Impressions of SCBWI's Winter Conference 2011

By Rana DiOrio, Founder of Little Pickle Press

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) 12th Annual Winter Conference in New York, NY. If I had to choose a single word to describe the experience it would have to be inspiring. If I could add another word to the description the experience it would have to be funny! These people know how to have a good time!

Since not all of you were able to join me and the other 1,100+ attendees at the conference, I thought I would share with you some of the pearls of wisdom (and funny quips) I garnered from the titans of the children’s book publishing industry as well as a fact or two you may not have known about them. This is, of course, only a subset of the many talented presenters at the conference.

Lois Lowry. This 2x Newbery Award winner fabricated a brother in college (Princeton no less) who drove a blue convertible to get more favorable treatment from her summer camp counselors. She based her award-winning character, Anastasia Krupnick, on 10-year old Amy Carter.

“Reach into your past. Give your happiness, sorrow, anxiety words."

Smart marketing idea: At school visits, Lois Lowry would hold lookalike contests for her characters. The winners got a free book.

Mark Teague. Quipped that children’s authors should write about their dogs since fans most often ask authors about their dogs. NOTE: Kids don't care much about cats.

“The first task for an illustrator is to be a good reader.”

“Learn to illustrate through trial and error.”

“Remember that as an illustrator, you are always in service to the story.”

In a picture book, think about what's happening beyond the page, in the extended scene.

R.L. Stine. This master of the creepy tale is nicknamed “Jovial Bob Stine.” His life aspiration was to write for a humor magazine, which he did for 10 years–Bananas for Scholastic. He has typed all 300+ of his books using his left index finger, which is now irreparably bent! His hero is Ray Bradbury, who he encountered with butterflies in his stomach and with whom he shared a magical moment.

His worst review (written by a 12-year-old): “I’ve read 40 of your books, and I think they’re really boring.”

“I’ve sold 300M books, and I’ve had to write 300M books to do it!”

Advice to writers and illustrators: “Just say yes!” to any and all opportunities.

Jules Feiffer. This profoundly prolific author and illustrator just turned 82 and proudly proclaims that “his drawing table is his playpen.” (Alliterations intended.) He has a second home on (my beloved) Martha’s Vineyard where his daughter, Kate (who is also a children’s book author), lives year-round. Jules has never done anything he planned to do–it just made sense.

“Norton [Juster] neglected to tell me he was writing a classic." on using cheap paper for The Phantom Tollbooth artwork.

Whenever Jules dives into a project he refers to his masters for inspiration and creative ideas.

Mo Willems. This winner of 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, 2 Carnegie Medals, and 6 Emmys creates a sketch book each year that he distributes to family and friends. He threw a handful of these precious sketch books into the audience on Sunday! He is even more adorable in person than he is in print or on screen.

“Humor is a form of athletics. You need to work at it to be good.”

"Nobody knows what's funny. Funny people know what's not funny."

I do believe if you're going to be funny that you need a New York/LA joke and a urine joke.

Rewriting is taking words out. Each draft is 20 percent less words.

Linda Sue Park. Even though she has written 8 picture books and 9 novels, many with critical acclaim, Linda Sue is extremely self-deprecating. She is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a writer, and a puppy sitter to Malcolm, her friend’s pet.

Reading is the training for writing. To write effectively, you must read A LOT.

Books are just about the only place left where young people can encounter written language with the luxury of time.

“If you’re not afraid of the challenge that’s not courage; its a chemical malfunction in your brain."

“Voice is word choice for meaning and nuance and sound, word order for structure and rhythm.”

“Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in the work.”

When I write, I need to remember: “It’s not about me; it’s about the story.”

Linda Sue Park’s keynote was amazing, so if you want to read more highlights, please check out the scbwi blog team’s account at http://bit.ly/gYkkfD.

I am ever so grateful to be a member of this vibrant community and to have attended this conference. I am grateful to SCBWI for organizing such a fabulous experience for us. And I am especially grateful to the speakers for being so prepared, funny, helpful, and inspirational. Thank you!

