How did I know?

From my earliest memory drawing was something I just did. Other kids rejoiced in getting high tech toys for Christmas, but I would do the happy dance for my box of Crayola 100 and the giant pads of newsprint under the tree.

I tripped along happily in art classes, all the way through high school. I remember some classmates having a real skill with realistic portraiture or avante garde executions. Compared to them, the cartoons and doodles that came naturally to me felt immature and silly. I think that's when my faith in my art started deflating.

It was senior year when I overheard the art teacher talking to a student about art school and preparing a portfolio for the admissions process. I knew art school existed, but thought you had to be discovered by someone in order to get into one. I was hurt and felt like I had been betrayed by the fact that no one had ever told me that it was an option, that anyone could try. I convinced myself that I didn't want to go to art school anyway.

Fast forward to college. Freshman year I started with an Animal Science major- intent on achieving my childhood dream of a veterinarian or possibly becoming a State Park Ranger. Sophomore year, I thought about becoming an Education major, but became dissuaded by talk of low-pay and ridiculous amounts of work. (irony anyone?) Switched and settled on a Communications major, specialization in Advertising and Public Relations. My artistic bent helped me significantly.

It wasn't until five years out of college, after having switched from a PR position to teaching twelve year old animals (I say this with fondness!) that I realized I was missing something. I felt like there was a gaping hole that needed to be filled. One night I absently picked up a pencil and started doodling. I enjoyed it so much, I began looking for ways to integrate drawing into my life. I discovered illustration and the multitude of ways I could express myself. I thought I could maybe get into it as a hobby, but the more I did it, the more I realized I needed to do more. Thus began my quest for full-time freelance.

Frizz & the itch

Year: 1988
Place: MSU
Enrolled at State. Planned to be a veterinarian. Saw students with portfolio cases around campus...became strangely jealous.




Year: 1991
Place: Detroit area community college
Transfered to study graphic and commercial art while working a co-op job as a technical illustrator. Introduced to the computer for drawing...who knew?

Year: 1997
Place: Kmart Headquarters
Ditched the low paying, non-creative technical job to make art for kids clothes. I wasn't even sure I could do it. My sister helped get me the interview.

This is where the bug bit and the five years I was there I taught myself (with help from some very seasoned pros) how to draw, how to use a Mac, how to crank out bears and bunnies, cars and baseballs at the drop of a hat. The volume was enormous and the experience was priceless. I learned everything there and honed it, then took it with me. I left because the Kmart boat was sinking but continued to sell as a freelance artist to a wonderful print house for a while. There is nothing like that feeling when you sell something that YOU created- totally you and someone (other than a relative) thinks it's great and will even pay you for it. It's such a high.

I'm back illustrating technical stuff for my day job but the creative fire is still there. While drawing automotive air filters, I'm in my head planning my x-mas cards or doodling a story. I guess it's been a string of happy accidents that have lead me here. How do I know I want to be an illustrator? It's almost a physical pang in the chest. Something driving you to draw and create and see what happens. I can't wait to see what happens!

Great Minds

When I found this book cover on Amazon, I just had to share it with y'all. Look familiar to anyone? hahaha!

Steig wrote the book that helped me conquer my intense fear of the dentist when I was little. (A visit to that dentist would explain-*shudder*) He also wrote another favorite book, Abel's Island. Oh and he's also the creator of a tiny story called Shrek. Click around his site for a peek into the world of this master illustrator.

Tea Time

Brainstorming doodle for a story I've written. I've never done anything with it because I like the line quality and feel of it and I'm afraid if I try to paint it, I will lose something in the translation. I'll post the manuscript as soon as I can so you can see what happens to Traci and her pig!

Happy Thankgiving all!
Eat turkey and be merry!

Contour

Quite bizarre, don't you think? This was done at my art teacher conference on Friday while listening to a session about contour line. I think I may do a project like this with my Art One kids. Its just weird.

