Despatches: Illustrators needed; themes in books; Bim in Barbados

This is one of my 'despatches' posts so here goes: Caribbean news:

An overseas publisher has asked if I know of any illustrators for children's books (supplementary readers). I've seen the work put out by this publisher and their artwork in their readers looks just like first class art work in children's books. I'll also put this on facebook as well as email my artist contacts. I also want to start highlighting artwork suitable for children's books from Caribbean artists. I will let you know when I'm doing this

I read a very interesting blog by Joanne Johnson from Trinidad, on: what can your book teach? One of the main points that resonated with me was: what themes in your book support/enlighten (my words) aspects of the curriculum, or matters of topical concern? I found the questions Joanne posed in her blog: blogspot.com> most interesting. I had thought to do this with my latest book, Island Princess in Brooklyn because it fits into themes in Family Life Education, Social Studies, etc. but haven't yet done so. Maybe I will soon. And we don't need to turn up our noses at fiction which can assist in the teaching of our children. Such books often make a class more lively and interesting and do not detract from the fact that the book is for entertainment. When I used to teach volcanic activity I used to read an account of the disastrous Mt. Pelee eruption in Martinique in 1902, which wiped out an entire town. It's real-life drama. Along with photos from National Geographic it was the highlight of the topic, in those pre-technology days, no computer or every other modern technological gadget, even film strips a scarce commodity (on a reel to reel which sometimes snapped - no, it was not pre Ice Age). In fact, when I read from Island Princess in Brooklyn at Sangsters ( a previous post) the Sangsters team had arranged for a child to also read a section from the book where Princess tells her American friend what it was like to  wear a uniform to school in Jamaica. This was to stimulate a discussion amongst the children on the importance of  wearing the correct uniform. I had not even thought about that. So read Joanne's blog.

Other news: I saw posted by Anansesem on facebook that June Stoute will be reading at the children's section of the Bim Literary Festival in Barbados next weekend. That's lovely! Big up June! Big up Bim! Big up Barbados! I don't know what she'll be reading, but I wish her a lovely time. The picture is from a book of hers I bought once in Barbados.