This sheet connects the theme with each title of the book. 

Each of my books has a theme - 

or "big idea" for 

my readers to think 

about, talk about, and explore. 

While "bravery" might be a main theme in "The Dot," 

it is not the only one. It is just a starting point. 

It is also about self confidence, great teaching,

kindness, and creativity. 

I'd love to hear what big ideas/messages/themes 

you/your readers come up with! 

Some of the books on the theme sheet

are collaborations with some wonderful writers and thinkers,

like Susan Verde, Marc Colagiovanni, and my 

twin brother, Paul Reynolds. 

For more info: 

https://www.reynoldstlc.org/tlc-books

 

"You're weird." ""Thank you."

I remember telling a wild story to some kids in an art class I was teaching about 20 years ago. The details of the story have long since evaporated, but I DO remember what a girl about eight years old with a puzzled look on her face said to me in response to my whimsical rambling. 

"You're weird," she said.

I smiled.

"Thank you!" popped out of my mouth, much to her surprise. 

She looked at me with her far-too-serious face and then a small smile emerged. 

It took a few moments, but my unexpected response had invited her to consider that the world can be seen in many ways.  

Odd can be interesting. 

Weird can be wonderful. 

Different is refreshing. 

An attempted disparaging comment can be be turned into a generous compliment. 

When I doing a presentation at schools, I have been known to drop my markers or the pad of paper tumbles off the easel.  How strange that the automatic reaction of many kids is laughter. Finding humor is other people's distress makes me a bit sad about our species. The way I handle the dropped markers or pad of paper is to either say "I meant to do that" or to ignore it completely as though I had indeed been ready to let the art supplies tumble to the ground as I confidently proceeded. 

I made a nod to this way of thinking in my book, BE YOU! published by Scholastic - my "handbook for amazing humans." 

"Be silly. Be quirky. Be odd. Be unique. Be weird. Be colorful. Be okay being different. Be just the way you are."

The illustration above was inspired by this story, but I was not wearing a crown or a tutu - and I did not have a cat sitting on my head. I am actually known for balancing things on my head though - including full glasses of water. 

Weird? Why, yes, and thank you. 

Protect Your Sparkle

This is an image from our book PLANT A KISS (published by Harper Collins) written by my sweet friend and collaborator, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The whole book was an absolute  joy to create, but this is one of my favorite pages in the book. 

It reminds me of Amy. 

She was famous for her yellow umbrella and her magical way of motivating people to share their own magic. 

 Amy passed away from cancer in 2017. It was a sudden and tragic loss.  Only a few months before she left us, I was helping her plan a family trip to Argentina (my father, Keith Hamilton Reynolds was born here and I have lots of family there).  The world discovered how sick she was on March 3rd, 2017, when they read her moving words in The New York Times: You May Want to Marry My Husband. 

I encourage you to visit the Amy K. Rosenthal Foundation site to learn more about who Amy was, and how her mission continues - and how you can get involved. Her husband and daughter are carrying the torch forward. 

 https://www.amykrouserosenthalfoundation.org

Note: My studio, FableVision is animating a version of the story for Vooks. 

I'll blog about that soon.

For information about the book, please visit www.thedotcentral.com 

When I sign PLANT A KISS books now, I add a little heart 💛 below Amy's name. I know she'd like that - knowing I can reflect some of her heavenly magic into a copy of our book. 

Collaborating with Cat Stevens

 

Hopping on the Peace Train

One of the first albums I ever bought was Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat. 

It was 1971. I remember placing it on the turntable and as the vinyl spun, my twin brother, Paul and I feasted on each song. 

Fifty years later, Cat Stevens reached out to ask me to illustrate his song, "Peace Train." 

Pinching myself, I realized this was not a dream, but it was a dreamy aligning of the stars. 

Before even getting the contract to sign (from publisher, Harper Collins) I had already played the song dozens of times - sounding as fresh as ever, but with a new urgency.  I kept listening, closing my eyes and watching the "movie" that began emerging in my mind. 

I printed the lyrics and began jotting the visual ideas down alongside the words. 

This was all happening during the pandemic, so our collaboration was done through Zoom video chat and e-mail. Seeing Yusuf's face the first time was a wonderful experience.  Warmth, wisdom, wit. He shared some very kind words about my work and I shared my own admiration for his work and my early connections to his music. Then we got rolling. The book flowed out. I conjured up my little musician, inspired by Yusuf as a boy, and of course, the Train - the other "main character."

