Roxie the Traveling Rocker, by Becky Van Vleet, Interviews by Kathy and Molly

Do you have favorite family stories or treasures handed down from your parents, grandparents, or even great grandparents? Becky Van Vleet has a passion to create and preserve family memories and traditions as well as share family stories. In her traveling series of picture books, Becky has done just that, first with a little skirt, then a harmonica, and now a rocking chair in Roxie, the Traveling Rocker.

Becky is a retired teacher/principal, and she and her husband live in Colorado Springs. She was inspired to write her first book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, because a little plaid skirt had been traveling around in her family for three generations. That’s more than 70 years!

Kathy’s Interview with Becky

Kathy: So, Becky, are you ready to answer a few questions before we let Molly take over to interview Roxie herself?

Becky: Yes, Kathy. You first, then Molly!

Kathy: What were some of your favorite books as a child?

Becky: My absolute favorite books as a child were the Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary. I still have my Henry Huggins book I bought with my allowance money in my home today.

Kathy: How special that you still have that book! I loved Beverly Cleary’s books, too! What do you enjoy most about writing for children?

Becky: I like to write a book that will take children places in their imaginations. I want them to feel like they are right in the story.

Kathy: Well, I know they’ll feel part of your traveling series of stories! What was your favorite subject when you were in school?

Becky: No surprise here—it was reading!

Kathy: Mine, too. What else do you like to do for fun?

Becky: In this golden season of my life, I like to travel to places I’ve never been before, sometimes right in my city.

Kathy: You have several grandchildren. What is your favorite thing to do with them?

Becky: Oh, it’s hard to name one thing. We enjoy making caves and hideouts with blankets and flashlights and playing together outside. But reading books to my grandchildren is certainly at the top of the list!

Molly’s Interview with Roxie

Okay, Molly and Roxie, rock on!

 

 

 

 

 

Molly:  What was it like to ride home from the store in an old pickup truck?

Roxie: It was a bumpy ride, but very exciting.

Molly: I bet you were especially excited to arrive at the farm. I’d love to live on a farm and chase chickens and dig in the mud with the pigs. What was your favorite thing to do?

Roxie: The best thing ever was to rock and read with my children that I lived with.

Molly: That does sound like fun. Did you always stay on the farm?

Roxie: No. I traveled with my children to a small town, then to a large city, and my last place to travel to was a school. And I’m still at that school, rocking and reading with hundreds of children!

Molly:  Wow, a whole school of readers! I’m not very old, but I’ve seen that children grow bigger pretty fast. One little boy in our family shot up several inches in one year and his legs outgrew his pants. Did your children ever outgrow you, Roxie?

Roxie: No, when Mary and Sue and JD got bigger, I got bigger too, just like magic!

Molly:  Hmm, I wonder if that would work on my short corgi legs.

Roxie: Molly, with great imagination, I think you could have the magic too.

Molly:  I’ll have work on my imagination skills. But it sounds like fun. I had a doggie sister named Amber, who used to love when children read to her. And I have other doggie friends who go to schools and libraries to help children read. Do you think when your children read to you that it helped them learn to read and love books?

Roxie: Oh, yes, most definitely. Great question, Molly!

Molly: Thank you, Roxie, for telling me about your adventures. I hear there’s a surprise for you in your last home. I love surprises, especially special treats, like cheerios, cheese, bacon . . . Oh wait, I guess rockers don’t eat, but I sure hope your surprise is special, too!

Roxie: In my last home, the school, you would not believe my surprise. JD sat me in the corner of his classroom so I could rock and read with hundreds of children all the time!

Kathy: Thank you, Becky and Roxie, for sharing with us about this newest book in your traveling series! We know children will love reading Roxie, the Traveling Rocker and enjoying the super cute illustrations by Courtney Smith. You ladies rock!

Where You Can Find Roxie the Traveling Rocker and Help Libraries and Schools

Kathy: Becky, one last thing before you and Roxie go. Can you tell us where we can find Roxie, the Traveling Rocker, and your other books, Harvey, the Traveling Harmonica, and Talitha, the Traveling Skirt?

Becky: You can purchase all the children’s picture books in my “traveling” series at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I’d love for you to check it out. But, Molly, there’s one more thing—guess what? If you go to my website and click on the tab, “Just for Fun”, you can fill out a form to request one of my books to be donated to your school or preschool. I love to donate books! www.beckyvanvleet.com

Molly: Bow WOW! That sounds like a great way to help out libraries and schools!