W.I.P. Sketch

Honestly, the last three pages of my sketchbook have been lists and notes to self, and I didn't think they'd be all that interesting to look at. :) Now, if you look in my think.jot.draw sketchbook, you'd see this:


I'm giving you guys a sneak peek at my Pippi project. These are a few of the character sketches I did while reading some of Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Långstrump's adventures.

(Strangely enough, the version of Pippi in the South Seas didn't contain anything that sounded like the synopsis you posted, Astrid. I'm wondering if there was some serious editing done when they were republished here in the U.S.)

The stories were fun to read and I really like working on this character- she's a hoot!

(Oh, and did I mention how hard it is to not be influenced by the existing art of the book? I had to put post-it notes over the pictures so I wouldn't be swayed and have it influence my interpretation!)

Write On!

Okay, so as you know, my posts are never brief (practically unheard of) so I am apologizing in advance for what ever length this post turns out to be. An essay, a chapter — maybe a novel, who knows - hahahahahah!

Ahem ...

Deep down I'll admit being a serious, wannabe writer was a part of me, but it was all kept 'up here.' (she says tapping a finger to the side of her head) I was pretty good in school at English Lit. and English language. (We have a sightly different structure in the UK I think to the US) I loved writing long letters to my friends filled with funny little line drawings and usually lots of bad humour. I'd take a week or two to write them making them teens of pages long, using different colors for different day's entries — almost like diary writing. Sad that I actually saw these friends at school everyday and did this, but who can explain the madness of a 13-year-old, right?

I can remember reading a particular series of books when I was about 12. They were written by a girl named Jayne Fisher (here's a brief background link about her) She was roughly the same age as me. My reaction: well come on, she's published? I can do that! What impressed me most, was that she illustrated her own stories too. HAH, well I can do THAT at least, I thought. Then I grew up and took on a slightly different path in life with art & design, but I continued to read all sorts of books adult and children's, fiction and non-fiction and still do to this day.

Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake also kept the thoughts of becoming published in the children's market one day in the back of my mind — even now. Between Roald's wonderfully quirky style of writing and Quentin's adorable scratchy, humorous ink illustrations, deep down I felt I could fit in somewhere with someone and hopefully bring joy to little ones with my work like they did for me (and still do!)

My path veered around and around and upside down until a few years ago when I ventured into finding out more about the industry here in the US — naturally I was hooked and haven't stopped striving for that dream I had so long ago. But it wasn't until April 2006, when I signed up for the annual SCBWI NJ conference did I decide to see if I had anything worth pursuing when it came to writing.



I hashed a then 1200-word story together filled with flashes of my own childhood based upon a small-town sweetie shop that a fun, jolly round woman owned. Actually the story spawned from something else I tried to write, so I 'went' with it... and Jolly Miss Bonbon was born. I signed up for a manuscript critique, and low and behold the editor wanted to see a revision! WOAH! I saw her again at the 2007 NJ conference, and she remembered me! Double WOAH! And of course, she's still waiting for that revision. (something I struggle more with than writing - you want me to write it again, do you KNOW how long it took me to write this draft???)

However, and this is a big however. Since her response in June 2006 (about 18 months now) I have gotten much more serious about writing and proudly have six picture book manuscripts and one YA novel underway. One PB MS is sitting in an editor's office waiting on a dummy full of sketches and two finished sample illustrations to arrive! Two others are undergoing what is hopefully their final revision and the other three are still being crafted into something I find suitably silly enough to surrender for feedback.

Unlike illustrating or anything visual, I struggle tremendously with writing. Actually putting my thoughts down on paper is so difficult for me. My thoughts and my writing skills aren't a match made in heaven but the point is I am doing. I am not just sitting wishing or thinking about doing.

I joined a local writer's group. We are an organization built of about 40 members broken down into groups of 6. I am a facilitator for my smaller group and we are a mix of illustrator/authors and authors. We meet once a month. The majority of the group are unpublished wanting to break in. We have an eclectic melange of experience, knowledge, skills and talents right through the genres of children's book publishing. I joined the group in April of this year, just after I attended a writer's mentoring weekend in Princeton.

