Medieval Mermaids: The Zennor Mermaid

Mermaid bench, St. Senara's Church, wood, embroidery, 15th century, Zennor, Cornall.

In the small village of Zennor in Cornwall, England in St. Senara's Church, you'll find a beautifully carved wooden bench whose end pieces probably date from the 15th century.  The carving shows a mermaid holding what looks like a mirror and a comb (historical mermaids really loved combing their hair).

The story of the mermaid behind the carving was first recorded by the Cornish folklorist William Bottrell in 1873.  The folktale says that she appeared at St. Senara's Church as an elegantly dressed lady, who loved to sing with the parishioners during their services. Her sweet voice enchanted the congregation and they always remembered when she visited though it was often years between her visits. And though many years passed, she never seemed to age.

One visit, a young man named Mathey Trewella caught her eye and ear with his own melodious singing voice. After the service, they went for a walk together, and he wasn't seen in the village again. People wondered what had happened to the pair, until some time later a ship anchored in Pendour Cove was addressed by a mermaid requesting the ship raise anchor because it rested on her front door and she couldn't reach her children. Based on this encounter the townspeople concluded that Trewella had gone to live with the mermaid in the cove.

Cornish poet Charles Causley wrote a picture book retelling this tale, The Merrymaid (Mermaid) of Zennor, illustrated by Michael Foreman. 

The Merrymaid of Zennor, Charles Causley, illustrated by Michael Foreman, Orchard Press, 1999.

The Merrymaid/Mermaid of Zennor is available for purchase on Amazon and Amazon UK.

Picture Book Idea Month 2015

And drumroll please..... Voila!

Starting November 1st, I'll be participating in the wild and wacky writing motivation spree called Picture Book Idea Month. Hosted by the talented author Tara Lazar on her super helpful blog, Writing for Kids While Raising Them.

I participated in PiBoIdMo last year for the first time. It was an excellent exercise in not editing myself. I think sometimes as writers we think that whatever comes out of our brains has to be gold the first time. This can inhibit our freedom and imagination. An activity like this forces you to be less critical of your ideas, because you're brainstorming seeds of ideas, rather than a finished product. Afterward, you can go back and see what might be worth fleshing out into a full story. 

For more information, you can read my recent Writers' Rumpus post about PiBoIdMo.

Eric Carle Museum: The Art of Fred Marcellino

This weekend I took a trip out to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art to see the special exhibit A Renaissance Man: The Art of Fred Marcellino.

Fred Marcellino was the illustrator of (probably) my favorite picture book ever, the 1990 version of Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault that was a Caldecott Honor book that year.

I remember getting the book when I was 13, which is a bit old for picture books, but I was drawn in by the beautiful illustrations and playful storytelling. Puss is the kind of hero anyone could appreciate. He's clever, shrewd, hard-working and determined. He uses his wits to keep himself from getting eaten and to help the miller's son find better fortune.

The exhibit included some of Marcellino's art supplies and tools from his studio.

Fred Marcellino's colored pencil carousel

His cabinet of inspiration

The exhibit featured much of the final artwork from Puss in Boots, quite a bit of Marcellino's other children's illustration, and some of his earlier work for adult books and album covers. (Alas, photography wasn't allowed, so I can't show you more.)

Not surprisingly, the Puss in Boots artwork was the highlight of the visit for me. To see in person, pictures I've loved for a long time and to see up close the detail and richness of original art that can get lost in reproduction, made me feel like I was reading the story for the first time again. I remembered how I felt as that awkward 13 year old girl and why she fell in love with picture books then.

I also learned that Marcellino spent time in France, sketching and researching the setting and costumes for Puss. The attention to detail in the work is staggering. His preparation shows in every page, from the miller's windmill to the Ogre's palace to Puss' ruffled collar.

The show is only up for another week, as it closes October 25. So, if you want to see Puss in person you better hurry.

Click here for more information about the Eric Carle Museum and this exhibit.

Writers' Rumpus blog for kidlit authors & illustrators

As I'm about to head off to my second NESCBWI Conference in Springfield, MA this weekend, it seems fitting that I should share about another blog I occasionally write for--Writers' Rumpus.

Writers' Rumpus is an online journal for SCBWI members who want to share their opinions, expertise, book reviews, author, agent and editor interviews, and more.

