I've made a book trailer that I think really gets to the core of what this book is about. Creating activity pages for children to play with goes right along with the themes of children interacting with the Christmas Story, and so I hope you enjoy!
You can download FREE PDF printables that go with the book in tomorrow's post.
I'm feeling more like Christmas than ever before. This book was so, so special to make, and finally enjoying the book with children has sealed the deal. I love this work.
We've been up to a little something here in the studio...me and the elves kids have been feverishly creating a little Nutcracker world, and we're all a bunch of giddy little sugar plums over it.
I've been wanting to make these for a while, and I just couldn't wait any longer. This weekend we were decorating gingerbread houses and watching the Maurice Sendak version of the Nutcracker with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. And the kids were glued. We've been acting it out ever since!
So we made this Puppet Theater set. I say "we" because it was really a joint effort. The kids would play, and I'd draw it out, and we'd imagine together what all the characters looked like.
Here's a little video of us putting these together. It's taken with my iphone (note to self...always hold the phone horizontal, not vertical when making movies!)
I'm getting a little obsessed with imovie. I used it for the first time last night making this...and um....I can see a lot more of these in my future. So super easy and fun!
So. This is what we've done. we've made the these PDF downloads (like the Peter and the Wolf Puppet Theater kit that has been so, so popular) and I'm including the story and music clips below so that you can act out the story right here! There are 13 characters...enough for literally hours of play.
*Disclaimers:
1) Not all characters were created. I had to stop somewhere!
2) These should be cut out by an adult. They do have tiny parts, and so give yourself some time to carefully cut
3) This is a DOWNLOAD only. Instructions are included in the download for printing, brads, etc.
(Simply play the music below each image while you are dancing to the scene with your paper puppet dolls)
ACT I
PARTY SCENE
The Overture
Clara’s family is having a Christmas party. She and her little brother Fritz dance and decorate the tree. Soon Clara’s mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer arrives and gives her a special toy nutcracker. Fritz pretending to be a soldier, breaks the Nutcrackers jaw and the doll is broken. As Clara cries, kind Drosselmeyer ties his scarf around the Nutcracker and fixes him.
CLARA DANCES WITH HER NUTCRACKER
Clara and the Nutcracker
Clara Dances with her Nutcracker. Relieved her new toy is fixed, Clara dances with the Nutcracker and pretends he is really a hansom prince.
THE MOUSE KING AND NUTCRACKER FIGHT
The Battle
Clara falls asleep and shrinks to the size of the toys. The Mouse King appears and the Nutcracker comes alive to defend Clara. The Nutcracker fights bravely, but after a long battle the Mouse King knocks the Nutcracker to the ground. Clara throws her shoe at the Mouse King and distracts him long enough for the Nutcracker to kill him.
CLARA AND THE PRINCE DANCE
Pas de Deux
The Nutcracker becomes a hansom prince and dances with Clara.
TRAVEL THROUGH THE SNOWY WOOD
Waltz of the Snowflakes
The Nutcracker Prince and Clara travel through a snowy forest on the way to his Kingdom. Snow fairies and the Snow Queen dance all around them.
ACT II: LAND OF THE SWEETS
Clara and the Nutcracker Prince arrive in the Land of Sweets. Sweets from around the world come to dance in turn for Clara, and thank her for defeating the Mouse King.
ARABIAN DANCE
Arabian Dance
CHINESE DANCE
Chinese Dance
RUSSIAN DANCE
Russian Dance
WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS
Waltz of the Flowers
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
FINAL WALTZ
Drosselmeyer joins Clara and the Prince as everyone dances together. Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers of the Land of Sweets. (In some early versions Clara stays in the Land of Sweets and the ballet ends. In others the prince takes her home, or she wakes up in bed with the doll in her arms realizing it was all a dream. Pick the ending you like best. I’ve never seen two identical productions. )
Wasn't that fun? I am feeling like I'm 7 again...all tingly and magical. Gosh, I love this music!
I had so much fun making this....I might even add more characters next year, but this, I think, is plenty! And look! They even can double as Christmas Ornaments when you are done. Or for practicing your ballet positions in your spare time!