A couple of months after that I was invited to join a second writer's group. They told me they were looking for "fresh blood." The difference being with this group is that they are all published writers. Why on earth they want me in their group is beyond me. I figured I can certainly learn something from them, so I sat in on a couple of meetings and officially was welcomed as their newest member. The pace is much different as are the levels of writing. We discuss people's rejection letters, editor experiences, member's books due for release and critique each other's work. There are three illustrator/authors out of the 8 of us including me.

Both groups are extremely beneficial to me in numerous ways and I know I Will continue with my writing. I'm glad I pushed myself and made that leap from brain to paper.

I am totally crap at rhyme. I tried it. I was abysmal. I stopped and never did it again. Did you know Diane Ochiltree writes in prose first, gets her story 'down' and then goes back and creates the rhyme. Remarkable.

I love writing nonsensical stories that may not necessarily have a 'hidden' message and I love to use silly words that are fun to say out loud. I'm also a big fan of alliteration and find Ol' Roget and his thesaurus are my best friends when I am sat toiling over a manuscript.

I can certainly attest to being part of a critique group makes all the difference but like illustration-critiquing, it doesn't have to be a physical group. It can be done online. As I said in my comments on Courtney's post. We're part of a group already so why not push ourselves (always optional) to share manuscripts for critique also. I think setting up a private blog is better though. Just for copyright sakes and all that jazz. I'm happy to share my experiences and knowledge.
What say you ladies?

Writer/Illustrator

I wanted to be a writer when I was a little girl. I would spend large portions of my day imagining worlds with supporting characters, intrigue and princesses who flew in bubbles. I sailed through my english classes, always scoring high marks for creativity. (I would hardly ever receive a perfect mark because this was in the dark ages before spell-check, when papers were hand written. My lack of skill with punctuation and spelling was blatantly apparent in those days, marginally less so now)

Then I fell in love with illustrating and devoted 100 percent of myself into the visual world. I still have story ideas and sometimes sketch out something resembling a story. I also make up songs for my daughter much like Rebecca.

It's the completion of the story that gets me. I tend to fall out of love easily and have abandoned a lot of not so great ideas pretty darn quickly. I know that I need to learn to tweak and revise and revise again to polish my words but I would rather draw or read blogs. This is something I will work at as I have been told by several "industry professionals" (imagine that in a deep booming voice) that it will be difficult to match my images with someone else's stories. I think I will also look for writing groups to join because I need all of the encouragement I can get. Anyone know of any?

Rhymin' fool

I love to rhyme so if you call that "writing" then I'm there. I grew up reading the likes of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. Calef Brown is my current favorite poet. It's just fun reading. If I had kids I would read them funny poems. A favorite passtime is taking a current tune and changing the words, making it funny and keeping them in rhyme of course. I would love to one day write and illustrate a book of my own rhymes.

Here's one I haven't shared ...

"Chicken coop, chicken coop,
all the chickens on their stoop.
Can you smell the chicken poop?
It must be cleaning day.

Shoo shoo rooster, shoo shoo hen.
Go away, come back again.
We'll clean your coop the best we can.
More eggs then you can lay!"

I can usually take any sketch or doodle and create a poem about it. The drawing always comes first. It's fun for me but whether it's good or not is up to the professionals I guess.