More about Becky: Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal. She and her husband make their home near Colorado Springs, where Becky enjoys oil painting, gardening, eating cotton candy, and hiking and biking in the great outdoors. Becky relishes spending time with her family and especially reading books to her grandchildren. Her website is devoted to creating and preserving family memories while connecting generations.

https://www.facebook.com/becky.t.vanvleet

https://www.pinterest.com/beckyvanvleet/

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas from Molly and me for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit. This month we return to our school-year format of lots of resources for all those who love to help children discover how much fun learning can be!

You may also visit our website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages, coloring pages for kids, and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

 

Interview with Josie Siler and Howie about Her New Picture Book Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw

Molly and I want to welcome Josie Siler and Howie to our blog today. Josie has written an adorable picture book about Palm Sunday and a little donkey named Howie who’s sad because he thinks his hee-haw is broken.

I asked Josie some questions so you can get to know her and how Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw came into being. Then Molly took over to ask Howie some questions. So read on to learn all about this special pair and get a glimpse of some of the book’s illustrations.

Kathy: Please tell us a little about yourself and how you began writing.

Josie: I grew up in small-town Wisconsin. I’ve traveled the world, but life with chronic illness has brought me back to my childhood home where I’m loving the small-town life. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but never saw it as something I would make a career out of until chronic illness hit. I had a dream of serving the Lord overseas and that’s when I started writing. What began as a newsletter to my prayer team turned into a blog. The blog turned into a way to keep people updated when chronic illness hit and kept me from going overseas as planned. I discovered I loved writing and it snowballed from there. Now I write all kinds of things and God has used my words to spread the message of His love further than my two feet could have ever taken me!

Kathy: Isn’t it amazing how God leads us on paths we could never have imagined, but turn out to be just right for us and bring glory to Him? What was your favorite thing to do as a child?

Josie: This won’t come as a surprise, but I loved to read. I had many all-night reading binges as a tween and teen and have loved books for as long as I can remember. I also loved to climb trees and travel anywhere I could get anyone to take me!

Kathy: books and travel—two of my favorites, too! What were some of your favorite childhood books?

Josie: So many! My favorite picture book was The Muffin Muncher by Stephen Cosgrove. I just loved that muffin munching dragon! I also loved the Orphan Train Trilogy by Jane Peart and the Adventures of the Northland Series by Wisconsin author Lois Walfrid Johnson.

Kathy: I can see you were already interested in travel adventures! What is something not too many people know about you?

Josie: I haven’t shared this with very many people, but I’ve always had a secret dream of being the voice of a cartoon character! I also have my motorcycle license and I’m a huge fan of big trucks.

Kathy: Maybe someday, you’ll get to be the voice of a cartoon character who rides motorcycles! What do you like to do for fun?

Josie: Besides reading? I love to travel and explore new places. I love to shop small towns and photograph beautiful things. I enjoy a good movie and one day I would really like to ride in a hot air balloon.

Kathy: that would sure be an adventure! What was the inspiration for Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw?

Josie: One night when I couldn’t sleep God dropped this idea of a donkey with a broken hee-haw into my head. I wrote the first half of the book on the notes app on my cellphone that night and the next night when I couldn’t sleep again. I don’t think any book will ever come to me as easily as this one did. I feel like it was truly a gift from the Lord as He gave me the idea out of nowhere and words to write. Thank you, God- and insomnia!

Kathy: Wow, that’s amazing! I love how you’ve woven Howie’s story of realizing he’s not broken with the events of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem! What suggestions do you have for parents or grandparents to help children enjoy Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw and understand how unique and special God has made each one of them?

Josie: Kids (and adults) are constantly being told who they should be and that they’re not good enough. Parents can use Howie’s story to help kids see themself as God sees them. It’s so important to understand who we are in Jesus Christ. I encourage adults to speak Biblical truth to the little ones in their life. This will help them develop God-confidence instead of self-confidence! When we know who we are in Christ and that God doesn’t make mistakes, we’ll all be able to walk in the freedom of who God made us to be, broken hee-haws and all.

Kathy: Amen!

Molly the Artsy Corgi thinks Howie is the cutest donkey she’s ever seen, and she has some questions for him:

Molly: Howie, are donkeys related to horses?

Howie: Hi Molly! Donkeys and horses are in the same family, but we are a different species. So yes, we’re related but we have a lot of differences.

Molly: We corgis are good herders, so I bet I could herd donkeys really well! How will I find them? Are they all gray like you, Howie?

