Let's Illustrate a Book -- I can dream can't I?

LINK:   Inez Ibis Flies Again, the story of a courageous ibis who never gave up

It’s not easy illustrating a children’s book. It’s even harder to get published, especially if you’re both writer and illustrator. That goal has been on my bucket list for years! When I was simply a writer, I had many stories published in leading children’s magazines of the day. The bug to illustrate came later with my book: “Inez Ibis Flies Again; the story of a courageous ibis who never gave up.”

Inez still lives in my neighborhood after eleven years, and she still limps; but she has born several clutches and never seems to lack for a mate. When I see her struggling along as she forages for food, my heart goes out to her. But up in the air she soars with the best of them, free and unhampered by her disability.

Today in my blog, I’m featuring my illustrations and some accomplished idols: names like Harriet Peck Taylor, Syd Hoff, Ben Sowards, Richard Clark and Charley Parker.

Harriet Taylor’s interest in coyote lore began with a young coyote who lived in the foothills near her home. “It used to follow me on hikes with my dogs,” she says, “and once even touched noses with them.”

Most of her books include Native American Lore and nature because “If people can appreciate the beauty of the land, they will perhaps want to protect it.”

Harriet’s Coyote story is based on a Wasco Indian legend about the origin of the constellations.  
Harriet Peck Taylor's Web Site

Syd Hoff wrote many of my children’s favorite books such as “Danny and the Dinosaur.” 

I liked Hoff’s simple drawings and felt his style was more likely to become mine.
Syd Hoff's Web Site

Jane Yolen has also written several humorous dinosaur books that are full of fun like “How do Dinosaurs say Merry Christmas!”  

Yolen has found a unique way to teach children about dinosaurs in a fun way by making them almost human and bringing them into a child's world.  Jane Yolen's Book

And I can’t forget Charley Parker who is a master at creating dinosaur cartoons.
Charley Parker's Web Site

Christmas Oranges was retold by Linda Bethers and illustrated by Ben Sowards. His realistic and tender pictures remind us of the old masters in their detail and magnificence. Based on a true story, the action takes place in an orphanage many years ago.

Christmas Oranges on Amazon

The next book has its origins in Minnesota and dear to my heart. My husband was born there, and is a full-blooded Norwegian. The expression “Uff da” is Scandinavian for “Good Grief!”

Born in America, my own second generation Swedish grandmother had her own version of uff da when she said: “ooh ha.”  A little Scandinavian history helped me see that what she was really saying (or meaning) was “uff da.”

The illustrations and the humorous tale, written by Cathy Martin and illustrated by Richard Clark, keep us laughing and turning pages.  
Uff Da on Amazon

It started with an Ibis; a beautiful white bird that limped

One of my goals has been to write and illustrate a children's book. Although I completed the goal, the satisfaction is missing. I never quite got the book off the ground. But I did learn a few things about self-publishing and the difficulties in getting your name out there.

Subject matter may have been my first hurdle. Many people don't know what an ibis is. I certainly didn't before I moved to Florida. The word "ibis" reminds me of the spoken sound of "I was." So I created a poster with this play on words: "Ibis (I was) only peeking -- I'm the designated bikini watcher!" The poster is for sale on my Etsy link at http://www.etsy.com/people/AnfinsenArt

Some people think ibis are a nuisance. They forage in colonies ambling across people's manicured lawns leaving their droppings behind. I happen to love their "hunk hunk, croo croo" noises as they chatter away in ibis.

Their orange curved bills are like fingers; sensitive to touch. They probe in the cool green grass or slimy mud for snails, crayfish, frogs and grubs. If startled, they fly away revealing black wing tips that are otherwise hidden beneath their pristine white feathers. A cleansing oil keeps them white for as long as they live which can be up to 30 plus years.

My story about Inez was patterned after a real ibis in our neighborhood who is recognizable by her limp. How she was injured is anybody's guess. Mine is that she was hit by an impatient motorist who refused to wait for her to flutter to safety. She has given birth to three or four clutches since I moved here 10 years ago.

Even though she limps when earth bound, she flies beautifully like any other ibis. In the air, I lose track of her as she blends in with her "colony." On the ground, her visible disability makes me claim her for my own.

This poster is also available on the above Etsy link.

Please take a moment to check out my book; available in hard cover or paperback. Individual cards or prints of the illustrations are also for sale on http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com 

Inez Ibis Flies Again by Carol Allen Anfinsen, Written and Illustrated

Childrens’ Picture Books may Inspire and Encourage

Illustrations for children are more than colorful, pretty paintings. They are tools for education, celebration, and fun. They are a means for teaching children how to deal with serious issues in their lives where the outcomes are frightening or unknown. Children’s illustrations may also take the edge off of sadness and pain by providing an outlet for fun and whimsy. They can reassure a child that there is balance, beauty and harmony in the world.

That’s why I created “Inez Ibis Flies Again; the story of a courageous ibis who never gave up!”

People don't normally name the birds and animals they encounter, but after watching a white ibis for over six years, I simply had to. Inez was the name that I gave her. 

What was it that made her stand out? First of all, she had a bad limp that made it difficult for her to keep up with the other ibis as they foraged for food. And secondly, she came back to our neighborhood again and again, to the same side street, and has for over six years. Why, we’re practically family!

 Today she had two young ibis with her, sporting the brown feathers of youth. Her second family, although I suspect there may have been a third. I was happy to see them, even though they are skittish around humans. When there are long absences, I worry about her. She is usually gone when she has a clutch, but always returns.

One day I was out walking and spied the remains of an ibis. Nothing but a ball of white tail feathers, a beak, and the legs and feet. I was beside myself, thinking it must have been Inez for she doesn't move as quickly as the others.

Today I saw a hawk devouring a white feathered bird in the field and again I worried. There were precious snowy egrets flying about, it could have been one of those; or it could have been a cattle egret. There are many in the field where the cattle graze. When I finally saw Inez and her chicks, I was overjoyed.

I imagined that Inez may have been hit by a car.

Exhausted ibis after a long migration.

Inez is a courageous ibis. She has regained her wing strength and flies as well as the others now, but the limp remains. I admire her for keeping on in the face of a crippling disability. I thought about the countless children in our world who suffer in the same way. That was my motivation for writing and illustrating this picture book.

Inez practices flyiing in the field; sometimes she falls.

When Inez finally "lifts off" she feels freedom

"Wheee, this is fun!"

If you know a child who needs encouragement and the will to "keep on keeping on," please take a look at “Inez Ibis Flies again.” Samples are available at both of these web sites:

E-book  http://smashwords.com/b/8340

Hard Copy

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/1924965/3235723ace6efe506d8e1d1e7e568f1a9dfdc1c3