Books for Kids by Dena McMurdie

I've Moved!

2009-11-09T09:57:00.001-06:00

I wanted to have a more organized website for my children's illustrations, so I've moved over to

www.studiodena.com

Please head over there to view my new blog and portfolio pages.

Trick or Treating: Story and Illustration by Dena McMurdie

2009-08-04T17:18:00.004-05:00

I stared at the big empty house on the hill
As the hair on my neck stood up with the chills.
Did I dare make my way up that creepy old stair
To look at the old woman rocking her chair?

Trick or treating is fun – that’s what they say.
But no one’s gone treating over this way.
I’m the only one brave enough to come near,
If the steps creak, do you think that she’ll hear?

I took a deep breath and I started to walk
Step by step up the stairs, too frightened to talk.
The steps DID creak, and loudly too!
My feet started to shake uncontrolled in their shoes.

A shadow passed by the light of the door
Gliding so quietly over the floor.
My throat was so dry, my tongue is so numb.
Why didn’t I come before the set sun?

I gulped very loudly, t’was something to hear
Quickly brushing away quite a small tear.
The pit of my tummy churned as a knot
And I thought of the woman, stirring her pot.

Tale had it that she was a witch
Who ate little children who dared make the pitch
To come close enough on Halloween night
to ask for candy by gulping their fright.

This reminder was clear as the voice in my head
Remembering all the stories they'd said.
“Billy boy braved the house one year.
Never came back, that’s what I hear.”

“Margaret went up on a dare,
Disappeared without even a care.”
Fear gripped my heart and turned it to stone
And I felt chilled right down to my bones.

That did it – I made up my mind
I turned and moved my behind
As fast as I could I ran from that place.
I’ve never ran faster, not even at race.

I didn’t care what the kids at school say;
They weren’t the ones on the steps that dark day.
She could be sweet and lovely and neat,
But I know that I’m not too good to eat!

****************************************************

I realize that it is quite a bit early to be posting Halloween stories and illustrations, but that is what I've been working on lately.

Just about every child grows up thinking that at least one house in their neighborhood is haunted. There is always the house that children dare each other to go to, especially on Halloween. I was much like the character in this story, I would make it halfway up the steps, then fear would overtake me and I would high tail it away from there. This story is reminiscent of children's experiences on Halloween night - braving the dark and the spooky homes to reach the ultimate goal: a full bag of candy.

The Hay Muncher: Poem and Illustration by Dena McMurdie

2009-07-27T09:30:00.004-05:00

Nay nay nay! I eat hay
What can I say?

Say say say? I cannot say.
After all, I just eat hay!

*****************************************************************

This is a silly little rhyme that was running through my head one morning. I wrote it down and thought that it would make a cute illustration as well. The top image is the drawing I made before I put paint on it. Obviously the bottom image is the finished illustration. Sometimes I like to post the different stages of my process so that anyone reading this blog can see the various steps involved.

It's Funny How Things Change

2009-07-24T17:18:00.002-05:00

I started this blog with the intention of writing and illustrating an entire book and recording my progress. Then my daughter was born and it upset all my plans. I still have the rough draft of the book that I was going to post as it progressed. Perhaps now would be a good time to get back on the wagon and finish my long procrastinated project!

I am still planning on freelancing as well. My biggest problem at this point is the fact that I don't have any of my scanned illustration files with me. I left them all in Wisconsin. Luckily, it won't be too much longer before I am reunited with my old computer and high quality files. In the mean time, I will be plugging along on my many projects.

I know it is a little early for Halloween, but here is a little ghost to cheer you up!

Taking the Next Step

2009-07-10T11:48:00.003-05:00

I think I have reached the point in my illustrating that I am going to start freelancing. I have developed a strong portfolio and I have been feeling restless lately, like I need to be advancing in a positive direction. So, I am going to take the next step and start submitting my samples to publishers. I will continue to update this blog and provide samples of my writing (and other's writing) and my artwork.

It feels good to have a goal in mind and I just can't wait to get started! I have already started to research possible publishers to submit my artwork to, and now I just need to get some samples printed up and mailed off. Wish me luck!