I write, therefore I am

Yes I write! In fact, I find it much easier to write than to illustrate. Sometimes I read children's books and am boggled by the fact that writers usually get paid more than illustrators when it takes 5 minutes to make up a story. Case in point: I could take or leave Mo Williams' illustrations, but his words are amazing! "Going Boneless" is one of my all time favorite expressions. My life is spent making up rhyming songs in order to get my children to do things ("Wake up sleepy head, its time to start the day, Wake up drowsy toes, its morning time, I say!"). My daughter spends a serious amount of time singing my silly songs as if they are as important as Jackson 5 songs (which is the epitomy of coolness in her 4-year-old brain). I swear I have the libretto for an entire children's opera inside my head. I've written a bunch of poems/ rhyming stories that sit in sketchbooks keeping my illustrations nice and cozy. I am never faced with being at a loss for words. My main problem is finding any time whatsoever to do anything with my illustrations let alone my stories. I believe I am the only member of this coven that does not have a web site. I have never once completed an illustration to my complete satisfaction. There just isn't any time to even develop a consistant style over at artipantz central. If only I could have a personal assistant with a microphone recording all of my crazy songs, I would definitely be the 5th member of the Wiggles. Oh...and you should read my lesson plans! They are top notch!

Reading, Writing and Rendering?

I admit that I am trying to write and illustrate a story of my own. I've always been a voracious reader, and participated in writing programs and classes all through school. (Although English was my minor in college, I had enough credits that I could have double majored.) I've spent the last five years teaching young minds the difficult task of transforming fragile idea fragments and bringing them to fruition on paper. So I guess you could say I enjoy the written language.

Having the experiences that I do, I know just how difficult the journey of an author can be... ("ignorance is bliss!")..how I need to carefully navigate it...how my story can't afford for me to take extended naps along the roadside. I need to take at least a few steps everyday.

That's where my problem lies. Devoting time to my stories is an issue for me right now. If my life were a stovetop, it'd be one of those industrial numbers found in a restaurant with dozens of burners. Taking care of my family, home and self would be on the front burners. Furthering my illustration career, including building my portfolio, maintaining my blogs, as well as creating a new website would be on the second row. The back row would have my personal art projects and some home decor ideas. Unfortunately, my writing would be on one the burners in the far back corner.

This isn't helped by the fact that my current story requires a lot of research and my detail-oriented personality won't let it develop without an extremely detailed outline. Nevermind the confidence issues, the fact I've never done anything like it before, and I've got this whole other career thing I'm trying to get going. But I can't help it. I've got all these stories swimming around in my mind, and if I don't get them out and on paper, I feel like I'm going to be the one who drowns!

conferences – Frankfurt Book Fair 2007

Hello ladies!

Sorry for my absence these days. Here's a quick post though about the Frankfurt book fair!

I got to attend, and it was huge. I rushed through 1.5 halls in one day, and attended a quick 45 minute seminar organized by the German Illustrators Organization www.io-home.org. The seminar was about how to hold successful negotiations with clients. It was as good as it can get in 45 minutes – but due to the short time didn't hold much news.

An interesting argument thrown in by a German illustrator was that he has a lot of trouble holding an efficient client meeting when he's on first name terms with the client, and they get along like great buddies. According to him, this makes him take things too easily and makes it harder to remember to negotiate all business terms that have to be discussed. Another illustrator threw in that yes, he hates all this first name stuff, and if a client offers the first name, he refuses. I was slightly appaled at this, as in my book, there's nothing better than being on good terms with a client – and refusing an offered "Du" (the personal address Germans use towards each other, when on friendly terms) would be great in that respect! I'm not sure how this is gauged in the States exactly. I usually don't have a problem with just sticking with the address the client suggests. Any thoughts?



Get addresses from the book publishers you love:
The book fair has a nice treat on their website. All the exhibitors who chose to do so are listed in the database, with their address and website, sometimes even with a contact person. You can register to access all this market information, for around 30 EUR, it's valid for 1 year (until October 2008).

Sign up here, on the Buchmesse Frankfurt Website.


Picture book publishers that I liked:
I had an eye out for what's on the market right now regarding children books. This has a lot to to with personal taste, as I don't know which of these publishers sell best. But it's not all about money, is it. These are a couple of the ones that I LOVED looking at:


Barefood Books

Templar Publishing

Grimm Press (I can't believe it's only in Chinese though!)

Andersen Press

Meadowside Books

Conference Junkie #2

Okay, so I couldn't NOT post on this topic ... I just couldn't resist despite looming design deadlines!

