I've been reading to my babies since 2010. Today, my husband and I are raising and wrangling three sons and a surprise daughter. The adventure is very hard, and also very good, and the further in we get the more we realize just how thoroughly we need to cry out, “God, help me!” And in every season with these children, we have found that immersing ourselves in stories is a treasure.
I’ve always, always loved stories. I learned to read so I could get to the end of the stories that put my mama to sleep at bedtime. When my family switched churches so we’d be close enough to be involved in youth group, it was months before I knew how to get to that five-minutes-away place, because those few minutes of riding in the car had me buried in a book.
But a semester into college, I realized I hadn’t read a book for pleasure in quite possibly years, simply for lack of leisure time. And so I began to utilize the entire floor of the campus library devoted to children’s books. I would go through a stack in a week; I loved them, because I could fit an entire plot, and beautiful artwork to boot, into a quick lunch between classes. Oh, so good for the soul!
I learned to write under the tutelage of Catholic-school grammar teachers–and I happen to think they did a great job. A few years later, in a high school creative writing class, my love for the craft began to bloom. My first children’s book, “The Colors Danced,” was actually birthed in that class.
But the thing about school is that it ends. Assignments are no longer required. I didn’t know what I might have to say that anyone else would read. In 2012 a little detour changed my mind, and with the following post my first blog was born, shortly before my second son:
My husband is clearly excited about the manuscript.
“Something To Say”
I’ve thought before about writing a blog, and felt that I had nothing much to say. But two weeks ago I lost my voice–really, thoroughly lost it–and I find that, yes, I have some things to say. I am choosing to trust that someday, before too long, the Lord will restore my whole voice. And in the meantime, I will practice the discipline of saying things that matter through my writing, using my writer’s voice to highlight the goodnesses of my God in everyday life...
-from the first post in the blog “Before A Word Is On My Tongue” February 2012
For nearly twenty years, writing children’s books had been a vague, bucket-list goal of mine. For Someday. But my husband rightly told me, “Lydia, there’s never going to be a Good time. Just do it. Now is the time.” Thank you, Husband.
Now, armed with a manuscript and an efficiency manager, I am launching into new territory as I pursue publication of my first children's book. I'd be honored to have your support in the adventure!
I've worked at many scales, with many materials: paintings to frame, hand-lettered quotes, dollhouse accessories, wreaths, door decorations, custom invitations, garden markers, amateur photo shoots, earrings, custom scrapbook embellishments, and months-long mural projects, to give you some ideas. If you have a vision but aren't sure how to bring it to life, let's talk. We can work up a project to fit your dream and your budget.
With paper and scissors and paint and pen, I can do some beautiful work. Whether you are looking for a single illustration or something more involved like music album artwork or book illustration, I can craft you something one-of-a-kind. Head over to my Illustration & Artwork section to see some examples of my style, and contact me using that "Let's Talk" button if you want to brainstorm a project.
Reading aloud is a specialty of mine. Through character voices and inflection, I love to bring a story to life for my listeners. And through careful choosing of the stories with activities and crafts to accompany them, I can work with you to design a program to teach or celebrate, inspiring your group to think through the lens of story and apply lessons to their own lives. Hit "Let's Talk" and send me a message to start planning.
Celebrating ThanksgivingTaste-testingA Listening WalkGuest-reading to 2nd graders
I’ve been curating my bookshelf since age 8. Following are books that I feel are truly worth their space on the shelf. As I invest more time in this endeavor, you can read a little of why I chose these special titles.
Full Disclosure: These are Amazon Affiliate links so I do get a small percentage of the sale. It doesn't cost you anything extra to buy it through this link, and it helps me be able to pay the bills and keep the lights on.
The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum and Illustrated by Charles Santore
My real love affair with this book began as a parent. My sons, old enough to appreciate the many-nights length of the story while they had such gorgeous pictures to study, asked for this book on repeat. And I have had SO much fun voice acting my way through the reading. I will never forget how the boys JUMPED in terrified delight as the wicked witch screamed and moaned her way into a puddle. I recommend this version in particular for Charles Santore’s luscious painting.
Peter Bently's poetry is lyrical and evocative without ever feeling forced, which is kind of a big deal these days. And Helen Oxenbury's illustrations always add to the story, seamlessly joining the real and make-believe worlds these little boys rule over and fight for. It's the best kind of play, brought to life by the best kind of magical, timeless artwork. For more of my thoughts and an activity idea, read my full post.
Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown and Illustrated by Clement Hurd
I have read this little book with all four of my babies. It was the FIRST book that my youngest, Aliza, sat still for and "requested" on repeat. Margaret Wise Brown's words are gentle, lyrical, and simple. Clement Hurd's pictures are gentle, simple, and familiar--and yet, I am still discovering little details in his artwork! Here is a lullaby of a book that naturally gets your baby identifying the familiar things around her without being a same-old "word book." This story led to Aliza's first pointed-out thing in a story, and then her first word: "kitty cat."