When you put a book out in the world, it's only natural for you to hope people like it. I mean, it's a labor of love, and you get really close to your work, and you really have no idea how it will be received out in the big (critical) world out there.
I finished this book a year and a half ago. Can you believe that? I started it when Ella was born. It's a weird idea to promote something that people are seeing as fresh and new, but really it's something that is a part of your soul....from 2009. I know it's part of the industry that I'm in, but I still can't get used to it:)
So finding out that A Christmas Goodnight has received some warm praises, is such a highlight. This is my first experience with having my name in papers, and online reviews, so you can imagine how I'd be a little shy about hearing what people have to say. I'm just so glad that readers are finding it a classic and special way to bring in the Christmas Season!
new york times book review
Yesterday, A Chrismtas Goodnight was featured in the NEW YORK TIMES Book Review section, which is pretty neat. And I realized, that I haven't really shared any reviews with you! Here you go:
"...a debut for Wright, the illustrator, "A Christmas Goodnight" features sweet faced children and animals and an especially cosy looking manger, which work well with Buck's graceful rhymes."
The New York Times
“Buck and debut illustrator Wright produce a book that deserves special status, to be kept off-season with other holiday decorations and then brought out each year at Christmas. Great for grandparents to give.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Quietly charming. A fine read-aloud for a group of little ones, but also a cozy choice as a December bedtime story. A terrific introduction for preschoolers who are just learning about the Nativity story.”
Kirkus Reviews
“The soothing rhyming text and soft palette of the illustrations is ideal for bedtime read-alouds while also serving as a straightforward introduction to the important characters in the story of that first Christmas. ”
The most important reviews are the ones from the kids though. I love getting your emails sharing with me your children's reactions....their favorites little characters (everyone loves either the little tiny bunny or the baby lamb) and it's so special for me to hear that! Reactions from the children are the most important. I'm a newbie here in the publishing world, but I'm already working on more books...and if you have a review to share, I'd love it if you could post one online.
Last week, Kenneth and I took the kids out for a little family date night (ice cream cones and a trip to Barnes and Noble) and as we walked into the children's section, guess what we saw for the first time! Addie and Ian had the cutest faces. The face that says: "No way! This store has the same book that mom made?" Ian was sure to hurry and point out the little hidden secrets in the book that he loves to see
Happy Monday! I've got tons of fun downloads and activities and Christmas play things to show you in conjunction with the book and with Christmas. I feel like a Christmas Elf!
Thanks all of you who have shared your wonderful emails and comments about the book. It's a sweet, simple, uncomplicated book...the way the Christmas Story should be. It's the kind of book that you have to read slow and feel. And I've loved reading your comments:)
signed bookplate
And just a reminder...there are just a few more days (Dec. 10th internationally and Dec. 15th within in the U.S.) that you can get autographed bookplates from me that I'd be happy to sign and write a message on. You can get them here.
This is a post from last year, but it's been so popular that I wanted to post it again in case any of you need ideas for an advent Calendar this year! You will most likely have everything you need....so you can start today!
Here's the link to the original post from 2010.
I've been wanting to do this advent calendar for years...and I finally get to do it! This will be our first Christmas home since having children, and I've wanted to have this be a family tradition of ours since I saw this idea from a neighbor of mine years back.
Children's Picture Book Advent Calendar: What is it?
24 Christmas Picture Books, all wrapped up and marked for each day leading up until Christmas. This way, we will be reading one Christmas story a night!
Now don't panic...getting 24 Christmas Books isn't as hard as it looks. When you can check out Christmas books from the Library for 3 weeks at a time, it makes it rather simple....you may need to renew one time in there, but it still makes for a lovely tradition! And inexpensive too!
And Book #24......is the Bible, so that lessens the load a bit. But you'd be surprised how many Christmas books you already have. Really, I am sure you have more than you think you do. I think books on winter can even count too... And don't forget any Christmas Anthologies with short stories in there too.
Oh there are SO many Christmas books that I want to get my hands on....I have so many favorites that I don't even have own yet! But this year, most of the books in our Advent Calender we DO own (thanks to the need to have a few books for "research" when working on my book) but even still....to the children, these books will be like new since they are all wrapped up.
These books are now in our open bookcase in the basement (thus the really lousy photo...sorry!) But this way, they are in plain visibility. Another good place is the hearth of the fireplace...or in your child's bedroom.
