laura carlin

Ohh, I like this gal.  Have you heard of her?  See more here.  (and be sure to check out the other illustrators represented by Heart, there's some good stuff!)

play!

Jonah Lehrer on the virtues of "unstructured play" here.

"A 2007 study published in Science, for instance, compared the cognitive development of 4- and 5-year-olds enrolled in a preschool that emphasized unstructured play – they were using Vygotsky’s “Tools of the Mind” approach – with those in a more typical preschool. After two years, the students in the play-based school scored better on cognitive flexibility, self-control, and working memory, all of which have been consistently linked to academic and real-world achievement. According to the researchers, the advantage of play is that it’s often deeply serious – the best way to get kids to focus, to exercise those attentional circuits, is to let them have fun."

ahhh! the cuteness!

the best part is when she says, "One day I'm gonna whistle?"

Google art thinger

have you seen new google thing?  is awesome!  go here.

Moomins!

hee!

(I found it on this gal's flickr page.)

picture book marathon.

I just signed up for a picture book marathon.   It starts on Feb. 1 and lasts a month!  I know you're too busy in school to try it but the website has some good writing tips and brainstorm ideas.
http://www.picturebookmarathon.org/Home.html

Gives joyful childhood

I found this for sale in my wanderings around town yesterday.  Yes, it does say, "Gives joyful childhood which children never obliterates."  Pretty amazing, no?!

There's Going to Be a Baby!

Have you seen this yet?  It's really lovely.  And written by John Burningham!  And illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (who is also brilliant and married to John Burningham!)  Be sure to read it next time you are at a book store. 

Toshiyuki Fukuda

lots and lots more here.

Kveta Pacovska

 She is in her eighties!!!  can't find much about her online.