KENNETH KRAEGEL
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Useful Small Gifts for Kids

11/23/2022

 
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Here are a few small things that could make your student's or artist's work go a little more smoothly. They are three items that I use in my studio and also with the students that I tutor. Kids do a lot of erasing and those pink erasers that dry out, ripping and marring the paper are so annoying! When I was kid my handwriting was terrible, so I was always erasing and rewriting - as I got more and more frustrated, the eraser would only contribute to the mess! Also, students sometimes avoid sharpening a pencil even when it would help their work, so having a dependable sharpener nearby can be a big help.

You can find these items in lots of places and quantities, the links below are for smaller quantities at Amazon.
- The pencil sharpener is simple and sturdy and, since the top screws on, the pencil shavings don't suddenly spill out. I love using it. This particular sharpener is not too expensive and the best I have seen, but a lot outlets don't carry it.

-The type of eraser that I recommend are called either a polymer, plastic or vinyl eraser. These are white and a little softer than the pink erasers and they don't dry out. They are much easier on paper. Different companies make them and I haven't noticed a difference. Get a pack of them, since they are easily lost.

-The polymer eraser also comes as a retractable pen-style eraser, which is helpful when only a single letter or line needs to be erased. Since these click out, kids find them fun to use. For some reason these don't always come with refills, so you might want to get some as well.

Two Mushrooms and a Magazine

9/21/2022

 
First, a reminder that the book launch for Mushroom Lullaby is October 22 at 11AM at Schuler Books on 28th St. Grand Rapids, Michigan. It should be a lot of fun!  The pub date for the book is October 11.

Second, and staying local, the Grand Rapids Magazine ran an article about me. This meant I had the pleasure of working with real professionals: interview by Ann Byle and photography by Teri Genovese.

And third, Mushroom Lullaby received an enthusiastic review (and another star!), this time from Booklist: The simple, sweet rhymes anchor the gentle story and make it an ideal bedtime read-aloud, and the vibrant ink-and-watercolor illustrations are immersive and intimate, welcoming readers to step straight into the pages. Children will pore over the cozy details, from bug-sized volleyball nets to miniature lantern-lit paths, and the last glimpses of a moonlit mushroom village may even have grown-ups wishing for a relocation to the snug setting. A magical, mellow mushroom dream.

Below are three studies I did for an illustration in Mushroom Lullaby. I'm not sure what I was trying to figure out, but I like how they look next to each other.
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Mushroom Lullaby News + Something About Shapes

8/13/2022

 
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Here are a few mushrooms, studies for an illustration in Mushroom Lullaby. The release date for Mushroom Lullaby is coming up: it arrives on the shelves on October 11, 2022.  The launch party will be held at Schuler Books on 28th Street at 11:00 on October 22. I'd love to see you there!

Speaking of Mushroom Lullaby, so far it has been reviewed twice, first from Kirkus who in a starred review called it "A mycological charmer."

Then it was reviewed in Publisher's Weekly, who also gave it a star and said, among other things, that "mushrooms provide an unconventional and earthy through line for this cozy bedtime book."

In other news, This is a Book of Shapes was on the shortlist for the Indiana Author Awards! As a native Hoosier, I was honored to be considered for this award.

Jackson Reads and Mushroom News

5/4/2022

 
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I'll be giving a presentation to second and third graders at 12:30 at Jackson Reads! I am looking forward to meeting some readers in-person and also to seeing the Ella Sharp Museum, which includes an historical farmhouse, log school house and a beautiful planetarium. It will be fun!

Also, Mushroom Lullaby has been named a Junior Library Guild selection!
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Announcing Mushroom Lullaby

3/17/2022

 
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Here comes another book! This one is written with bedtime in mind - one of my favorite times to read a picture book. It is meant to quiet the room down while getting the young ones ready for sleep. It arrives October 11, from Candlewick Press.