Many of the contributors are members of the Andover, MA critique group and some are honorary members who have graduated from the group, but still share their insights.

What all the contributors have in common is their love of children's literature. Authors, illustrators, author-illustrators, pre-published, published, agented, unagented--we're all happy to read, write and learn whatever we can about children's literature and the journey of publication.

So, if you're looking for some new information from people excited about writing for kids, stop on by!

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley and William Heath Robinson

The Water Babies by Reverend Charles Kingsley was first published in its entirety in 1863. This hardcover version (a gift from my coworker Doug and the serendipitous Rockport, MA transfer station) looks to be from 1915, published by the Houghton Mifflin Company.

This volume is in fairly good condition for being 99 years old. It's a little weathered around the edges and there's some water damage, some of the front pages are a little loose, but they're all present. It's too bad the front cover illustration is missing.

Here's an image I found of the front cover on Google. This illustration also appears later in the story.

 The content of the story is didactic in tone and tells of a young chimney sweep named Tom who falls into a river and drowns. He becomes a water baby and sets about having various moral adventures, which culminate in his quest to redeem his old master, Grimes. Grimes also drowns, and is given a chance at life if he can perform a final act of penance. 

Through the story Kingsley shares his concern for the English poor and questions the use of child labor. However, he also reveals several typical Victorian prejudices towards Americans, and the Irish Catholics in particular.

I confess I haven't read the story in its entirety yet. My main interest is with the illustrations by William Heath Robinson.

There are two different illustration styles represented in The Water Babies. First, a pen and ink, black and white style, like the illustration below.

I love the art nouveau, Mucha-like look of the lady and how her dress floats around her in a graceful swirl.

The second style, found in the color plates, is a dreamy watercolor style which is well suited to the numerous underwater scenes.

 William Heath Robinson lived from 1872 - 1944. He was best known for his "drawings of ridiculously complicated machines for achieving simple objectives." He also illustrated many classic fairy tales and stories including The Arabian Nights, and Tales from Shakespeare. Original drawings by Robinson are available for purchase in the UK.

I think I like his pen and ink style the best. The slightly cartoon-y quality of the pen and ink figures have a lot of personality and charm.

Mermaid of the Moment: Merbaby by W. Heath Robinson

This little guy is a teaser for a longer post I will be doing shortly about The Water Babies by Charles Kinglsey, illustrated by W. Heath Robinson, copyright 1915, from Houghton Mifflin.

Stay tuned for more water-babies!

My Writing Process - Pyewackett of Salem

Last week, children's writer Sophia Mallonee linked to The Daily Mermaid from her post on The Red Door Blog. This week I'm sharing my process and projects. 

What am I working on now?

I’m working on several different picture book manuscripts right now. In particular this year, I’m focusing on a story called Pyewackett of Salem/Pyewackett Sets Sail. It’s the story of a ship’s cat on the merchant vessel, the Friendship of Salem, and a cabin boy named Thomas, taking their first voyage to sea together.

I wrote the story with my husband George Courage who is an illustrator and graphic designer. We put together a dummy of the book and two sample illustrations and submitted it to three publishers so far. We're getting ready to send it out to another publisher this week.

How does my work differ from others of the genre?

This story differs from other picture books because it’s based on a historical time period and therefore required a bit of research for both the story and illustrations. Having a ship's cat on a merchant vessel was a common practice during the late 1700's, early 1800's. While I couldn't confirm for sure that the Friendship had a ship's cat, it's fairly likely. So, in writing the story I wanted to imagine what it may have been like for a ship's cat and a cabin boy's first sea voyage. We wanted to make the story as historically accurate as possible while still making it fun and engaging for children.

Another thing that makes this story different is that people can visit the ship where the story takes place. A full-size replica of the Friendship of Salem is docked at Derby Wharf and is part of the nine acre National Maritime Historic Site in Salem's waterfront.

Since we live in Salem it’s been pretty easy to walk downtown to the Visitor’s Center to talk with the park rangers who give tours of the Friendship, visit the Peabody Essex Museum, and to find books and resources about Salem’s maritime history.

Why do I write what I do?

I write picture books because I love the form. I love how words and pictures blend together to create a magical experience for children. I also love picture books because they’re one form of writing that’s almost always read aloud, so there’s a certain aspect of performance to reading them. I have a background in theatre and oral interpretation, so I have a deep-held love for the spoken word. There’s a unique thing that happens between an audience and a performer, and I feel that reading picture books captures part of that.

