Posts Tagged ‘Kathi Appelt’

The Angel Next to Me

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Greetings!

Several years ago, we were decorating our annual tree when I pulled out a box that was stored next to the ornaments. In it were our sons’ baby shoes. Instead of neatly wrapping them back up, I decided that they needed a new life, and hung them on the tree.

Later, I added my own little shoe, along with Ken’s. As it turns out, they make perfect decorations, and looking at them reminds me about babies and families and also about all the steps we each take between the seasons, about how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

Those shoes, along with the ornaments that we’ve collected over all these years together make our tree feel like our history together. So, we wrote this song to celebrate it, and now we’re passing it along to you, our kith and kin.

Not only do we have shoes, but over the past several years, my beloved friend and artist Joy Fisher Hein, has sent me a new “cat angel” each year. Here is one of my favorites.

Let it be merry, ya’ll!

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!

Is there a muse in the house?

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Hello my homies,

I’m just now beginning work on my next novel and my big red cat, Hoss, decided to drop by and lend a paw. Thought you might enjoy seeing what he thought about letting a dog be the main character.

There’s a critic in every bunch.