The Whole World in Nan’s Soup.
The Whole World in Nan’s Soup is a rumination on our ability to recognize our interconnectedness with ‘all’ people. It is wisdom passed down many generations through my own gran, who understood that in order to eat a single meal, it takes the whole world to make it.
Our dinner table doesn’t end at the four corners, but is reciprocal; it extends to all those faceless helpers involved with making sure we’re nourished—and that’s a very beautiful thing! When we take the time—through slow-cooking—to see and talk about ‘all’ people in a bowl of soup, then we can begin to notice it in other areas of our life with the same care and unity.
The more we see our oneness, the more each meal—each bowl of soup—becomes a celebration, and our struggle with each other falls away, and the harmony we experience within will be reflected back.
I love how the interconnectedness plays out in this picture book. I have so many fond memories of eating meals prepared by my grandmothers and mother. Living in an agricultural valley, I see how much work it takes to feed families.
What was your inspiration for The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup?
The inspiration for The Whole World in Nan’s Soup comes from a careful rumination on reciprocity, or the understanding that the food we eat each day is made possible through the dignity of gentle workers. Reciprocity is more than an intellectual understanding of treating others with the same respect we wish for ourselves. It goes deeper and implies, ‘Who I am on the inside is the same as what is on the inside of others,’—and if that’s true, we can experience and discover for ourselves the delicate thread that connects all people.
When we meet others, we can do so with an awareness that their suffering is our suffering, felt and experienced the same way, and through empathy—through not wanting suffering for ourselves—we will not want it for another; thus, we will seek harmony and peace in all our words, actions, and relationships.
This was the foundation of the story, which can be practiced while making soup! As our understanding of reciprocity grows, so does our empathy. The circle of life expands, as we recognize we’re not able to live without those beautiful helpers, which we can now honor with our thankfulness, our kindness, our understanding, our patience, and most of all, our self-responsibility that discerns: we are the root of others’ suffering when we set aside our interconnection. We can always take time to recognize our interconnection with others. Even in a bowl of soup!
Beautiful!
What was your journey for this book?
A very gentle one.
I love hearing that!
How did you celebrate the book birthday of THE WHOLE WORLD INSIDE NAN’S SOUP when it came out August 2021?
Making soup and sharing it with family and friends.
Perfect!
I love the heart in THE WHOLE WORLD INSIDE NAN’S SOUP. The family relationships and the connections between ingredients and their sources is fascinating. It takes making soup to a deeper level. How do imagination and your childhood experiences impact your creativity as you work on picture books?
For me, writing evolves from our wholeness with our self/others/world, a harmonized unity or intuition. It is a way of life, a practice that is occurring in each delicate moment, a sacred unfolding, one where I’m given an opportunity to bring gentle love, unity, cooperation, and perfection into my craft and art, creating for the sake of creating, while being in tune with the greater whole.
Creativity is such a gift.
What are you working on now?
A vision of our future that includes a human traffic free food chain through a farm-certification program similar to Fair Trade or organic.
That sounds fascinating!
What tip would you give to a new picture book author or illustrator?
To all writers/creatives, trust yourself. Writing will only ever be about how much someone is willing to trust their vision. We are inventor of worlds, with words, it’s an art entrusted to the one who perseveres even in doubt, even when nothing makes sense, in order to realize the creative vision as a reality—and that takes trust! It takes belief that uncertainty isn’t difficulty, but an opportunity to shape the creative fire.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Surprise us! What else would you like to share?
The Whole World in Nan’s Soup is a celebration of our interconnection to our world, so I encourage readers to find ways to celebrate life, food, family/friends, our ancestors and relationships, our Earth and the wild ones dwelling in partnership with us; our meals, our dinner table, gentle cooking without harm; celebrate our farms and the food stores you patron, and the people you meet there, who are caring for you. Plant flowers and watch the cycle of this infinite celebration of love and life. Be attentive and you’ll see how connected we truly are. Even in difficulty, we can find small ways to celebrate and contribute to the joy in the world.
Thank you, Hunter, for sharing from your heart. Thank you for visiting today and for creating this beautiful picture book!
