Charline Davis's Blog

The Morphing of a Martian

Alou has changed a lot over the years. His ears have grown, and his ear tips have rounded. His eye has grown bigger. He's gotten chubbier (In the best way)! But his insatiable spirit of optimism and curiosity are the same as ever! When I was creating the new diorama, I elected to draw a new Alou for the scene, instead of using the one from the original 2017 artwork; and it really highlighted how very much our Martian has morphed.

In 2018 to 2020 I remember the occasional double-takes some visitors to my booth would have when seeing him on the cover of my first edition of Alou: The Martian Agent (ha ha). Originally, no one was quite sure if he was funny or frightening. Happily, no one is confused anymore! His now chibi-like cuteness has endeared him to countless children, and I'm so honored and thrilled that his stories are capturing their imaginations!

So much has changed and so much has stayed the same. But, through it all, he's still Alou!

Alou Diorama! A Peek into the Process

Does this look familiar, but more...3-D? Yes! Fans will readily recognize a picture from Alou: The Martian Agent recreated into a diorama!

At last, a long-time dream is in the beginning stages of reality. And here is the first scene! There are lots of future plans to do with a series of dioramas, (ohh I better catch myself before I give too much away!) but for now, this first diorama got to debut as decor at its first event this weekend!

Made from foam, clay, cloth, paper, paint, and plastic, this mixed media creation was an absolute delight to assemble! Although, it was hard to be patient with the process long enough to let all the clay and paint dry...it wanted so much to be put all together!

But when it was all done, and the last piece firmly glued in place, it was surreal to step back and see the world of Alou coming to life in this new medium!

In the diorama, every attention to detail was kept...even in the inside of the Martian dome! If you take a peek into the interior, you'll see the floppy-eared ANR leader himself, the infamous large eyeball plant, and all the signage found in the original illustrations!

In this modern day and age, with reading on the decline, it is more important than ever to engage our newest readers with the joy of books and the many magical worlds books have to offer. (Click here for a list of five of my recommendations of other wonderful children's books to inspire your budding reader) Many children do not realize that books aren't inherently dull. They are used to equating books with school and are accustomed to movies and TV shows feeding them almost constant entertainment. At my latest event I had many young children asking what TV show Alou was from and seeming almost confused when I explained I had made him up and his world was only in books, as if characters are exclusively reserved to be on-screen! From my first event in 2018 until now I had never had these questions posed to me! My belief is it is indicative of our ever-growing screen-using problem, of children who are being raised on iPads and screens and rarely get a chance to let their little minds wander or explore the world around them. My hope is that Alou, with his curiosity and unrufflable personality, can reach even the most reluctant young reader and immerse him or her into the world of imagination and reading...a skill they will need the rest of their lives! That they will get a chance to set aside their screens and step into a world of reading that will expand their minds and grow them from the inside out!

But I digress! Do you have a favorite scene from the Alou trilogy you want to see come to life in a diorama?

More to come!

-Charline Davis

My Favorite Reads of 2024

It's hard to believe we're already here...poised at the end of 2024 and ready to spring into 2025! Once again Shepherd.com kindly invited me to share my favorite three reads of 2024.

It was so hard to choose, but after much deliberation, I finally narrowed it down! From an unquestionably epic masterpiece, to an insightful guide of practical advice for authors, to a heart-rending and tender obscure gothic novel...these three diverse books all stood out for their excellence and potency. Curious? Then check out my list here: Charline Davis' 3 Favorite Books of 2024?

And of course, don't forget to also check out my featured book (co-written with C. E. Boyle) Throne of Athlumney which is available as a Kindle ebook or a physical soft cover in my shop.

Have a wonderful last month of 2024 everyone!

New ANR Leader Plushie!

This past week has been a blur of activity in Alou's world! From concepts, to patterns, to cloth, to cutting, and much, MUCH sewing...they are here! The leader of the ANR as a loveable plushie! At approximately two feet tall, these lanky leaders are ready to head the alien committee and defend the galaxy! Pairs perfectly with the Alou plushies!