Howie: Oh no, us donkeys are a colorful bunch. Gray is the most common color, but my friends are also brown, black, white, or even multicolored.

Molly: I never knew that! I’ll have to keep my eyes open for those other colors. What’s your favorite food, Howie?

Howie: I really love fresh carrots for a special treat!

Molly: I love it when Kathy chops carrots and drops some for me. I think we’d get along really well, Howie! Thanks for these websites where we can find out more about donkeys. It has pictures of donkeys of different colors!

https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/what-we-do/knowledge-and-advice/about-donkeys

https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/sites/uk/files/2020-02/safe-treats-and-tempters.pdf

Molly: Howie, children may wonder how you got your name. Can you tell us?

Howie: I love this question! Do you want to know a secret? When Josie first wrote her book, I was a girl donkey named Hallie. Josie had lots of people read her book and help her make it the best it could be and one of those smart people reminded Josie that a colt is a male donkey. I’m so happy that mistake was caught because then I got to be Howie! When Josie picked my name, she wanted to keep it short and start with an H so she looked up lots of names. Josie and I both think the meaning of names is important and I’m really glad she picked a good one for me. Howie means “heart brave.” I really needed a brave heart to do what Jesus asked me to do!

Molly: How wonderful that your name means “heart brave.” But sometimes you look a little lonely and sad in the pictures. How did Jesus help you feel special and brave enough to help Him?

Howie: I love Jesus! Before I met Him, I felt like I was broken and that I wasn’t good for anything. But then Jesus picked me out of all the other donkeys and said that He needed ME! I felt so special because Jesus saw me. He told me that I wasn’t broken and that my Hee-Haw, Hee-Ha-La-La-Lay-Lu-Ya is special and that I was made to praise Him. I finally understood that I was made on purpose and that I have a great purpose in life. You’re special too, Molly. Never forget how important you are to Jesus. He loves you so much!

Molly: You’re right, Howie. Jesus is so wonderful! Sometimes when we’ve done something we shouldn’t or have trouble feeling special, it’s so good to remember He loves us! Your Hee-Haw was just right to sing Hallelujah to Jesus!

Let’s head back now to to my interview with Josie to find out where readers can get their very own copy of Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw!

Kathy: Josie, children will love to snuggle up to hear and look at the pictures in Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw. Can you tell us where we can find this wonderful picture book?

Josie: Of course! You can find my book lots of places. Your local bookstore might have it. If not, you can find it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Christianbook, Walmart, and if it’s sold out some places, you can always get it right from my publisher, End Game Press. I have a list of places with links on Howie’s page on my website. Come visit us at

https://josiesiler.com/howies-broken-hee-haw/

Molly and I want to thank Josie and Howie for visiting with us today. We enjoyed getting to know you and hearing all about Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw!

Thanks so much for having us. We both had so much fun with you and Molly!

 

 

 

Children’s Author, Becky van Vleet and Courtney Smith, Illustrator, Talk about Becky’s Newest Picture Book

Today I’m happy to introduce you to my friend, Becky van Vleet, a children’s author and Courtney Smith, illustrator of Becky’s books. Becky loves to pass down family stories and traditions to her grandchildren, just as we saw the grandfather doing in my previous post about the painting, The Banjo Lesson.

In this interview Becky and Courtney tell a little about Becky’s books and offer advice for young writers and artists who might be interested in writing and /or illustrating books!

Welcome Becky!

 I love your 1st story about Talitha, a little skirt that over the years, travels to several little girls.  And in the 2nd, Harvey, the Traveling Harmonica, about a boy, his dog, and a harmonica, also travels to several generations! Molly, my corgi, loves that there’s a dog in each book!

Q: Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey.

A: Thank you, Kathy, for featuring me. I am a retired teacher/principal. My husband and I make our home in Colorado Springs where I enjoy spending time with my family, lap swimming, oil painting, hiking and biking, and eating cotton candy. I especially enjoy reading books to our grandchildren. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I never set out to do anything with it until retirement. With a little more time, kind of, I connected my ideas to my computer and ran with it which resulted in my first published children’s picture book in 2019.

Q: I understand this book is the second in a series. Can you tell us a little about the first book and any others you have planned?

A: Yes, Harvey, the Traveling Harmonica, is the second book in my “traveling” series. I was inspired to write my first book, Talitha, the Traveling Skirt, because we had a little skirt that had been traveling around in our family for three generations, for more than 70 years. This was such a fun project for me with many family memories attached.

