A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt: Landon and Penny’s Final Episode

poetry friday buttonThanks to my friend Buffy at Buffy’s Blog for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Hello loyal followers and friends. Did you notice the words “Final Episode” in the title of the post? I imagine some of you thought I meant final episode of 2017. But I actually meant final as in last. So putting together this post is bittersweet. You know the feeling you get when you make a tough decision? A decision that you think is for the best, but it’s still hard to make? I have that feeling to a big degree right now. In fact, I’m a little teary as I write this. Final sounds so…well…final.

I made this decision for a couple of reasons.

First, I feel that this series has had a great run so I decided…why not stop before it gets tired. Or before I get tired. 😀 Or before Landon gets tired. 😀 Or before our followers get tired. 😀 May as well stop while we all still love it, right?

Second, I devote a lot of time to the series. Besides the collaboration that Landon and I do one Friday of each month, I have guest collaborators the other Fridays. That means finding guests, scheduling the guests, and putting the posts together. I could certainly use more time for my writing and this will give me quite a bit more time. And Landon (believe it or not!!!) will be in high school next fall. We all know that means Busy with a capital B.

I made the decision and we’re moving forward. So enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! And if you miss the poetry and art collaborations, you can always “replay” any episode by clicking HERE. Between our collaborations and guest collaborations, there are 112 episodes for your reading and viewing pleasure!

And if Landon and I miss collaborating there could always be a sequel or special episode 😀

And for anyone who just happened to stop by for their first time today, let me tell you a little about A Great Nephew and A Great Aunt. My great nephew, Landon (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that I decided to invite others along. Landon and I collaborate one Friday of each month. The other Fridays I have guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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.

And now

. . . drum roll . . .

The Final Episode of A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt

Penny’s Poem

Before you take a look at Landon’s art, I wanted to make a few comments about it. Landon wanted to do something special for our last episode. He wanted to draw AND animate his illustration! He spent hours (and I mean hours!) getting the art just right for 3-D animation. It’s so wonderful and amazing that I don’t even have words. As usual he added his special creative touch by having Santa tip his hat to reveal a surprise. Not only that … he also included the special object that he’s hidden in his drawings throughout our series. After all, his art wouldn’t be the same without his trusty pencil…right?

Let’s have another

. . . drum roll . . .

Landon’s Art

So there you have it! The final episode of A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt. Thank you so much for following our series.  I’ve looked forward to hearing from our follower-friends every Friday. It wouldn’t have been the same without your interaction in the comments. ❤

Have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends!

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt Guests: Janee Trasler and Miles

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Thanks to Diane at Random Noodling for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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’s my pleasure to share a creative collaboration from . . .

Fake-Aunt Janee Trasler and Her Fake-Nephew Miles

From Janee: Miles is the son of my friend (and super children’s librarian) Leigh. Miles is four years old. He calls me Andy Janee, which is his adorable version of Auntie Janee. My poem was inspired by a piece of art that Miles created at school.

Miles’s Art

Andy Janee’s Poem

The Collaborators

Miles Creating More Art

Miles reading…er…shaking one of Andy Janee’s books.

Many thanks to Miles and Andy Janee for sharing their talents with us today. They are a delightful pair!


Meet Janee: Janee is a children’s book author and illustrator. Her recent most books include the CHICKIES board book series from Harper Collins and two MIMI AND BEAR picture books from FSG. Janee is also a puppeteer and a singer in a trio. She lives in Grapevine, Texas with her imported husband, her domestic puppies, and her squeaky little guinea pig Nibbles. In addition to every coffee shop in town, Janee works at The Birdhouse, her studio in Covington, Texas, where once a month, you can also find her and her friends singing and playing music.

Website: http://www.trasler.com
Birdhouse: http://thebirdhouse-covingtontx.blogspot.com/

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt: Liam and Penny

poetry friday buttonThanks to Lisa at Steps and Staircases for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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 Landon’s younger brother, Liam, is collaborating with me. This is the first time for Liam and I to collaborate. Liam sent me a special request…via snail mail! As you can imagine, I was very impressed and excited when I received his letter expressing his interest in illustrating a poem. Liam did join in on a post that included all of my great nieces and nephews in October...thus the reference to the pumpkin pie/jack-o-lantern. But he’d never been the “feature” artist. When I received his letter, the November post had already been solidified and so I moved on to December. I’d already written a poem. In reading Liam’s request, I decided that he could interpret my poem without any trouble. Just the mention of cartoons and a funny twist seemed to imply that Liam would read my words and come up with a creative spin. And he did just that! I’m super impressed with his interpretation and his artwork! He did an amazing job! And the funny twist had me giggling!

Enjoy our collaboration!

Penny’s Poem

Liam’s Art

100% Cotton Candy Underpants! Ho! Ho! Ho! Very funny! And how I love that Santa wears polka dots! It was delightful to get a peek at his wardrobe.

Thanks to all of you for joining us today. I appreciate you coming by to read A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt! Come back next week when I’ll have guest collaborators.

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt Guests: Tammi Sauer and Her Niece, Adalie

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Thanks to Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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’s my pleasure to share a creative collaboration from . . .

Tammi Sauer and Her Niece, Adalie

From Tammi: For this collaboration, I wanted Adalie to draw a picture to inspire my poem rather than the other way around. Seeing Adalie’s fun and festive picture of Bolt filled me with the Christmas spirit. Fa-la-la-la-la-!

