If you read the interviews carefully on Monday and Tuesday you heard both Gail and Glenys answer the question regarding their favorite illustration. Gail loved the cover (pictured above). Glenys loved the Grandma Cat and the human grandma. Since I have an advance copy of the book, I took some photos so you could “see” what illustrations she was referring to…aren’t they adorable?
Grandma Cat from GRANDMA SNUGGLES
Human grandma from GRANDMA SNUGGLES
Only one more day to enter to win a copy of GRANDMA SNUGGLES!
Here are the guidelines for the GIVEAWAY:
Follow @GlenysNellist, @Gail99art, and @mindybakerbooks) on Instagram. (Must follow all three) Links available at the end of this post..scroll down.
Leave a comment on this blog post (or any post this week). Or, leave a comment on any Instagram post this week.
**NOTE: This giveaway is sponsored by Zonderkidz (Thank you, Zonderkidz!) and only open to residents of the USA who have a physical street address (no PO boxes.)
Tag a friend for an extra entry. (Tag as many people as you like for multiple entries)
It has been so fun this week celebrating GRANDMA SNUGGLES don’t you agree? Monday we spoke with author Glenys Nellist. Yesterday we checked in with illustrator Gail Yerrill. Today I am posting a video giving you a peek into the workspaces of both Glenys and Gail. I It will help you picture them as they create their marvelous work. Check out this video below:
Wasn’t that fun? Thanks so much Glenys and Gail for giving us a tour!
Remember that I am also hosting a GIVEAWAY this week. Here are the guidelines:
Follow @GlenysNellist, @Gail99art, and @mindybakerbooks) on Instagram. (Must follow all three) Links available at the end of this post..scroll down.
Leave a comment on this blog post (or any post this week). Or leave a comment on any Instagram post this week.
**NOTE: This giveaway is sponsored by Zonderkidz (Thank you, Zonderkidz!) and only open to residents of the USA who have a physical street address (no PO boxes.)
For even more entries, tag a friend no any Mindy Baker Instagram posts this week through Thursday! (Tag as many friends as you like for multiple entries.)
I hope that all of you enter to win!
Tomorrow’s post highlights Glenys and Gail’s favorite illustrations from the book.
Friday I will post the WINNER OF THE GIVE-AWAY.
Make sure to enter and spread the word. See you tomorrow!
Hi everyone! This is such a special week here at Mindy Baker Books as we celebrate the launch into the world for Grandma Snuggles, written by best-selling author Glenys Nellist and illustrated by the very talented Gail Yerrill. It is a new release by Zonderkidz. I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s interview with Glenys. You are in for such a treat today to hear the inside scoop from artist and illustrator Gail Yerrill about her lovely work.
Let’s get straight to it. Welcome, Gail. I’m so excited to chat with you. Thanks for being here. I was wondering if you could describe the process you go through in illustrating a book from concept to final art? What were some of the illustrating challenges you faced along the way with this project and how did you overcome them?
I am given a brief with a description of characters and outline ideas and a paged layout of the story. Initially I would normally do character sketches which need approval. I will then do roughs for each page layout and the text is either in place or you have to leave room, and all aspects of the design of the pages are factored in at this stage. Once the rough sketches are approved I will then progress to the full colour art. Normally you would get approval on the first one or two to make sure you are getting the correct look. This project was one of my easier ones as the words gifted themselves immediately to me as images ☺
That is fascinating. I am also curious, Do you always work in the same medium for your illustrations? If not, what is your favorite medium and why? How do you know which medium is “right” for each project?
I mostly use watercolour and more recently I have been combining this with photoshop to create fluffy textures or to give an enhanced look to my illustrations which you can’t get just using traditional methods. Sometimes a publisher will be looking for something that will require a different medium but usually all watercolour based.
You definitely have a a special flair to your work. It is lovely! What was it about this particular project that resonated with you and made you want to work on it?
The words were so beautifully written and made me want to go and give my Grandma a cuddle. I miss my Grandma as I spent a lot of time with her as a child. I hope there’s a lot of Grandma cuddles for children everywhere!
