New York Times live drawing interview!

Hey everyone!
I finally get a chance to breath a little and sit down and update my blog! Phew! The past few months have been a flurry of activity and travel that I will try to catch up on in a few posts soon, but for now I wanted to share my live drawing interview that I did a few weeks ago with The New York Times Children's Book Editor Maria Russo. I still am pinching myself that it actually happened. It was such an honor and SO much fun to chat with Maria while getting to draw live in real time for Facebook. In case you missed it here's the Facebook link:

https://m.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/10151146327034999

You can see me work and learn a bit about my process, upcoming project, and which animals I DON'T like to draw!

More to come soon on my other recent activities... stay tuned!

jxoxo

Laundry Day Book Launch and Youthcare Drive!

Wow! It's already time to welcome my third picture book, Laundry Day, into the world! It will be held at Secret Garden Books in Seattle on February 7th at 7pm. Not only will I be doing a book reading and giving out goodies, but I am also organizing a donation drive at the launch for YouthCare, a Seattle non-profit that helps homeless youth in the city. If you plan on coming, see if you could bring one (or more) of the items below. We'll be clipping up the donated items to a laundry line in the store in conjunction with my book's theme- hanging up laundry!

Any donations will be so greatly appreciated for this truly heroic Seattle institution! Here's a current list of items that YouthCare needs:

New underwear
New socks
Backpacks
Jeans and coats
Alarm clocks
Plus sized clothing & shoes
Reusable Water Bottles
Sleeping bags
Blankets
Travel-size hygiene supplies
New razors
Dental Supplies
Gift cards (Target, Fred Meyer, QFC, etc.)
Orca cards & bus tickets

I hope you can make it to the launch!

For more info about YouthCare, visit: http://www.youthcare.org/

2017 and... we're OFF!

Aye Carumba! It's already 2017 and I am already behind on my blogging. (Good thing I didn't make it a new year's resolution to blog more!)

I'm so happy to start off the new year with some fun news!


On January 28th form 9-10am, I'll be participating in a webinar series for SCBWI (YAY!). I'm joining such children's books greats as Tara Lazar, Josh Funk, and Linda Ashman!

I'll be chatting away about polishing person style (for your books that is). Finding your voice both visually and with words is no easy task, but we all have it in us! Here's a link for more information and how to register for the webinars:

https://inlandnw.scbwi.org/events/from-bright-idea-to-the-final-page-turn/

I'm always excited at ANY opportunity to geek out and talk about picture books and the craft of making them. So join me and the other amazing writers for some serious geek out time!



There's more to chat about, but I'll just make another post, so I feel more encouraged that I'm blogging more. ;)


Happy 2017!
jx

Is it still 2016???

There would be no way of knowing from reading my blog!

Apologies for the lack of updating since June.

I'll update soon with a WHOLE BUNCH of news, I promise. But for now here are the highlights over the past five months to whet your whistle:

• Golden Kite Award and SCBWI LA National Conference (OMG amazing!)
• Summer at SAM open artist (Super fun and a perfect excuse to draw outside!)
• Finished making a book with my husband (BEST collaboration ever!)
• Won the Washington State Book Award (WHAT????? YES! OMG!!!)
• Picture Book Panel for the Seattle Public Library (SOOO much fun, I could talk about books all day!!!) 

I will elaborate on these amazing items soon- hopefully in a post Thanksgiving haze next weekend...

BUT Until then- I'll be riding a party bus with Sherman Alexie and a ton of other amazing writers for Indies First this coming weekend. Oh yeah!!! It's going to be CRAZY!

And if you are in Seattle, come to one of our stops!

I'll also be doing a story time at the Seattle Public Library on December 3rd and their winter book fair on December 17th. Stay tuned and come out if you can!


OKAY!
More to come!
Until then, HONK HONK! BEEP BEEP! TOOT TOOT!

jx

Urban Craft Uprising this weekend!

Hey all!
I wanted to mention that I'll be signing and selling copies of Before I Leave this weekend at the Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle! (UCU is an AMAZING and huge indie craft show where you can buy oodles of amazing wares from crafters both local and abroad.) I'll be there to draw in books and I'll have some fun little giveaways for folks to enjoy too!

Also, my husband Aaron Bagley will be drawing in copies of the book Rocking Fatherhood which he illustrated. The books author, Kris Kornelis will be there signing as well!

So come on out for some book and crafting fun. The signing schedule is below. We'll be at the UCU booth. Hope to see you there.

Good News!

Hey everyone!
I've been meaning to share some recent good news with everyone. Boats for Papa was given the Golden Kite Award for Best Picture Book Text for 2016! I'm so thrilled by such a great honor. This book means so much to me and to have it acknowledged by SCBWI is sooooo huge!

 

Thank you so much! I even get to put a big shiny gold sticker on my book!!! woo hoo

I will be accepting the award at this year's SCBWI Conference in L.A. alongside other amazing and talented peers in the picture book world. Ahhhhh!!!

And if that's not enough, just this past weekend my second picture book Before I Leave was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review! I'm having another one of those "am I dreaming?" sort of moments. To have received a review once was a lifetime achievement, but twice??? Uh-mazing.

Okay, glowing moment over. But I had to share it online so one day when I'm old and forgetful I can go onto my blog and get a reminder for this cool moment.

jx

Thank YOU!

Hey everyone!
I've been meaning to write a little something about my amazing school visits that I went to during February and March. I went to the Silverwood and Pearson schools in Washington and then was down in Portland and visited Jason Lee K-8, Hiteon Elementary, and my alma mater Chehalem Elementary! I talked to over 250 kids among the 10 class presentations spanning k-5th grade. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! I loved getting to share my books and my book making process with so many awesome kids. All of the classes were so engaged and respectful and they asked great questions. They even sent me stacks of amazing thank you letters and drawings! Opening the mail was like Christmas morning!!!

It was such a fun experience especially to go back to my old elementary school and walk the halls where I spent 1st-6th grade. So much had changed and yet so much was different. I even gave a presentation in my old 5th grade classroom! Needless to say that was a surreal experience being in the same place I once was 24 years ago-sitting on the carpet watching a picture book illustrator talk about their books and book making process- but now I was the one standing up in front of the class talking about my very own books. (AND they let me go in the Teacher's Lounge and have Rice Krispy treats!-BOOYA!)

The privilege of making picture books has been one of the highlights of my life- achieving a lifelong dream and getting to share it with the world is something that is hard for me to put into words. And it turns out the sharing part was even more rewarding than I'd hoped it could be. I loved every second of sharing my passions with kids and I hope that they took away even the smallest bit of inspiration from my visit. I looked out onto a sea of little faces, and saw myself staring back at me. It was a moment that transcended time. Rarely does one get such an opportunity to experience their life in such a full circle manner, and I am forever grateful to have had the chance.