Lola Dutch Series: Just Do It!

Let us, then be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labour and to wait.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of my favorite Longfellow lines has always encouraged me to just stop thinking so much....and just DO IT! "With a heart for any fate":  Wow, it's hard to make something without knowing how it will turn out, right? We often think and postpone, procrastinate because well...it's not as hard as MAKING THE THING! 

Creativity doesn't come from sitting and thinking of good ideas. Creativity comes from DOING! And Lola...she's a little active DOER. She's my inspiration, and she's what I noticed my own children...their exuberance for hands-on learning! No fear, just creating.

As an artist, I can't even tell you how much this basically sums up one of the most important skills in creativity. Get out of your head, and just start making the thing! When I was at Interlochen Arts Academy my Junior year, I was a fine art student, and I was working on this huge overwhelming painting...along side 15 other students. We weren't allowed to sit, we had to stand and work with our painting mounted to the wall...and we were only allowed to use 3 colors of oil paint. No more. And if you stopped working for too long...like to step back and think about what you were doing...she'd swat you on the bum with a stack of paint brushes. Let's just say I had a sore bum! Now, that was a specific exercise in teaching us to just GO and MAKE and discover what happened when you didn't waste time thinking so much...because thinking can often make us second guess our best selves...and we are more prone to actually never end up making or finishing anything. 

Creativity takes courage. And it take DOING! Lola's "a bit much" energy is the kind of energy that I hope to talk about when we go on tour...this joie de vivre...is what will carry us to our best ideas. Fear makes us stop, think too much, and ultimately quit. As Lola would say, "Forward, Friends!"

Order Lola Dutch here! 

Lola Dutch Series: Curiosity

Lola Dutch comes out in 20 days, but this character and story was conceived long ago! The Lola Dutch stories were born out of a deep, deep desire to share the incredible tools children receive when they grow and develop their curiosity! When a child is curious, and are allowed the space to think and ask questions and discover, they naturally turn to creativity and hands on learning...which turns into a passion for life...and develops into a confidence in their abilities to overcome anything ...which leads to problem solving, out-side-of-the-box thinking, compassionate and capable, brilliant adults!

Curiosity leads to creativity, and creativity leads to more curiosity!

It's an amazing cycle that children NEED in this modern world more than ever. Sometimes it's hard for me to let the messes happen at home, to be OK with the kids opening up the sewing box to try something new on their own...and while there needs to be boundaries of course, a child'd curiosity can easily die. And it usually dies with us having good intentions. Because, well, it's easier not to open up the flour bin and find out what happens when you mix flour and water together.

Lola Dutch dives right into this with passion and excitement....in 20 days!!! And to support the curious and creative readers, we've created a CREATIVITY KIT that will be emailed to you when you pre-order the book and submit your receipt before Jan 29th at loladutch.com More on that in other posts...for now, you can order where ever books are sold! 

More Books!

...THREE!! 

We are so excited to announce that Lola Dutch will be coming to you not just once, but three times over the next two years! We are so thrilled to be part of this amazing team at Bloomsbury Publishing, and the excitement they have for Lola Dutch and her stories. 

This is from PMP this week: 

The LOLA DUTCH husband-and-wife team of Kenneth Wright and Sarah Jane Wright's LOLA DUTCH, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, the third in the Lola Dutch series and just in time for Valentine's Day, to Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury Children's, in a good deal, for publication in Fall 2019, by Emily van Beek at Folio Literary Management (World).

I know you don't even have the first book in hand yet, but when you do, you can know that more are coming! Lola has a lot of stories to tell:) 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT LOLADUTCH.COM

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

Order Lola as a Gift!

If you're like me, you are checking your lists...checking them twice... and running around trying to find that last gift before Christmas. Did you know you can GIFT a pre-order? Lola Dutch is only a few weeks away from launching, and this book would make a lovely Christmas gift...the kind that will last past boxing day! Give that special someone something to look forward to in the mailbox, and gift them a pre-order. Not to mention, all pre-orders that are submitted through the Lola Dutch website, will receive a jam-packed Creativity Kit on Launch day! 

Click here to Pre-order! 

And Happy Holidays!! 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Story of the Snow Children

The Story of the Snow Children This book is little and adorable and sweet, and will make you feel all the winter feels. The illustrations are going to take you back to another time, and it's amazing how much magic this book has packed in it's small size. Originally published in 1905 by German illustrator and author Sibylle von Olfers, it's a wonderful short and sweet and book that you will love being part of your Christmas Collection. 

I hope you enjoy this one like we have! 

Click here to purchase.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Night Before Christmas

This version of The Night Before Christmas has been out of print for 50 years and has finally come back to life! Illustrated by Caldecott winner Rover Duvoisin who illustrated some amazing classics in the 40's and 50's, this book is an instant Christmas treasure!  I came across this book this year, and it is such a fun and festive addition to our stash. The illustrations are brilliant, and the colors just POP out and make for such a fun read. 

But I think what I love about this book is it's shape! This book is long and narrow, which makes such a statement just from the cover...but inside, it gets really fun because Santa gets to go down long chimneys!! 

With so many Christmas books out there to choose from, it's nice to have books that stand out a bit from the crowd, and this is one of them. And especially because this book has been forgotten for a couple of generations, and is just now available again, it brings something even more special. 

ENJOY! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

BOOK OF THE WEEK: NUTCRACKER byMaurice Sendak

There are few stories as traditionally Christmas as the Nutcracker, and with Maurice Sendak being on the top of my all time favorite illustrators, this book is a must in our house. The Nutcracker by ETA Hoffmann and Maurice Sendak is at the top of my list! 

It's a classic...the kind of book that is looking so festive on my coffee table right now. It's long...not something you'll finish in one bedtime (unless you want to take some extra time, which I don't object to!) It's the kind of story that makes for a great read aloud, or even to keep out and have the children read bits at time. 

But for me, it's the illustrations that suck you into the story, and keep your eyes happy for hours. SO much to think about and look at. Because Sendak takes some artistic liberties with the traditional style and characters you are use to seeing, this book is a feast for the eyes! 

Was this a Christmas favorite for you? And did you know that there is a movie of the ballet based off of these illustrations? It's all so lovely. 

Click Here to Purchase

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Animals' Merry Christmas

I'm dedicating the next few weeks to Christmas books! Hopefully ones that maybe you've forgotten about, or have yet to discover. 

For this week, I've chosen Richard Scarry's THE ANIMAL'S MERRY CHRISTMAS

This book is so delightful. Richard Scarry, famous for his Busy Town books, is the king at happy little animals, with adorable little houses and clothes, and this Christmas book is so cozy. Every page my kids would let out an audible, "Awwwww!!!" as they watched deer in the snow, mice all cozied up and bunnies in their beds. It's a collection of a few different short stories and poems, which is something I love about Christmas books. It keeps the energy up! 

One of our favorite stories is the bunny family who can't get to grandma's house because it snowed so much on Christmas and the drifts were too high. Or the story about the little deer who sees a real christmas tree through a window, and wants a real lit up tree for Christmas, so his mother finds a way for nature to make their very own. 

Did you grow up with this book? I have to admit that somehow I never saw this book until I was choosing books for my own children. And it's a favorite! Add a cozy fireplace and blankets, and your set:) 

Enjoy!