Meeting in a Skype Teacher in Person

I participate in the Skype in the Classroom program on a very regular basis, usually having several Skype calls a week. In the last year I’ve had nearly 150 visits with classrooms on 6 continents. Even though I have had quite a few teachers send me thank you packages or ask for repeat visits, I have never had the pleasure of meeting any of the teachers I’ve Skyped with…until today.

I won’t mention her name for privacy, but it was a true pleasure to meet up with this compassionate and progressive teacher from Broward County, Florida. I was able to sign books for her students, give the class an original drawing, and even record a video message for them.

4 Ocean Beach Clean Up

I live in Florida.  Even though I actually live in the middle of the state, a beach is no more than an hour away in either direction.  This has helped me become all the more aware of how important not only the beaches are for every aspect of life (from relaxation to the economy), but also how important the ocean itself is. 

Without wading too deep into the topic, the reality is that human beings have poured more damaging pollution into the ocean and into "landfills" in the last 50 years than in the last million years combined.  I remember quite vividly being taught in schools that all this was totally normal.  (i.e. the garbage man comes by, collects the garbage, then drives it to the landfill.  And that's just where it goes.  Out of sight.  Out of mind).  In fact, I will only speak for myself here, but I long had the impression that in time it all just disintegrated back into the earth at some point.  But not surprisingly, it doesn't.  The millions of tons plastic and chemicals and garbage that is "thrown away" each day don't actually go "away" at all.  It's just that the world, especially the ocean, is so big that it only seemed that way for a few years.  

The point is, we as a world are well past the point of needing to be aware of this.  I fully support groups like 4 Ocean who are not only invaluable for increasing awareness, but their entire business model revolves around battling the mounting the problem.  

All of this trash was picked up by hand in just a few hours from what many would consider an otherwise pristine stretch of beach in St. Petersburg, Florida.  One of the key things that the 4 Ocean crew does is separate the collected materials, and makes sure that as much as possible is recycled.  The collection of the trash does more than just keep the beach nice to look at.  It makes sure it doesn't get eaten by the animals or make it's way into the ocean, where it often gets eaten by the marine life.

Of course, beach clean ups are just the tip of the ice burg of what needs done.  Literally thousands of tons of garbage is dumped into the ocean every single year, and there's no way to pick it all up.  To me though, the biggest value of companies like 4 Ocean is the way they are able to educate the general public on a worldwide problem that is very close to burying us all.

Drawing a Yellow Tang in The Living Seas

This is at The Living Seas exhibit at Epcot.  I know I'm not the only one who loves yellow tang fish.  There easy one of the most popular aquarium fish of all...right up there with clown fish and blue tangs (the kind of fish Dory is in Finding Nemo).

Winnie the Pooh exhibit

     At the High Museum of Art to see an incredible display of original Winnie the Pooh artwork, writing, and memorabilia.  As an artist, it is both inspiring and humbling to be the presence of such overwhelming ability.

The Georgia Aquarium

     For research last weekend, I visited one of the BEST AQUARIUMS on the planet!!! The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia! Check out this sketch I did there. Those proportions are correct! And yes, they have actual WHALE SHARKS in a 6.3 million gallon tank!

     We had an amazing behind-the-scenes tour, which included seeing how their biologists feed the whale sharks with scoops of krill from boats as the tranquil sharks trail behind,   and the massive operation of creating and cleaning millions of gallons of salt water every single day.

Sea Turtle Awareness Day

It's pretty hard to beat a beachside book signing! But that's exactly what I was lucky enough to do this last weekend at the Sea Turtle Awareness Day Event in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Sponsored by the world famous Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the event featured dozens of beachside booths filled with turtle biologists, educators, activists, and artists like myself, all with the greater purpose of cleaning the beaches and educating others about some of the most amazing seacreatures of all: SEA TURTLES!

Most people don't know that six of the seven species of sea turtles worldwide are listed as either threatened or endangered due to human actions or lifestyles by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), meaning the very existence of sea turtles is in serious jeopardy!

