Celebrate the Z-Kids Art Blog Anniversary

Children’s book author and illustrator Aaron Zenz and his kids (called “The Z-Kids”) have been blogging about their art projects at Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty for the last five years. As their milestone anniversary draws near, they are celebrating with a fun art challenge for grown-ups!

Aaron and the Z-Kids invite you to dip into their blog archives, find a favorite piece of kid-rendered art, and do your own take on it. When they celebrated their 3-year anniversary two years ago, over 70 pieces of artwork popped up from grown-up artists over the course of a month. Let’s make their 5-year anniversary one to remember!

Here are a couple of sweet examples by my friends Nina Crittenden and Sharon Wagner:

Art by Gracie Zenz (left) and Nina Crittenden.     Art by Gracie Zenz (left) and Sharon Wagner.

Go ahead and visit the blog, re-do your favorite piece, and email the image (or a link to a post on your blog or website) to Aaron at zenzart@hotmail.com before July 29, 2011. He'll post the results in early August. This little collaboration exercise is great for a warm-up sketch, blog post, or portfolio piece, so I hope they get tons of submissions!

Children’s Book-inspired Lunches

Whether it’s called a “tiffin” (in India), “bento” (in Japan), or just “lunch,” a home-packed midday meal is a welcome part of any school or work day. I pride myself on packing my husband meals in his Mr. Bento pretty frequently, but these food artists put me to shame! Check out these colorful and healthy children’s book-inspired lunches that hopefully balance out all my posts about cake:

Calvin and Hobbes

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Lorax

Where the Wild Things Are

Ask Me How I've Suffered

Having a webpage devoted to FAQs, or "Frequently Asked Questions," is a really useful tool to include on websites. I highly recommend that children's book illustrators in particular write one and keep it updated since they'll be directing people to it quite often. My website already contains a FAQ listing common queries I receive on a regular basis, but today's blog post showcases some of the more amusing questions that are occasionally thrown at me by well-meaning grown-ups and inquisitive children. Read on for your own enjoyment:

Do you have a real job?
If a real job means working very hard for long hours, frequently sacrificing free time and occasionally breaking down in tears, then this job is as real for me as it gets.

How much money do you make?
I could tell you, but then I’d have to beg you not to repeat it with such pathetic, sniveling sobs that you’ll be utterly disgusted and wish you’d never asked.

How old are you?
Take a guess!

Why don’t you have kids?
I love kids, and I know it’s surprising that someone who revels in the nerdery of kid lit wouldn’t have any herself, but the wee ones get their fill of me during classes, school visits, and having me as an auntie. If you’re holding out for me to get pregnant, you’re welcome to get in the line that starts with my in-laws and goes around the block.

Are you really Mexican? You don’t look like it.
I am half-Mexican thanks to my dad. I take after my half-Korean mother, but as I like to joke with adults: You can tell I’m Asian when you look me in the eyes and Mexican as you watch me strut away.

Writers and artists: what funny, annoying, or even regrettable questions have dogged you over the years? Please share in the comments!

Bloom Like an Artist

This charming web comic has been circulating amongst my artist friends recently. I never really thought of my artistic side as an entity separate from myself, but I really dig the idea and think the characters are terribly cute. Click the image to see the whole thing, courtesy of Norwegian artist Ida Eva Neverdahl, aka Jelly Vampire.

More Children's Book Cakes

It's a little too late to post this in honor of National Library Week, but really, anytime is a good time for children's book-themed cakes. Check out these beauties, my favorites out of a selection compiled by Cake Wrecks:

Check out Cake Wrecks' Sunday Sweets post for even more awesomeness and baker credits. Thanks to Laura Purdie Salas for the tip!