Let the Games Begin!
     The Summer Olympics kick off this Friday and since I'm a swimmer, I thought I'd celebrate the sport I'll be watching most closely with a swimming bear. Not sure our fuzzy guy is very hydrodynamic, but I'm sure he'll give it his best shot.
     Look for more Olympic images in the coming weeks. And thanks to Caroline for the great idea - OF COURSE I need Olympic-themed coloring pages. Gah!

The Jack Tales
     My husband and I just returned from an amazing research trip all over the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina for a non-fiction picture book idea I have about The Jack Tales. I'm sure you've heard of Jack and the Beanstalk, but did you know there is a whole slew of Appalachian stories featuring the clever trickster? They've been a big part of my life since I was eight-years-old. Heck, two of my books are Jack Tales: Paco and the Giant Chile Plant and Soap, soap, soap. Read about our adventure and the amazing people we met, which I've covered in three segments on my blog:
The Jack Tales and Storytelling... Part 1
The Jack Tales and Storytelling... Part 2
The Jack Tales and Storytelling... Part 3 will go live tomorrow! (Wednesday)

Registration is now Open!
     For our 2012 SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day on Friday, August 31st at the Decatur library in Decatur, Georgia, USA. We have an amazing line-up of speakers: Kelly Barrales-Saylor, Former Art Buyer/Editor of Sourcebooks and current Executive Editor of Albert Whitman & Company; R. Gregory Christie, multiple Coretta Scott King honor illustrator of titles such as IT ‘JES HAPPENED, BAD NEWS FOR OUTLAWS, etc.; Peter Brown, best-selling author/illustrator of titles such as CHOWDER, YOU WILL BE MY BEST FRIEND, CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS, etc.; and a mentorship project is once again being hosted by illustrator Michael Allen Austin for the first 12 to register. Click the logo to learn more. Hope to see you there!

THIS WEEK'S BLOG SUBJECTS... CLICK HERE to read about...
     The Jack Tales and Storytelling... Part 2
     The Jack Tales and Storytelling... Part 1
     2012 SCBWI Southern Breeze Illustrators' Day!
     Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin)
     Bookstore Cats
     Coloring Page Tuesday - Ready to Swim!
     TWITTER! Follow me on twitter too @dulemba.


Card Makers and Colorers!
    Dana used my flip-flops and sunglasses image to create three awesome cards for a Digi Haven Challenge: Fun In The Sun. Isn't it adorable? Click the image to visit my gallery, click her thumbnail and visit Dana's blog to see all three cards and leave her a comment.
    Have you colored or created something using one of my Coloring Page Tuesday images? Post it to my gallery and maybe I'll share your creation next week!

CALL FOR ART!
     I love sharing what you create with my Coloring Page Tuesday images each week in my newsletter - I bet you've come up with some great new creations for summer! If you share your work or your child's masterpieces on a blog (they don't have to be cards), you can post them IN MY GALLERY! Hope to see your work there!

Did You Know...
      I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy with their children, but also to let the public know about MY BOOKS. I hope you'll take a moment to check them out and spread the word!
     Click a cover to learn more about individual titles and download activities.
     Note: All Coloring Page Tuesday images and activity pages are available for personal or non-commercial use. If you would like to purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please email me. If you have questions about usage, visit my Angel Policy page.