            Making this book, I felt that I was on stage with Yusuf, harmonizing. 

In a few months we were done. 

I had the pleasure of also connecting with Yusuf's son, Yoriyos, who is also a great musician and creative human.  Getting to know him, the song, "Father and Son" came to mind and I smiled.

I mentioned to Yusuf that when I listen to his songs - I turn them to books in my head. 

"Well, I have quite a few songs, so you'll be busy." 

Within a month, I had a contract for our next book, "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out!" 

Yusuf Islam, born Steven Demetre Georgiou, is commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens. 

I now get to call him my friend and collaborator. 

For more information about the picture book, Peace Train, or my other books, visit: https://www.thedotcentral.com/peterhreynolds and Yusuf/Cat Steven's work: www.catstevens.com 

To see how you can support the Peacetrain Foundation https://catstevens.com/peacetrain/

International Dot Day

International Dot Day

September 15-ish. International Dot Day.  To learn more, visit The Dot Club. A day to celebrate creativity - for all ages - in school - out fo school. It is a day t think about the words: Making my mark. What does that mean? How will you use your creativity, time and resources to make the world a better place? Millions have joined us for over a decade to celebrate - hope you will too!  

By the way, this dot was one of many I painted - about the size of a half dollar (American). I love scanning small paintings and enlarging. As they enlarge - they reveal details that were once hidden. Imagine this little dot on the side of a building? Maybe I'll try that with a bit fo Photoshop magic. : )

It has been awhile since my last blog post. I think social media took me away from it, but I'm glad all my old posts are still here. My blog serves a different purpose. It is a more reflective space. Feels a bit more like a journal.  I hope you enjoy - and I hope I get back into my blog groove. : ) 

I AM PEACE

I have teamed up once again with author Susan Verde, my collaborator on THE MUSEUM, YOU & ME and THE WATER PRINCESS.

 "I AM PEACE: A BOOK OF MINDFULNESS" (Abrams Books for Young Readers), is a sequel to the book "I AM YOGA." It celebrates the power of connecting to our inner peace and sharing that positive energy with others to inspire world peace.  It was a joy to splash my watercolor brush with vivid, warm, encouraging colors to help honor and promote this beautiful mission.

The world is in a challenging place, more so in recent years and months. As children try to piece their world together, making sense of it from the information around them, they often must deal with a barrage of traumatic news from the media. The deluge of negative news can be distorted in a child's emerging world view. I am reminded of how, during the 9-11 events, young children were terrified as they watched on television thousands of planes slamming into buildings--not realizing that they were watching the same clip being replayed over and over again. We clumsy adults have to be more careful and also more proactive in helping equip children with the tools to cope in a very challenging world. 

I encourage parents and teachers to dedicate time to helping kids develop ways to keep it all in perspective. I created a poster after the Boston Marathon tragedy to remind all of us: "There is more good than bad in this world, more light than darkness, and you can be that light." 

This book, "I AM PEACE," like most of my work, is meant for all ages. As children try to piece together their world, we too are doing the same.

 The big challenge is for all of us to "peace it together." : )


☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ ☮️ 

For downloadable posters  to print out and share you can visit FableVision Learning site.  Take a selfie or a group shot holding the signs. 
Be sure to use #IAmPeace #WeArePeace when you share with the world.  

Thank You for Saving My Life

I saw this photo and it reminded me of a dramatic moment in my life. 

This is what I saw as a child (I am guessing I was about five or six).  I had wandered away from the shore of the lake where my family was camping.  I had suddenly found myself unable to touch the bottom of the lake. I remember looking up--as I slipped deeper. 

Unable to figure out how to make myself rise back to the top. 

And then...

a hand appeared.

 I remember seeing it come toward me--then grab hold of me. The hand belonged to a woman I did not know. She pulled me up and to the surface. She said a few words as she brought me toward the shallower area near shore. I forget now, what she said, but I do remember a smile. After she knew I was okay, she waded away. Life went on. 

Thank you, to that stranger--that angel perhaps--who was thankfully there for me. 

I wonder sometimes how that moment 

could have turned out quite differently.

I have also thought of how teachers 

and caregivers can change lives like this. 

Being there for a child. 

Having that rescue-radar on and ready 

to reach out and lend a hand. 

To be an ear. 

A shoulder to lean on. 