Fortunately, there are many everyday ways to help. To get started, here's a link to some simple tips to help protect our underwater friends. See you soon!
https://www.seewinter.com/conse…/tips-for-a-healthier-ocean/

The shell of a loggerhead sea turtle.

The Sugar Sand Festival

     I'm big on going to things that foster inspiration, and this truly incredible sand sculpture exhibit definitely fits the bill.  I have to make clear though, this is just sand...NOT sugar. The name Sugar Sand comes from the "sugar white" sands of Clearwater beach.  But that said, I'll just let the images speak for themselves.  Note the onlookers in some of the images.  They help to give a good sense of the scale of these breathtaking sculptures.

Sea Turtle Awareness Day

     Ok, so some time has gone by since my last entry, as I have been busy working on a new Picture Book and traveling to book signings and events nearly every weekend.  One thing I have participated in recently though is one of many "beach cleanups" held in Clearwater Beach, Florida (about 2 hours from where I live).  Sponsored by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and by the county itself, these cleanups are so simple, yet so crucial it's astounding. 

     Seeing how much trash that is literally just thrown or left along the beautiful causeway towards Clearwater Beach is truly eye opening.  But not only do the dozens of volunteers picking up hundreds of pounds of trash help keep the area pristine to the eye, these efforts help stop these mountains of plastics and metals and chemicals from making their way into the water, where they do nothing but harm to the the marine life. 

     I highly recommend participating in any kind of "clean up" in your area.  They not only do tons of good for environment, to be perfectly honest, they are fun. 

The Crayola Experience Orlando

     This last weekend was yet another AMAZING time at the Crayola Experience Orlando! It was the final weekend with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium there to teach us about some of the remarkable work they do. And this weekend was all about Sea Turtles!

     A big highlight for me was to meet a real marine biologist from the Clearwater Aquarium who brought in all kinds of interesting things to see, like actual turtle shells and a model of an underground sea turtle nest!

     Of course, it wouldn't be a Crayola Experience without DRAWING!  And that's actually why I was there: to show the many young guests how to draw a Sea Turtle using the simple shapes they already know.  Check out the huge page of sea turtles (below) created by the kids I was teaching.  When they came up, I just had them pick an open spot to draw, and by the end of the day we had several pages filled with beautiful, Crayola crayon-drawn sea turtles!

Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals BOOK TRAILER #1

     When Cora Mermaid is challenged by her snobby rival, Vivian Shimmermore, to prove that narwhals actually exist, Cora and her underwater friends go on an ocean-crossing adventure to find a mysterious, migrating pod of "the unicorns of the sea!"

Third Grade Mermaid the Narwhals Book Release Event!!!

     For the second year in a row, the West Osceola Branch Library was filled with Third Grade Mermaid fans lining up to be the first to get an autographed copy.  Benefitting from last year's experience, this event was slightly better organized, and more fun than ever!!!

"How many of you know what a narwhal is?" I asked, and amazingly every hand went up.  These kids knew all about the so-called "unicorns of the sea," from where they live, what they eat, to the fact the their "horn" is actually a tooth.

     One of the BEST parts of coming to an actual Book Release, at least MY Book Releases, is the giveaways!  Several people walked away with original artwork, some of which was drawn right onto Starbucks gift cards!!!

Original charcoal drawing of Cora and a narwhal.

Fan Mail

     As I've often said, one of the greatest joys I get from making books is the opportunity to inspire children to be creative.  And one of the best ways I get to see this first hand is with the Fan Mail I receive.  The letters almost always have drawings on them, so I've decided to feature them on my social media (when I have time) in what I call Fin Mail of the Day.  This beautiful drawing Cora and her friends is from Mary, in Florida.

Preparing for the Book Release

     One of the many lessons I have learned over my brief career as an Author is how critical it is to make solid relationships with quality people.  One of the MOST valuable relationships I've made is with Lisa Jones, the Children's Librarian at our local library.  Lisa has been a tireless supporter of my books well before was Third Grade Mermaid even released.  Here we are making some initial plans for this month's Book Release Event of "Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals."  Last year's event brought in a record number of people to the library (nearing 300 people in two hours), so this year we plan on being more prepared then ever.

A busy start to the year!