Contact Me

2009-07-07T21:29:00.002-05:00

I love hearing from my blog readers, so feel free to contact me. If you have a project you would like me to work on, need some artwork for your children's room, or just have something to say, shoot me an email!

denamcmurdiestudios@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Counting Sheep

2009-07-06T17:27:00.005-05:00

One, two, three, four
Sheep are flying off the floor
Off the floor and over the gate
This is something I really hate.

I cannot sleep although I try
I'm so tired I could cry.
Sheep keep coming they will not stop
There they go, HOP HOP HOP!

I count them as they jump
One, two, three, thump!
I wish I could count past four
It would help me so much more.

I just came up with this little poem on the spur of the moment, so please forgive the rough draft. If I get a chance, I will work on it some more and re-post it.

Some Fun Little Vector Illustrations

2009-06-24T13:15:00.002-05:00

These are just some fun little illustrations I did on the computer a few days ago. They are simple white outlines, but they have a certain feel to them. I enjoy creating any type of adorable illustration!

The Overweight Holstein Revisit

2009-06-18T12:21:00.002-05:00

This cow can moo and so can you
But be careful what you do
Or you’ll LOOK like this cow too!

I had all these silly rhymes running through my head this morning, so I thought I would write them down. One of them just fit perfectly with this illustration that I did so long ago, so I thought I would revisit this one. Hopefully I will have more time to dedicate to my illustrations now. Illustrating is one of the many fun things I get to do with my art and I have missed being able to practice it so frequently.

I Had a Little Rabbit - Part III: A Children's Story by Clarice Paterson

2009-05-07T13:54:00.008-05:00

Here is the other half to my two page spread for "I Had a Little Rabbit" by Clarice Paterson. I was surprised at what a challenge this side was. I had to coordinate the color scheme to match the other half so that the two separate pages would work together when the book is held open. I have had such a great time illustrating this story! I loved coming up with this scenario of the little girl hiding under the covers in her bed with all her rabbits stuffed under the covers in fear of the girl's mother.

Below is an example of what the book will look like when it is opened up to this page.

I like my many rabbits,
I like them a whole lot.
But I can tell you one thing
My mother, she does not!

I Had a Little Rabbit - Part II: A Children's Story by Clarice Paterson

2009-04-23T11:16:00.004-05:00

I like my many rabbits
I like them a whole lot.
But I can tell you one thing
My mother, she does not!

Okay, so this is only half of Part II. This is going to be a two page spread and I am only done with one page. The little verse will be for both pages though.

I had so much fun with this illustration! I painted it from the child's point of view: all her precious rabbits are scattering, trying to run as the big, scary mom swings the door open. One little rabbit cowers in the direct path of the mom. The mom is trying to catch a few because they are overrunning her home.

I really tried to push the color intensity in this one. I've noticed that watercolor tends to get washed out looking once it is transfered to a digital file.

Goodbye Lookybook!

2009-03-28T16:24:00.004-05:00

Lookybook decided to say goodbye to us all. So I don't have my Lookybook pick anymore. But this is just a really cute little book that I wanted to share before I can't anymore! I realize that the text is too small to read, but the artwork is wonderful. Enjoy my last Lookybook Pick!

2009-02-07T22:46:00.004-06:00

Well, I got back from all my vacationing and am looking forward to getting back to work. These are a couple of vector illustrations I did recently. Even though I don't have a story to go with either one of them, I felt that they were appropriate for Valentine's Day.

I will be working on a new two page spread illustration for the story I Had a Little Rabbit, by Clarice Paterson. Check back later to see it! :)

Three Blind Mice

2008-12-16T20:26:00.005-06:00

Three blind mice,
Three blind mice
See how they run,
See how they run!

They all ran after
The farmer's wife
She cut off their tails
With a carving knife
Did you ever see
Such a sight in your life
As three blind mice?
**********************************

Okay, I made a big fat liar out of myself. I said that the next story would be Part II of "I Had a Little Rabbit", but I have some more contemplating to do about the book as a whole before I can complete any individual illustrations.