One conversation, even a nod, a kind word, 

can change a life profoundly. 

Inside the Mind of a Dreamer

I wrote and illustrated my book, The Dot back in 2002 and it still keeps rolling along with wonderful initiatives like International Dot Day and Celebridots. The book celebrates the power of great teaching. Vashti's teacher notices her student's frustration, but also her determination. She creatively inspires Vashti to bravely make her mark. 

I wanted to remind us that many, many students need more understanding as they struggle to adapt to the rigor and structure of school--especially public schools in the USA. 

I know how tough it can be. 

I was one of those kids. 

That is why I wrote Happy Dreamer (published by Orchard Books an imprint of Scholastic). 

This book is autobiographical-ish. The boy in the book is me-ish. I didn't name him Peter because I wanted the reader to perhaps feel as though I was describing them.

I know what it is like be a free spirit and put in a box. I wanted out. 

 It was was a challenge for me to sit still. 

If my body couldn't wander, then my mind would. 

Paper, as it turned out, was my window to more interesting worlds. 

I stared out of it and daydreamed--in ink and pencil. 

However, not all teachers appreciated my doodling. I was asked to stop many times. 

"Eyes up front."

"Do that on your own time, Mr. Reynolds."

"This isn't art class."

I wish I could go back in time and tell them that I was actually in training for my future career as an artist, writer, and filmmaker. I would also show them my studio, FableVision where we make drawings come to life through animation. 

And I would read aloud my book 

Happy Dreamer. 

My hope is that Happy Dreamer will give educators a new perspective on dealing with creative kids, kids with wandering minds, and kids who have that extra power-pack of energy. The quirky ones. The  ones who, as the famous Apple campaign said, think different. 

I also wrote this book for all the parents out there who worry about their kids coping in school and the world. They lose sleep worrying how the world will understand and appreciate the amazing spirit and mind of a child that they know better than anyone else. Happy Dreamer is there to reassure them that their children will be fine--especially if they are loved and their unique brains are appreciated. 

I wrote it too for the kids who are labeled early, often diagnosed with ADHD. I wanted them to smile as they hear the initials and say to themselves, "Amazing, Delightful, Happy Dreamer." 

For a great perspective on ADHD, check out the great work by Dr. Ned Hallowell. As he shares on his site, "As I see it, ADHD is neither a disorder, nor is there a deficit of attention. I see ADHD as a trait, not a disability. When it is managed properly, it can become a huge asset in one’s life."

Omran... #ThisIsStillAleppo

Omran Daqneesh

It has been weeks since I drew this image after seeing the heart-wrenching news footage. I saw this little boy, covered in dust, dazed and confused, rubbed his head as blood flowed from a wound. He looked at his hand and then rubbed the blood onto the orange seat of the ambulance. Perhaps it resonated more deeply because I have a son about the same age and I couldn't imagine him having to go through the same experience. I was so grateful to the first responders, The White Helmets who risked their own lives to rescue this boy.   

Tragically, the bombing continues as of today. I have been devastated by the continual news reports coming from Syria, but also inspired by  Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old boy in Aleppo, Syria remains a symbol for all those in need--especially those who do not have a voice. A good overview of ways we can help...  http://www.cfr.org/.../humanitarian-relief.../p9007 #childrenofaleppo #childrenofsyria 

Rare Moments

 

I painted this in Bologna, Italy. April 2016. I love my Bologna time... the book fair happens each spring.... the week gives me a chance to put the brakes on and spend a week quietly listening to myself think.

Going Home: Playing from the Heart

It's always a dreamy day when I finally hold the first copy of a book I've created. Playing from the Heart, released this week on April 12th,  is extra special to me. I'll share the behind the scenes details of how this book came to be later, but today I wanted to share a letter that illuminates the spirit of the book.

My friends, Ann Crewdson and Linda Erst visited me in Boston a few months ago. I happened to have an advanced copy of my new book, Playing from the Heart which I read aloud to them.

Here is Ann's letter:

Dear Peter,

Linda and I had the honor of hearing you read PLAYING FROM THE HEART out loud to us. Your character, Raj's story reminded me of my father-in-law who played the clarinet for years. He was a music major, but after serving in the military in WWII, he decided to be a dentist. 

He had lost touch with music for decades until my daughter, Victoria picked up the violin as an instrument.  He attended every single concert and I could swear he lived through her violin playing, vicariously.  He attended almost every single one of her Seattle Youth Symphony concerts until he couldn't do it anymore due to infirmary. 

