Interested in purchasing art work? Please leave a comment with your email address. I'll contact you. Illustration work is available at ASA "Style File."

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Book Week16-22 Aug, Stay Tuned Picture Book of the Year, Dromkeen Medal Winners

Hi, Friends, thank you so much for your warm cheers and donations! Wesley Mission, my clients and I are very happy. Let us hope this project will go on.
Now, August is the book month in Australia. We celebrate a Book Week in the middle of August every year. The Children's Book Council of Australia honours and celebrates the work of Australian authors and illustrators. Highlight is the announcement of the Book of the Year. Winners will be announced at noon on Friday, August 15. Stay tuned CBCA facebook and CBCA twitterThen, the celebrations begin!
This year's theme is "Connect to reading ~ Reading to connect." 
My favorite say certainly tells a book is the best companion for us, 
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. 
Inside of a dog it's too dark to read," by Groucho Marx, hehehehehe!!! 
2014's Children Book Week logo is designed by Ron Brooks, the illustrator who won 2013 Picture Book of the Year.

How do you interpret the interesting theme above? Any interpretation could be possible about the theme. Time and society is changing dramatically and rapidly. Technology, in particular, digitisation and Internet are shaping concepts of books and forms of texts. We connect others through a variety of media. It impacts on communication styles and methods that alter human interactions. Nowadays, contemporary children play with digital media better than me, an old generation.     

But I feel very the basic element in reading is communication between a reader and characters in books. It's like a play catch, I feel. What do you think, Friends? In books, we appreciate sharing time with characters and experience life together. We explore story and step into our inner world or we travel to other worlds, too. Even, we grow with favorite characters in our sweet memories --- in fact, personas have been created by an author/illustrator, triumphs of human creativity! Then, through reading books, socialisation happens among us. I sketched people reading books in train. A book opens our conversations. We share our emotions with others and exchange productive opinions in family, at school, in community, on net, at else where in society. We connect ourselves and others by reading books. I have been a book warm since childhood. As far as I know, famous authors and successful book illustrators are all very good book readers.
Reading books is, for me, not passive, but very creative activities and communication methods with others and ourselves. Indeed, how we, picture book illustrators interpret texts is equal to reading texts for tens of millions times.

Another big event is the announcement of Dromkeen Medal and Dromkeen Librarian’s Award winners. Who will be honoured? 

In addition, Short List & Notables 2014 are below. 
All listed works are lovely! Wish them good luck and all the best! 
**My mentor Ann James's illustrated picture book, "I'm a dirty dinosaur," is in "Early Childhood Notables." Ann used "real" mud in the illustration
Also, previous Book Week slogans and image creators are here.

Special thanks for warm cheers. The hands' pains are being healed. Soon, I'll see the hand specialist.
Friends, Happy Painting and Happy Reading!!














Share/Bookmark

16 comments:

  1. This is a beautiful post Sadami for the sketches and more importantly for your opinion about reading !
    With a book, we are never alone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank u, sweet Martine! Yes, like you say we always connect others by books!! Cheers, Sadami

      Delete
  2. Hi Sadami, books are indispensable to me, I did not change any digital medium. I need to feel the touch and smell of paper. I hope you have much success in the contest. A big hug.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, lo siento, Toni, pero gracias! Yo, también, el amor los libros más que libros electrónicos impresos.
      Por cierto, he estado luchando por el proyecto de libro de imágenes de estos dos años y de mis manos dolores, he tratado de no tocar un teclado durante meses. Además, el trabajo con Wesley Mission me mantuvo ocupado. Ahora, mis manos parecen estar mejor y encontrar un tiempo libre para utilizar una computadora. Me encanta tu acuarela. Sigan con el trabajo maravilloso !!
      Mis mejores deseos, Sadami

      Oh, So sorry, Toni, but thank you! Me, too, love printed books more than ebooks.
      BTW, I've been struggling for the picture book project for these two years and from my hands pains, I've tried NOT to touch a key board for months. Also, the work with Wesley Mission kept me busy. Now, my hands seem to get better and find a spare time to use a computer. I love your watercolour. Keep up wonderful work!!
      Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  3. Yes, I agree Sadami that "besides a dog, a book is man's best friend." With all the computer tech out there today my 14 y.o. grandson is still an avid reader of real books. I love your drawings. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank u, happy granny Carol! Yes, please have a wonderful time with your grand son through books. You, too, enjoy drawing and reading!! Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  4. Sadami, your artwork here is fantastic! And what an exciting celebration you're having with Childrens Books this week! I think I need to move to Australia. I feel so strongly about the necessity to keep books at the forefront of every child's development. People who have never lost themselves in a book and had it change their life in some way, do not understand the power and inspiration that comes from reading, but those of us who have felt it, hopefully as a very young child, will always know the magic of a good book. I wish I could have sent my newest drawing over to you, it goes right along with your theme! Have a wonderful week, my friend! I'm envious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweet lovely former Teacher and dear friend Kath, thank u! Yes, come over Australia (but a bit surpise that the States does not have a Book Week?) Oh, your comment beautifully and accurately depictes the role of books in cuture and society = what books do and can do for us. (* I always enjoy reading your posts, a so smooth information flow in sentences, very rich word use and brilliant mental lexicon that I do not have in English! I'm envious!) Katherine, have a look of, "It's A Book," by Lane Smith, http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Books/Its-a-Book-9781921720147
      I always look forward to your new post and drawings. It would be a very interesting and fun drawing?! I'll get back to portraits and sketches.
      Best wishes and smile, Sadami

      Delete
  5. Great paintings and drawings this time, Sadami, really illustrate the Connecting to Read - Reading to Connect slogan! And I loved seeing Ann's dirty dinosaur with real mud added :)
    Have a wonderful week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweet Rhonda, thank u! Happy to hear u liked these sketches. Also, yes, Ann's work and her lovely personality shines through! You, too, have a nice week. Cheers, Sadami

      Delete
  6. There is a Book Week in the Netherlands too. I have kept all my son's childrens books, in hope of a grandchild one day (although that could be a long time). :) Your sketches are wonderful, Sadami, have a wonderful Book Week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank u, sweet Judy. Sure, not before long, you'll share time with your grandkids over the picture books (hopefully, printed ones will survive... gulp?!). Sketching is my love for us, people. Yes, we'll enjoy a Book Week! Cheers, Sadami

      Delete
  7. Love your sketches. Glad your hand is feeling better, at least healing. All the best seeing the Specialist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweet Ann, thank u! The hands and pains in the body r not easy and ongoing. Need more specialists, today, the specialist says. But I'll keep drawing. Your encouragements are my energy and optimism. U,2, plse take care & enjoy drawing! Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  8. Book week is a wonderful idea. I cannot imagine going through life without reading. But to be involved in your own book, now that is something special. Hope you get happy hands soon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank u, Polly! Local libraries and school have events. My own picture book is on editing/layout. We hope we can make a good work!!

      Delete