This illustration was a lot of fun. Even though the mice are blind, they still party like rock-stars. In fact, the one mouse doesn't even look blind - he is pulling his glasses down to get a good look at...well, something. Cheese perhaps?

I will be MIA for a while now during the holidays. I'll be doing some traveling so I won't be able to paint any illustrations for a few weeks, but I'll keep drawing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Lookybook

2008-12-12T10:43:00.004-06:00

Lookybook is a wonderful new website for anyone that loves picture books. You search and discover new books, and even preview and read the book before you buy it! You can create your own custom bookshelf of books that you love. I added the link to my list and put one of the books from my bookshelf in the sidebar. Happy Looking!

The Gum: A Children's Story by Deborah Andreasen

2008-12-03T16:10:00.005-06:00

I sigh and kick the wheels on the shopping cart. Mom hates it when I do that.

“Millie, stop that!”

She always yells at me in whispers when we’re at the store.

“I’m so bored.” I hate grocery shopping.

“We’re almost done sweetheart.”

I look up at the pile of groceries moving slowly.

“Not likely.” I say quietly so mom won’t hear me. “Can’t I just go –”

I don’t remember what I was going to say, because in front of me is the most beautiful color of pink I’ve ever seen! Just like Barbie pink.

I don’t know what it is, but it’s pink. I stand on my tippy-toes to get a better look at what it is. I see a swirl of green. Such a pretty green.

Mom doesn’t see me as I reach across the mounds of stuff we are buying and pull a small box off the shelf.

I run my fingers across the plastic before I realize what it is. I’ve seen this package in my mom’s purse, only she’s never had pink before.

“It’s gum!”

“What honey?” My mom turns to look at me. As soon as she sees what’s in my hand, she starts to shake her head.

“Oh please, Momma, please?” My mom is still shaking her head. “I have money from my allowance. Please, I’ll pay for it with my own money.” I’m jumping up and down. The cashier stops moving to watch me. I stick my tongue out at him when my mom isn’t looking.

She takes a deep breath and makes a funny face at the gum.

“Ok, if you really want it…”

“Thank you mommy.” I hand the gum to the man and watch as it beeps across the screen. I’ll have no money left, but I don’t care. It’s the prettiest color pink I’ve ever seen. And I like the green too.

I hold the gum with both hands as we walk to the car. Mom says I can’t have any until I get home, and then I have to sit at the kitchen table and chew it. I don’t care, it’ll be worth it.

Finally! It’s time. I tear off the plastic and throw it to the side. Slowly I open the pretty pink package. I pull out a powdery piece of green gum and slip it in my mouth. I close my eyes, knowing I’m going to love the taste. How could I not?

I chew as fast as I can, excited to find out what my gum will taste like. What will it be? Strawberry? Watermelon? Actually, the gum was green, so maybe apple?

Slowly, I stop chewing. I’m not smiling anymore, and my mouth hurts.

“Honey?” My mom asks. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s…” I can’t think of the word. “It’s…” What is the word? “It’s…disgusting! What is it?” I spit the sticky wad into my hand.

“Well, it’s Green Bean Gum. See the green here on the package?”

“What?” I start to cry. “No one told me it was Green Bean Gum!” I sniff. “I really need to learn to read!”

************************************************************************************

This was such a cute story, I had so much fun illustrating it. It took me quite a while to get the face of the little girl to look right. I never knew it could be such a challenge to make a face look disgusted!

Up Next: I Had a Little Rabbit; Part II by Clarice Paterson

Vector Illustrations

2008-11-09T13:46:00.003-06:00

I have been working on the illustration for the story "The Gum" by Deborah Andreasen. I am having quite the time getting it to work though! It is a funny little story that everyone will love. Unfortunately, I have several other large projects that I am working on as well, so it is pretty slow going. Being an illustrator means that you can never give one project your undivided attention. You have to have several things going at once. So here are a couple of things I completed recently. These are vector illustrations that I did using Corel Draw. For those of you who don't know what vector means, it is an illustration that is done on the computer and can be scaled to any size.

I Had a Little Rabbit by Clarice Paterson

2008-10-23T09:35:00.006-05:00

I had a little rabbit

I put her in a pen

But when I took her out again
There was not one but ten.