Before he passed away, one of his last wishes was to have my daughter play "Going Home" at his funeral with her violin. 

It was in this moment that I connected your book with my memory.  

It brought me to tears.

And that is what I meant when I said the book is about "going home"
to your talent and the persistence of the human spirit.  

My father-in-law lives on in my children.

Kindest regards,
Ann

I asked Ann if I could share her connection to the story and she kindly allowed me to share it here. While my book is about music, about connecting deeply to the joy of expressing your spirit, it is also a book about what connects us all: love. 

It is my hope that my book will inspire others to "go home" to the place where joy lives--to perhaps a time when it flowed more easily--and to "go home" and rediscover the "chords" that keep us connected. 

Playing from the Heart is published by Candlewick Press who also published The Dot, Ish, The North Star, So Few of Me, and Rose's Garden.

"Who are you?" The North Star Questions

I created this image in 1998--inspired by The North Star book that I published the year before. Once I started thinking about the journey--it was hard to STOP thinking about it.  

 Where had I been? 

 Where was I now? 

Where was I going?  

Where was that I wanted to be going? 

That last question was THE big North Star question. Just making a few degrees change to the course can land you in a very different place eventually. Ocean navigators know this well. 

Oddly, during my school journey, we rarely seemed have much time for "North Star" thinking. I DO remember being asked:  "What did you do on your summer vacation?" It was the standard, back-to-school chestnut which at least asked me to share a bit about me beyond the classroom. There were, to be fair, a number of teachers along the way who did care about me, but it was rare that the curriculum supported them being able to get me thinking and writing about who I was and what was going in inside my head.

The North Star Interview

I rounded up a few North Star questions for you.  There are plenty more. You'll probably start thinking of them yourself once you get rolling. Your answers will help create a great snapshot of who you are--who you are becoming.

1. What is something important to you?

2. What special talent do you have?

3. What place has special meaning to you?

4. Who has helped you find your way?

5. What do you hope to do someday?

6. What do you need to be more happy?

7. What is a big dream you have--if reality wasn't an obstacle?

8. Who have you helped along the way?

9. If you wrote a book about your life up until now what would the title be?

10. If you wrote a book about your future what would it be titled?

Your answers will lead to more reflection and perhaps writing, drawing, painting, and singing. It might help you choose the next book you read or film to watch--or film to make! 

It's totally up to you. 

Your path. 

Your journey.

Rescued Poem

I found this in my studio among my journals. A road-weary little journal. The cheapest kind you can buy in a drugstore. This page had obviously been almost washed away by rain. Or melting snowflakes--seeing that it was a Boston winter of 2003.

It took some effort to decipher:

There will be
stretches of goodness,
like rivers of wheat fields,
and occasional
storms, sudden
and angry
demanding.

Words. A moment in time. 

Almost lost to rain or snow.

The result looks tears-ish. 

How to Recharge Your Spirit in One Easy Step

How do you charge your creative "batteries"? 

Well, for me there is one easy way: connect with kids.  

On most days, I am busy in my studio creating books and films--but when I am lucky enough to break free and venture into schools--I experience the joy of "connecting the dots" with my audience. (Well, half of them anyway, as I try to create my picture books for all ages.)

Schools usually have me do several assemblies where I speak to a few hundred students at a time which I enjoy immensely, but it is after the "big show" is over when I get to connect with kids in an informal way. Some teachers let their kids linger a bit and they get a chance to connect. They bubble with enthusiasm, rattling off comments and asking questions. Timid kids get their chance to share with me. Their insights always delight and inspire me. It is amazing what they pick and what resonates with them. It is a reminder to me that kids are philosophers and deep thinkers. Some are comedians. They are creatives. Idea generators. Poets.

I was at St. Peter's School in Lincoln, Nebraska where the photo above was taken. I was swarmed with kids and tried to connect with each student the best I could. One student asked me:

"How old are you?" 

I paused trying to think of a clever answer.

A bright eyed lad named Nicholas jumped in to answer for me.

"You are as kind as when you were a child, as nice as you are now--and as wise as you will be in the future." 

Stunned--I just smiled--and said, "Yup--you guessed it." 

Batteries: recharged. 

Can We All Get Along?

It has been almost a quarter century since the Rodney King incident. 

His words after the ensuing riot: 

"People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along?"

As poignant as ever.