Books celebrating curiosity, wonder, adventure, and decency...

[Anne]

I've written and illustrated books for a range of ages from pre-school through adult, and on topics from non-fiction to fantasy. What all my books have in common is celebrating curiosity and wonder about the world around us, courage and creativity in the face of difficulty, and decent characters who try to do the right thing. (Why? Because that's what I like to read, of course!) For the full list of my books, please go to my author page. Here's the brief summary:
Hey, Diddle Diddle! and Other Rhymes - traditional nursery rhymes illustrated with relief block prints and given a twist with humorous parenthetical comments
Amazing, Beguiling, Curious: 26 Fascinating Creatures - an alphabet of animals illustrated with relief block prints, including interesting facts and thoughtful questions to encourage the curiosity of young naturalists (and artists)
The Kate and Sam Adventures (starting with Kate and Sam to the Rescue) - trilogy of adventures gentle enough to be read aloud even to preschoolers before bedtime, but with characters and twists interesting enough not to bore their older siblings (or the grown-up reading aloud); with half the illustrations provided by children (also popular for middle to upper elementary kids to read independently)
The Bad Advice of Grandma Hasenfuss - middle grade reader in the form of e-mail correspondence between a 6th grader and his eccentric Grandma, in which crazy and ridiculous things happen, and a problem with bullies is solved
The Extraordinary Book of Doors - middle grade fantasy in which a worrywart boy and a very odd girl must team up to use a renaissance book of magical doorways to solve a treasure hunt left by Benjamin Franklin, and escape from a sinister magician (illustrations of magical doors in a woodcut style) (This book will be coming out in March! I'm so excited!)
The Otherworld Series (starting with Song Against Shadow) - 6 books for middle school through adult, set in a high fantasy world but with characters who use creativity and integrity instead of swords and sorcery to solve the conflicts they face. These books are for those who love to be immersed in a beautiful, magical world, and for whom character is more important than the clash of armies. The books explore issues including prejudice, the role of history in shaping the present, cycles of violence, religious fundamentalism, faith, trust... but the issues are explored not through Preaching or Messages or Hitting Readers Over the Head, but simply through telling wonderful stories.

You can also see more about my books at my web site nydamprints,com, and more about my thoughts on fantasy (and block printing) at my blog Black and White. I love to talk about all this stuff, so please feel free to comment or ask questions!

[Cheryl , Newbery Club host]

Bad Advice... sounds like a hoot! All sound worthy. Tx for sharing.

[Manybooks]

Like Cheryl, I am also interested in The Bad Advice of Grandma Hasenfuss, sounds like fun; the Otherworld series looks interesting as well (especially since you say the characters don't use swordplay and sorcery, that's been a bit overdone, in my opinion).

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason why you gave the grandma the last name "Hasenfuss?" In German, Hasenfuss basically means a rabbit's foot and someone who is a "Hasenfuss" is someone who is considered timid, meek and a bit scared of the world (basically someone who is as timid as a bunny rabbit).

[Anne]

I picked the name Hasenfuss simply because I thought it was unusual and fun. I knew the German meaning "rabbit's foot" and have the character mention that the name is very lucky. I didn't know that in German it has a connotation of timidity. That's interesting. It's the opposite of Grandma Hasenfuss in the book -- she'll take on anything!

[Manybooks]

Anne wrote: "I picked the name Hasenfuss simply because I thought it was unusual and fun. I knew the German meaning "rabbit's foot" and have the character mention that the name is very lucky. I didn't know th..."

Cool, that would make the story even more humorous.

[Anne]

Just to update:
The Extraordinary Book of Doors is now out!
This is a middle grade fantasy adventure that includes chases, escapes, a calico cat, twenty-one renaissance woodcuts, magic, a worrywort, a treasure hunt left by Benjamin Franklin, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and a bright blue hip pouch with a picture of a rubber ducky on it.

[Cheryl , Newbery Club host]

Just to clarify, is this a stand-alone adventure?

[Anne]

Yes. (I have some ideas for a possible sequel at some point, but this book is a complete story in itself, not merely the first third of a trilogy or something!)

[Anne]

Announcement to all: I'm finally getting around to offering a Goodreads giveaway of The Extraordinary Book of Doors. I'd love to have it go to someone in this group! =)

[Anne]

I currently have a Kickstarter Campaign going for a bestiary/alphabet of fantasy creatures called "On the Virtues of Beasts of the Realms of Imagination". It is not strictly a children's book as the writing is deliberately old-fashioned and quite advanced with lots of big words, but it is lavishly illustrated with my original block prints of fantasy creatures, so I think many of you might enjoy it. Please check out the Kickstarter page HERE for lots of information, pictures, and even a video. Thanks!

[Cheryl , Newbery Club host]

Off to do so. :)

[Cheryl , Newbery Club host]

Oh that does look like a wonderful book. When I was a child I would have loved it.

[Beverly, Miscellaneous Club host]

Anne wrote: "I currently have a Kickstarter Campaign going for a bestiary/alphabet of fantasy creatures called "On the Virtues of Beasts of the Realms of Imagination". It is not strictly a children's book as th..."

I am very impressed; the woodcuts displayed on that page look beautiful.