Ready to find out how to get your name in the hat to win a copy of The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup (US only)? A winner will be randomly chosen in one week on Wednesday, February 9.
1. Like and comment on this blog post. Please make sure I have your email address so I can notify you if you win. Example: bookwinner (at) yahoo (dot) com
2. Follow this blog and tell me how you follow. Please make sure I have your email address so I can notify you if you win.
Links:
To book on Yeehoo Press: https://www.yeehoopress.com/books/the-whole-world-inside-nans-soup/
Twitter: @skytale_writer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarriorsWanted/
Website: www.hunterliguore.org
About me: Hunter Liguore is a gentle advocate for living in harmony with the natural world and with one another. An award-winning author, professor, and historian, her writing has appeared internationally in magazines like Spirituality & Health, Irish Pages, Orion, and more. When not making soup, she is often roaming old ruins, hillsides, and cemeteries. To learn more, visit: hunterliguore.org or @skytale_writer.
Haiku Moment: parched
winter gray skies parch
eyes, soul, heart: desperate need-
nourishing green feast
parched by Angie Quantrell
photo by Angie Quantrell, Washington state
Sunday Inspiration
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Book Review: Wheels of Change by Darlene Beck Jacobson
Wheels of Change
Written by Darlene Beck Jacobson
Illustrations by Melissa Moss
Cover and book design by Simon Stahl
Creston Books, 2014
Historical fiction for middle grade, here I come! Thanks to Kathy Temean and her blog Writing and Illustrating, I won a copy of Wheels of Change from author Darlene Beck Jacobson. Thank you both for introducing me to this fascinating trip back in time.
Twelve year old Emily loves spending time in the carriage-building shop, even though it is not appropriate for young ladies who should be spending their time inside learning how to sew, bake, clean, and care for a house. With a quick mind, sincere heart, and means-well actions, Emily seeks answers to why people act the way they do, often getting herself into trouble.
Set around the turn of the century (1890s to 1900s), Wheels of Change indeed focuses on the changes of that time period. From the plight of being female to the lingering after-effects of the abolition of slavery to the ever-moving-forward march of replacing horse and buggy with motorized vehicles, Jacobson does not shy away from history. The clash of changes factors is faced head-on, all through the eyes of Emily. A few facts are based on personal family history while the rest of the story springs from her creative mind.
Why I Loved This Book:
~the story is based on history and changes that cause struggles and disagreements for most people
~the time period is one about which I enjoy reading
~great writing and descriptions allowed me to “see” what was going on
~the emotions and the conflict of the story seemed to be what could have really taken place
~it was obvious that plenty of research went into the writing of this book
~LOVED the back matter and learning about the family connections to this story
~the book would be perfect for young readers to read as they learn about history (for both education and pleasure)
Notable Social Studies Trade Book 2015
Mighty Girl Pick 2015
Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention 2015
Amazon Blurb:
Racial intolerance, social change, and sweeping progress make 1908 Washington, D.C., a turbulent place to grow up in for 12-year-old Emily Soper. For Emily, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic, and she’s more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer than trying to conform to the proper expectations of young ladies. When Papa’s livelihood is threatened by racist neighbors and horsepower of a different sort, Emily faces changes she’d never imagined. Finding courage and resolve she didn’t know she had, Emily strives to save Papa’s business, even if it means going all the way to the White House.
Required Number of Fleece Blankets for RV in Winter? (Also Haiku Moment: fleeced)
People.
RV life in the winter, particularly in a four-season location (like the Pacific Northwest, east of the Cascades), is not a piece of cake. Nor is it for the faint of heart.
I should have opened with a question mark and let you guess first. How many fleece blankets do you think a person would need to adequately block window drafts against winter chills? In January. While living in an RV? And all-season RV. At least that’s what it says on the side.
Nine. We require an assortment of 9 lap throw-sized fleece blankets to tuck along the cracks of all window openings to block drafts. Is this a pain? Yes. Do I despair? Yes. Murmur? Unfortunately. Yes.