Being Reminded of What Is Most Important

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

During the month of January we have explored entrepreneurship and what it takes to start a business. We also unveiled our newest release–Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It–and revealed that the more we use our brains, the more capacity they have to grow. Learning, especially from mistakes, is an important part of being a successful entrepreneur.

As an attorney, an investment banker, and a private equity investor, I advised entrepreneurs, many of whom are now friends. Now that I myself am an entrepreneur, they are in a position to advise me. I can feel the smiles of my entrepreneur friends as they nod in a knowing way, understanding that right now I am going through a right of passage as a first-time entrepreneur. Working relentlessly (and happily) to build a company I ardently believe in.

As an entrepreneur (with a growing brain!), it is easy to become engrossed in tasks, objectives, strategies, and goals. It was my husband, however, who sharpened the focus of my perspective by reminding me of a conversation I had with our oldest daughter this past fall. At the dinner table one evening, I asked Ryan, who was new to the 1^st grade at that time, what she had learned in school that day. She said that her class had discussed various careers and that her teacher had gone around the room and asked each student what their parents did for a living. I asked Ryan how she responded. She said, “I told my teacher that you are a mommy.”

Although I was able to conceal it, my first reaction was a flash of hurt and a pinch of outrage. Here I am working 12+ hours a day, six days a week, and my daughter thinks I don't! After I heard her out, I explained what it is I do for a living and related my work to all the books we read at home. It wasn’t until much later when my husband pointed out to me that Ryan’s response was the best possible response, that my perspective changed. All of my efforts to be present with my children to the extent possible despite my long hours working from home and the endless task list of the Founder and CEO of a growth stage company have paid off. My daughter perceives me first and foremost as a mommy! To her, nothing else that I do compromises that vital role and our special relationship. Could it get any better than that?

Parents, I tell you this story to remind you that your most important role in life is that of parent. I know from experience that it is a role that is often challenging and thankless. But to nurture and guide our precious children is the most valuable and rewarding thing we will ever accomplish.

The Grand Prize Drawing Continues

Our Grand Prize drawing continues. Leave us a comment with your email address to be eligible.

Junior Achievement

by Dani Greer

We'd be remiss in our exploration of entrepreneurship for young people if we didn't mention Junior Achievement. Founded in 1916 during the The Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts, co-founders Theodore N. Vail, president of AT&T, and Horace A. Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Company had this goal:

"The future of our country depends upon making every individual fully realize the obligations and responsibilities belonging to citizenship. Habits are formed in youth…what we need in this country now … is to teach the growing generations to realize that thrift and economy, coupled with industry, are necessary now as they were in past generations."  

Originally developed for young people ages 16-21, the program was centered in metropolitan centers and the clubs were called Junior Achievement Companies. JA has since grown to become known as the world's largest organization dedicated to teaching students about entrepreneurism, workforce readiness, and financial literacy. Programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace.

Courses are taught through schools and today include a curriculum from kindergarten through high school. Textbooks and materials are developed at the national headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which hundreds of metropolitan JA offices then disperse into their area schools via volunteer training programs. Worldwide influence is impressive. Last year alone, almost 4.1 million students participated in 182, 811 classes, all taught by local business volunteers.

The classes themselves offer an interesting and diverse range of topics. In the elementary school program, for example, the courses accelerate through issues starting with "ourselves" up to "our nation", and end with JA BizTown™ where children role-play workers and consumers by way of a series of lessons. Through the process they learn:

Concepts– Banking, Business, Careers, Charitable giving, Citizenship, Competition, Conservation, Consumers, Demand, Division of labor, Employment, Exchange, Goods, Marketing, Markets, Money, Needs, Opportunity costs, Producers, Production, Quality, Resources, Saving, Scarcity, Services, Skills, Specialization, Supply, Wants.

Skills– Analysis, Applying information, Budgeting, Cause and effect, Critical thinking, Computation, Data collection, Decision-making, Following directions, Graphing, Interpersonal communication, Listening, Negotiation, Observation, Planning, Predicting outcomes, Problem-solving, Reading, Research, Role-playing, Setting goals, Spending, Taking responsibility, Teamwork.

And this in 5th grade! Middle school and high school programs are developed along the same lines but with increasing complexity to suit the age of the student. By the time the student is in high school, the Junior Achievement Student Center online is provided for teens to explore careers, find a college, manage their money, and even start a business of their own.

