A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt-Guests Diana Murray and Daughters, Kate and Jane

Posted on by Penny Parker Klostermann
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon (Click to Enlarge)
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon (Click to Enlarge)

Happy National Poetry Month!

Hello, Great Readers of our series! Just in case you haven’t visited before, let me tell you a little about A Great Nephew and A Great Aunt. My great nephew, Landon (a fifth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration last fall and have had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on the second Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests. I have created a page on my website to view all the episodes of A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt. Click HERE to visit the page and enjoy past episodes.

Today it is my pleasure to welcome  . . .

Diana Murray and Daughters, Kate and Jane

Thank you, Penny, for inviting me to guest post. I love the concept of this series and I’ve really been enjoying all the pairings!

The first illustration I chose, and the accompanying poem, were inspired by my nine-year-old daughter’s beloved pet.

Kate, has always had a passion for art, whether drawing, sculpting, or crafting of any kind. Perhaps what impresses me most, is her ability to create original characters. These characters don’t just exist on the page. They have entire backstories, quirks, and mannerisms. For example, there’s “Buff Chipmunk”, who has rock-hard abs, a squeaky voice, and an obsession with doing things “to the extreme!” And then there’s “Mr. Higglesbee”, a teacher who enjoys giving long, monotone lectures on the history of the blanket.

And now, here is Beardie.

Beardie-DragonsRule copy

And here is a second rendition of the character, as well as a photo of Kate’s muse.

BeardiePhoto

My younger daughter, who just turned six, doesn’t enjoy sitting around for long. And her energy and exuberance always comes across in her art! I think Jane especially likes drawing monsters and aliens because they allow her freedom of expression. She has affectionately named this monster “Larry”.

LarryDancingMonsterDM

In short, there’s no lack of inspiration at my house. Both of my daughters inspire me daily with their creativity and imagination. In fact, kids in general inspire me, and that’s one reason why I love my job so much!

Many thanks to Diana, Kate, and Jane for sharing their creative collaboration with us today! This was a triple treat 🙂

bioDianaMurraySM

Diana Murray is an award-winning poet and picture book author. Her forthcoming books include NED THE KNITTING PIRATE (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan, 2016), GRIMELDA THE VERY MESSY WITCH (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2016), and CITY SHAPES (Little, Brown, 2016). Her poems have appeared in magazines including Highlights and Spider and in the recently released POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY: CELEBRATIONS (edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell). For more information and news, please visit: http://www.dianamurray.com or follow Diana on Twitter at @DianaMWrites

Have any of you been wondering what Poetry Friday is all about? My friend, Renée LaTulippe, explains it all as she hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at No Water River.

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53 thoughts on “A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt-Guests Diana Murray and Daughters, Kate and Jane”

  4. Diana, Kate and Jane – What a fantastic collaboration! I love the imaginative art and the poems complete the story. Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. What a talented family! Thanks, Diana, Kate and Jane. The thought of Mr. Higglesbee and his boring lectures made me smile too. He needs a book of his own.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I love Larry, the dancing monster! In fact, if I was going to buy a monster, as in Tara Lazar’s picture book, The Monstore, I would buy Larry. Is he for sale? 🙂 The two versions of Bearded Dragon art showcase quite a range of ability and style! The poems are tons of fun…you make a great team!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Definitely no lack of talent at your house either! You and your daughters have produced some fantastic work! I wanted to share your work with my own daughters because I know they’d enjoy it but I’m worried they may ask for a bearded lizard if I do. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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