I wrote this particular story to tell about an aspect of Salem’s history with which people might not be as familiar. Most people know about the Witch Trials of 1692, and what a tragic event that was, but there is more to Salem’s history. I chose to tell the story of a ship’s cat because I love cats, and it’s an interesting entry point into the history of this period.

How does your writing process work?

I keep a small journal in my purse and by my bed in order to record any ideas or interesting dreams I have.

Dreams are great for ideas or for brainstorming new stories. I sometimes feel like I’m the most creative when I’m asleep. Sometimes I get really funny, kooky ideas that would be great for picture books. Other times I have really scary, fearful dreams. Not that I would use those in a picture book per se, but it’s always interesting to analyze them, and they could become a motivation behind a picture book character.

I also like to visit and explore museums, gardens, reservations, and historic homes in and around the area where I live, and when I travel. The journal in my purse is perfect for visiting these kinds of places. Inspiration for a new story can happen anywhere.

As far as making time to write, I work full-time during the week, so I write mostly on the weekend. I’ll sit down on Saturdays in the late-morning or Sunday afternoon to hash out an idea I have, make revisions, or write a blog post.

Thanks for reading! Next I'll be passing the blog tour baton to illustrator Nancy Meyers.

Nancy Meyers, whose mother was a watercolor artist, grew up surrounded by paints, pastels, crayons, and colored pencils. She continued to study art throughout high school and college. After working more than 20 years as a designer and art director, she began writing and illustrating for children's publishing. She has illustrated over a dozen books for children, and her doodle books (Buster Books, London) have been translated into six languages. Nancy endures the world's most absurd weather extremes living in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, and one not-so-well-behaved dog.

See more of Nancy’s work at nancydrewit.wordpress.com.

Mermaid of the Moment by Abigail Halpin

This lovely mermaid scene is by illustrator Abigail Halpin. Abigail has illustrated many children's books, including Bella's Rules from Dial Books for Young Readers and Mia's Boiling Point: #10 Cupcake Diaries from Simon Spotlight.

I met Abigail at the NESCBWI conference in May. We bonded over our shared affection for cat-eye glasses and of course, mermaids.

To see more of Abigail's work, visit her site, Theo Design or her blog.

Mermaid of the Moment: Neverland's Sea Sirens

Still from Peter Pan, 1924, directed by Herbert Brenon.

 “Peter was not with them for the moment, and they felt rather lonely up there by themselves. He could go so much faster than they that he would suddenly shoot out of sight, to have some adventure in which they had no share.

He would come down laughing over something fearfully funny he had been saying to a star, but he had already forgotten what it was, or he would come up with mermaid scales still sticking to him, and yet not be able to to say for certain what had been happening.

It was really rather irritating to children who had never seen a mermaid.”

― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

My First SCBWI Conference

A couple of weekends ago I took a big plunge into the children's literature world. I went to my first New England SCBWI conference in Springfield, MA.

If you're not aware, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI is the largest networking organization of children's writers, illustrators and publishing professionals in the world. They offer critique groups to members, conferences, a member's magazine and newsletter, and many other perks that I'm still learning about.

I truly had a wonderful experience. I met many positive and friendly people who were also excited to talk about their work and love for children's writing.

I did feel a little overwhelmed on the first day of the conference on Friday. I knew that as soon as I said goodbye to my husband George in the hotel lobby that I would have to put my introverted self on a shelf for the weekend, and embrace the reality of meeting dozens of new people, in a new place, and learn lots of new things. Which I gratefully did.

I went to several workshops which were helpful and informative on many levels, and I had a picture book manuscript critique with an editor from local publisher, Islandport Press. The critique was helpful, and I'll be looking back to the notes I received closely in coming revisions.

I even worked up the nerve to introduce myself to an agent. She didn't seem bowled over by my somewhat nervous picture book pitch, but she kindly wished me luck with it. I do feel proud of myself for taking that first awkward step.

I knew before coming to the conference that one of the major goals of the event is to create a place where networking relationships can happen, and to demystify the work of editors and agents so that authors and industry professionals can communicate more freely. They are, of course, people with goals and deadlines to meet too.