Have you ever taken a Junior Achievement class through your school? Have you perhaps taught a course as a business volunteer? It's a very rewarding experience and I highly encourage you to consider it. Contact a Junior Achievement office near you and find out about their training programs. You'll be amazed at the fantastic resource materials you'll share with your students, and how much fun the experience is for everyone involved.

For more information, click over to the Junior Achievement website. By all means if you have a child in a school that doesn't have the JA programs in place, ask a principal to check into it. There are even programs available for rural and foreign schools. You'll be glad your children learned these life skills from an early age in a creative and playful environment.

If you were a song, which one would you be?

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

The people closest to me know that when I am happy, I listen to music, and I sing. Music makes my spirit soar—it always has, and I hope that it always will. As I drove my daughter to her older sister’s birthday party on Saturday, I turned on the radio and started to flip stations. Truth be told, when I am driving by myself, I listen to KDFC, our local classical music station (which streams live at http://www.kdfc.com/). But Alex doesn’t always like to listen to classical music, so I honored her request to find something else on the radio. We landed on Alice@97.3, the local pop station.

Two songs into our journey, one of my favorite feel-good songs aired—Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. Alex and I sang and bobbed as we headed to the festivities at In The Kitchen (which BTW is a terrific place in the San Francisco Bay Area to host an event for children or adults). Then, it occurred to me, if I were a song, I’d be this one. Here are the lyrics:

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined

I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines

We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

Upbeat, positive, unconventional, open-minded, comfortable with change, still learning and growing, better at communicating through the written word than the spoken one, living life to the fullest, one day to the next—this, in a song, represents me at this point in my life. So, my question for you is: if you were a song, which one would you be? And why? Please share your thoughts with us.

Beginner's Mind Tip-of-the-Day

By Elizabeth Topp PhD, Co-Founder of ShiftAlliance

Our "original mind" includes everything within itself.
It is always rich and sufficient within itself.

You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind.

This does not mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind.
If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities;
in the expert's mind there are few.

~ Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Pick one situation or issue you find challenging. How might your perspective shift if you were to approach things from the perspective of beginner's mind?

Questions and Answers with Dr. JoAnn Deak

Today we have some questions children often ask Dr. JoAnn Deak about the brain when she's giving her presentations at schools. Here are her answers:

What does the brain feel like?

Well, the best way to describe it: go to the store and buy an uncooked skinless chicken breast and touch it. You've got it!

What color is it?

A live brain is kind of pinkish. Part of the reason has to do with the fact that it has a lot of blood going to it. The brain is very needy and greedy. It works so hard that it  uses much of the oxygen and blood glucose (from the nutritious good food we eat) to keep it functioning well. Without the blood supply, it is kind of between a white and light gray color.

Why is it so wrinkled?

This is such and important question. Humans have the most wrinkled brain of all animals. The cortex that forms the big two hemispheric pecan looking brain starts out like a little gray pizza in the fetus. It is only about a centimeter thick. As it grows and hits the skull, if it stopped growing, we would have the intelligence of say, a cat. So, it needs to keep growing and would end up about six feet in diameter. That is too big a head for humans to have. So, the cortex begins to fold in on itself, the more wrinkles, the more complex and smarter the species!

Does the brain grow?

 

You bet! It is designed to grow as long as we live. We have 100 billion neurons, little chemical electrical wires that lead to thinking, feeling, doing... It acts somewhat like a muscle. When parts are used those neurons get bigger, the ends, called dendrites, grow magnificently and literally make that part of our brain bigger. In the brain field, there is a saying related to this: "Use it or lose it!"

 If you have questions for Dr. Deak, by all means leave them in the comments. If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Deak's school presentations please visit her website.

Be sure to visit Sharp Brains today for an inside look at the book, and explore this fascinating site for more information!

Our Grand Prize drawing continues. Leave us a comment with your email address to be eligible.

The Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Children Healthy During Cold & Flu Season

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

Photo by Toni Argueta, Pharm.D.