Grandmas and cuddles are a great combination! I share your hope that this book will draw children to spend time with their grandmothers.
I know this will be difficult to choose, but do you have a favorite illustration from this book? If so, what is it and why?
Ooh that’s a tough one! I think the cover is my favourite as it really has that cute snuggly feeling in it that reminds me of my Grandma and how I feel about my own children!
I think that is my favorite, too. We will be highlighting that in a post later in the week! On your website, I noticed that you have a vast array of artistic accomplishments:
Accomplished children’s book illustrator
Author-illustrator of your own titles
You have your own adorable licensed characters (Twinkle the Penguin was my favorite)
Etsy shop
You do artwork for greeting cards and stationery
The list seems endless! Is there an artistic accomplishment that you are the most proud of? What artistic role/task do you enjoy the most? Is there anything left to accomplish on your “artist” bucket list? What sparks your creativity as you contemplate new projects?
That’s very kind thank you! I just love creating and experimenting with all materials and it’s my passion. I love illustrating words and bringing them to life. It would fabulous to be as successful as Glenys! I am also creating ceramics and intend to make illustrated pieces to hopefully compliment my book work. I love challenges!
Well you have certainly accomplished many challenges already. Do you have a “life” bucket list of adventures you would still like to accomplish? What are a few items on that list?
My life wishes are really quite simple ones, to be happy and healthy and to appreciate everyone around me and give my children the best I can. I would also love to travel the world and absorb all the fantastic variety of culture.
I think many of us can relate to those wishes. I see you have just completed a workshop in your home called the Wood End Studio. What are your hopes and dreams for this space?
We have just finished renovating the old double garage to use as my new studio space, I am aiming to do more ceramics and to teach.
Ooh, I wish I lived closer so that I could take a ceramics class. Sounds really special! I guess my last question is if you have any “news” that you would like to share with us about upcoming projects?
I am working on another fantastic book project at the moment but unfortunately its under wraps at the moment, but I was able to give a sneak peek at one of the sketches- it really is a cutie! Hope you like it!
Gail Yerrill Artwork
I love sneak peeks! I feel so honored to be able to showcase this! It is adorable. Thank you very much for taking the time to visit me today and answer my questions. I wish you all the best on your future endeavors.
Remember that I am hosting a Giveaway this week. Here are the guidelines:
Here are the guidelines for the give-away!
Follow @GlenysNellist, @Gail99art, and @mindybakerbooks) on Instagram. (Must follow all three) Links available at the end of this post..scroll down.
Leave a comment on this blog post (or any post this week). Or leave a comment on any Instagram post this week.
**NOTE: This giveaway is sponsored by Zonderkidz (Thank you, Zonderkidz!) and only open to residents of the USA who have a physical street address (no PO boxes.)
For an extra entry, become a follower of this blog.
For even more entries, tag a friend on any Mindy Baker Books INSTAGRAM post this week through Thursday! (Tag as many friends as you like for multiple entries)
I hope that all of you enter to win! Good luck!
Reminder of all that is happening next on Mindy Baker Books this week!
Wednesday: Videoclip of Glenys and Gail’s workspaces…a peek at where the magic happens!
Thursday: A special post showing Glenys and Gail’s favorite illustrations from the book.
It’s going to be a fabulous week here at Mindy Baker Books! I am hosting a BOOK GIVE-AWAY of Grandma Snuggles. Not only that, but BOTH the author and illustrator of Grandma Snuggles will be joining me on the blog to answer questions. Here is a peek at the line-up: (I can hardly wait!)
Grandma Snuggles
Monday: Interview with award-winning and best-selling author Glenys Nellist.
Tuesday: Interview with the incredibly talented illustrator of Grandma Snuggles, Gail Yerrill.
Wednesday: Videoclip of Glenys and Gail’s workspaces…a peek at where the magic happens!
Thursday: Special post about Glenys and Gail’s favorite illustrations from the book.
