MeeGenius announces two new original works by Mary Ann Mitchell!

June 4, 2011 — 1 Comment

Mary Ann Mitchell found MeeGenius early on in our development stages, and we are happy to finally put her books onto our virtual shelves!  Below you’ll find the story behind Mary Ann Mitchell, as well as the stories on how the two pieces above, “Dot’s Lot” and “A Song for Leopold” came to fruition.

At a very young age, Mary Ann Mitchell was introduced to storytelling by her father. Every night at the dinner table, he tickled the family by giving anything and everything a voice, from the salt and pepper shakers to the pink mashed potatoes. Before they knew it, they were into the sad story of how Mashed Potatoes got mashed.

When Mary Ann came home from school each day with an outlandish tale of her adventures, her mother began to worry that her daughter was becoming a great liar and called the doctor. Dr. Goodman assured her, it was just an active imagination.

She has always used storytelling to work out inner struggles, and still does. The two stories being published by Meegenius are no exception. “Dotʼs Lot” was first written in the 70ʼs, and has had more than two dozen revisions. Itʼs about a dandelion who learns to fight for her rights without damaging the earth, or mashing the dreams and lives of others. “Dotʼs Lot” won a Green Book Festival award in 2009. “A Song For Leopold” tackles fear of failure. Leopold, a leaping lizard who is afraid to leap, makes every excuse, until heʼs inspired by Luluʼs love song. Through much research and great good luck, Mary Ann found Sharon Grey and her beautiful illustrations, online. Theyʼve been happily working together ever since.

Mary Ann read about Meegenius in an SCBWI Newsletter and is thrilled to have them publish “Dotʼs Lot”, and “A Song for Leopold”.

Check them out at MeeGenius.com or in the Apple iTunes store!

Meet Julia Frankel and Chelsea Land the author and illustrator behind, “Silly Daddy and the Pet Goat”

May 28, 2011

Julia Frankel:

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved writing stories.  By the time I was about 9 years old, I aspired to be a professional writer.

I was very fortunate, as my parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams.  By chance, my mother met Lord Ted Willis, a professional writer, who had written a very popular English television series called “Dixon of Dock Green.”  She asked him if he would mind meeting me to talk to me about how to succeed as a writer.  It was quite an honor, as he invited me to join him for tea at the House of Lords.  However, I was very disappointed when he told me that I was far too young to write well, as I was only a child.   He told me that the best writers use real life experience to create their characters and plots and that I had no experience of life yet.  I learned as an adult that he was correct.

Silly Daddy was created based on real life experience with some of the silly daddies in my own life, including my own father, my husband and the fathers and husbands of some of my friends.

The Silly Daddy series was written originally to entertain my own five children, but I soon discovered that their friends were enjoying the stories too and asking for more stories about Silly Daddy.  I was reading the stories to their classes at school and my friends were reading them to their kids too and asking me to send them more.

I have found that using humor is a great way to reach children, for teaching them lessons as well as purely for entertainment.   The best reward for me in writing these books is in bringing smiles to their faces.

Chelsea Lane

Chelsea Lane is an illustrator and designer living in Boston, Massachusetts. She started her career in California, showing in numerous galleries and studying art at Sacramento State University. After moving to Boston to attend the Art Institute of Boston, she has contributed work to children’s educational websites, band promotional posters, and advertisements. Currently she works as a project manager at a publishing company, in addition to volunteering  with her local nonprofit energy conservation organization designing and illustrating educational materials.

MeeGenius Book Contest WINNER Spotlight: Sarah J. Perry, Ingvard the Terrible and “Pajama Girl”

May 8, 2011 — 7 Comments

MeeGenius Book Contest Spotlight: Gary Guthrie and “Floppity Phillip Flaut”

May 7, 2011

The story behind our final runner-up’s book, “Floppity Phillip Flaut” has a rich history:

http://www.meegenius.com/book/2736

In 1987, Taylor Lewis Guthrie, daughter of “Floppity Phillip Flaut’s” author Gary Guthrie, was tested for the kindergarten program in the Scottsdale, Arizona school system. Even though she was five years old, she had been somewhat sheltered the previous two years of her life as the result of her parents’ regrouping after their divorce. The test results showed Taylor testing partially as a four-year old and partially as a five-year old. The school’s recommendation was “developmental” kindergarten.

Taylor’s parents were, frankly, a little taken aback by the results and tried to see clear of the stigma of having their little girl held back a year. So, Taylor was enrolled in a private reading course. Within a few weeks, Taylor’s whole world started to change – she became more aware, more inquisitive, more verbal.

When the family returned to Louisville, Taylor was primed to fall right in line with other first graders. Her quench for knowledge her desire to excel continued and she was given a chance to become part of JCPS’ “gifted and talented” program, moving from school to school – anywhere where her desire to learn could be nurtured.

