Cool Discovery

Roald Dahl's unfinished, unpublished work:

Dahl wrote the two-page story 28 years ago as part of a Finish-It-Yourself book, where authors would kick-start a story and children could make up the rest themselves. However, publishing stalled and the book never came out. Dahl's contribution, which garnered the author $200, told the story of two children and their creepy neighbor Mr. Croaker.

Children's Books in an iPad Age

Children’s Books in an iPad Age: A Publishers Weekly Webinar: 

After an illustrator asked how tech-savvy children’s book artists need to be, Wilson said Nosy Crow is “working with people with a range of technical ability,” but that the most important thing is to have “the spark of imagination. [Artists] have to understand what a truly interactive app is and does. Once they’ve done that, it’s possible to introduce other people... who can help make that process happen.”

Scholastic's Ten Trends in Children's Books 2010

Scholastic Experts Issue List of "Ten Trends in Children's Books from 2010."

A bit of a disappointing trend for picture books:

The shift in picture books: Publishers are publishing about 25 to 30 percent fewer picture book titles than they used to as some parents want their kids to read more challenging books at younger ages. The new trend is leading to popular picture book characters such as Pinkalicious, Splat Cat and Brown Bear, Brown Bear showing up in Beginning Reader books.

Sketch of the Day

Here I am angrily trying to get my pen nibs to work. It hasn't been going too well. 

I may return to Micron pens.