Coloring Page Tuesday - Car

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     I'm on the road, pounding the pavement in New York before heading to my favorite writer's conference in Vermont, so I thought a car would be appropriate this week. Wanna follow what I'm up to? I'll be tweeting at dulemba.
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
     For more coloring pages, go here.

     Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.

I'm off to New York and Vermont!

     I'm outta here! Today I head for New York for a few days before heading to the Kindling Words conference in Vermont. Last year was my first time at this conference and I absolutely LOVED it, so I can't wait! Although this will be my first time to tack on a stop in New York, and it's going to be a COLD trip!
     While in NY, I'll be staying with award-winning author/illustrator Katie Davis and running into town for appointments. I'll finally meet my agent face to face, meet with Sterling Publishers (I have a new project with them which I'll share more about soon), have appointments at Holt, Simon & Schuster and Greenwillow, and best of all, I'll get to attend my first KidLit Drink Night as we go on about the Youth Media Awards Monday morning!
     From there Katie and I will drive up to Kindling Words in Burlington, Vermont. It will be a full car - Jane Yolen, Ellen Wittlinger and Hope Anita Smith will join us.
     Intimidated? Me? Nahhhh. I'm just hoping there's something to the whole Osmosis idea. Because between the ride up and learning writing tips from Nancy Werlin for three days, if I don't return as a brilliant writer, there's no hope for me.
     I'm going to try something new on this trip. I'll be tweeting on twitter, updating on my facebook page, and maybe blogging. So, visit if you'd like to follow along. And wish me luck or warmth or both! I'm gonna need it!

2009 Youth Media Awards!

     Per Children's Book Biz News by Anastasia Suen, the American Library Association will announce the 2009 Youth Media Awards on Monday, January 26 (tomorrow!).
You can follow the ceremony LIVE two different ways:
     1. View the webcast at the Unikron website.
     2. Follow the ceremony via Twitter.
Tune in at 7:45 a.m. MT (Mountain Time).

Illustration Friday: Climbing


     If you've been to my site before, you've probably seen this image already, but not as an IF submission. The cover of Paco and the Giant Chile Plant is perfect for this week's theme as Paco is climbing up the chile plant!

Storyteller Night at Briarlake Elementary School!

     Wowsa does it make you feel good to pull up to a school with a sign like this outside...

and a sign like this inside...

     It can also be a bit intimidating, especially knowing I was following a very talented author/storyteller from last year's Storyteller Night.
     After the day's inauguration festivities and the cold weather I was incredibly flattered to have such a great crowd. My hosts set me up right! (Thank you guys!) The kids gathered around me and we had so much fun! Their librarian had read all my books to her students and they were quite familiar with the details I hide throughout. (The main one is Bernie - a lesser known one is the flower I often put on shirt fronts).
     Can I tell you, there is nothing like talking to a prepared audience? The kids were excited and knew their stuff. Briarlake is lucky to have a dedicated librarian instilling a love for books and reading in their students. (I benefitted as well!)

     I often have the kids play "telephone" to demonstrate how stories change and evolve as they move between generations and continents, but last night I had about 20-30 kids line up for the exercise! So, we adapted... and it worked out really well!
     I read Paco and the Giant Chile Plant, drew a yellow Rosebud, and shared a bit about the life of an illustrator. The kids were eager with questions and comments throughout the presentation. There even may have been some budding artists and writers among them, maybe even a future president. (It was a very bright group.) Their parents seemed to have a good time as well and several thanked me afterwards - made my day.
     My visit to Briarlake was truly the epitome of what a good school visit can be - so much fun!

Update: A friend drove by the school today and said the marquis out front now reads "Renowned Storyteller Elizabeth O. Dulemba was Amazing!"
OMG - I am so unbelievably tickled by this!

Coloring Page Tuesday - Freedom Bell

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     Today is a big day! Huge, awe-inspiring, monumental. I won't be at the Mall to watch the Inauguration of our first Black President (and an amazing leader) in person, but I will be glued to the TV all day (or hulu.com who will be broadcasting live via internet). I hope you share my Freedom Bell with your children/students to help celebrate this peaceful transfer of power our country is famous for. What a great, great day!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
     For more coloring pages, go here.


     Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?


Worth your time. The educational needs of society are changing. Click the image to see the video on YouTube.

Obama.Me!

     If you follow me on facebook, you may have noticed my new profile pic - isn't it cool? I created it using Obamicon.Me - an online toy from the Atlanta-based Paste Magazine. Wasn't that nice of them to do this? (And aren't they getting a ton of attention for it? Brilliant!)
     The look is based on the now-famous Obama poster by Shepard Fairey.(Read about Shepard and hear him interviewd on NPR here.)




