Archive for the ‘Family and Friends’ Category

Jim Scott sings “I am Waiting”

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Recently my church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brazos Valley, had the good fortune of hosting gentle troubadour, Jim Scott for an evening of songs and stories.

Jim played for many years with the Paul Winter Consort, and has performed with Holly Near, Peter Yarrow, and a host of other musicians. These days, he travels the world as an advocate for the environment, serving as a key figure in the Green Sanctuary program, for church congregations to become more environmentally conscious.

He also writes and performs for kids!

One of the kindest, smartest, nicest and most talented folks you’ll ever meet. Here he is, singing his beautiful “I Am Waiting.”

You can find out more about Jim at his website: www.jimscottmusic.com.

On any given Sunday, you can bet that at least a handful of UU congregations around the world are singing his song, “Gather the Spirit,” which can be found in the UU hymn book. It’s one of our favorite hymns.

Amen!

Janet Fox Talks about FAITHFUL

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Greetings!

Fellow author Janet Fox recently dropped in and I was able to convince her that a spin in front of my Flipcam would be a great idea. Once you’ve watched her, I think you’ll agree:

Wasn’t that wonderful?

If you haven’t read Faithful yet, get thee to a bookstore. It’s gotten great reviews. Here’s just a taste of the good news surrounding this book:

Booklist: “Fox combines mystery, romance, and a young girl’s coming-of-age in this satisfying historical tale.”
School Library Journal: “The wilderness of Yellowstone…is lovingly and beautifully depicted…the gradual revelation of the truth about Maggie’s mother, the developing relationship between Maggie and Tom, and the thrilling episodes sprinkled throughout will engage readers.”
YALSA 2011 Nominee: Best Fiction for Young Adults
ALAN: Pick for 2010
Social Responsibilities Roundtable, ALA, 2011: Recommended Title, Amelia Bloomer Project

Check out the book trailer that Janet’s son, Kevin, created for her:

Oh boy, I love it when good things happen for good people. And that’s my friend Janet: Good People.

And soon, very soon . . .

Calloo, callay!

Questions about KEEPER

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Hi Sports Fans!

Recently I’ve received a number of really great questions about Keeper from students around the country and the world.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, are my responses:

If you or your students have any other questions, please just send them to me. My e-mail address is: k-author@kathiappelt.com.

And while we’re on the topic of Keeper, here is a shot of the beautiful sculpture that sits on the Seawall in Galveston. It’s a tribute to the victims and survivors of the Storm of 1900 that was so devastating. But beyond that, to me the mother and child look just like Signe and Keeper.

Cheers!

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow!

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Morning everyone!

It’s the season, and to celebrate I thought I’d take a few moments to read my picture book, Merry Christmas, Merry Crow, which is beautifully illustrated by Jon Goodell..

Okay, I bobbled a couple of the lines, but it’s not that easy reading to yourself in the mirror image of my laptop. Give a girl a break.

And I also know that the video truly doesn’t do justice to the beautiful art that Jon created for this book. Here’s a better look at the cover:

Jon also illustrated my book, Alley Cat’s Meow, and as a bonus, here’s one of the spreads from that:

So here’s to reading a great picture book to the little and big ones in your family. Is there anything better than that? I think not.

Calloo, callay y’all!

Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Poet & Teacher

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Rebecca Kai Dotlich is “some poet,” as Charlotte might say!

My first encounter with Rebecca was several years ago. We were both speaking at an SCBWI conference in Birmingham, AL. We got to stay in the lovely home of Joan Broerman, who made sure that we were cozy and comfortable. In fact, Rebecca and I were so cozy and comfortable that we took up residence in the kitchen in our jammies and ate bagels and cream cheese for what seemed like hours. I’m sure it wasn’t that long, but the point I’m trying to make is that from the first bites of those bagels, it seemed like we had been friends our whole lives long.

Ever since then, we try our hardest to meet at kitchen tables in our jammies, at least once a year. This year, I caught her on my Flipcam. Enjoy!

Not only is Rebecca “some poet,” she’s also “some teacher”!

Here are some photos of Rebecca in action:

Her books are just like her, too: sweet, exuberant, a little sly, and always . . . kind.

For more about Bella and Bean, Illustrated by Aileen Leitjen, there’s a fantastic interview with Rebecca on Cynthia Leitich Smith’s amazing blog, Cynsations.

To me, Rebecca is “some friend”!

Calloo, callay, buckaroos!