Looking back on the conference experience, and my experience with my SCBWI critique group so far, I really only have good things to say. I'm thankful for the help, support and keen advice of fellow authors on the road of writing children's literature. 

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

In The Classic Treasury of Hans Christian Andersen from Courage Books, Copyright 2002, there is a version of The Little Mermaid. All the stories in this collection have been retold by Margaret Clark.
 

The classic tales are accompanied by the artwork of Christian Birmingham, rendered in chalk pastel and pencil.

The illustrations are so delicate, soft and dreamy it seems as though the littlest mermaid will float right off the page. The views from under water help you see the world from her perspective.You begin to feel her longing, seeing a new and strange world, but being unable to touch it.

Margaret Clark's retelling gracefully recreates the story. I especially like how she sets the reader up to anticipate the little mermaid's first glimpse of the world above. She leads us through her five older sister's encounters with the human realm, but each of them conclude that while the human world was intriguing, their home is under the water. But this is not the case for the youngest princess. She sees a beautiful boy celebrating his 16th birthday aboard a glowing ship, festooned with fireworks, and is immediately captivated.

When a storm suddenly overtakes the ship, she decides to save him, and in this way she sets her heart on someone she cannot have.  Although her unrequited desire becomes her downfall, the littlest mermaid learns to love selflessly and she's given a second chance and a soul.

The Classic Treasury of Hans Christian Andersen from Courage Books is readily available from many booksellers for about $10.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

There is another stand alone version of The Little Mermaid illustrated by Christian Birmingham, and translated by Naomi Lewis, from Walker Books, copyright 2009.

This version is a bit more difficult to find in hardcover. Well, you can find it, but the price goes up. A lot.

The most affordable hardcover version I could find in North America was $128 on Amazon. The paperback is more accessible for about $30 from Amazon, if you have to have it in your picture book collection and you're on a budget.

We do have The Classic Treasury in our picture book collection already, but I think I would like to purchase the stand-alone from Walker Books as well. However, it will probably be the paperback version for this household.

The Montague Bookmill & The Hungry Clothes

Three of the things I adore most in the world (apart from my husband and a good sandwich) are books, cats and nature. Books and nature have the ability to inspire you and take you on a journey. And cats, with their comforting sameness, (they're always waiting for you at home) make me feel safe and cozy.

The Montague Bookmill in Montague, Massachusetts may not have any cats, at least not any that I could see, but they do have an abundance of books, sunny nooks to read in, and several windows from which to view the rushing river and stately trees. There is also a café and restaurant on the premises in case you get hungry while sitting for hours looking at used books, as I did on a recent visit.

I plopped down in front of the picture book section and browsed for a couple hours. Since this a used bookstore, I didn’t find a lot of bestsellers and newest/hottest releases, but I did discover many unique and thoughtful children’s books, and a few of last year’s trendy titles. 

I’d like to highlight one of the children’s titles I picked up, The Hungry Clothes by Peninnah Schram. 

The Hungry Clothes is a collection of 22 traditional Jewish folktales. I enjoyed these stories for both their writing and their message. These tales are funny, insightful and profound. They speak to virtues like courage, cleverness, kindness, and loving family.

In college, I was introduced to Jewish literature through my Contemporary American Literature class, where we read Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Saul Bellow. (I liked Singer’s short story Gimpel the Fool, so much that I adapted it into a one-act play and directed it for an independent study in theatre my senior year.) What I love about these writers is their ability to bring the transcendent into the everyday, and to make you feel connected to a larger story. I also like that their worlds are moral worlds. They show that there is a certain way to behave in the world, and that the best way, is for us to treat each other as human beings, flawed though we are.

Reading the stories in The Hungry Clothes reminded me of these Jewish-American writers. Similar themes run through their work as these folktales told to children. Many of these stories are very old, passed down from generation to generation, and told to children to inspire them to be brave, shrewd, and loyal. I like to think that perhaps Singer, Bellow and Aleichem were told these same stories, or some variation thereof, when they were children. And that these stories inspired their work as adults.

I guess you can never know how your story may affect the heart and mind of a child. That's why we should keep telling them.

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Getting back to the bookmill---I hope I’m able to visit it again soon. The comfy chairs, plenteous books, fresh air, and dappled light are calling me. Even without cats, it feels like home.