California Kids - August 2018

August 2018

Who wrote that?

KIDLIT CREATORS WHO MAKE KIDS WANT TO READ An interview with Henry Herz

By Bitsy Kemper

Who Wrote That? is a monthly column that profiles the talented authors and illustrators who are bringing children’s books to life.

W

hen Henry Herz was young, he wasn’t thinking writing creative fiction was in his future. He wanted to be a garbage truck man. He says it’s not because garbage “had any particular appeal,” but that he thought it was cool how the man got to ride standing on the outside of a truck, and “got to pull the lever that made the truck swallow the trash.” So maybe he was the creative type all along. He did say the Good Humor man (ice cream truck driver) came in second for careers, “even though the payload was clearly more interesting.”

He ended up earning a BS in industrial engineering from Cornell, then

both an MS in applied mathematics and an MA in political science from Georgetown University— which he adds—”NONE of which are related to writing children’s books!”

Now author of 10 titles and counting, he shares his love of writing with his own kids. He talked with columnist Bitsy Kemper about his journey to publication.

Bitsy: Are your sons budding authors?

Henry: A few years ago (in a galaxy far away), I

wanted to share my love of the fantasy genre with my young sons. They were too little for watching most of the fantasy and sci-fi movie classics, and there are only so many good fantasy books available for that age range. Struck by inspiration one day, I came up with a way to share the joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. I would write a fantasy book for them. That decision had unintended consequences.

BK: In what ways?

HH: I didn’t anticipate my boys would give me feedback on the story. They devised some of the character and creature names, and made plot line suggestions. And who better to help make the story appealing to kids than other kids? So, the goal

of interesting my sons in fantasy transformed into also encouraging them to write.

BK: Had you been a budding author yourself, before this?

HH: No, actually. Through that experience with my sons, I discovered how much I loved writing for kids. We ended up self-publishing that story (Nimpentoad). I then joined the group SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators), found a critique group and kept honing my writing skills. I sold my first picture book MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES to a traditional publisher a few years later.

BK: How did you get that very first one (traditionally) published?

HH: SCBWI! My first big break was winning Best Picture Book at the Orange County SCBWI Editor’s Day event.

BK: So many titles published since then! Where do you get your ideas?

HH: Ideas can also come simply from observing the world around us. One day while shopping, I spotted an illustrated refrigerator magnet featuring an See Herz, page 3

www.valcomnews.com Publisher: David Herburger Editor: Monica Stark Contributing Writers: Bitsy Kemper, Carmel Mooney Art Director: John Ochoa Graphic Designer: Annin Greenhalgh Advertising: Melissa Andrews, Linda Pohl - 916-429-9901 Cover art by Annin Greenhalgh California Kids! is published monthly and distributed to more than 1,000 locations in the Sacramento Valley, including all of Sacramento County, and portions of Yolo (Davis and Woodland), Placer (Rocklin and Roseville), El Dorado (Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville) counties.

Subscriptions are available for $30/year. Mail prepaid check or money order to California Kids!, 1109 Markham Way, Sacramento, CA 95818. Make sure to specify the person and address to which you wish issues to be mailed.

Deadlines for advertising and calendar listings are the 25th of the month prior to publication. Calendar listings should be mailed to 1109 Markham Way, Sacramento, CA 95818, faxed to (916) 429-9906, or e-mailed to editor@valcomnews.com.

Copyright 2018 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. 1109 Markham Way, Sacramento, CA 95818.

Phone: (916) 429-9901. Fax: (916) 429-9906. E-mail:calkids@valcomnews.com. ©2018 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

2

Watch for our Semi-Annual insert

SenIor

L I f e S t y L e S

In papers on 8/9 and 8/16 Senior services, Resources, Products & Events!

Count on Community newspapers to keep you engaged and informed!

CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • AUGUST 2018

Herz:

Continued from page 2

angry-looking anthropomorphic tomato, lettuce, zucchini, etc. The caption read “Steamed vegetables.” I’m a big fan of wordplay, and at that moment I realized how many food-based idioms are out there. So, I set out to write a food-centric wordplay picture book, and GOOD EGG AND BAD APPLE is the result.

It came out this year.

BK: Which of your books are your favorites?

HH: Ah, the classic literary Sophie’s Choice.

Of my books that are released, I’d have to say MABEL & THE QUEEN OF DREAMS. It’s an urban fantasy bedtime picture book inspired by Mercutio’s soliloquy from Romeo and Juliet. The narrator morphs from a mom telling her girl a bedtime story into the Queen of the Fae. It uses “benevolent guile” (young readers tend to mimic the protagonist’s actions)

to encourage kids into bed and to close their eyes. Also, the illustrator added wonderful layers and details that I didn’t anticipate.

BK: OK, last question: pizza or burger?

HH: Another Sophie’s Choice! Pizza. No, hold on, filet mignon! No, wait, pizza topped with filet mignon!

Talk about creative! Keep on writing, Henry, and we’ll keep reading.

Bitsy Kemper is author of 16 children’s books and 5 e-books. You may have seen Bitsy on CNN, heard her on national radio, noticed her quoted in a range of places from Parenting magazine to Writing Children’s Books for Dummies, or seen her work in countless newspapers, radio and TV stations across the U.S of A. Busy with three kids (four if you count her husband), she happily finds time to present at schools and writer conferences from CA to NY. Find out more at www.BitsyKemper.com

FIND OUT MORE about HENRY HERZ

Henry lives in sunny San Diego with his wife, two sons, loyal hound, and indifferent crested gecko.

He is a process-improvement consultant by day, and crime-fighting children’s author by night.

Website: henryherz.com • Facebook: @henry.herz • Twitter: @HenryLHerz

Favorite sayings: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

Who would play him in a movie?

Patrick Stewart (“because he’s a great actor and has even less hair than me”)

SEE HENRY HERZ Aug. 25 – San Diego Festival of Books Sep. 30 – Orange County Children’s Book Festival in Fullerton Oct. 7 – Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego Oct. 20 – Scripps Birch Aquarium in La Jolla

BOOKS BY HENRY HERZ MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES (art by Abigail Larson, 2015) WHEN YOU GIVE AN IMP A PENNY (art by Abigail Larson, 2016) MABEL & THE QUEEN OF DREAMS (art by Lisa Woods, 2016) LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH (art by Kate Gotfredson, 2016) CAP’N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW (art by Ben Schipper, 2017) HOW THE SQUID GOT TWO LONG ARMS (art by Luke Graber, 2018) GOOD EGG AND BAD APPLE (art by Luke Graber, 2018) ALICE’S MAGIC GARDEN (art by Natalie Hoopes, 2018)

Coming soon: TWO PIRATES + ONE ROBOT (art by Brian Bowes, 2019) ​SHERLOCK CHICK & BUNNY WATSON (art by Patrick Girouard, 2019)​

Let’s go to the City!

SF Ferry Building Farmers’ Market Exploratorium

Pier 41

PIER 39 Shops & Dining Fisherman’s Wharf

AT&T Park

Daily ferry service from Vallejo

Giants Game Service Follow. Connect. Share.

For Ferry Route, Schedule, Ticket and Terminal Information www.SanFranciscoBayFerry.com (707) 643-3779 AUGUST 2018 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

3

Faces at the

FAIR

Photos by Monica Stark

From the midway to animals, to exhibits featuring some of the best of the best to free entertainment, visitors enjoyed many attractions at the California State Fair from July 13 to 29 at Cal Expo in Sacramento.

4

CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • AUGUST 2018

AUGUST 2018 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

5

Make it yourself!

Seasonal Tree Canvas You will need: 1 canvas (or piece of card) Brown poster paint Pink, green, yellow, orange, red, light blue and silver paint Instructions: Paint your hand and wrist in brown paint.