Cold & Flu Season is upon us. As I know you are acutely aware, when our children are sick, life turns upside down. How then can we keep our children healthy? Here are the strategies we implement in our home:

10. Ask the people in your home to wash their hands regularly

Be consistent (neurotic!) about washing your hands–not only before and after handling food and after using the restroom, but also after touching your face. We have a house rule that you must wash your hands when you enter the house, especially if you are coming home from school or the playground.

9. Wash your hands with CleanWell

We swear by this product. CleanWell all-natural hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps kill 99.99% of germs without the use of toxic chemicals. Safe for kids, 100% biodegradable, and alcohol-free. Meet CleanWell and say goodbye to germs naturally. To find a store near you that sells the products, visit:

http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/storefinder/

Or shop on the company’s website and receive 15% off using our promo code LITTLEP15: http://bit.ly/9ug5W0. Alternatively, you will currently receive free shipping on your order if you enter NYFREE at checkout.

8. Keep a CleanWell hand sanitizer close by

Put one in your purse, car, diaper bag, etc. I even have one in each of my children’s school bags, and they are in the habit of using it. It has the same active ingredient as the antibacterial soap and is a great alternative when hand washing isn’t a possibility.

7. Cough like a vampire (see picture above)

We picked this up from Alex’s Kindergarten teacher. She teaches her students to cough into the crease of their arms, so they look like a vampire. Pretty clever way to reduce the number of germs in her classroom! We’ve adopted the same rule at home.

6. Whenever possible, open swinging doors with your body rather than your hands

Hit the crosswalk signal button with your elbow. Depress the elevator call button with your thumb through your sleeve. You get the point. My kids like identifying opportunities to do this. It has become a game for us all. The less door handles they touch with their hands, the better off your whole family will be.

5. Drink plenty of fluids

Water flushes your system, washing out the toxins as it rehydrates you. My children celebrate when their urine is closer to clear than yellow, which means that they are drinking enough fluids.

4. Get plenty of rest

It is common knowledge that when you are not well rested, your immune system suffers. Support healthy immune system function by making sure your whole family gets plenty of rest this cold and flu season.

3. Eat foods rich with antioxidants

Red, kidney, pinto, and black beans are way up there, so make chili! Blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries are also antioxidant-rich. Please share your ideas and recipes with us.

2. Take supplemental vitamins

We all can benefit from taking supplemental vitamins. Ask your pediatrician for a recommendation for your children. If your children are like mine, they are rather particular about what supplemental vitamins they like and which they don’t. Our house favorite is Nordic Berries by Nordic Naturals. You can find them in Whole Foods or online from many different vendors.

1. Enjoy a bath or a shower each school evening

We economize on water by putting all three children in the tub at the same time, which translates into big fun. We like to think we are washing off the germs of the day before getting into our clean beds.

The Grand Prize Drawing Continues

Today we have a wickedly funny post from the irreverent Mrs. Mimi giving us her views about life, teaching, and books. Go start your week off with a chuckle at probably the most popular teacher blog on the Internet.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

Be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment.

I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is a powerful speech worth listening to still. If you visit the Little Pickle Press biography page, you will see that many of the team consider Martin Luther King, Jr. a hero. He continues to be a hero for this day and age, and many share his dream.




Let freedom ring.

Publishing Challenges

Today we visit the writing blog of Helen Ginger, a long-time editor whose weekly writing e-zine has a ten-year popular history with authors. Helen writes about all things related to writing and publishing. We tell the back-story of using Terraskin, a non-wood-pulp paper made of calcium carbonate. It's no accident that we're visiting a blog called Straight From Hel so click over and find out why even the best intentions can go awry.

Welcome to Day 6 of the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

Before you leave here though, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Don't forget to leave us a comment. Click on "comments" below this post.

Illustrating a Children's Book

Today we visit the Blood-Red Pencil where Dani Greer interviews artist, Sarah Ackerley, about illustrating the book. It's always interesting to get the behind-the-scenes story and see an artist's studio.

Welcome to Day 5 of the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

Before you leave here though, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment.