     Here's Hubbie's Obama.Me profile pic. (His motorcycling nickname is "Wrench" - a complete tongue-in-cheek I assure you!)

Illustration Friday: Pale


     Eggs should never remain pale white at Easter!
     This is a coloring book cover (front and back) I did for Mall Media. Did your local mall have these available last year? Let me know!

Coloring Page Tuesday - A Book is a Ship...

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     to foreign lands and wondrous adventures. Hop on!
     Rather than giving you a hard-lined drawing this week, I'm sharing a sketch I created for the SCBWI Bulletin - it's in the most recent issue if you want to look for it (it's very small). How do you like coloring a pencil drawing vs. line art? Let me know. :)
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
     For more coloring pages, go here.


     Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.

Call for help!

     I need your silly baby/toddler nicknames/endearments! Especially if you're from another country! For instance, in France mothers often call their children "mon petit chou" which means "my little cabbage." In Ecuador, using "guagua" means baby, but even though it's still Spanish, the same word means "bus" in Puerto Rico! And of course, here in the South we have "puddin'" and "punkin'" and the like.
     Get the gist? If so, bring 'em on! I need:
• The phrase in its original language
• How to pronounce it
• The country of origin
• What it means in English
• Any odd facts that go with it, like the bus thing.
Thanks guys!

Writers' Daily Routines

     Ever wonder if your writing habits are similar to those of famous writers? Daily Routines is a new blog which lists the writing habits (when they could be found) of several writing greats. And it's a surprisingly fascinating read.
     What I found most interesting is that most writers seem to only be able to write a few hours a day - they must be taken by the muse and that can only be allowed for so long as it's a somewhat uncomfortable state. (And I must admit to feeling the same way.)
     What's your writing schedule?

Illustration Friday: Contained


     Her toy chest contained exactly what she needed for a fun day with Grandpa!
     This is an illustration from an educational picture book I did a while back for Harcourt called "Pop Got a Hit." (I call this style my "big head stage.")

Make that TWO Gold Medals!!

Update from my previous post!
Ready for Bed! and now Ready for the Day! (by Stacey R. Kaye and illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba) are BOTH Gold Mom’s Choice Award® winners in the Children’s Picture Books–Growing Up category. So, both books in the ParentSmart/KidHappy™ series are now Mom’s Choice Award Winners! Woosie!


Learn more about the books - click the covers!

Teen Tech Week is Coming!!

     School Library Journal recently had an article about the upcoming Teen Tech Week, March 8th - 14th! Will you be holding a Technology Fair at your school? The time to plan is NOW.
     A Virtual School Visit could be a great tie-in to the week's festivities for your students. And yup, I'm available that week!
     Read about my recent Virtual Visit at Austin Middle School. The cool thing is, because of the technological aspect of this presentation, older kids get into it as much as younger kids. And it's a great introduction to new ways to enjoy and learn about books.
     Visit my Visits Page to learn more, or give me a holler at publicity@dulemba.com if you're interested in fees and scheduling. Hope to hear from you!

Coloring Page Tuesday - Elephant and the Mouse

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     Well, the new year is staring us in the face like a big 'ole elephant in the room. Can't ignore it or avoid it. Whatcha gonna do with it?
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
     For more coloring pages, go here.

     Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.

New Year Pointers

     Happy New Year! Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into this year, eh? Have you made your new year resolutions? Do they have to do with breaking in to children's books? If so, I have some articles and blog posts around my website you may find helpful:
My Articles:
     FAQs - frequently asked questions
     Drawing Success
     Blog Book Tours
     Present Your Portfolio Like a Pro
     Build an Easy Website
     How Do I Get Published?
     Web Design - a beginner's guide
     Painting With Pixels
My Blog Posts on Method:
     The Evolution of Identity (for illustrators)
     Tips on Speaking Engagements
     Creating Bookmarks
     Advertising with Postcards
     My Office
     My Illustration Method
     My Illustration Method - a tutorial by Mike Tackett
     How I Do Public Demonstration Drawings
     You can also access this list at http://dulemba.com/index_links.html.

     So what are your writing/illustrating goals for 2009? Add 'em below in comments or join the discussion on my facebook pro-page.
     I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

Illustration Friday: Resolve


     Maya is resolved to get that jar of peanut butter open! This is part of an illustration from Ready for the Day.
     Happy New Year everybody!