All week long you can enter to win the give-away!!!
Friday: I will post the WINNER OF THE GIVE-AWAY.
Here are the guidelines for the give-away!
Follow @GlenysNellist, @Gail99art, and @mindybakerbooks) on Instagram. (Must follow all three) Links available at the end of this post..scroll down.
Leave a comment on this blog post (or any post this week). Or leave a comment on any Instagram post this week.
**NOTE: This giveaway is sponsored by Zonderkidz (Thank you, Zonderkidz!) and only open to residents of the USA who have a physical street address (no PO boxes.)
For an extra entry, become a follower of this blog.
For even more entries, tag a friend on any Mindy Baker Books INSTAGRAM post this week through Thursday! (Tag as many friends as you like for multiple entries.)
I hope that all of you enter to win! Good luck!
And now for today’s big event…the interview with Glenys Nellist!
Glenys, it is such an honor to have you visit my blog this week. Thank you very much for being here. I know everyone is excited to talk with you so let’s jump right into the questions...
What inspired you to write Grandma Snuggles?
Ever since I wrote the board books, God Made Mommy Special and God Made Daddy Special, I’ve been asked the same question, over and over… when are you going to write God Made Grandma Special? So here it is, except that it’s called Grandma Snuggles because my publisher, Zonderkidz, thought that this was a more appealing title.
It is such an appealing title. The relationship between grandparent and child is so special!! And snuggly. 🙂 What is your favorite illustration from the book and why?
It is SO hard to choose, because every spread by Gail Yerrill is wonderful! If I had to pick one animal spread, it would have to be Grandma Cat, but my favorite illustration is actually this last one, where the human grandma is featured. I love it because it reminds me of baking with my four young grandchildren, which they all love to do.
Make sure to come back on Thursday to see the post that reveals the Grandma Cat and the human grandma! They are very adorable!
Glenys, I also wanted to talk about your newsletter. I really enjoy receiving that each week, and I wanted to make sure that everyone knows about it. What inspired you to write your weekly newsletter Links to Lovely Things and how do you curate the content for that?
I used to write a quarterly newsletter where I featured only news about my own books. But about six months ago I decided to begin a weekly newsletter that might appeal to a wider audience. I think we’re all in need of some loveliness in our world right now! I search for five or six lovely things to share each week, such as good news stories I come across, new children’s book releases, lovely photographs, poems, crafts for kids or heart-warming articles. We live in such a busy world, and so my tagline is: Follow the links you like, leave the ones you don’t. If you’d like to check it out, here’s my most recent one:
Wonderful!I hope that you all sign up for it if you haven’t already! Finally, do you have any ‘news’ that you’d like to share with us about upcoming projects?
Well I’d really love to be able to say that Grandpa Snuggles is in the works, but so far, it’s only written in my head! I’m hoping that I’ll be able to release that title one day, but I think it will depend on the sales of Grandma Snuggles. In the meantime, October will see the return of Little Mole in a story of kindness and generosity called Little Mole’s Christmas Gift, and in the spring of 2021, I’m looking forward to the second book in the Twas series, called Twas The Morning of Easter. Later next year, I also have a Storybook Bible coming out, which is a first for me, so I’m very excited about that.God is good, and I’m so very blessed to be able to write for children.
Your books are wonderful, Glenys. I wish you all the best… with Grandma Snuggles, the new releases coming up that you mentioned, and the many more titles you are sure to publish! Thank you very much for joining this week here at Mindy Baker Books. It was a treat to talk with you!
P.S. One more fabulous thing! You will want to check out this lovely book trailer video! You will definitely want to order the book after viewing!
I’m so excited to introduce my special guest to you today. It is Bonnie Clark, debut picture book author of TASTE YOUR WORDS which is being released on April 7 by WorthyKids. It is illustrated by Todd Bright.
Cover Photo
Thanks for joining me, Bonnie! First off, I LOVE the title and idea for your book. It seems so relevant for not only children, but all of us as we think about our speech. I have to ask you, where did the idea for this book originate?
