(Written by Dave) We were just updating several of the pages on Lita’s website and thought we’d post a few pencil sketches. These are part of a story that’s currently percolating. (Click on any of the images to see them larger)
More sketches are here and more illustrations are here.
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(Written by Dave) We just got back from a few cold days in New York City and had a great time there. We made a quick stop at the Children’s Center at the New York Public Library and I got a picture of Lita out front with one of the Library Lions.
After the library and a quick hello to Betsy Bird, we had lunch with Lita’s wonderful agent at Metrazur on the balcony above Grand Central Station. It was really fun! Then we visited lots of great book stores, like Books of Wonder, Barnes and Noble at Union Square and The Strand. We wanted to get up to the Bank Street Books (Children’s Bookstore) but never quite made it up that way.
I just saw an article in the NY Times which said the number of visitors in the city was down a few percent in 2009, but we saw unbelievably huge crowds at the Natural History Museum and at the Met. At the MOMA people were lined up outside the building all the way to 6th Ave. We never did get in there — didn’t even try. At Rockefeller Center, in the early evening, there was a human traffic jam like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I can’t imagine fitting more people into the space.
The window decorations at Bergdorf Goodman were pretty good this year:
Good trip overall, but now we’re glad to be back in New Hampshire!
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Just a few days ago the Smithsonian Magazine put out an annual list called the Smithsonian Notable Books for Children 2009. Here’s how they described their list last year: “… at Smithsonian Magazine, we’re reviving a tradition: our annual selection of outstanding books for children, a compendium of surprising, inspiring titles—everything from picture books and novels to memoirs—for youngsters and the grownups who read to, and with, them.”
For the 2009 list, they said, “This year’s titles range across cultures, into the past and toward the future. Their creators have relied on humor to touch our hearts; documentary accounts to bring history alive; biography to convey the true meaning of courage; poetic language to demonstrate the power of the written word—and the artist’s brush or camera to create ravishing illustrations.”
We were excited to see Yellowstone Moran included on the 2009 list!
And here’s what they said about Yellowstone Moran: “In 1871, a young artist joined an expedition of scientists setting out to explore the West. The monumental canvasses based on his travels would become iconic images that are now part of our nation’s heritage.”
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Written by Dave.
We just heard some good news for Pennies for Elephants! It’s one of the winners of the 2009 New Hampshire Literary Awards. Here is the complete list of the award winners:
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Written by Dave.
Back in the 1960s and 70s Lita’s grandmother, Fran Hamerstrom, led a long term project on the captive breeding of golden eagles. The work produced the birth of Ithaca, the world’s first living eagle resulting from artificial insemination. Sadly, we just heard that Ithaca died several days ago at the age of 37. Here are a few pictures and a note from Jim Grier, the biologist who successfully hatched and raised Ithaca. Ithaca’s parents were Fran’s eagles, Chrys and Grendel.
Fran holding Ithaca, Jim Grier holding Ithaca’s parents — Chrys is on his right hand, Grendel is on the left hand (photo from Jim Grier).
Jim Grier flying Ithaca (photo from Jim Grier).
Fran with Chrys. The chick here is a surrogate redtail hawk (Hamerstrom photo).
Fran feeding a Golden Eagle (Hamerstrom photo).
ITHACA the Golden Eagle (1972-2009) (by Jim Grier)
Ithaca was hatched 13 May 1972 at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. He was named after the town of Ithaca, a Greek name which, according to a local librarian who I consulted at the time, means “a rugged place suitable only for pasturing goats.” He had to be euthanized 29 September 2009 because of complications resulting from West Nile Virus.
It is sad that he encountered and suffered from the virus, that we lost him, and that he died so young (only 37 years old — he otherwise probably would have lived many more years and I expected that he would outlive me). As a biologist, however, I’m familiar with life (and death) and understand that it’s all in the nature of biology.
Ithaca resulted from an extracurricular project I conducted on captive breeding of eagles. (My primary, dissertation research at Cornell was on avian thermal regulation and physiology.) He was the second of three chicks that hatched in the project. The other two died prematurely. Ithaca [also almost died at the same time], but I discovered the problem in time while he was still alive and managed to rehabilitate him as a young chick. Cornell University produced a news release (click here) and the story was widely reported in the news at the time. National Wildlife magazine published an article on the work in the 1972 Oct-Nov issue, pages 44-45. The story was included in the latest editions of a book by Fran Hamerstrom, “An Eagle to the Sky” (Iowa State Univ Press, out of print). (Fran owned the two adult golden eagles that were Ithaca’s parents, see photo.)
Here is part of Lita’s reply to Jim: “It feels a little strange, kind of like losing a relative you haven’t seen for a long time, but who at one time was a big presence of your life. Ithaca was born not long after me, and growing up, I knew his birth was far more important to my grandmother than her first grandchild was — something I always accepted since Fran and you had worked so hard. I really appreciate you letting me know.”
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Written by Dave
Tomorrow, nominations for the 2009 Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards open up and will remain open until October 15th.
Be sure to stop by the Cybils site and nominate your favorite books published between last year’s contest and this year’s in the following genres:
Last year I was on the Nonfiction picture book panel, and this year I’m a round 2 judge in the Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction category.
Here are the panelists and judges in that category:
Panel Organizer: Susan Thomsen, Chicken Spaghetti
Panelists (Round I Judges):
Alicia Blowers, The LibrariYAn
Sarah Rettger, Archimedes Forgets
Jennie Rothschild, Biblio File
Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child
Erin Walker, Erin Explores YA
Round II Judges:
Wendy Burton, Six Boxes of Books
Jennifer Donovan, 5 Minutes for Books
Dave Judge, Adventures at Wilder Farm
Colleen Mondor, Chasing Ray
Lisa L. Owens, L.L. Owens-Children’s Writing Blog
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