That sounds like so much fun! 

Q: Do you have a theme that carries through your writing!

A: My third “traveling” book is already under contract and the fourth one will follow. The common theme of all four of these picture books is that an inanimate object becomes the main character and travels through three generations.

Q: What inspired you to write your stories?

A:  I would say it’s my passion to create and preserve family memories and traditions as well as sharing family stories. In fact, my website is devoted to this. Check it out! https://www.beckyvanvleet.com. If any of you who are reading this would like to share a family memory or tradition, please get in touch with me!

Q: How does your Christian faith encourage you in your writing and influence your stories?

A:  My call to writing is just that. I have been called by God to write. I pray about my writing endeavors and I really feel that keeps me humble. When I write, I want to give back something to the reading community that is truth, noble, pure, lovely, and of good report. (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

Q: I know you’re a mom, a grandmother, and a teacher like me. Do you have any suggestions to help parents enjoy your books with their children?

A: I have a very simple, yet profound, suggestion. Just read, read, read! I can’t emphasize that enough. Read books aloud, encourage independent daily reading. I believe in this so much that it should be like brushing your teeth—read every day!

“Read, read, read!” Yes!!! Molly and I agree with that!

 Q: What would you like children to take away from your books?

A:  I would like children to hear a message of working through conflict and coming out on the other side in a good way. All of my books have a theme of family life and traditions, so I’d like children to understand and appreciate these themes.

Q: What advice would you give young people who might like to become writers?

A: My advice for young writers is to write, write, write. (Does this sound familiar to read, read, read?) I would encourage the very young ones to write and draw and share their work with family members. For the older ones, I would encourage them to attend a writing conference, buy books about tips for writing, and share their ideas aloud with family members.

Q: Where can we learn more about you and your upcoming projects?

A:  My website is: https://www.beckyvanvleet.com

Q: Where can our readers find your books?

A:  On Amazon:

Talitha, the Traveling Skirt:  https://amzn.to/3qpG1fI

Harvey, the Traveling Harmonica:  https://amzn.to/3nUh7CL

Roxie, the Traveling Rocker:  Stay Tuned!

Wally, the Traveling Watch:  Stay Tuned!

 Welcome to you, too, Courtney! The Illustrations are such an important part of picture books!

I love all the details you put in your illustrations, and my corgi, Molly, especially loves your illustrations of the dogs in each book!

 Q: Please tell us a little about yourself.

A: My name is Courtney Smith. My husband and I live in Franktown, CO with our five children ages 16 down to 8. I am a full-time homeschool mom and a part-time Athletic Trainer mostly working with our USA Wrestling teams (when things are not shut down). I also breed Great Pyrenees puppies and love to draw and scribble.

Q: How long have you been illustrating children’s books?

A: Creating fine art was a passion which helped me stay sane throughout my college years. (I have a triple major in Math, Chemistry, and Computer Science and a minor in Fine Art). That background provided me with the opportunity to illustrate my first children’s picture book in 2019. Since then, I have finished 12 more picture books and devotions and have some in progress.

Q: What is your process when you receive a book project to illustrate?

A: The most important step I take is to ask the Lord for peace about the project and wisdom to know if I’m the best illustrator for the job. Then, I like to read the manuscript to see what images fly into my imagination without knowing anything of the author’s vision. Are the pictures created in my mind realistic, whimsical, or cartoon style? Are they colorful, dark, heavy or light? Most authors send their proposal with ideas for what the images on each spread could be. Does my vision or ideas align with the author’s ideas for their story?

Not only do I want to create a book I’m proud to promote, but I also want the author to love the images that will bring his work to life. Even if the author and I seem to be on the same track, I like to sketch out a spread so the author can see what my idea or vision is. I want my author to be entirely confident that my working for him or her is God’s will and provide the opportunity to either jump in with both feet or kindly decline partnering with me. If we both want to continue as a team, we will agree upon compensation, sign a contract, and begin the adventure.

Q: What part of illustrating do you enjoy the most?

A: I really enjoy working with the authors and am most gratified when they are excited about the images I create. I had the opportunity to work with Becky Van Vleet early on for Talitha the Traveling Skirt. We live close and were able to meet in person to chat about the book. Along with the two of us, the children’s book editor from Becky’s publishing house was there as well. Together, we were able to pare down the manuscript and tell much of the story with the images, which is always better when creating a children’s picture book. Because I was able to feel Becky’s passion for her story, I was able to shape the images to tell the story using meaningful tid-bits from Becky’s photos and memories.

