Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight
Eloise is a classic 1955 picture book written by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight. Writer Kay Thompson (1909–1998) was also a composer, musician, actress and singer. Illustrator Hilary Knight was born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York, in 1926. Most popular picture books endure because they appeal to a dual audience of children and […]
The Psychology Of Writing Critique Groups
I’ve been participating in various online writing critique groups for about fifteen years. These days, some highly algorithmic critique groups work to encourage participation, gamify frequent participation and reward peer-to-peer encouragement.
Rip Van Winkle Can Get In The Sea
I finally read the short story “Rip Van Winkle” (1819), by America’s first well-recognised author, Washington Irving. Some say that Irving invented the American short story. (Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe turned it into literary art.) Importantly to the history of literature, “Rip Van Winkle” is one of the first allegories which features an…
Eric Carle-esque Collage In Children’s Illustration
Some children’s illustrators use paper collage to illustrate their books by painting and and decorating their own assortment of cut paper. Think The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle’s artwork is often shown in classrooms as a model for children creating paper collages. Today I’d like to introduce you to a few artists who create similar artwork.…
Invisible Bird by Claire-Louise Bennett Short Story Analysis
Claire-Louise Bennett’s story is a great mentor text if you’re writing (perhaps autobiographically) about a period in someone’s life, looking back after much has been forgotten, when memories come episodically. The difficulty with these stories is: How to end them?
Aliens and UFOs in Storytelling
A brief history of aliens, UFOs and otherworldly creatures in art, literature and storytelling more generally.
Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack by Lynley Dodd Analysis
Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack (1999) is a picture book written and illustrated by New Zealand storyteller Lynley Dodd. A duckling saves Hairy’s life. Although many of the Hairy Maclary stories are written with the carnivalesque picture book structure, this one is not. Hairy is not on a fun adventure this time; it is summer, and he wants to sleep. He almost loses his life! Plots like this require the classic Odyssean mythical structure.
The Wind Is My Lover (Singoalla) Swedish Classic
I need to show you these beautiful illustrations by Swedish illustrator Carl Larsson, more famous for colourful, domestic scenes.
Aerial Views Of Beaches In Art And Illustration
Paintings and illustrations of beaches from above and from a distance.
Garden Paths In Art And Illustration
Paths through woodland and gardens, mostly with a hygge vibe, though this can be subverted.
Bookshops In Art And Illustration
Bookshop storefronts and interiors, as depicted by various artists and illustrators.
Combining Gestures And Dialogue In Writing
A while ago I took a close look at how writers craft body language beats in dialogue scenes. This is a difficult skill for various reasons: Many gestures are common and we do them over and over (e.g. She nodded, he smiled.) Writers tend to have our own go-to body language tics which need to…