But we are warm! The draft-blockers do their job. So well, in fact, that on super chilly mornings, they block the heat to portions of the curtains and the curtains freeze to the windows. Don’t worry! It eventually melts and we wipe away the beaded rivers streaming down into the window tracks.
Extra tasks are required for RV life in the winter. There is a longer daily chore list. But we keep warm. Our tricks of the trade keep us nice and toasty, despite ice, fog, snow, sleet, wind, rain, and sub-freezing temps. How about you? Any winter RV tricks you’d like to share with a couple of RV popsicles?
A Haiku Moment for you:
fleeced
winter’s chills gobble
heat, invite mr. frost in
9-fleece kicks him out
fleeced by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Book Review: With Great Power, The Marvelous Stan Lee by Annie Hunter Eriksen and Lee Gatlin
With Great Power, The Marvelous Stan Lee, An Unauthorized Biography
Written by Annie Hunter Eriksen
Illustrated by Lee Gatlin
Page Street Kids, 2021
Ka-POW! Sending thanks to Annie Hunter Eriksen, Lee Gatlin, and Kathy Temean for sending me a copy of this super picture book about Stan Lee, the comic book hero icon!
I enjoyed reading Kathy’s feature on With Great Power, The Marvelous Stan Lee, An Unauthorized Biography. You can read her post here.
This fun picture book is filled with engaging history, colorful action scenes, and plenty of comic book feel. I thoroughly loved reading more about Stan Lee. If you love comic books and super heroes, you’ll want to read this one! THWACK!
What I Loved About This Book:
~ fascinating information about Stan Lee
~ detailed, comic book feel of the illustrations
~ fun and engaging read
~ inspirational story
Amazon Blurb:
Every superhero has their origin story: a radioactive spider bite turns ordinary teen Peter Parker into Spider-Man, wealthy Tony Stark escapes captivity by building his Iron Man suit, scientist Bruce Banner survives gamma rays only to transform into the Hulk.
For Stan Lee, it was books of adventure, monsters, and magic that helped him transform from an ordinary boy to a superstar superhero creator. At first, reading these stories was a pathway to a world bigger than his family’s tiny apartment in New York City, but it wasn’t long until Stan was crafting his own stories, creating comics professionally when he was still just a teenager! Still, writing wasn’t exciting when the heroes were always the same: strong, perfect, and boring. Stan had a revolutionary idea. What if anyone―even an ordinary kid―could be a superhero?
Discover more about the life of the Cameo King, known to many for his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how he revolutionized comics with this vibrant introduction bustling with action, humor, and references for fans new and old. ‘Nuff said!
Revision Fails: When the “Replace” Feature on Word Works in an Unexpected Way
In my editorial job, I sometimes get clever in how I make sweeping changes. Case in point. I recently wanted to change “PA” in a large document to “Pennsylvania.” So, Miss Smarty Pants decided to use the Replace feature in Word. Took 5 seconds. Done. BAMM.
And then I continued with my revising. By the time I realized what had happened, there was no easy way to go back and undo it. Nope. None at all. (Unless you know of a way, for the next time…Please let me know!)
Every word in the 34-ish page document beginning with “p” became a brand new word. A new word with “Pennsylvania” inserted in the middle. With a capital P.
Par example:
All songs are from Sing to the Tune.** See Pennsylvaniage 2, Important Resources Information.
ART—Pennsylvaniack a Box Show Picture 11. Give each child a brown Pennsylvaniaper square.
Crumple some Pennsylvaniaper and throw it on the ground.
Pink, orange, yellow Pennsylvaniaint
Black strips of Pennsylvaniaper
In advance, prePennsylvaniare Kit Item 00.
Correcting my mistake has taken hours. Days. A very long time. I should have counted the number of corrected words. But after awhile, you just have to laugh at yourself.
They say you learn something new every day. I learned to think more carefully about what might happen when I make sweeping changes with the Replace feature.
Walks away from the computer, slowly shaking her head . . .
Haiku Moment: autocorrect
tried typing question
big fat finger mega fail
surprise! right answer
autocorrect by Angie Quantrell
Love, Laughter, and Life 