Have you been?
If it wasn't for the fact of having a baby just a few weeks before, I would've been present at this year's NY SCBWI gig, and probably LA, too, come to think of it. However, I was at both last year. I also attended the New Jersey annual conferences which happen in June, this year and last year. (Those are very affordable in my opinion and you get the opportunity to book in for manuscript — and portfolio critiques). I attended a 2-day writer's mentoring workshop in Princeton back in April. In October, I attended the Rutgers One-on-One conference — you need to apply for that one, but I was fortunate to be accepted. And throughout the past year and a half I have attended a slew of local panels and events in NJ and NYC featuring illustrators and authors. Some are book signings and some are teaching workshops. Told ya I was a junkie! My latest being at Parsons just this past Monday for a presentation by Leo & Diane Dillon — OMG, they have the most amazing background and completely convinced me I defintiely want to continue with children's books (as if I wasn't gravitating beforehand). Turns out there were some editors and publishers there, too!


CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE A glimpse of LA 2006: The portfolio display; Tomie dePaola's masterclass, including yours truly, but also: do you see Cecilia Yung (who came in as a surprise guest and gave us a workshop), pal David Ezra Stein (now has four books published and two more under contract) and published illustrator Mary Peterson (red shirt next to Cecilia) — and of course, Tomie? Finally, Mo Willems, whose talk was less crowded than I expected so I got to really bug him and ask tons of questions.

Planning on going?
I intend on going to NY in 2008 and definitely the NJ conference, but I am still debating LA, because I might attend Icon5 in NYC instead (The beauty of living near the city!) It will depend on the lineup for LA. BTW: My offer is still open if anyone wants to come to NYC in Feb, save some money and crash at my pad. I'm also attending another writer's mentoring workshop in February again in Princeton but with a different set of editors.

Were they worth it?
Absolutely! Everytime I attend a conference, big or small, I always walk away learning something more than when I arrived; made a new friend or three; or been inspired or motivated to get back to my studio and create new work. The editor whom I met with for my critique in Princeton currently has one of manuscripts and is waiting on my dummy to make her presentation to her colleagues, so I'd say the money was worth that foot in the door. The Rutgers gig scored me another foot in another door with Abrams. The A.D wants to see some stuff of mine later this month — including my finished Hansel & Gretel piece, asking if I had plans to develop the rest of the story!!! (Worth the $150? You betchya!!!!) I have discovered the most valuable part of some of these conferences has been the one-on-one critiques. Whether it is for 15 minutes or 45, I have walked away with a stronger sense of myself and my work and which direction I am headed in and made a connection with a publisher, I might normally find impossible to get through the door of. Even though I know I have so much more work to do, I feel quietly confident — because of those art directors and editors — that I can make a go of this as a career ... and that my lovelies, gives me the fuzziest, warmest feeling in the world!

What ones would you recommend to others in our field?
All of them! Hahaha. Well, if money is tight then, sometimes, going to a couple of the smaller gigs pays off more. A lower number of attendants means a better chance of actually getting to talk in person for a decent amount of time with employees of your target publishers. I had almost an hour for my portfolio review at the Rutgers conference. BTW: you MUST all apply next year. For the number of attendees, it's the same number of editors etc. So that means 65 mentees and 65 mentors. It's incredible. I was just telling Courtney, I was sat next to two editors from Bloomsbury and one of their imprints and an agent who's company reps. Mo Willems. (He glimpsed my portoflio briefly and asked me to send some samples - yay! Not Mo, but the agent).

I have so much more to say about conferences, but my closing line is basically to treat them as major networking events. I bumped into so many editors at the Rutgers day, whom I had met at previous conferences and they all remembered me, one even gave me a big hug!!! Priceless.

The other thing I need to mention is the amazing sense of community I discovered and how I felt welcome, the moment I started looking into chilren's books. Unlike adult publishing, everybody wants to help each other and everyone's in it for pretty much the same reason: to create beautiful books for children no matter what age. Even though I was completely intimidated and overwhelmed at first, I persevered and I am so glad I did. I met some great new friends, including Courtney and Dee (although I can't say I 'acosted' Courtney, I merely jumped up and down with delight and excitement ... ahem!) You can read more about my NY Conference experience here.