This illustration was a lot of fun for me to do. There is a lot of action and movement going on, which makes it fun and interesting. The poem is just an excerpt out of an entire book. Hope you enjoy it!

Up next: The Gum by Deborah Andreasen

If you would like your story on Books for Kids then send it to me at denamcmurdiestudios@gmail.com. Once I get an illustration done for it, I'll post them both here!

My Goodness!

2008-10-18T23:37:00.002-05:00

I know it has been terribly long since I have posted anything new on this blog. I have been extremely preoccupied with other projects at the present time. However, I am working on a fun new illustration that goes along with a little story! If all goes well and I don't have too many interruptions, then I will post it sometime during the coming week. Keep your fingers crossed and eyes tightly closed - it may take more than luck to get this done!

Do you have a story to tell?

2008-09-19T21:52:00.001-05:00

Send me poetry
Send me prose

Send me stories
Yes, send me those.

Send me tales
And your fables

Of kings or mice
or lovely gables.

If you have a story (suitable for children) that you would like illustrated, send it to me. I'll provide an illustration for your story. Once complete, I will post the illustration and your story here on Books for Kids!

Now, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. We don't want terribly long posts, so please keep your stories short - about 250 words.
2. If your story is too long, send me an excerpt.
3. Make sure that you have edited and spell checked your story.

Send your story or poetry to me at denamcmurdiestudios@gmail.com. Please state if you would like your name to accompany your story or if you would like it to be anonymous.

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Fireflies

2008-09-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

I would like to tell you the story of my very first encounter with fireflies:

Twilight had fallen on our first evening in the Midwest. We were standing outside of our apartment, far away from the city lights. As I looked out across the large yard, I noticed what looked like sparks from a fire lighting up throughout the grass. Drew looked at me and asked,

"Have you ever seen a firefly before?"

"No." I replied, secretly hoping he might catch one for me.

With a twinkle in his eye, Drew began chasing after the fireflies in the yard. Hands outstretched, ready to catch these magnificent little bugs, he ran zigzagging through the grass until he was all the way on the other side of the yard. Finally, he caught one. Excitement filled my mind as he ran back towards me, the prize cupped safely in his hands.

"Are you ready for this?" he panted.

Breathless I nodded, anxious for the release. I could barely contain myself as I thought that I might catch a glimpse of this mysterious insect up close as it was set free.

In one fluid motion, Drew raised his hands up high, and then . . .

SPLAT!

He threw it on the ground and squished it, right before my eyes. Horrified, I stared at the glowing guts by my feet.

"Isn't that cool?" he asked.

"Um, I guess." I said, still staring at the poor little critter. We watched until the glow faded into nothing, and then left the firefly on the pavement to be forgotten.

Three O'clock Finished

2008-07-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

If this poor teacher's exhaustion wasn't enough, here it is in full color.

Three o'clock

2008-07-28T15:46:00.001-05:00

I think that just about every teacher feels this way by the time 3:00 rolls around. With homework and books piled up on the desk, this teacher collapses in her chair, too tired to care about the paper airplanes and spit balls littering the floor and wall.

I'm a Nerd

2008-07-27T21:26:00.001-05:00

I thought that my idea for Darin the Deer (a few posts down) was so ingenious and funny. A few weeks after I completed that illustration, I rented "Open Season". For anyone who has not seen that movie, one of the main characters is a deer that gets his antlers stuck in the ground. Okay, I'm not as original as I thought I was. Oh well. I have a couple of new illustrations to post, but I have to finish tweaking the drawings first. Once I feel that they are ready for the web, I'll get them up.

Nothing New

2008-07-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

Well, unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to work on my illustrations or stories lately. Work on my illustrations came to an abrupt halt when I ran out of watercolor paper. Everything else was also put on hold while we moved halfway across the country. We are still getting unpacked and I still don't have any watercolor paper, but I have some ideas in the works. As long as I can find some paper, I should be back on schedule soon!

Humpty Dumpty Finished

2008-06-02T18:34:00.000-05:00

Here is the illustration of Humpty Dumpty in its finished state. It didn't photograph very well, but you can get the idea.

