Natasha Wing's Blog, page 9
February 2, 2020
Happy Birthday to me!
On Friday I celebrate my 60th birthday and I'm having a big party. Since we're renting a room, it feels like I'm planning a wedding reception - catered food, libations, decorations, a band and friends flying in! So I'm actually using one of my books to help with decorations and such - The Night Before My Birthday Gift Set.
I colored in the banner, will used the book as my guest book for people to sign, and there's a cute cake topper I'll put out on the table. Coloring in the banner made me feel like a kid again, which at my age is a good thing.
Any other February birthdays out there? I toast to you!
January 29, 2020
Vintage Valentines
Since I was born in February, I have always gravitated toward heart shapes and the colors red and pink.
I have pjs with Sweetheart graphics on them. I have a felt beanbag paperweight on my desk with a heart sewn on it. And I pick up heart-shaped rocks whenever I find them.
My husband and I go to estate sales and at one in Fort Collins, I came upon boxes of vintage Valentine’s Day cards, some so naively silly, some with moving parts. Each Valentine’s Day I pick one out to give my husband. The special ones are lined up on the bookshelves in my home office, serving as cheerful inspirations. Here are a few of my finds. I realize how un-pc they are nowadays, but I still enjoy them for their graphic design and clever sayings, and as a snapshot of days gone by.
My love for Valentine’s Day is why one particular Night Before is a favorite of mine – The Night Before Valentine’s Day. There are hearts everywhere in the drawings in that book! And the kids make silly cards to give each other at school. Plus the principal is dressed up like Cupid.
Then, when Bagel In Love was published, my publisher printed up sheets of fun Valentine’s Day cards and stickers. I was over the moon!
What's you favorite Valentine's Day saying?
May 5, 2017
When Jackie Saved Grand Central by Natasha Wing
When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy’s Fight for an American Icon
Natasha Wing, Author
Alexandra Boiger, Illustrator
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Narrative Nonfiction, Mar. 7, 2017
Suitable for Ages: 6-9
Themes: Jacqueline Kennedy, Grand Central Station, Conservation and Restoration, New York City
Opening: “When Jackie became First Lady of the United States in 1961, she moved into the White House and restored the dreary mansion into a stately home that made Americans proud… Fourteen years later, another famous landmark, this time in New York City, needed Jackie Kennedy’s help…”
Book Jacket Synopsis: First Lady. American legend. New Yorker.
Jacqueline Kennedy loved everything about her home city, from the beauty of the parks to the grandeur of the buildings. Grand Central Terminal was one of the grandest buildings of all — but in 1968, it was in danger of destruction. Jackie couldn’t…
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May 2, 2017
The Big Adventures of Tiny House by Susan Schaefer Bernardo
The Big Adventures of Tiny House
Susan Schaefer Bernardo, Author
Courtenay Fletcher, Illustrator
Inner Flower Child Books, Fiction, Apr. 25, 2017
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes: Tiny Houses, Salvaged, Recycled, Travel, Home, Community
Opening: Once there was a farmhouse in a field of hay, / but while it lay sleeping, the acres gave way / to a bustling city whose bright, shiny towers / edged out the farmhouse, the fields and flowers.
Synopsis: An old farmhouse finds its once peaceful setting surrounded by a big city. People pitch in and dismantle the house, salvage the windows and doors, and build a Tiny House on wheels. It has a tiny front porch, a kitchen with cabinets, a loft for sleeping and a nook for reading. When Tiny is hooked up to Big Truck they can travel where ever they want. Tiny heads west to see the world…
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April 21, 2017
Interview with Natasha Wing
A four-year daughter of a friend read my book and now wants to go to NYC!
Natasha Wing grew up in Connecticut, not far from New York City. After graduating from Arizona State University, she worked in advertising for a number of years. In 1991, she decided to write children’s books, and sold her first book within six months. Now she’s the author of many picture books, including the best-selling Night Before Series. Below is an interview with Natasha Wing, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. Please return tomorrow for my review of her latest picture book, When Jackie Saved Grand Central, which I received as an Advanced Reader Copy.