     This was easily the busiest January I have ever had.  I visited 10 schools in just one month, all while preparing for the release of my next book, Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals.  In many ways though, visiting schools and being able to speak to and inspire hundreds and hundreds of students in a day is the best part of my career.

At Cypress Elementary in Orlando, Florida.

     When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to meet Caldecott Honor winner, Cynthia Rylant.  I won a calendar contest for her coming to our town's library, so when I met Miss Rylant she not only signed her books, but the calendar with my drawing on the cover as well. 

      Our meeting was brief, but extremely meaningful. When I asked her if she thought I was good enough to become an artist one day, she held up the calendar with my drawing on the cover and said, "Peter, not only could you be, you SHOULD BE."  I took those words to heart and used them as fuel to push me past seemingly endless years of struggle.  Of course, I am by no means a Cynthia Rylant, but if I can give even a single child the kind of hope and motivation that Cynthia Rylant gave me, I would consider my career a success.

Happy New Year 2018!!!

As I get older, the years do indeed seem to pass quicker.  Last year, 2017, was practically a blur--a crazy busy blur--but a blur nonetheless.  The release of Third Grade Mermaid at the end of January was a serious landmark in my overall career.  The reaction to the book was nothing short of awe-inspiring at times.  Visiting the many schools and speaking with the thousands of students that I have has left a great impression on me.  Writing this now, it's hard to imagine the experiences that Book 2, Third Grade Mermaid and the Narwhals is going to bring, but I certainly look forward to them all!

BOOK 2: Third Grade Mermaid and the Unicorns of the Sea

Coming January 31, 2018!

HERE IT IS!!!! The Cover of Third Grade Mermaid and the Unicorns of the Sea!

In this much anticipated sequel, Cora has come a long way since her days of struggling with spelling! When she writes a short story about a constantly nervous narwhal, Cora’s teacher, Mr. Spouter, nominates her to represent the school in the upcoming Ocean Writes Contest. The big prize is getting her face on the cover of Splashy Magazine, but now Cora has to write a new story about “the greatest thing she has ever done,” and as far as Cora is concerned, she hasn’t done ANYTHING great!

The next day, Cora is at lunch with her friends Jimmy the Jellyfish and Larry the Sea Cucumber trying to think of what to write about when Cora’s annoyingly glamorous rival, Vivian Shimmermore, swims by to talk about herself. In a surprising twist, it comes out that Vivian thinks Narwhals are make believe creatures. After a short debate, Vivian says it would be “great” to see Cora try to prove that these so-called horned whales are real. As Vivian Shimmermore swims off laughing, she has no idea that she’s just given Cora her answer.  
But now Cora has to find a creature she has never seen in real life before. What follows is an epic journey where Cora and her ocean friends go in search of the mysterious “Unicorns of the Sea.”

Release Date: Jan. 31, 2018.

Reading Aloud at Manasquan Elementary

     One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is read parts of Third Grade Mermaid aloud to the schools I visit.  Sometimes it's to modest-sized groups of 30-40 students, but it's often as big as 400 or more.  Either way, I love to show these children the kind of excitement and passion that can go into reading a book aloud.  It's more of a high-energy performance than just "reading," and it's worth it.  After my presentations, I've seen countless kids (of all ages) literally reading out loud with the same vigor and joy I just showed them.  And in many ways, that's the point of it all.  

The Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip - Part 1

     For the second year now, Scholastic has decked out a couple of RV's and hit the road to promote summer reading.  The kickoff was held at The Vero Beach Book Center in Vero Beach, Florida.  This is a truly magnificent store.  I love this place.  It's 2 stories of storytelling bliss. And some of the best parts are the walls.  Yes, the WALLS!  When they have visiting authors or illustrators come, they get them to draw on a blank spot, and there are fewer and fewer of those left.  So, being a visiting illustrator, I had the incredible honor of adding Cora Mermaid to their illustrious walls.

Behind the Scenes at Sea Life Aquarium

     Join me in this Episode of Cora's Fascinating Fish Facts, as I spend the day doing research drawings for Third Grade Mermaid Book 2 at the Sea Life Aquarium in Orlando, Florida.