I was recently sent proofs of my fractured fairy tale, choose your path adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk. Now I’ve been a fan of this tale since way back before I wrote a graphic novel about Jack’s adventures. It was a childhood favorite of mine growing up. So it’s a story I know and… Continue reading Jack and the Beanstalk
Category: Misc Stuff
Do You Know The Muffin Man
Starting to see artwork for my Tangled Tunes—adaptations I wrote of classic songs. Here is an interior spread for The Muffin Man, which follows the Muffin Man as he opens up his shop on Drury Lane and bakes some tasty treats. Luke Flowers is the illustrator, and his take on my story in amazingly fun.… Continue reading Do You Know The Muffin Man
School Tour — Day 2
Wow! I was greeted by a wall full of aliens when walking into the media center at Reede Gray Elementary this morning. It was so fun to see, especially since I center my presentations around the space alien duo of Eek and Ack. They are fun, silly, a little disgusting, and always a hit with… Continue reading School Tour — Day 2
School Tour — Day 1
Headed out this morning, bright and early, armed with a thermos of coffee, and left my home in St Paul to visit the students at Minneota Public School (Go Vikings!). It’s the first stop on my tour of SW Minnesota schools. I always enjoy walking into a school’s media center and seeing my books on… Continue reading School Tour — Day 1
Everything Birds of Prey
My fourth book in the National Geographic Kids Everything series is out this month. And like all my books, I’m proud of the work I did on this one. It took a lot of research to nail down some of the facts. But also, I have an ornithologist in the family. One of my uncles… Continue reading Everything Birds of Prey
Heavyweight Takedown
So I’ve written books on football, skateboarding, and soccer. All of which are sports that I either follow or take part in. But my newest book, Heavyweight Takedown, focuses on a sport I haven’t tackled yet. And while I can’t claim to be a wrestling fanatic, it holds a soft spot in my heart. I… Continue reading Heavyweight Takedown
Peter Pan — retelling
Every now and then, my editors send me teasers of the books I’ve written, whether it’s sketches of the illustrations or a mock up of the cover. I always enjoy seeing my books come to life through the art work, so it’s great to get a glimpse into how things are progressing. Early last year,… Continue reading Peter Pan — retelling
Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
When working on my adaptation of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” I wanted to do something similar to my version of “On Top of Old Smoky.” I wanted to turn it into a fun, silly, and hopefully rememberable song. One kids will have fun singing. Now sometimes I don’t know where my inspiration comes.… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky
Growing up, and given the choice, I’d sing “On Top of Spaghetti” before the traditional “On Top of Old Smoky.” The made-up lyrics were funny and silly and all about my favorite food—I could eat spaghetti and meatballs for every meal, including breakfast. Plus, the original version was all about courtin’ and losing a true… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—On Top of Old Smoky
Ancient Myths
My love of Greek and Roman myths probably started with the classics. And when I say classics, I don’t mean The Illiad or Metamorphosis. I’m referring to Clash of the Titans (1981) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963). These movies may have had cheesy claymation monsters, but they were my introduction to mythology. Watching them… Continue reading Ancient Myths