This book grew on me very slowly (pun intended). The first time I read it I agreed with the anteater: boring! But then I tried again, and its simple magic began to take hold. Try reading it v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, getting into the character of this thoughtful and dignified sloth. (I am probably also biased , as I took a trip to Costa Rica in college and saw many of the creatures in this book firsthand. I love being able to share them with my kids through this little story.) There are many Eric Carle books worth reading and owning; his illustration style is one inspiration for what I create. I chose to highlight this title because of its lesser-known reputation and because my own opinion of it changed so dramatically as I gave it another chance.
Barbara Cooney herself especially loved this book, and included it in a short list: "Of all the books I have done, 'Miss Rumphius,' 'Island Boy,' and 'Hattie and the Wild Waves,' are the closest to my heart. These three are as near as I will ever come to an autobiography." In Miss Rumphius, we recognize the value she places on family and intergenerational relationships, especially for teaching the important things of life to children. Miss Rumphius's "life song" is encapsulated and repeated this way:
"When I grow up," I tell her, "I too will go to faraway places and come home to live by the sea." "That is all very well, little Alice," says my aunt, "but there is a third thing you must do...You must do something to make the world more beautiful."
Barbara Cooney (Miss Rumphius)
Thank you, Ms. Cooney, for the lupine flower legacy of Miss Rumphius, and for YOUR legacy of beautiful, important books for children. You have "done the third, most difficult thing of all."
I don't remember how I found these gems, but I ordered the three Angus books for a Lewis birthday gift. I read them promptly when they arrived, and by page three of book 1, I KNEW I had discovered something good! Marjorie Flack gave this little dog a BIG personality, and her creative use of typesetting makes it impossible to read without personality. Example: "He was curious about Things-Which-Come-Apart and those Things-Which-Don't-Come-Apart; such as SLIPPERS and gentlemen's SUSPENDERS and things like that." And imagine my delight to find, tucked away in an old letter from my Grandma: "Let us know when you read especially good children's books. We do a lot of reading aloud to Carina, Arianna, and Miquel [cousins]. I hope you found Marjorie Flack's ANGUS AND THE CAT. The behavior of the animals is so like your Mom's description of L.J.'s visits to Cecil's house, except that Angus was there first when the cat moved in." These books have brought delight on repeat to my preschoolers, to my elementary boys when they're in the mood for a bit of a snuggle, as well as myself.
This sweet story has been part of my life since I was 4 years old, and it's delightful to share it now with my children, as we hustle through the blueberries on Blueberry Hill along with Sal and Little Bear. When this book, ideal for ages 2-4, was on the regular reading list in my home, I would sometimes overhear my son's little voice, over his own bowl of blueberries or just while playing out in the living room, saying "Pink, pink, PUNK!" He often shares quotes from his favorite books when I least expect him to be thinking of such things, and it's so fun to have this glimpse into his thought process, imagination, and remarkable verbal and memory abilities.
Mischievous Max in his wolf suit begins his adventure by getting sent to bed without supper, where he further retreats across the ocean of his imagination to discover the Wild Things. He learns things about himself, and ultimately about love, and returns to reality finding supper waiting for him after all. There are multiple kids' books I love because after all the adventures, the little heroes return home knowing that, more than anything else, Home is full of love and is the best adventure of all. Mamas and Daddies and Wild Things need a little space sometimes to remember it, but in the end, nobody welcomes you home with a hot supper and bear hugs quite like the people who love you at Home. This is every child's dream. Let's do everything in our power, Mamas and Daddies, to make it our children's reality.
In our home, we side with the Whos: we like Christmas a lot. This year my three-year-old took a fast liking to Dr. Seuss's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." We read it 1-3 times daily in the month leading up to Christmas, and my husband is pretty sure it increased to upwards of 5 times daily during the week of Christmas vacation. We are well after Christmas now, but it has continued to be an often-requested naptime story. I knew my son was familiar with the text; he would correct small errors in the reading, and small differences between the book and the original 1966 TV script. But then came an afternoon when he proved that he has the whole nearly memorized, and he recited this story for ME! I find it delightful and amazing to watch his mind at work. And this story has enough personality to match his own!
I'm convinced one of the wonders of childhood is the thrill of creating "homes" out of anything, especially outdoors. Each winter I am reminded that when Cabin Fever sets in, oftentimes the effects are just bewilderingly angry and whiny and mean-to-each-other chaotic. Sometimes, kids just get tired of living in a house, folks! Though it's been reimagined by Joe Cepeda, the illustrations by Doris Burn in the original edition of this story add more understanding and eloquence than many paragraphs of words could convey, and the effect is magical. This book can get you and your kids talking about complicated emotions and dreaming of castles by the sea.
The process of papercut illustration requires a steady hand and great precision, as well as the ability to think through your final product in "layers." The primary tools I use for this technique include a wooden stylus (think a scratch-off paper tool), Xacto blade, and a self-healing mat. For assembly of the illustrations in "The Colors Danced," I used Xyron Sticker Maker tools. Incidentally, I use these same tools for my personal scrapbooking projects.
From "The Colors Danced"From "The Colors Danced"From "The Colors Danced"From "The Colors Danced"