Anyways...I wanted to share in case anyone needed a good idea for an advent calendar this year. And the best part? It's either "rented" or a good reason to add to your already established Christmas collection.
Have any of you ever tried this one? It's a new tradition for us this year, and I think this one is here to stay!
A bit of news: LUCKY magazine, the seasonal LUCKY KIDS insert to be exact, featured my blog in their best blog round up!
Wow. That was fun to see!
And what made me smile, is that the thumbnail image is my son's head. He has a cute head. But he's 5, and I don't know if I'll show him that his profile is shared with Jessica Simpson. Not just yet at least. Don't want him to get any ideas, you know?
No, really...I'm really so flattered that they'd choose my blog as "The Best Blogs" in their Winter issue! Wow. Really. Wow. Thanks so much Lucky!
As part of the feature, I'll be GUEST BLOGGING this week at LUCKY KIDS with a daily round up of handmade, creative, and great finds for the holidays. I used to blog more about my favorite things...but now thanks to twitter, pinterest, etc. I can post things like that there. So this was fun to put together! Come say hi!
And as promised, I can't finish a post with out a sketch from my current sketchbook.
I've been thinking about cold bunnies lately. You?
I like to put mood boards together. Inspiration boards. Story Boards. Whatever you call it, it's really good for me to put my ideas in one place, and make little families.
My brain is always so full of information, it really helps to put bits and chunks in one place and see how they work together. Sometimes they are digital, sometimes they are on my wall in my studio...sometimes they are cut and paste, or printed out on paper. Pinterest is awesome for collecting ideas...you name form, and I have collected ideas there.
This one is for a top-secret mission and I can't say anything about it.
Just kidding. I'm working on new fabric again (!) and this is a peek at just the ideas behind it. Too early to show anything just yet...but it's rather fun to see how it all gets started. The conception of ideas usually starts with random bits of information in my head (information for me = sounds, colors, shapes, people, phrases, memories...) and plop them down on the table and then I start to see where and how they work together. I move the pieces around like it's a puzzle, and eventually pieces shift, get thrown out, come to the front...and I have something to work with. The conception stage takes the longest for me. Like a really good, slow simmer!
But I'm liking it so far! I think the octopus is blushing...and it makes me smile to wonder at what! Cute little guy!
And PS: The Cyber Monday sale is still going on here and here! Read more here. Happy Holidays!!! Yipee!
I'm still full from yesterday, and happily lounging in my PJ's with my family this morning, but had to stop in real quick and let you know (if you didn't get the memo in my newletter) that this weekend we're having an awesome sale!
The best part about this sale, is that when you make an order with the code thanks15 you'll get a code for a 20% off coupon in January!
And if that wasn't fun enough, all orders with the code thanks15 will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to the shop that I'll announce on Tuesday!
Ok. So I promised that I was going to include an illustration in every post. But my blog has been down, and my hands have been tied up in web-stuff.
But I had to share this one last image from our trip to HANA. The tide pools below the house are covered in black lava rock formations, and then broken up bits of coral from ages of wear. My parents and Kenneth and I spent an hour searching and wading through pools looking for the best letters to make the phrase. A task that simple seemed like play...spend an hour looking for the letter "E?" That's when I started to realize that I really do have a lot going on in my life, and slowing down is a very theraputic, wonderful thing.
Right now, I've been in the middle of some more website battles..and so I'm really, really sorry if you've emailed me, visited the blog or site and gotten error pages, or broken links. We're still working on some issues! And they've made me go a little crazy...cause it's like having a house with no drivway or address...but things are getting there, and if you had trouble this week so far...I'm so sorry. Today I'm shifting my mind back to that trip where I truly felt nothing else but being mindful of the present moment, and that is a good way to go into this Thanksgiving holiday.
But I'll be back with some exciting BLACK FRIDAY sale notices, so you can be ready for shopping after Turkey day.
I hope you all have WONDERFUL thanksgiving plans! We do. We have family in town, and a new baby nephew who I can't get enough of. I just love this holiday. So much.
God bless, and have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
(But don't forget to come back and find out about weekend sales...they'll be all done by monday!!)