Humpty Dumpty

2008-05-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is still the drawing stage of this illustration, but I liked it so much that I had to post it. You know, I have never quite figured out why Humpty Dumpty is ALWAYS portrayed as an egg, but I succumbed to peer pressure and made my Humpty an egg as well. I had quite a fun time drawing this.

Darin the Deer

2008-05-29T22:43:00.000-05:00

Once again, this illustration took longer than previous ones. The main reason for this is that I left and went to Canada for a few days. The idea for this illustration came when I started thinking about deer. One thing led to another and I wondered what it would look like for a good looking buck to get his antlers stuck in the ground. Well, now I know.

Children's Romance

2008-05-17T16:38:00.000-05:00

This illustration took quite a bit longer than the other ones. If you can look at the two illustrations (the top one is the finished one) and tell me what the problem with the first one is, then you get 5 brownie points! I'll give you a hint, the problem was NOT the girl's right arm. I got this far, realized the huge mistake I had made, and had to start from the beginning again. But the final result is the top illustration.

The Overweight Holstein

2008-04-28T18:05:00.001-05:00

This is my latest illustration. I tried several different ideas with Holstein cows, and this is the one that finally worked out! I laughed as I drew it.

2008-04-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

And this is the finished piece. I used watercolor to paint it.

Here is the drawing after I transfered it to watercolor paper and re-drew it in ink. As you can see, I fixed the fishing line so that it is longer, making much more sense.

New Illustration

2008-04-14T18:13:00.001-05:00

So this is my project for this week. I got this idea the other day and thought I would give it a try. I thought it was a cute concept, especially since bears are known for their impeccable fishing skills. This is how all my illustrations start out - with an idea. Then I usually think it out for a couple of days and make some small sketches of the concept, working out the kinks. Obviously, I didn't work out all the kinks with this one, because the fishing line is WAY too short. I will have to fix that... So then I make a large drawing of the illustration, and get everything ready to transfer over to watercolor paper. Once I transfer it, then I re-draw the entire drawing in pen, and then finally add the paint to it. I will keep posting as this one progresses.

The Lovesick Jester

2008-04-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, I have a problem staying on one project for any long period of time. So in order to keep myself interested in doing a project, I have to do other little projects just for fun. So this is a piece I like to call "The Lovesick Jester". I imagine this little frog so in love with some lady frog, but he isn't quite sure how to approach her to give her the little wilting flower he holds.

Beginning of an Idea

2008-03-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I am finally learning the tricks of the trade with Motherhood. Nobody can quite explain how challenging and time-consuming this full-time job is. Perhaps I will work that into my story somehow - the unknown trials that come with becoming a Mom. Here is my first illustration in the rough mode. It may be a little hard to see, but hopefully you will get the general idea. I intend for this story to be a little comical. I want children to understand and parents to laugh at the awkwardness of pregnancy.

2008-03-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I had no idea how hard having a baby would be. I thought that I would have all this time while she slept to blog, write, and work on my stories. It hasn't happened quite that way. My baby was born on February 17th, and she is beautiful! I love spending every minute with her and I am so excited every day to see what new things she will do. She is growing very fast. Hopefully one of these days very soon I will be able to continue working on my stories. She was the inspiration for the current story I am working on, so I hope that I will be able to continue working on it now that she is here. It is a story called "Max's Mom". I will put more information on about it once I get further along.

The beginning of a blog/children's book

2008-02-07T12:17:00.001-06:00

I have often heard of blogging, but I have never really tried it before now. So here it goes. I have recently had the magnificent idea of writing and illustrating my own children's books. It all started with a simple idea for a book, then it expanded into several more ideas for books. I knew I had to write them all down or I would never remember them all. So one evening I took the initiative and wrote them all down - the general idea at least. I've decided to work on one at a time, developing characters and illustrations for one until I am ready to send it to a publisher. Once I have sent one off, I will start working on the next one.

The first book I am working on is one that I can identify with personally. I am expecting my first child, and the physical changes and challenges are quite an experience! I have started the first few illustrations, and I will post the progression of them and hopefully keep everyone up to date on the publishing process (and hopeful success!).