Science and Parenting

Today we visit an interesting blog called Science-based Parenting, run by five parents who aren't scientists, but call themselves science-based skeptics. It'll be interesting to read their review of this book about the brain and how it works. Be sure to check out their podcasts, too. Rumor has it they'll be interviewing our featured author, JoAnn Deak, Ph.D. soon.We'll update as soon as we get a confirmed date, and here's the link parentingwithinreason.com for you to bookmark and explore.

Welcome to Day 4 of the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

Before you leave here though, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment.

Victoria Klein and the Mind/Body Connection

Most people who understand yoga, understand the mind/body connection. If you want a flexible body, it helps to have a flexible mind. We're delighted to talk to our beautiful blogging friend, Victoria Klein, at her luscious yoga and art blog, and want to mention that Victoria is also an author, who recently wrote 27 Things To Know About Yoga and 48 Things To Know About Sustainable Living. Since Little Pickle Press is an environmentally-focused publisher, it's clear that we are kindred spirits when it comes to books and living. Jump over to Victoria's blog right now and don't forget to comment over there to enter today's book drawing.

This is Day 3 of the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

If you've clicked over from our daily host blog, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment, and be sure to add your email at address dot com.

Click on

below this post - that's a clickable link that opens the comment window. See it?

Pragmatic Mom

Pragmatic Mom. Education Matters. Four words that say so much. That's what you'll see in the header of the PragmaticMom blog, our host today. Mia's blog is a fantastic resource for parents, with daily news and reviews about books, movies, even top news of the day. Check out her wonderful blogrolls - those are a resource library all by themselves.

Click over to PragmaticMom now!  And a big thank you to this marvelous blog book tour host for an excellent and informative review of our featured book. Be sure to leave her a comment at her blog!

Welcome to Day 2 of the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Grand Prize Drawing on 1/31/2011

Before you visit PragmaticMom, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment.

Walking Nature Home

Today we kick off the blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D. and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. This innovative and timely picture book is a fun and engaging way to teach children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains.

Our first host is pal, Susan Tweit, at her fabulous Walking Nature Home blog. Susan is an environmentalist and nature writer, and has met a lot of challenges in the past year related to the brain. Her husband Richard experienced two brain surgeries, and her mother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. To say Susan has a lot on her mind related to brains is truly an understatement. Please jump over to her blog to read her review of Your Fantastic Elastic Brain and to see what she and Richard, a sculptor himself, have to say about neuro-sculpting and other topics covered in the book. This is a blog you'll want to bookmark to read more of Susan's environmental insights as well as just to experience her elegant writing. There's also a book drawing over there for a copy of the book that you won't want to miss.

Grand Prize Drawing 1/31/2011

Before you leave here though, be sure to sign up for our special Grand Prize drawing by leaving a comment and your email address. You could win a collection of all the Little Pickle Press books in one of our gorgeous recycled Global-Green-Present bags! You may sign up once a day for more chances to win the entire library - all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy inks.

And if you simply cannot wait and want to buy the books, you can go to the website and order what you like, then enter coupon code BBTBRAIN at check-out for 20% off your entire order.

Be sure to Follow Us at right. Our email newsletter sign-up is at the top of the page, as well as the entire blog book tour schedule with links. We hope to see you all week! Don't forget to leave us a comment.

Blog Book Tour Starts Tomorrow!

We'll post updates here all week. Lots of new information, drawings, coupons, and a totally awesome GRAND PRIZE! Be sure to click on the Follow link at right so you don't miss out on news!

Book Review: The North Star

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

Book Review—The North Star written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 64 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (April 14, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0763636770

ISBN-13: 978-0763636777

Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches

Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

I have been admiring the achievements of Peter H. Reynolds for years, first as a mother of three young children and an ardent consumer of his books and now as a fellow author, content producer, and entrepreneur. As we explore entrepreneurship during the month of January at Little Pickle Press, it is only fitting that I write a review of The North Star, a wonderful picture book about actualizing dreams, for audiences young and mature.

The Story: This is exactly my kind of book. It provokes meaningful discussions between parents and children, teachers and students. It causes the reader to stop and wonder. What do the mixed messages in the illustrations represent? Are there any in my life? Why do I listen to so many other voices and not my own? What will happen if I chose my own path?

