”Oh the places you’ll go!” – Dr. Seuss

I have just returned from a six week vacation that took us to some wildly wonderful and unexpected places. We drove the vast and isolated deserts of Nevada, Arizona and California, and met some very interesting characters. Before we took the trip, I had been wondering about the direction of this blog, the questions were “How can I be helpful? What should be the focus?” This trip allowed me to realize that my love for meeting people and my passion for teaching can be combined.  I am in the learning process myself and would like to introduce you to the great people I meet along the way.

Today, I would like you to meet i Cenizal, a children’s book illustrator whose work I admire for being whimsical and fun. With more than 25 published children’s book, i Cenizal is a seasoned artist. It is no wonder then, that the layouts, designs and illustrations of her work are truly flawless. Her style is easily recognized for her like of pastels, round character heads and beautiful outdoor sceneries. Apart from being a skilled illustrator, she is a well-rounded gal with knowledge of video and animation editing,  photography, writing, painting and a love for cycling. She blogs about her passions and art over icenizal , a blog definitely worth a visit for your daily dose of cuteness. The blog has a wonderful collection of her different art styles as well as a generous portion of her first picture book- Mafi and her first bike ride Amazon.com: Mafi and her First Bike Race eBook: i Cenizal: Kindle Store one she authored and illustrated.

And now for an Interview with iCenizal:

How did you get started as an illustrator?

I have always loved art, as a kid I loved drawing and reading picture books. At some point I decided to blend these two through illustrating Children’s Book.

How did you find your style? has it changed since you first started?

In the past, I painted using oil pastels and it occurred to me that I could also use these colors for my digital illustrations.

How would you describe your work?

I would describe my work as “carefree, and child-like” Illustrations that appeal to children and can easily be understood by them. I do illustrate using different styles, when requested by the author.

How many books would you say you have illustrated in your career?

More than 25 published books.

What is the best/most fun part of your work?

Everything, from reviewing the story, making character studies, storyboarding, to illustrating and coloring.

What is the worst/most difficult part of your job?

Honestly, I have no idea. I am very fortunate to do what I love most and I appreciate every part of it.

What motivated you to illustrated and write Mafi?

There are a lot of Alleycat / Bike races here. I was riding my bike one time in the streets of Manila and I felt like everybody was moving, I felt like the vehicles were chasing me, I sensed the speed of light, as if  I were on a race. And that night, I felt like I needed to record it or illustrate that vision.

When you are not working what do you like to do?

Ride my bike just like Mafi,  and read books

What fonts would you recommend for the interior of a picture book? for the cover?

I use simple easy to read fonts, nothing too playful.

What advice do you have for someone looking to hire a children’s book illustrator?

I suggest for the author to really look through the portfolio of the illustrator, and see if their story will fit with the artist style of artwork.

How much do your illustration services cost?

I have no standard rate,  it depends on the story, number of pages, details of the illustrations, and numbers of characters.

Thank you i Cenizal! We look forward to more of your work.

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If you have ever read articles on “how to write for children”,  many will tell you to steer away from writing obvious lessons. The advice has merit and is true for most of us… but what do you do if you have a completely different perspective and approach of the “how” to  of dealing with common behavior issues in children? What do you do if you have a background in Psychology, a know-how in conflict resolution and an interest in helping children?  You take on a direct approach.

This is true of this week’s featured Indie Author, Shimrit Nothman, who has taken a straighforward approach with her children’s books:  Give it Back! , No it’s Mine!, and Justine, We’re Late!

The books aimed at children age 3-8, follow Justine and her brother Benjy, as they learn to deal with common childhood troubles. Problems such as: sharing, taking without asking, sibling rivalry and common arguments. The children’s toys will offer different approaches to dealing with a conflict, and the children are left to decide what advice to follow.  The books have a clever twist, Give it Back! is written from Justine’s perspective, while No It’s Mine! from brother Benjy’s.

I can imagine the nitpicking that would be done to this book by traditional publishers, but the reality is, as parents we appreciate a little help.  At the end of each book is a “Parents Guide”, and “Tips for Resolving Problems with the Little Ones.”  You get two books in one, and it might just be one of the best well-spent .99cents.

We sat Author Shimrit Notham to answer  a few questions as well as give us a little advice…

I received my BA in Psychology and Communication at Haifa University, where I was also elected as the president of my university’s Debating club.

After working for a few years in the ‘Debate Ltd’ company, I attended Tel Aviv University, where I received my Masters in Conflict Resolution.

One of my most cherished childhood memories is my mother telling us bedtime stories.  Some were stories read from a children’s book and some were stories she made up on the spot. My love for stories never ceased, and when I found myself at the age of 30 writing children stories of my own, it felt just right.

‘Conflict Resolution’ may seem like a very heavy concept that only applies to grown-ups, but really it is a general name to any fight, argument or disagreement that we experience in our life. Children are no different to adults in that regard. They deal with several different conflicts at school or kindergarten, and at home everyday.
On top of that, studies found that adults tend to carry on using the same conflict resolution skills they’ve developed at childhood.

For both these reasons, I’ve written children’s books, on the basis that the effective conflict resolution skills they learn today will help them tomorrow and for many years to come.

The first big challenge that I had was figuring out the basics: Where do I find a good illustrator? How do I upload my book on Amazon? and How do I use the KDP free promotion days effectively?
The second biggest challenge that I’m facing is motivating myself. When it’s only you behind the wheel, you must wear many hats: you’re the writer, you’re the publisher, you’re the strategist and the promoter. You need to decide what portion of your time goes to what task, and there is no one pushing you forward and encouraging you to ‘keep up the good work’.

This is the reason why I’ve joined a few different support groups for authors, aimed at helping self-published authors tackle some basic self-publishing issues, and also offering mutual emotional support to all the group members.

Find a good illustrator!  I guess it goes without saying that nicely illustrated books sell better than poorly illustrated ones. The problem is that generally good illustrators charge more for their work. Self-publishing authors have less funds available than big publishing companies, and so new authors normally look for every option to cut costs, illustrations included. However good your book is, the book’s cover is the first thing that catches the eye of your potential readers. Many times it’s the deciding factor for them whether to purchase your book and read it or look for something else.

Therefore, my advice is- find a good illustrator! It will pay itself back in due time.

You can find my books on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Shimrit-Nothman/e/B00CESJVD8/

I’m currently in the midst of writing a conflict-resolution themed book aimed at adults. I’m also considering adding another book to my children’s book series about little Justine who faces conflicts wherever she goes.

The short answer is – try keeping out of it! It may be the hardest thing for a parent to do, but has potential to yield the best results in the long run.

Here is an article I wrote for The Jerusalem Post about this exact problem just a few weeks ago:

http://www.jpost.com/LifeStyle/Sibling-rivalries-Interfere-or-not-interfere-328375

Also, each of my books available on Amazon contains a Parents’ Guide, with suggested methods of helping their children learn to deal with conflicts, through use of the books and in daily life.

Thank you Shimrit, Indie Author of the week for her theme choice, direct approach and great book reviews.

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