Q. If you weren’t an author or illustrator what would you do for a living?
I’d flip houses. I love resurrecting neglected things and making them beautiful. Hey! That’s like polishing up old manuscripts!
Q. What is the first book you remember loving as a child?
The Cat in the Hat.
Q. What’s your favorite word?
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April 11, 2016
Trash Talk: Moving Toward A Zero-Waste World
Earth Day 2016
Trash Talk: Moving Toward A Zero-Waste World
Michelle Mulder, Author
Orca Book Publishers, Nonfiction, Apr. 1, 2015
Pages: 48
2016 Book of the Year for Children Award
Green Earth Book Award 2016
Suitable for Ages: 8-12 years
Themes: Garbage, Refuse and refuse disposal, Recycling, Reusing, Composting, Getting involved
Book Jacket Synopsis: What is a garbologist? How many people live in the Cairo garbage dump? What are the top ten types of human garbage found in the ocean? Where is the Trash Palace?
Did you know that humans have always generated garbage, whether it’s a chewed on leg bone, an old washing machine or a broken cell phone? Trash Talk digs deep into the history of garbage, from Minoan trash pits to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and uncovers some of the many innovative ways people over world are dealing with waste.
Why I like…
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November 18, 2015
2015 Gift Guide for Outdoor Families
Originally posted on Rockies Girl: Confessions of an amateur mountaineer:
I don’t often hold back on buying good winter gear because I think being warm and comfortable is the best way to enjoy winter. BUT the holidays always seem like a good reason to replace an aging item or invest in something new. Since I always enjoy reading what other families recommend as outdoorsy gifts, here are some winter themed items that we’ve enjoyed so much I’d recommend!
If you’re a parent of a young toddler and your kid likes wearing mitts…wait, does that even exist?! Surely it must but I’m guessing many can relate to the difficulty of keeping mitts on. These moose mitts have been a huge help in getting Little Bear to keep mittens on. They’re most effective when talked up (“Do you want to take your moose hiking?”) and I love that they’re warm and water repellent.
2. Good quality toddler winter boots.
In…
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August 29, 2015
Two Authors, One Voice for the Voiceless by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery
Originally posted on Nerdy Book Club:
Hurricane Katrina has been called the largest and most devastating natural disaster in the history of our country. Ten years ago this week we watched in deep sadness as our fellow Americans suffered great losses.
But out of horrific experiences come opportunities for giving and receiving love. As author Tory McClure, (A Pearl In the Storm) wrote, “Love is what makes our humanity bearable.”
After Hurricane Katrina hit, thousands of volunteers put their unconditional love and friendship on display as they poured into the Gulf Coast; their numbers included Kirby who flew first to Pearlington, Mississippi, and then Houma, Louisiana, to help with clean-up and rebuilding.
But, as we discovered, love, friendship, and loyalty are not reserved for the human species. Two tender pets — Bobbi, a five-month-old puppy and Bob Cat, just out of kittenhood — managed to survive Hurricane Katrina by lending each other a paw. In…
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August 11, 2015
@NatashaWing #BackToSchool Memories!
Originally posted on Provato Events:
It’s back-to-school time! What do you remember from starting Kindergarten?
I couldn’t wait to go to Kindergarten! I got ready by practicing my alphabet, trimming up my bangs,and buying new clothes, pencils, paper and a lunchbox. To this day I still love newly-sharpened pencils.
Did you like school?
Loved it! I was a curious kid who enjoyed learning so I was a good student. I loved my teachers.
Did you like to write as a child?
Yes! My mom saved a few of my stories and apparently I liked squirrels. I may have to write a squirrel story.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I didn’t know until I was 32. I was working at a newspaper after college, then at my own PR firm, and was looking for something more creative. I remembered how much I liked working with artists and loved…
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May 7, 2015
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