The Artwork: Peter’s ink and watercolor illustrations are soft, beautiful, and evocative. Each stroke of the pen and the brush matters to the interpretation of the words. The color palette is relatively muted until the end of the story as the main character is guided by bright stars and discovers the key to his journey as symbolized by a bright red boat. 

The Passion: Peter writes a note to his readers at the beginning of the book. He encourages readers to, “Take a moment to slow down to a more thoughtful pace, to ponder, reflect, imagine, and envision. Take the time to believe in your dreams, to celebrate possibility.” He is a self-proclaimed “advocate for creativity and children of all ages,” and this book masterfully serves his purpose.

The Message: The underlying message is to follow your inner compass, to march to the beat of your own drummer, and in so doing to actualize your own dreams. The message reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Linda DuPuy Moore—“Follow your dreams and pursue them with courage, for it is the pursuit of those dreams that makes life really worth living.” What a powerful message to give the architects of our future, our children. 

My Only Issue: My only suggestion for improvement is that I wish the book were more environmentally-friendly, that is, printed on recycled paper with soy inks and without a dust jacket.

The Conclusion: Buy at Amazon or borrow this book and read it to the little pickles in your life. I will be giving it as a gift for dreamers of all ages for a long time to come, and I imagine that you may do the same.

Starting a Business is Kidstuff

So how did your planning go all week? Did you follow along and really think about how you can use who, what, where, when, why, and how to create a plan? Did you try it with your child to see how it worked for the littlest entrepreneur? What about for your dream business? If you did, you should be well on your way to developing a great project.

But that doesn't mean you're quite ready to open your doors just yet. Now you can take the next professional step and that might mean visiting a SCORE office for some free and confidential small business advice with an experienced counselor. Every year, they help close to 20,000 businesses start. You can also get more advice from your banker and from your CPA.

If you feel you haven't brainstormed quite enough, keep at it until you are satisfied! If you draw a blank, try to trick your imagination into dreaming up more ideas. One of my favorite ways to jump-start my brain is to dream up the worst idea I can! This usually makes my brain think it's playing a game instead of working, and soon my imagination is in full-gear again.

Remember - don't be afraid of making mistakes.  In the latest Little Pickle Press release, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, we learn that...

"...Making mistakes is one of the best ways your brain learns and grows. If you aren't willing to risk being wrong, you won't take the chances that s-t-r-e-t-c-h your elastic brain."

We'll kick off a blog book tour for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain starting on Monday. Please join us as we visit a different host blog each day. We'll have a book drawing at every blog so sign up often for more chances to win! The schedule is in the link at the top right of this page.

You can buy the book right now by visiting our website.

Finally, our latest electronic newsletter The LPP Insider is out (it's beautiful and we're very proud of it) and we'd love for you to sign up to receive it. See the link above left. Your email is always confidential and we promise you'll be pleased with the information, promotions, updates, and stories we share with our readers and supporters at the beginning of each month.

How to Succeed at a Business for Young and Old

By Dani Greer

Here’s how Annie’s mind map is coming along so far. (See the two posts below this one for how she started.) She has covered who, what, when, where, and why of a business plan. Today she and her mother explore how. 

This is of course one of the most important parts of putting together a solid plan, and because it seems like a lot of work and hours, most entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time at it. But it’s better to do it now rather than when you are already in business and discover all kinds of expenses and rules and surprises you didn’t anticipate. Don't be impatient!

Once you’ve decided on a business and a location, you can start thinking about how much money you’ll need to earn every month to support the business and help it thrive. This is especially important if you’ve committed to a lease and other contractual agreements like yellow pages advertising, most of which require you to sign up for a year.

So start with basic monthly costs – the cash flow projection – and begin with the expenses you know for sure. These might be rent, utility costs, telephone expense, inventory costs, advertising expense, office expense for things like envelopes and postage, and so on. Write down everything you can think of. Once you know your basic expenses, you’ll be able to add up and get a total for the very least you need to earn each month. That sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it?

You’d be surprised how many people never get to this point. But it’s so important, and really is kind of fun. You haven’t actually spent this money, so pretending is an enlightening experience.

