In celebration of February, the month of luv, I want to tell you about the pups I love and how they live forever in my book illustrations. It’s actually the theme of my next Pencil Pusher Kids Newspaper that snail-mails out in a week or two. But you grownups can enjoy the front page here …
I’m so proud of this star from a really tough cookie … Kirkus! And it’s a fantastic time to pre-order it. These early orders are super helpful to bookmakers like me. THANK YOU to all who order it or tell someone about it!
Shannon Anderson, a seasoned teacher, author, and long-time writer friend, just released this incredible resource for teachers! Just a few pages in and I’m already salivating…
I highlighted this part because I’ve volunteered in my kid’s writing classes and tried to bring some extra excitement to the class writing assignment at hand. I’m not really sure if I did though. It’s tough to teach this stuff. Heck, I’m still learning it! But I do know that I need AN AUDIENCE THAT CARES ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY to get to the finish line whether that be in my writing or my art. I’m not the kind of person who makes art for my own pleasure. For me, it’s got to have a purpose, or it’s a no go.
Yes! Show them your strange process, imperfections, and writing struggles!
Sometimes, I still can’t believe I am an author … I have no business writing for a living … Wait! Yes, I do! I have great ideas. Though it may take me more time than others to string the sentences together, I am just as much of a writer as anyone. I don’t care how scholarly you are. Writing is a heart muscle.
Comment on this Substack post for a chance to win this copy of WRITING FROM SCRATCH: Lesson Plans to Boost Your Classroom Writing Instruction by Shannon Anderson!
This post was originally posted on Substack.
Every student can design a piece of the machine!
2. As a group/class decide what simple task your machine (as a whole) will accomplish. Will it sweep the floor, feed the dog, or something else.?
3. Note who will “start” the machine on (page 1). Use this printable as the first page if you like. Then decide who comes next (page 2), and next (page 3), and so on … and the last person “ends” it and shows the completion of the machine’s “task.”
The starter will only connect with someone else’s chain reaction at the right side of their paper. And the finisher will only connect at the left side of their paper. All the other in-betweens will connect their chain reactions at the left AND right sides of their paper.
4. Work together with your adjacent peers to properly “connect” your machines at the correct places as you plan and draw.
5. Fill the page (left to right) with your own drawn chain reactions-big or small, realistic or imaginary, just like Rube Goldberg!
The group’s complete drawn machine can be as many pages long as the number in your group, and would make a fun hallway display or accordion book!
Tips:
Have fun making Group Goldberg Machines! I’d LOVE to see what your class creates. Please send me photos or tag me in social media posts :)
It was an action-packed December as I had an illustration deadline approaching and the holidays stacked on top of each other. I had to be patient and OK with only making super small steps forward each day. It was amazing how those small tasks added up to a finished book … and (pretty much) on time, too!
My calendar “said” it was impossible, but each day I gave myself something small to accomplish. And those little accomplishments felt good. They created momentum and an unintimidating path to the next (small) thing I could check off the list. This minimalist calendar helped me :)
Last Monday, I turned in the final illustrations for Lilibet Makes a Friend (by Kersten Hamilton, illustrated by me) which comes out next year with Disney Hyperion! I’m sure there will be some tweaks I’ll need to fix, but all in all, I’m DONE!!
To celebrate, I’d like to share peeks at some of my favorite moments in the book …
This story is about a girl, Lilibet, who longs for a friend. She sets out to (literally) make one since she can practically build anything she puts her mind to. But when a boy named Peanut insists on helping her, the results get real.
Lilibet has her own pet Punk Rock there on a shelf – a nod to my upcoming graphic novel :)
I’ll post more about Lilibet Makes a Friend as it gets closer to its publication in 2026. Till then, thanks for reading and cheering me on!
The Spring 2025 issue of The Pencil Pusher will be all about dogs :)… how I used one as a catalyst in a story and how I’ve illustrated my own dogs to “live forever” in several of my books. And, of course, there will be some kind of “hairy” drawing activity!
Here’s an example (above) of how my boy (Ace) makes an appearance in my new non-fiction book SMASH, CRASH, TOPPLE, ROLL! (which is available for pre-order).
If you are a librarian, teacher, or parent, you can learn more and subscribe your student(s) to The Pencil Pusher HERE. If you are already subscribed and you’d like to make changes to your subscription, go here.
This was originally posted on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/shandamccloskey/p/the-art-is-in?r=5cnb3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
There are three hours left in 2024, here in Georgia! I’m home with my husband and a kiddo who has the flu, but it’s OK and even nice to chill after the rush of the last two months.
One accomplishment of mine over the past year is I put a screenshot (on iPhone Notes) of every book I read, and tonight, I made a “quilt” by putting them together in one lovely rectangle:
Looking at this reading record reminds me that my co-writer husband and I completed our first contracted graphic novel script earlier this year! (PUNK ROCK, Abrams Fanfare 2026). Such a BIG moment for us that holds much hope and thrill for us. And as you can see, I was reading LOTS of graphic novels to see how the stories progressed from panel to panel, page to page, and chapter to chapter.
Keeping a reading log isn’t an impressive accomplishment, but I’m happy I did it! It’s a window into my months-earlier mind.
Happy New Year, er’body!
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I’m working on the final color art for Lilibet Makes a Friend (written by Kersten Hamilton). Every book I work on teaches me something new about the artist I want to become, and THIS book is telling me to play up the TEXTURE! (Yeah, books speak to me. That’s normal, right?)
So, I’ll follow the lead and give extra love and attention to gritty pencil marks, painterly brush strokes, and stacks on stacks of layered color :)
The right amount of textural touches gives art that … “chef’s kiss.” Your eye moves around it, and it delights you at every angle. Sometimes fast. Sometimes slow. What’s the “right” amount of texture you ask? Beats me! For now, I have to rely on my taste and intuition because I can’t quite articulate/measure it. When I’ve gone too far and over-complicated an image, I get a feeling of overwhelm. The “right” amount of visual busyness is exhilarating yet manageable to take in.
I’m especially drawn to Brian Biggs’ work right now. In my opinion, he’s a texture expert! He appears to have loads of fun doing his work, too. Brian has made over 75 books, but honestly, he’s just now truly on my radar. His art is distinctive and playful yet educated and calculated. The guy knows what he’s doing. He’s honed his craft for years and pivoted when things felt stale (which I learned from this podcast).
From afar, Brian Biggs inspires me to keep going and keep learning. Hey, it might take me 75 books to make my mark in this industry and figure out who I am exactly. If so, I’m 7 books in, 68 to go.
Jannie Ho, Bethanie Murguia, and I had a lovely time answering real kids’ questions about reading and creating graphic novels. Enjoy the replay below!
The next event is on November 1st, all about STEM stories! Sign up to join live or to get a replay link.
I’ll be doing two kids’ events at Alpharetta Public Library this Saturday, Oct. 26th ! Books will be available for purchase/signing after each session.
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