Q: What medium did you use for the illustrations of this book?

A: Currently, I do all my illustrations on my computer using my Wacom tablet and Corel Painter’s software. Using this program, I can select many different mediums from pen and ink, to watercolor, and oils and acrylics.

Q: What advice do you have for young people who may be interested in art and illustrating?

A: Go for it! When I was contracted for my first project, I was terrified. But God is faithful and with each story, I have gained both skill and confidence. I would highly recommend a wacom tablet for beginners. The model I use is smaller than a sheet of paper but allows me versatility and convenience. I am able to choose canvas size from the beginning to make uploading or sharing more streamlined for the editor.

Q: Where can our readers see more of your work?

A: With the exception of one story, all of my projects are available through Amazon.

2020’s publications include:

Harvey the Traveling Harmonica by Becky Van Vleet,

I Hate Oatmeal by Jan Lis,

Benny Learns a Lesson by Cheryl Johnson,

Fairy Tales & Faith by Antwan Houser,

Mayflower Marty by Luann Hamill,

High-water Hattie by Shelley Pierce

Thank you, Becky and Courtney, for taking the time to tell about your work and these wonderful books that highlight the love and joy we have in our families!

 Molly and I are looking forward to the next two books in the Traveling series!

Please join us for our next post that has a fun art activity to highlight the special things about Your family!

Winter Picture Books to Read Aloud

Here are some wonderful picture books to read aloud during the winter. Most are classics—many Caldecott winners—so they’re readily available in your library or in many bookstores as well as on Amazon. It’s amazing how many Caldecott winners have been about winter!!

Two of these books have mice in them! So here’s a mouse reading a book!!

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, 1948 Caldecott medal. While adults work to shovel or continue their work through the snow, the children build snowmen and taste snowflakes on their tongues.

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt,, wikimedia fair use

The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader, 1949 Caldecott medal. Forest animals prepare for a big snow.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, 1963 Caldecott medal. A young boy enjoys the first snowfall in the city.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Wikimedia fair use

Frederick by Leo Lionni, 1967 Caldecott Honor book. While the other mice gather food for winter, Frederick, a mouse artist and poet, gathers beautiful colors and stories for long, bleak winter days.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, 1988 Caldecott medal. A little girl and her father take a late night walk to see and hear an owl. Other forest creatures appear in the illustrations.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, 1999 Caldecott medal. A nonfiction picture book about a Vermont farmer at the turn of the century who loved nature and with great patience and determination, learned how to photograph individual snowflakes.

Here’s a brand new picture book about winter that younger children will really enjoy.

Once Upon a Winter Day by Liza Woodruff, 2020. A little boy wants his mother to read a story. When she’s too busy, she suggests he take a walk. At first he grumbles, but soon is caught up in following a mouse’s tracks through the snow. He finds feathers, acorns, and other tracks that make him wonder what happened.

In beautifully illustrated 2-page spreads, the reader sees what happened—a flock of birds taking off, a herd of deer feeding, etc. Children will enjoy finding the mouse in each of these illustrations and following the boy and the mouse to their homes. When he gets home the boy tells his mother he has stories to tell!

Once Upon a Winter Day and The Snowy Day provide a nice contrast between a winter walk in the city and one in the country.

Make some winter memories! Go for a walk or build a snowman with your children or grandchildren, then come in to share one or all of these books around a fire while sipping hot cocoa!

Does your family have a favorite book about winter? Let me know in the comment section below!

Writing News:  I have 7 devotions in the Spring 2021 (March-May) quarterly of The Quiet Hour devotional available from David C. Cook. If you’re interested, you can enjoy 3 months of short, daily devotions by a number of authors.

Looking Ahead:  This month we’ll be looking at a painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson. It shows a man, perhaps a grandfather, teaching a young boy how to play the banjo. Tanner was well-known for his realistic and compelling religious paintings, which I love, and I showed two in my Christmas blog—The Annunciation and The Angels Appearing to the Shepherds.

1st post will tell a little more about Tanner and The Banjo Lesson painting, as well as include a short kid-friendly devotion.

2^nd post will have a related art activity highlighting the importance of family.

3^rd post will be an interview with a children’s author whose work also highlights family and passing down traditions!

Molly and I hope you’ll join us for a great month of engaging hearts and hands to discover God in art!