If you haven’t chosen a location for your business, estimate your costs for each possibility you have in mind. Now get really wild – do it again and give yourself a nice salary, add a few employees, and add twice as much inventory cost than you think you can afford. Now is the time to think big, and to explore possibilities! You aren’t spending anything except time and paper right now, so be fearless with your dreams. But be sure to put it all on paper so you don’t forget anything and so you compare your options.

It’s always a good idea to practice writing more than one business plan: small, medium, and large. Annie and her mom will probably look at a plan for selling their thank you cards from home versus opening a real store. The first step for Mom in that case would be to get the phone number for the owner of a store location she likes, and ask how much rent is. Then she would call the power company to find out how much the highest and lowest bills for that location were in the past year. Step-by-step, she would find as much information about all her costs as she can. Then she would add them up to see how much she has to earn each month. If she needs $5,000 for her shop, and is selling her thank you cards for $2 each, then she needs to sell 2,500 cards each month, right?

Which is a lot of cards to make in one month! Do you see a possible problem here? Now Annie and her mom have something else to think about! They can't make all those cards, so they might have to get other artists, which means paying them. Or they can make copies of their own art, but then they might have to buy a copy machine. Or they can just find printed cards to buy and resell. They have some decisions to make and maybe some new ideas to dream up.

So you can see already how planning can answer some very important questions. By thinking of everything you can, getting the information you need, and writing it all down, you’ll be better prepared for when you actually take the big step of opening a business. In the beginning, you can keep it simple like we did and still gather the ideas and facts you need to make good choices and decisions. Keep thinking until you simply can’t think of another idea!

Have you started your plan yet? What is keeping you from giving it a try? Tomorrow we’ll talk about what to do next if you’ve gotten this far.

Your Mission Statement

By Dani Greer

Yesterday, we met Annie and her Mom and learned about the new greeting card shop they plan to open. Today, Mom walks into Annie’s room and asks this question. “Annie, do you know what a mission statement is? I read today that every business should have one.”

“Hmm –  is it why they have a business?”

“Well, yes, I guess that’s what it means, in simple terms,” said her mother.

 

“And it’s the next part of our business plan, Mom! We have to figure out why we’re opening the Thank You Shop.”

“So tell me why, Miss Entrepreneur,” said Mom as she laughed.

“To make money,” Annie replied.

Annie really is a bright girl, because too often, making money isn’t included in a mission statement. The more altruistic goals–saving the environment and building a better future to name a couple­–are. What do those mean exactly, and does the company mission engage all the people who are involved? Do they understand it or does it sound like so much gibberish? Making money is tangible. It supports production and pays salaries. It pays the rent and all the other expenses of the business. A smart planner knows that the company needs to earn as much as it spends. It’s that simple. So earning should be included in the Why? of the company plan.

There are other reasons companies exist beyond making money. In Mom and Annie’s shop, they plan to provide a convenience to customers who want to say “thank you”, but perhaps don’t have time to write their own letter or make a hand-made card. Buying a special card at a shop allows people to be grateful without investing time they might not have. But the effort still counts in a big way, because saying “thank you” makes people feel appreciated and improves everyone’s life in a positive way.

So Annie and her Mom can say that part of their mission statement is to provide a convenience to customers and allows them to improve the planet in a good way by making others feel appreciated. Plus they get to make money doing it, because it’s part of why they have a business.

They might also want to have fun at it. That's not a bad thing to add to any business plan!

Do you have a mission statement for your business? Do you know why you do what you do, and does it include earning money? Don’t be shy. Figure out how much that sum is. Regularly review all the parts of your mission statement and makes adjustments as your business changes and grows.

Share with us your thoughts about all this. What is the why of your business?

What's Your Plan?

By Dani Greer

It’s a new year, and most of us are looking back at the old and forward to the new with anticipation and hope and… a plan? Well, maybe not, at least not the kind of concrete workable plan that is needed to achieve solid goals.

Truth is we didn’t really learn how to make plans when we were children, likely because our parents didn’t learn how either. When we were finally introduced to the idea, perhaps in college, it was anything but fun.

But planning should be fun, as easy as child’s play, and based on concepts we all learned in kindergarten. Do you remember learning the words who, what, when, where, why, how? Those words are all you need to write a plan for just about any project including a business plan.