Conferences

My name is Courtney and I am a conference junkie.

There is something about the thrill of being among a room of like-minded people (or your tribe, as Dee so succinctly put it) that just makes me want to go as much a possible. I've been to little conference and big ones. I've been to ones where I had to travel and ones just ten minutes away. I have heard speakers who make you want to write and draw and dream and fly right from the seat of your chair and I have listened to speakers who have bored me to tears (this is very rare though).

The speakers at SCBWI conferences are almost always top-notch. They are celebrated, successful but most of all, enthusiastic about their craft. Recently I attended my local conference and listened to Bruce Coville speak for the second time. He spoke at the SCBWI Austin conference I attended last year. He was fantastic! Inspiring, with good tips and just so cool that I wanted to be just like him. (except not male, or older or with facial hair) . If you want to know about other great speakers, go here or here.

Meeting other people is also an awesome aspect. I met up with Johanna and Dee at the NY SCBWI conference after exchanging e-mails. Leezy accosted me at my first SCBWI conference after she recognized the image on my business card. I also got to meet Amy and Ruth and the girls from the Picture Bookies Blog among many others.

There is also a chance to be seen or get feedback at the conferences. Now, one of the few gripes I have with the NY SCBWI Winter conference is that they tend to scrimp on illustrator critiques. You get to display one piece (unlike LA, where you get an entire portfolio) but do not get to schedule a one on one portfolio review. Maybe that will change in the future.

When someone recently asked me if I was going to the SCBWI NY conference, I was not sure. I'll look at the website and see what they have to offer but writing this post has brought back so many grand memories that I am now leaning towards yes. I recommend a SCBWI conference (especially a big one) to anyone who has never been.

My only caveat is to expect to be inspired and overwhelmed but not necessarily discovered.

But.....you never know.

Conferences

I think the picture above answers whether or not I attend conferences. I have been lucky to attend four SCBWI conferences so far. Each experience was unique and almost all of them had bonuses I didn't expect. (Friendships, getting to meet an icon, getting my feet wet, etc.)
I have registered for Austin's Regional Spring Conference in April and have already begun my preparation. Although I won't be attending this coming year, I do plan on going to another National SCBWI conference. To me, the education of the workshops alone are often worth the cost of admission. Plus, there is nothing that soothes the solitary artist's soul like meeting hundreds of kindred spirits in a powwow of epic proportions. Upon returning from my first national conference, a family member asked about my trip. I told her I felt like I had "found my tribe."
Everyone gets why children's literature. You get peeks into the minds of those at the top of their game, hints at how to achieve your dreams and may even meet an idol or two. It's definitely worth it to me. I hope the next national conference I go to will be the 2009 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. I haven't experienced it yet, and I'm curious to see how the two compare.
For those who are starting out, I would recommend attending a local SCBWI regional conference first just to get your feet wet. I've heard several art directors remark that the quality of submissions and samples they receive from those in SCBWI seem to be above and beyond the rest of their slush piles. I believe it's because many of us go through the trouble of educating ourselves in order to put our best foot forward.
Another thing to consider is that cost is much less for a regional conference than a national, and they often have the same kind of workshops and speakers. If you're lucky to live near a very active SCBWI chapter (I know the midwest chapters, Michigan in particular, are very active!), chances are your conference experience will be better than most. Go hear what those with experience have to say, maybe show your portfolio in a contest, and network. Who knows, you could meet the agent who signs you, or the art director who finds they just have to work with you!

Monthly Challenge, by Astrid

Assignment: Book jacket illustration for a Pippi Longstocking book, by author Astrid Lindgren. Below you find a couple of extracts from the Pippi Longstocking world, choose anything that inspires you, and that fits the title of the book cover you choose. Treat it as a possible portfolio piece, you can add text or not, it's up to you. Most of all, have fun!

