FCB Auction with Leo Landry

The Foundation for Children's Books in Boston is one of my very favorite organizations. They hold a series of lectures with various children's book writers and illustrators at Boston College, give workshops for book lovers of all kinds, and do the very good work of bringing authors into schools that cannot afford them.

Last year, Grace began donating paintings to the Foundation to be auctioned on eBay as a benefit for their programs in under-served schools. This year, 12 different illustrators will contribute to the "Small Graces" auction (I'll be donating a piece this fall). Each month a small, unpublished, original painting will be auctioned on eBay with 100% of the proceeds to support the FCB's author/illustrator visits and residencies in urban schools.

This month's painting (below), a gorgeous, signed watercolor by Leo Landry with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is on auction now through through Friday, June 11. Leo is a friend and incredibly talented, I especially adore his book The Snow Ghosts.

Click here to bid on his beautiful piece. This is a really great chance to get affordable original children's book art for a great cause!

Auction and blog tour coming

Last week I posted about the illustrated proverb I donated to the Small Grace's auction for the Foundation for Children's Books. This week it is officially for auction on ebay! 100% of the proceeds go to a great cause, bringing authors into under funded schools.

Read more about the project here.

Click HERE to bid.


On another note, next week is Earth Week and I plan to celebrate by doing a mini-blog tour to talk about What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe? A Green Activity Book About Reuse. Join me on the following lovely kidlit blogs to find out more about the making of the book, read reviews, and win a prize too! Several of the blogs will be holding book giveaways, your chance to get a copy of the book to share with kiddos you know for free. What better way to celebrate Earth Day then to do some recycling art activities with kids? Well driving less and planting a tree are probably better, but not nearly as fun.

Here is the schedule:

Monday the 20th: *Miss Rumphius Effect
Tuesday the 21st: *Wild Rose Reader
Wednesday the 22nd: 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Thursday the 23rd: *A Patchwork of Books
Friday the 24th: Katie's Literature Lounge

*These blogs are having book give aways!

Small Graces auction: guest appearance

As most of you know, Grace has very generously founded yet another amazing charity event: the Small Graces auction to benefit the Foundation for Children's Books and the very worthwhile work that they do bringing authors into underfunded schools.

She could not have picked a better cause. The FCB works tirelessly to bring authors to schools that need them and promote literacy. I'll be visiting such a school in Chelsea this spring through their program and I can't wait, there is nothing like speaking to a group of kids who are hungry to learn about books and art and so rarely get the chance. I am humbled and delighted to be able to visit these kids.

Anyhow, the reason I bring this up is that this month Grace has offered me a way to participate in her project. I have donated my own illustrated proverb, to be auctioned on ebay from Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th.

As soon as I read the below proverb, I knew it would be perfect for an illustration of Abigail and George from Abigail Spells. I hope the painting is worthy of all the time and energy Grace has put into the project, and hope you will support the FCB by bidding on April 13th!

A Small Grace

Would you like to know who was the highest bidder in the February Small Graces auction?

Would you like to find out who won this lovely painting by our fabulously talented Blue Rose Girl Grace Lin? Then check out this post at Wild Rose Reader.