So let’s start at the beginning with a couple of imaginary Who characters.

Who are Annie and her Mom? Annie is eight-years-old. Her mother has been a SAHM since Annie was born. Now she and her mother are going to start a little mother-daughter business together.Well, at least they are thinking about it.

What kind of a business? Mom has always wanted to have a little greeting card shop, but something more creative than what you might find in a mall. She wants to have lots of original hand-made cards and figures Annie can have her own section just for kids. Annie loves to draw and paint and is really quite good at it. Mom thinks that their special card shop should have a strong focus – so she’s going to narrow the theme and call it a Thank You Shop.  That’s right – they’ll have only thank you cards for any reason you can imagine. Mom will buy beautiful and very special cards and make some, too. Annie will make cards that her school friends can buy to say “thank you” for gifts they get and for other special reasons. She knows that telling people thank you is very important. We all know how hard it is to say thank you, so maybe this is really a great idea.

Where will the shop be? They haven’t decided yet. Maybe at home in the beginning, and later in a real store. Or on the Internet. That’s still part of their brainstorming. So they are going to write down every idea they think of, no matter how crazy it sounds, and then later they'll decide.

When will their shop open? Well, they need time to make lots of cards, but a holiday would be a good goal for them. They think Mother’s Day might be a possible target date. Or if they need more time, there is Thanksgiving at the end of the year. Now that would make sense!

Wow, they have a lot of things to think about so they better write all those good ideas down! Annie learned how to make a mind map at school and so she’ll keep track of their ideas this way:

Click for larger view

How you keep track of your ideas doesn't have to be anything fancy. Her mom is going to use a three-ring school notebook labeled with sections called Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? She'll add her ideas to each section as Annie adds to her one-page mind map. At this point, they're still dreaming and gathering information in order to make good choices later.

  

What about you? Are you ready to plan something for the new year? Follow along with Annie and her mother over the next few days and see how much fun you can have in this all-important (but incredibly fun!) planning stage of any project. Starting a business really is kidstuff!

What kind of business would you plan if you dared? Come out and play with us – you might be surprised at the great ideas you have hidden in your imagination, ideas just waiting to appear on a clean sheet of paper.

Start Your New Year Off Right With Braised Lentils

By Rana DiOrio, Founder, Little Pickle Press

Photo credit - http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

The annual rite of consuming good luck food for New Year's Day is observed all over the world. Exactly what you consume depends largely on where your ancestors came from and what was available there during the winter. For options, please visit: http://bit.ly/f2sNq9.

In Italy, my ancestors eat lentils as a symbol of good luck and prosperity because the legumes resemble tiny coins. Tuscans eat lentils with cotechino, a large pork sausage. People in Bologna and Modena eat lentils with zampone, the same sausage mixture stuffed into the skin of a pig's foot. In Piedmont, little grains of rice symbolize money, so New Year's Day menus feature risotto and for added luck, a plate of beef or chicken with spinach and lentils.  

I walk with an Italian friend of mine (Tony) almost every Thursday morning. During our hour together we share many stories about growing up Italian in New England. We also share recipes. Not surprisingly, Tony is an accomplished cook (as well as a sophisticated epicurean and oenophile). At my request, he shared with me his favorite lentils preparation. It is from Neil Perry's, The Food I Love from the land down under (with Tony’s notes in parentheses):

1 cup lentils (de Puy and black caviar both work well here)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 leek, white part only, washed and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

1/4 cup white wine

7 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 small handful Italian parsley finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring lentils to a boil in a saucepan of cold water, then refresh under cold water.  (You can soak overnight and drain, but I believe they get too mushy for this recipe.)

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over low heat; add the celery, carrot, onion, and leek and sweat, without coloring. Add the chopped rosemary and thyme and continue to sweat. Add the lentils and wine and simmer for two minutes. Add the tomato and enough stock to cover the lentils. Simmer very gently for about 90 minutes or until the lentils have cooked, adding more liquid if necessary to allow for absorption. When the lentils are ready, add the parsley, garlic, and seasoning to taste. 

Serves 4-6, or Tony twice.

No matter what you elect to make or do, we hope that your New Year celebration is delicious, festive, and fun.