The idea for TASTE YOUR WORDS originated with myself and my children when they were younger and learning to communicate with each other. (LOTS of sibling squabbles!) Inspired by Proverbs 16:24, I would tell them to taste their words before they let them out of their mouth. The idea that we could taste our words was fun and I was surprised at how quickly they understood the concept.
That really does make the concept more understandable. I love it! I am also wondering what sparks your creativity as you contemplate new ideas for your picture books?
I think all writers are noticers first, and I get inspired almost everywhere I look. But most of my inspiration comes from my personal experience and interaction with my children. If I discover something that is helpful or interesting, the writer/mother in me wants to communicate it well (simply and entertaining) through a picture book.
We really do write from our own experience, don’t we? I am also curious about your writing process. How do you shape a new book into completion?
After I’m inspired, I write my thoughts in an outline or first draft that I hope no one ever reads! I meet monthly with my kidlit Critique Group and at this point I may run the idea by them to get their opinion on the project. After I get the idea out, I begin creating the story. I usually know how I want to end it- the problem I want the main character to solve, but the challenge is creating the arc and timing of events. Again, I will get feedback from my group about what is working and what is not and eventually the story starts to emerge. I personally like to paginate my manuscripts because page turns are important in picture books and help with the pacing. When I start to feel good about a manuscript, I will then start trimming. Word Count is another important piece of picture book writing and I like to keep mine around 500 or less. When I feel like its getting closer I’ll read it to my kids (my OTHER critics!) and then I’ll send it to my agent Adria Goetz for her review (with my fingers crossed). 🙂
Very interesting!It is definitely a process, isn’t it?I have also found a critique group to be very helpful. Ilove the cover for the book.Do you have a favorite illustration in the book? What is it and why is it your favorite?
Oh wow. That’s a really hard question and you will understand when you see these AMAZING illustrations by my step-brother Todd Bright. He is an incredibly talented and accomplished animator and he has indeed made this story come to life on the pages. BUT if I had to choose, I think my favorite spread is the “ah-ha” moment in Amera’s bedroom after she has struggled through her day and finally discovered how to turn it around. It is an incredibly sweet scene and the light pouring in the window is just gorgeous. I love her expression and the way she is sitting on the bed. And the picture on the wall behind her has a special meaning for me personally. You’ll have to wait until April 7th to see it!
I am really looking forward to “seeing” what you are describing!Now that you have a book published, do you have any inspiration or words of advice to share for other debut authors?
My biggest piece of advice for any aspiring author is to join SCBWI and get involved in a critique group that will give honest and kind feedback. For me, my group of Kidlit authors and illustrators have been an invaluable piece of my journey to publication. I couldn’t imagine making my way in this industry without their constructive criticism and timely advice. I joined the group to learn and as a bonus I’ve made some pretty incredible (and talented!) friends.
Doyou have any other exciting news that you can share with us about upcoming books?
2020 will be a BIG year for me… TASTE YOR WORDS will launch on April 7th and my second picture book CATCHING THOUGHTS will launch August 11th. While TASTE YOUR WORDS is a book about speaking kind words, CATCHING THOUGHTS addresses mental health- a topic that I am passionate about and hope that kids who are struggling will find helpful.
Both are such important topics and issues. Sounds wonderful!I wish you all the best, Bonnie! Thank you again for answering my questions!
Thank you for having me Mindy! I hope your 2020 is full of yummy words and beautiful thoughts.
Bonnie Clark loves books that make her laugh, cry, or think for a long time. She enjoys writing for children because she believes that childhood is the most important time in a person’s life–the time that shapes who we become as adults. When she isn’t writing, Bonnie does yoga, reads books, raises three adorable kids, and drinks lots of coffee. Bonnie lives in Canton, Georgia, with her husband, their children, and two French bulldogs.
You can find out more about Bonnie Clark at her website.
Follow Bonnie on Intstagram, Facebook, and Twitter! See links from her website.