Taylor went on to Washington University in St. Louis where she was selected as the incoming freshman class’ Danforth Scholar, a beneficiary of a full-tuition scholarship and, subsequently, honored with the school’s Shepley Award, the highest honor bestowed on a graduate. Following graduation, she spent two years with Teach For America, teaching Special Needs students at George Washington Carver Elementary in Brooklyn NY. Her next step was Harvard University where she headed up the Children’s program at Harvard Memorial Church and, in May 2010, received a Masters in Divinity Studies.

Seeing what an impact learning to read made on Taylor, Gary (her dad) decided to write a children’s book. That book is ‘Floppity Phillip Flaut’.

‘Floppity Phillip Flaut’ is a book written with the beginning / emergent / phonetic reader in mind – a colorful, fun, energetic story about a little boy who learns a valuable lesson from his mischievous, deceitful ways.

“Phil” is a multicultural, multigenerational labor of love. The book was illustrated by Sunyoung Kim, a Korean illustrator whose work includes illustrating children’s school books in her native Korea; and Gary’s daughter, Taylor Guthrie, a former elementary school teacher for ‘Teach For America’ in Brooklyn NY, developed the look and the feel of the characters in the book. Alongside them, advisors included an elementary school teacher, a children’s’ librarian, and a children’s bookstore owner.

Meet the author, illustrator, and inspiration behind “Floppity Phillip Flaut”:

Gary Guthrie always loves a good creative challenge. From being the creator behind Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond’s “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” duet to pioneering the Classic Rock radio format across the country to his work on the 45th anniversary tribute for Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” to artwork Mercedes-Benz commissioned for their headquarters, he enjoys the chance to think outside the box. This is his first children’s book and was inspired by all the magic created when his daughter learned to read.

Sunyoung Kim is the book’s illustrator. Her technique offers genuine emotion and warmth that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. She has several years of published experience in Korea and Canada where her work has been published in a primary school textbook, among others.

Taylor Lewis Guthrie Hartman’s first favorite book was “The Jolly Postman” because it meant she could play with the book by taking it apart.  It is with this approach to literature that has carried her on — each text is an instrument to be played, a box to be opened, a seed to be planted.  Taylor likes to collect books (and read them, too) and knows that texts are indeed alive and breathing beings, filled with abounding possibilities.

Since so much of MeeGenius’ focus is education, “Floppity Phillip Flaut” is a great story for our young readers, who are aided by rhyming when learning to read!  Enjoy!

MeeGenius Book Contest Spotlight: D.T. Walsh and “The Cat Just Sat in the Chair”

May 6, 2011

http://www.meegenius.com/book/2033

Meet Dan Walsh! Author and illustrator of “The Cat Just Sat in the Chair,” now available for sale exclusively in the MeeGenius bookstore.

Dan has been an illustrator / writer for many years, and has always been attracted to the world of children’s books. The colorful images, the wordplay, and the endless possibilities of where the story can go make picture books a place where Dan loves to be.

Dan was sitting on a plane several years ago, doodling the image of a cat on a napkin.  Then the words, “The cat just sat in the chair” popped into his head. It is truly amazing where and when the muse will hit. Over the next few years the story came together, and now the finished product, “The Cat Just Sat in the Chair” is here.

Dan is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators. In one of the quarterly bulletins Dan heard about MeeGenius, and the book contest. Dan submitted “The Cat Just Sat in the Chair”, and was awarded the prize as first runner up.

Dan will be submitting other book ideas to MeeGenius, so stay tuned for more fun!

MeeGenius Book Contest Spotlight: Sharon Mann and “The Most Beautiful Bird in the Barnyard”

May 5, 2011

Our first contest runner-up is Sharon Mann, author and illustrator of the book, “Who is the Most Beautiful Bird in the Barnyard?”, available now in MeeGenius’ bookstore for your Apple devices, web and Google TV!

http://www.meegenius.com/book/2101

For author and illustrator Sharon Mann, making art has been a passion her entire life. Sharon studied art throughout her years in school and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drawing and painting. About 15 years ago, Sharon joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to learn more about children’s book publishing. Having always been enchanted with book illustration, Sharon has been attending a writers and illustrator’s critique group, for more than 15 years in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This group has inspired her to continue to develop her skills and build her book illustration portfolio.

While researching new ways of publishing on the internet, Sharon found the MeeGenius website. She was very excited to have the opportunity to enter our publishing contest and feels honored to have been chosen as one of the four winners (And we feel honored to have her!).  Sharon wrote and illustrated “Who is the Most Beautiful Bird in the Barnyard” to convey to children that everyone is talented and beautiful in their own special ways. Sharon chose to use barnyard birds and animals so she could illustrate the story with lots of color and texture. Sharon’s illustrations were produced using a computer painting program. The specific computer drawing tools used were pastels, felt tip pens, acrylic paint and as well as digitized fabric to produce each illustration.

Check our more of Sharon’s work at:

www.sharonmanndesigns.com