Alison Jay lives and works in London, England. A graduate in illustration from the London College of Printing, Alison has been illustrating children's books for more than ten years.
To create her unique style, she uses Alkyd, a quick drying oil paint on paper and sometimes adds a crackling varnish which gives her illustrations an antique, nostalgic quality.
“With many of my books I attempt to bridge the gap between the home and school. To me home represents, or should represent; warmth, security, toys, holding hands, being held. School is a strange and new place for a child. Will it be a happy place? There are new people, a teacher, classmates — will they be friendly? I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born. Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun.” Eric Carle
THE AUTHOR
He loves Blackforest honey for breakfast :-)
Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world and has been translated into more than 47 languages and sold over 29 million copies. Since the Caterpillar was published in 1969, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote, and more than 88 million copies of his books have sold around the world.
This year he is celebrating two birthdays, his own 80th and the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. There are many events and programs happening around the world for The Very Hungry Caterpillar's 40th and there is an exhibit currently on view at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art called 80/40: Celebrating the Birthdays of Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. For more information and for a little preview of the exhibition, visit the Museum's web site.
Once upon a time there was a little boy who collected birds' eggs and sea shells, beetles and coins, moths and minerals. He wasn’t a very good student, school just bored him. He had some difficulties in memorizing but he never tired of studying the details of the natural world. He was born in Shrewsbury, a rural town in England and he spent hours watching birds and lying under the dining-room table, reading.
As a teenager, he was thrilled by chemistry, biology, botany and geology. His father wanted him to be a doctor. But as he studied at the University of Cambridge, his teachers recognized his potential. Finally, his true talent for natural history blossomed.
One day he was invited to join a ship called Beagle for a trip around the world. It was time to follow his dream! He went as the ship's naturalist and for most of the next five years, the Beagle surveyed the coast of South America. He was free to explore the continent and islands, including the Galapagos and he filled dozens of notebooks with careful observations on animals, plants and geology, and collected thousands of specimens, which he sent home for further study.
Darwin later called the Beagle voyage "by far the most important event in my life," saying it "determined my whole career." By the time he returned, he was an established naturalist, well-known in London for the astonishing collections he had sent ahead. The Beagle voyage would provide Darwin with a lifetime of experiences to think about and the seeds of a theory he would work on for the rest of his life.
Charles Darwin was born on February 12th, 1809 and this week we celebrate his 200th birthday!
Why is sitting and doing nothing the most difficult, mysterious, joyful, painful, profound, and life-changing thing we can do? Because it is the radical opposite of what we usually do to try to make ourselves happy.
Why stillness?
Stillness is the quiet place inside where the mind doesn’t interfere or confuse you. Stillness offers a clear connection to your intuition You know that you are never alone Stillness allows big problems all of a sudden seem small Stillness releases any stress and agitation Simple solutions often arrive easily when resting in stillness You feel connected to something greater than yourself when experiencing stillness You nurture yourself and offer your body, mind and soul deep peaceful rest You feel comfortable being alone with yourself for a while
How to introduce stillness to children in a simple yet fun way:
For children a simple guided meditation that they can relate too in a fun way and totally absorb their imagination into allows for all other things to fall away. They find themselves resting in stillness focused on the theme of the guided mediation. It may be I am calm, I am rested, I am patient, I sleep beautifully or I am safe.
Choose a meditation that appeals to their imagination:
Amy Hamilton’s Indigo Dreaming - Meditations for Children book or audio CD has 49 different meditation stories: Indigo Dreaming: Meditations for Children Make it fun and short:
You imagine yourself sitting inside a pyramid. The air inside is warm you feel very calm and relaxed and there is no sound. You breathe in and out and feel the quiet in your body. Feel the quiet spread with each breathe until it fills the whole pyramid. It is serene and still. You say in my mind I am quiet ……. I am quiet………I am quiet.
Once upon a time there were three wise men. They were astrologers and studied the sky. One night, they saw a very bright star. It was twinkling much more than the other stars. This was a different star.
Suddenly, the Star moved... and stopped. And again, it moved... and stopped.
The three wise men had been studying for many years,
and so they knew that something special was happening. Baby Jesus was born! They were very excited and decided to followed this playful Star. It would lead them to the Baby.
The three wise men travelled a long way on camels, carrying precious gifts for the Baby.
One night, the Star stood still. Bright as ever, it was pointing the spot... the manger where baby Jesus and his parents were staying. The three wise men ran to meet the Baby and stood in adoration. It was a magic night!
Each January 6th, we celebrate these three wise men, who studied the sky, and call it Astrologer's Day. They have taught us that great blessings come to our life if we follow what we believe in. Have faith and follow your Star!
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