Adalie’s Art

In case you were wondering, Bolt is a real tortoise. See?

Tammi’s Poem

Many thanks to Adalie and Tammi for sharing their talents with us today. What a merry and bright way to start December!


 

 

Meet Adalie: Adalie is eight and a half years old and is a full time third grader. She lives in Kansas with her dad, mom, little brother, two dogs, and, of course, Bolt.


Meet Tammi: Tammi Sauer is a full time children’s book author who presents at schools and conferences across the nation. In addition to winning awards, Tammi’s books have gone on to do great things. CHICKEN DANCE has been made into a musical and is currently on a national tour, NUGGET & FANG was a featured book at the 2015 Scholastic Book Fair, and YOUR ALIEN, an NPR Best Book of the Year, was recently released in Italian, Spanish, Korean, and French which makes her feel extra fancy. Tammi’s latest books are CARING FOR YOUR LION and TRUCK, TRUCK, GOOSE!

Website:  tammisauer.com
Twitter:  @SauerTammi
Blog:  picturebookbuilders.com

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt: Landon and Penny

poetry friday buttonThanks to Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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.

One fun thing that Landon has done in almost all of his drawings is to include a hidden object. It’s the same object every time, so many of you know exactly what to look for. But that doesn’t always make it easy. If you don’t know what Landon’s “special” object is and can seem to find a hidden object at all, you can take a look HERE for hints.

And now for today’s collaboration.

Penny’s Poemtext on backgroundLandon’s Art

text on background landon's art
Art by Landon

I’m always delighted and surprised when I see the creative ways that Landon interprets the words in my poem. I love that he has little dino reading, while parent dino is sound asleep! By the way, little dino is reading a certain book that’s pretty close to my heart . . .  it’s about a dragon 😀 Once again, Landon adds something special!

Thanks so much for joining us today. I appreciate all of you who read this series. See you next week when I’ll have guest collaborators.

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt Guests: Susanna Leonard Hill and Her Granddaughter, Annabelle

poetry friday buttonThanks to Linda at TeacherDance for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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’s my pleasure to share a creative collaboration from . . .

Susanna Leonard Hill and Her Granddaughter, Annabelle

Here’s a bit from Susanna to tell us how the collaboration came about:

Me: Hey, Annabelle!  Want to draw a picture and I’ll write a poem to go with it?

Annabelle: Let’s play princess and wear our tiaras and have a tea party.  You can use that picture if you want to (points carelessly at the artistic subject of this post whilst dragging me off to her castle.)

(So obviously, Annabelle’s art was inspirational enough for Susanna to come up with the perfect poem. But what I’m wondering is if Susanna wrote the poem while in the castle, while wearing a tiara, while sipping tea?)

Annabelle’s Inspirational Art

And the Poem it Inspired

A photo of the collaborators enjoying some time together.

Many thanks to Annabelle and Susanna for sharing their bewitching talents with us today 😀


Meet Annabelle: Annabelle is 6 and in first grade. She is a talented artist, cheerleader, and assistant cauldron-stirrer, but her activity of choice is being a princess. She does not currently entertain visitors online.

Meet Susanna: Susanna Leonard Hill is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children including the newly released WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH (the Parents Magazine #1 Board Book for 2017), WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT HAS THE SNIFFLES and THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT. Her first book, which she wrote in 2nd Grade, was called The Girl And The Witch.  Coincidence??? Quite prescient given the subject of today’s collaboration with her granddaughter! Susanna has no actual experience flying (or surfing) a broomstick, but she can can cook up gunk in a cauldron with the best of them. Feel free to come visit her at www.susannahill.com or like her author page on FB https://www.facebook.com/SusannaLeonardHill She’s also on twitter and instagram if you prefer to hang out there.

 

 

A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt Guests: Carole Gerber and Her Granddaughter JoJo

poetry friday buttonThanks to Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.

Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon

Hello Friends! 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 (now an eighth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on one Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests sharing poetry and art in beautiful collaborations. 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’s my pleasure to share a creative collaboration from . . .

Carole Gerber and Her Granddaughter JoJo

From Carole: My poem is a conversation between two flowers as they watch a butterfly bursting from its chrysalis. The last line is to be read simultaneously.

Carole’s Poem

Here is the butterfly created with JoJo’s two little feet.

JoJo’s Footprint ArtCarole provided a link to a YouTube video on how to make baby footprint art. Here is the video.

And here is a photo of the collaborators sharing a “Ha-Ha” moment.

Many thanks to Carole and JoJo for fluttering by to share their talents and footprints ( 😀 ) with us today!


Meet Carole: Carole Gerber is the author of nearly two dozen picture books, several chapter books, and about 100 work-for-hire elementary science and reading books for major publishers. This year’s new picture book is A Band of Babies, illustrated by Jane Dyer. Carole and her husband grew tired of driving from central Ohio to Charleston, SC to visit granddaughter Joanna (JoJo), so they recently bought a home located six miles from her and her parents. It’s hard to leave the Buckeye state (Carole is the author of The Twelve Days of Christmas in Ohio). But they are ecstatic about how close they will live to their darling grandbaby, daughter, and son-in-law! You can learn more about Carole’s books and school visits at www.carolegerber.com