Stamp onto the canvas with your fingers spread wide to be tree branches.

Tree hand print Fingerprint green leaves onto the tree Add some green grass underneath the tree Fingerprint flowers under the tree Summer tree canvas

Make An Indoor Garden

W

e used bits and pieces from our junk cupboard as well as scraps of fabric and found objects from the garden to make this miniature indoor garden - a great project for a rainy afternoon, to being the outdoors inside!

You will need: A small square of wood or tough cardboard for the base Green felt or other fabric to cover Green wool or sponge for the bushes An old CD, scraps of fabric, tissue paper, cardboard and other bits and pieces Twigs and pebbles from the garden Instructions: Gather all your materials together and begin to design your garden, using our ideas as a starting point but letting your imagination and the objects you have on hand help you come up with your own ideas, too.

We used an old CD as a formal ornamental pond, surrounding it with pebbles and attaching a spray of white netting as a fountain in the middle.

Tiny twists of colorful tissue paper stuck to the base suggest flowers.

Our garden bench is assembled from scraps of balsa wood and cardboard, with a rectangle of green floral fabric as the seat.

We built a birdhouse using scraps of corrugated cardboard and a twig from the garden. To stand it up we used a big dollop of glue from a hot glue gun (older children must be supervised when using a hot glue gun, and younger children should let an adult apply the glue for them).

Notice the bush made of a loose, scrunched up ball of green wool (yarn).

We are sure you can think of many other ways to decorate your own miniature model indoor garden!

Sup'r Oliver Childrens Entertainment With Sup’r Oliver’s Children’s Entertainment: You provide the location, We provide the fun & that Sup’r Wow Factor!

That’s a Guarantee…No that’s a Sup’r Guarantee!

GIVE US A CALL NOW AT

(916) 207-4096 or visit our Website: www.suproliver.com *Prices and Locations May Vary

6

CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • AUGUST 2018

Puffy Paint Picture

M

aking your own puffy paint and painting a puffy paint picture is fun for kids of all ages and uses basic supplies only. Have a go and see what the kids can create! We think it is particularly appropriate for a minibeasts picture because of the lovely 3D textural quality the puffy paint provides.

You will need: Flour Salt Water Food coloring Card Instructions: Mix together equal parts flour, salt and water.

Divide into separate containers and add a couple of drops of food coloring to each, creating as many colors as you like.

Spread the pastes thickly onto the card using cotton buds to make your picture.

The American River Natural History Associa�on presents

Make A Garden Plaque

Here is a clever craft idea for summer. Kids can make this garden plaque extra special with all their treasures and display it in the garden to admire - or give it as a very special gift!

NatureFest logo

by Ariel R. age 11

Save ! the date

You will need: Plaster of Paris Aluminum pie case Shells, pebbles, acrylic gems, marbles or other water-resistant treasures to decorate.

You could even use small plastic toys such as figures or toy cars.

Instructions: Make sure that you have a covered surface to work on and your children have overalls to protect their clothes. Gather all your materials in advance, as Plaster of Paris dries quickly.

Mix up the Plaster of Paris in an old jug according to the instructions on the packet.

Pour into the pie case.

Carefully lay your decoration on top (note: they will sink a little no matter how carefully you do this; if you are too rough they will sink a lot!)

Leave to dry for a couple of hours and then remove the plaque from the pie tray.

Dig a hole in the garden and pop in the plaque. Back-fill with soil so that the top of the plaque sits level with the flower bed.

Sponsored by:

Sunday, October 7 S 10am to 3pm

at Effie Yeaw Nature Center a

Live Animal Shows � Kids Activities Guided Nature Hikes � Demos & Exhibits ADMISSION: $5 per adult ��Kids 12 & under FREE! www.SacNatureCenter.net 916-489-4918 AUGUST 2018 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

7

www.patternsforcolouring.com

Have fun coloring!