Due: November 30 2007

Size: Any cover size

The book titles to choose from:

Pippi in the South Seas
Plot Outline: Mr. and Mrs. Settergren are going on holiday. Inexplicably they decide to leave Tommy and Annika behind, in the 'care' of their neighbour Pippi Longstocking, the 'strongest girl in the World'. Hardly have the three friends begun to enjoy their freedom, when Pippi gets a 'bottle post' message from her father, Captain Ephraim Longstocking, who has been captured by fierce pirates and is being held captive on a tropical island, undergoing threats of starvation in an effort to force him to divulge the whereabouts of his buried treasure. Naturally Pippi must rescue her beloved Papa, and she and her two trusty companions - and the pesky monkey Mr. Nilsson - set off forthwith for the South Seas in a makeshift balloon that Pippi refers to as her 'Myskodile'. When the balloon - with Pippi's bed slung underneath! - deflates and leaves them stranded atop a mountain-crag, the trio continue first on foot, and then perched perilously on top of a ramshackle aeroplane knocked together from scrap and kept aloft by pedal-power courtesy of Annika and Pippi! However, this too breaks down and they crash-land on a deserted island. Stranded briefly, they build a hut in the manner of Robinson Crusoe. Tricking a shipload of conveniently passing pirates, Pippi, Tommy and Annika steal their galleon and continue on to the island where Captain Longstocking is being held. After many adventures and tricky encounters with the bolshy buccaneers, Pippi rescues her father and they flee the island. But the angry pirates are in hot pursuit - can Pippi and her friends escape their clutches, rescue Captain Longstocking's marooned crew and recover his treasure in time?

or a cover for any of these stories:

Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren's irrepressible, freckle-faced heroine, returns to wreak havoc on Mrs. Prysselius, Kling and Klang, her pals Annika and Tommy, and the rest of the denizens of her otherwise sleepy village

Pippi Goes on Board:
The fun-loving Miss Pippi frustrates crooks bent on stealing her bag of gold. She also gets involved in many other adventures when she must watch over Tommy and Annika while her father sails away to the land of Taka-Tuka.

Pippi on Holiday
Pippi's After Christmas Party
Pippi Longstocking in the Park


Inspiration and ressources:

Pippi Longstocking (theme song of the movie)

Freckles on her nose,
Diddle diddle dee,
a girl came riding
Into town one day
Diddle diddle she was quite a sight.
It‘s Pippi Longstocking;
Heigh ho ho wa hee ha ha!
It‘s Pippi Longstocking;
There‘s no one like her.
Happy as can be,
Diddle diddle, Pippi tells you stories.
You just wait and see,
Tra la la la la, she‘s quite a girl.
She‘s got a house,
An old and funny house,
A monkey and a horse,
A suitcase full of golden coins....
And you will ne-
Ver ever ever find
Another girl so strong
And always generous and kind.
Pippi‘s world is fun,
Diddle diddle dee;
she makes kids happy.
Her make believe may stun--
Diddle did(dle) -- the grownups here in town.
Pippi‘s quite unique,
Diddle diddle, with her smile disarming;
She is such an imp,
Tra la la la la, you‘ll love her too!

story extract: (source: http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____11230.aspx)
There is a sign in a shop window in the small town where she lives that reads, ‘DO YOU SUFFER FROM FRECKLES?’ Pippi doesn’t. She isn’t interested in the anti-freckle cream on offer but nevertheless goes into the shop to makes her position clear. “No, I don’t suffer from freckles,” she declares. “But my dear child,” says the startled assistant, “your whole face is covered in them.” “I know,” says Pippi, “but I don’t suffer from them. I like them. Good morning!”

About Pippi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking
http://www.astridlindgren.se/index_1024.htm
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____11230.aspx
http://pippilongstocking.ytmnd.com/

Next Challenge: To be posted Dec 1st. Who's turn is it Courtney?