Here's a little behind-the-scenes peek at the process! From prototypes to picking out that perfect cloth--it's so fun to see the sketches turn into a huggable toy!

This new alien plushie burst off the pages of the picture books and made a proud debut at his first events last weekend--where he made quite an impression!

Head to the shop to snag one for your little explorer!

Cabeega!

Alee Concept Art

For years I've sporadically played around with the concept of a girl Martian character. But they always turned out too garish, too pink, too cute to be relatable...until Alee. One day in 2022 she just appeared off my pencil and into my sketchbook, the perfect balance of sweetness and cuteness. Immediately she begged to be featured in a story of her own and so 'Alee: The Martian Mother' came along. (Story featured here.)

And who knows? Maybe one day she'll feature in a book all her own.

Perfectly Imaginative Picture Books

On the lookout for more excellent books to share with your child? Here is my Shepherd.com recommendation list of five fantastic picture books to fascinate your curious little reader! Some of these are childhood favorites of my own, and others are ones that I discovered later and became tried and true household favorites with the little ones in my life! The article features a short paragraph on each book as I share what makes each one so special and unique! I hope these immersive finds will continue to inspire and enthrall children everywhere!

Alee the Martian Mother

An Alou's World Story by Charline Davis

From 5-7-22

Alee is a Martian. She has lived on Mars all her life. Ever since she was a little tot she has dreamed of going away to other planets. Especially earth. But she’s never had a chance.

Alee studied very hard so she could become an agent. She learned as much as she could about the solar system and the galaxy. Every night she gazed up at the stars and wondered what adventures awaited her.

One day she went walking along the road to sign up for the ANR. She knew then she would get to travel to other worlds, as their agents were always off on missions. But just then she saw another sign:

'Needed: a home for a baby Martian.'

Something pricked Alee’s heart. Something stronger than her pull to the stars. She turned away and went into the building where the sign was hanging.

As she stepped into the dome she heard crying from inside. An alien nurse was rocking a little baby Martian in her tentacles, but he was still crying. The alien glanced up as Alee came in. “His parents were agents on earth, but the Neptunians found them.” The nurse shook her head sadly.

“Oh,” Alee gasped. She held out her arms for the little one. As soon as she held him, he stopped crying. “What is his name?”

“His parents wanted him to blend in with the Earthens as much as possible, so they gave him an earthen name. Martin. Martin the Martian.”

Alee took him. As she walked home that night she saw her neighbor Alou, packing his belongings onto his spaceship. Little did she know that he was going as the next agent to Earth. But Alee didn’t care. All she wanted was to rock little Martin and sing to him. “I see moons of green...”

So Alee raised him and taught him all about the wonderful galaxy they lived in, the one she hoped he would one day get to explore. And she discovered that sometimes adventures await you even if you stay put.

Aww...It's Baby Martians!

Back in early 2020 I drew a few sketches and made concepts of what Alou (or any other Martian) might have looked like as a baby! That one big eye gets even bigger! These were mostly to amuse me and the little ones in my life, and they lay dormant in my sketchbooks until late 2022 when the ideas finally came to some level of fruition in the short story "Alee: The Martian Mother." (Which I'm eventually going to post here. So keep an eye out for it!)

At this point I don't have any plans to turn these ideas into any big or long-term projects, so thought I would share the sketches here so Alou lovers everywhere can enjoy!

My Favorite Reads of 2023

I am so grateful to Shepherd.com for inviting me to write another article for their site--this one on my three favorite reads of 2023! I enjoyed getting to expound a little on the books that resonated the most with me this year, from a heartfelt comic series, to an epic adventure set within the branches of a tree, to a humorous take on the effects of being an author, these books were all very varied and all very fun! I also got to highlight my new book Rowtu: The New Horizon (which I co-authored with the amazing C. E. Boyle) and which is available for pre-order in my shop. If you love character-driven sci-fi with lots of adventure, then it's for you!

Check out my list here, Charline Davis' 3 favorite reads in 2023, and be sure to scrounge around this fabulous book recommendation webite. Maybe you'll even discover that elusive next read you've been searching for!