Archives for 2015

I have often said, “Every child is born an artist.” I believe this to be an absolute truth. If you were to spend any time at all with a child, you’ll notice how adept they are at expressing themselves whether it is through drawing, painting, dancing or acting. All of these behaviors are untaught, they come naturally and even without much thought. Why is this? This is because children are inspired by everything around them. You’ll notice some will be inspired by a trip to the zoo, so they’ll draw animals. Others might be inspired by music, so they’ll dance. Children have a number of muses, for me it was dinosaurs. I was obsessed with drawing them, molding their images out of clay and staring at their pictures in books. Everything about dinosaurs was fascinating; they were an amazingly unreal group of animals – large, powerful and most importantly an enigma. We knew they existed by evidence of their bones, but everything else about them was kind of a mystery. Everything from the color of their skin to how they acted. Of course, back when I was a child, they were slow, stiff, tail-dragging behemoths lumbering about attacking each other. At least every rendition of dinosaurs made them appear this way. In order to make them look dynamic in books, illustrators always portrayed them either biting each other or eating plants. And if it was a Brontosaurus it was pictured next to an obligatory Blue Whale; for some reason they felt this would give a child a good perspective of scale. When all was said and done, dinosaurs didn’t seem natural they were more like monsters than animals.

But as time passed, little by little, scientific discoveries began to chip away at our perception of what dinosaurs were. And in the process they slowly drifted away from being monsters to becoming animals – animals that ate, reproduced and defended themselves to ensure the next generation of their species continued. Really no different than say, a lion or a giraffe might do today in the Serengeti. But still, dinosaurs were unique if compared to modern-day animals. Some were enormous and armed with an arsenal of weapons from teeth to claws, some even had sharp elongated spines protruding from their necks. Their mystique is still alive – people want to experience what they were like. This explains the popularity of movies like the Jurassic Park franchise and the amount of books and websites dedicated solely to dinosaurs.

Inspired by my own daughter’s sense of wonder, I sat down to create Ancient Earth Journal: The Early Cretaceous, to not only satisfy my life-long passion for prehistoric life, but also to share with other children. You see, the wonder and inspiration you are gifted as a child changes as we grow older. For some of us, we become pigeonholed into a career or trade or become tied to obligations. But for a fortunate few, regardless of their journey, this sense of wonder remains with them throughout their lives. By writing and illustrating this book, it was my intent to share my passion for both art and prehistoric life and that this book serves as an inspiration to wonder, imagine and possibly bring people closer to the intriguing wildlife of the Early Cretaceous.

Guest post Credit: Juan Carlos Alonso.

Now..for the book!

What it would be like to see a living, breathing dinosaur? The Early Cretaceous brings readers closer to prehistoric life than ever before. By combining the latest paleontological findings with highly detailed, intimate drawings of wildlife from the Early Cretaceous, readers will look into the eyes of some of the most fascinating creatures to ever inhabit the earth. Written and illustrated in the style of a naturalist’s notebook, the viewer will be given a first-hand account of what it is like to stand alongside everything from the first birds to flying dinosaurs to some of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. Through detailed illustrations and descriptive narrative, readers will discover how some dinosaurs survived polar blizzards, while others were able to pump blood five stories high to reach their brains. While many books on prehistoric life lump dinosaurs into the general timeline of the Mesozoic Period, no book currently dissects plant and animal life during one specific period. This allows the book to explore wildlife seldom featured in publications, many of them recent discoveries. The Early Cretaceous is backed by the research of one of paleontology’s most acclaimed theorists, giving the book the most up to date scientific interpretation regarding animal behaviors, interactions, and recreations.

I received a copy of this book and it really is quite amazing! The drawings and the facts provided make for a great educational resource for kids of all ages! I highly recommend for ages 8-12. 

More about the Author:

Juan Carlos Alonso is a Cuban American graphic designer, creative director, and illustrator. He has over 30 years experience in the graphic design/illustration field. In 1992, he founded Alonso & Company, a creative boutique specializing in branding, design, and advertising. He has been working with clients of all sizes from Fortune 500 to local businesses and has forged strong relationships with companies including the NBA franchise The Miami Heat, Bacardi Rum, Ryder System, Pitney Bowes, and Capitol Records. Alonso & Company has attained international acclaim for work in advertising and graphic design. His passion for nature has taken him around the world from Australia to the Galapagos Islands to study animals. Along with his work in the graphic arts, he is also an accomplished wildlife sculptor focusing mostly on prehistoric animals.

http://alonsopaleo.com/

I have participated in a Blog Tour!

We have teamed up for a Giveaway! US and Canada residents only! To enter, leave a comment below telling us your favorite dinosaur or your child’s favorite dinosaur. Deadline to enter is September 12th, 2015 at noon PST. One winner will randomly be selected via random.org.

Self Disclosure: I received a free book to participate in the Blog Tour. One winner will win a book, which will be sent to them by the Author.

Does a slow cooker make it quick and easy to put hot meals on the table every night? Or does it, as Sam Sifton wrote in the New York Times, “promise joy” but too often “deliver mush”? Even as the popularity of the appliance skyrockets (sales have doubled in the last fifteen years), the question still fiercely divides parents and home cooks.

Among the most opinionated is Phyllis Good, the mom behind the national bestselling Fix-It and Forget It slow cooker recipe books, which have sold over eleven million copies.
Known for eschewing expensive ingredients and exotic flavors in favor of truly foolproof recipes, Ms. Good is propelled by the belief that slow cookers make it easy to cultivate quality time with loved ones. Now she is out to prove that her traditional brand is exactly what modern families are missing.
Her newest release, Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Magic (August 4, 2015) will make it easy for all types of families to gather around the dinner table—not just nuclear households with 2.5 children, but also millennial roommates living on a budget, college students, single parents, and anyone in between.

Slow Cooker Magic highlights vegan recipes, and features a variety of dishes perfect for every season— not just winter—like banana chocolate chip bars and cornbread, in addition to the usual soups, stews, and casseroles.

I received a copy of this book and love the recipes! This is a Must-Have cook book for the Fall!

Find it at Amazon.com.

About the Author Phyllis Good is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold more than eleven million copies. She received her BA and MA in English from New York University. She and her husband, Merle, live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Self Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to facilitate this post.