Here is the blurb:
In gentle rhyme, this spare and whimsical picture book introduces little readers to all sorts of wonderful mushrooms: ones that grow up high and ones that never stay dry, ones that grow in a park and ones that glow in the dark, and even one made just for them! Who can resist climbing up the soft mushroom stair, curling up in a plush mushroom chair, and preparing to dream sweet mushroom dreams? The lulling narration and warm illustrations of this charmingly quirky book will have drowsy young ones settling into their own comfy beds, ready to drift off to sleep.

If you would like to pre-order it, you can do so at one of these sites:
IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, Target, or Amazon.

Miel de Luna - Wild Honey in Spanish and Catalan!

2/2/2022

 
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Estoy muy feliz ver las traducciones de Miel de Luna en Catalan y Español! Muchas gracias a Blackie Books y traductores Yannick Garcia y Rebeca González.

Translations of Wild Honey from the Moon are available in Spanish and Catalan! In the U.S. they can be purchased on Amazon:

Spanish here
Catalan here
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General Update

6/22/2021

 
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Here are the ink and and the colored versions of a study I did for the book I am currently illustrating. I make these little squares to try out color combinations and different drawing techniques before I begin the final illustration. It saves me from frustration and having to redo an entire piece. I make them in squares so that I can post them on Instagram, which forces me to slow down and concentrate on the study. Otherwise I would dash off the study and rush into the finished illustration without having fully tried out my idea.  For this study I wanted to see how sepia and brown ink looked next to each other after the paint was applied.

The new book will come out in the fall of 2022, from Candlewick. I'll have more on that as the book gets finalized.

On Instagram I mostly post studies like these. You can follow me @kennethkraegel

Upcoming Event

2/8/2021

 
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Lola

This March I'll be speaking at the Michigan Reading Association's annual conference. I'll be leading a break-out session called Telling a Good Story with Words and Pictures on March 13, at 3PM. I am looking forward to meeting some literacy educators!

When I visit schools I talk about different things I consider when I am making an  illustration (composition). I have a new way of explaining some of these compositional components that I am excited to demonstrate in my session. I will also have a fun segment on how tension in a story makes us want to know what will happen next.

The pig here, does not have anything to do with the MRA conference, but I think she would probably enjoy it. Her name is Lola, well named by my wife's aunt, for whom drawing was made.

This Is a Book of Shapes wrap-up

12/21/2020

 
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from the Shapes coloring page
Here are a few more places where Shapes has showed up this year:
- The Chicago Public Library listed it as a Best Board Book of 2020.
- Reading Rockets put it on their Holiday Buying Guide 2020. 
- The School Library Journal blog A Fuse 8 Production listed it on a 2020 recommended board book list.
- And the Youth Services Book Review recommended it, calling it, "cute, stylish and original." Something no one has ever said about me, but I am glad they think that of my book.

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

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here is how I colored it in

News regarding This Is a Book of Shapes and peanut butter!

11/13/2020

 
Mother Mag's 50+ Gift Guide for Babies and Toddlers included a few book and Shapes was one of them. Looking at all the little toys and clothes reminded me how sweet those first few years are. Somehow, it is easy to forget the lack of sleep, etc!

Shapes was also on the Let's Talk Picture Books blog as one of their Crushes of the Week. It is nice to be crushed!
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In the last post I mentioned my forthcoming chat with Nanny Miss Monique - it was a lot of fun! Check it out on Instagram @nannymissmonique.
In other good news, I have found a way to easily mix natural peanut butter. I really like the kind of peanut butter that is just ground peanuts and salt, but the one downside to this kind of peanut butter is that the oil rises to the top of the jar, so you have to mix it before you can use it and that is really messy. But if you turn the jar upside down on the shelf, gravity does the mixing for you, without the mess! Yes!
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  • Welcome
  • Books
    • Mushroom Lullaby
    • This is a Book of Shapes
    • Wild Honey from the Moon
    • Green Pants
    • The Song of Delphine
    • King Arthur's Very Great Grandson
  • Coloring Pages
  • School Visits
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact