Madame Poulet, Monsieur Roach & Friends puppets w Dianne

Friends:

To accompany our newest book, Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, Marita Gentry (illustrator) and I have created printable puppets you can use to enhance story time! Here is the link where you can print the puppets – http://www.storyconnection.net/?content=madamePoulet. The puppets came out so cute. Here are the instructions.

Madame Poulet & Monsieur Roach puppets (other roaches are hiding behind Madame Poulet's back)

Madame Poulet chicken puppet

Materials:
Madame Poulet puppet pattern
http://www.storyconnection.net/?content=madamePoulet
Small paper plate
Jumbo craft stick
Construction paper in four colors

Directions:
Cut Madame Poulet from the pattern provided. Don’t forget her feet. Trace a child or adult’s hand on four different colored sheets of construction paper. Cut out the hands. Glue the chicken to the paper plate. Glue the jumbo craft stick to the back of the paper plate (bottom of the chicken). Glue the chicken feet to the bottom of the chicken. Position hands behind the chicken’s head and attach with glue, creating feathers. Done!

Madame Poulet, Monsieur Roach & Friends puppets

Monsieur Roach & Friends Puppets

Materials:
Monsieur Roach & Friends puppet pattern
http://www.storyconnection.net/?content=madamePoulet
Card stock
Black glove (you may use any inexpensive dark glove – gardening gloves work well)
Chenille sticks in blue, red, orange, yellow and green (2 sticks each color)
Hole punch
Hot glue

Directions:

Print out the roaches on card stock. Cut out the roaches. Punch holes where the dots indicate on each roach, being careful not to get too close to the edge of the roach. Create antennae, arms and legs, threading the chenille through the holes. Curl antennae by wrapping the chenille around your finger or a pencil. Hot glue roaches to the glove. The largest roach, Monsieur Roach, is blue and brown and should be glued to the thumb of the glove.

Alternatively, you may also glue each of the roaches to small craft sticks so that the roaches could be played by multiple children or adults.

Find the puppet script here!
http://www.storyconnection.net/activities/mpmr/MadamePoulet_MonsieurRoachPuppetTheaterScript.pdf

Watch the book trailer here!
http://www.storyconnection.net/?content=videos

As Monsieur Roach says, “Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!”

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

7-13-09 Going home from ALA Chicago 2009

Friends:

Okay, I was supposed to blog a couple of days ago but I got stuck in a quagmire of catch-up work. So the above picture was taken on the plane from St. Louis to New Orleans (Chicago to St. Louis then a layover). I took the picture after the warning was issued, “We are approaching our final descent into New Orleans. At this time, please turn off and stow all electronic devices and bring your seat and tray table to its full, upright and locked position.” I know. I know. It’s dorky to know that by heart but I fly. A LOT. hahaha So I was being a bad girl and snapping pictures on the sly. Here is the Mighty Mississippi…

7-13-09 The Mississippi River from plane window

So after coming in a little early, I head for baggage claim and was greeted by this sight. A group of young brass band musicians were preparing to give some VIP a jazzy welcome. Where else in the world can you land and be serenaded by a brass band?! It is, after all, the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Here is a picture of John Perkins of the One Mind Brass Band prepping his horn.

7-13-09 John Perkins from One Mind Brass Band at the New Orleans airport

Such a cool sight. But the best sight of all is seeing your little girl running to greet you. Here is my cutie pie, Eliana, all DIVA-ed out in a new rock star-ish outfit. And yes, that is my cute zebra suitcase behind her. LOL

7-13-09 Coming home to my cutie pie, Eliana!

It’s been a productive week – I executed a book contract, handwrote a million thank you notes, entered ALA contacts, followed up with ALA contacts, edited a manuscript going to production, worked with my assistant and my web designer, sent out my newsletter, and even created a book trailer for The Cajun Cornbread Boy (more on that later).

And I am still processing all that went on at ALA! What a wonderful conference it was!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

7-11-09 Dianne signing books at ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited

Friends:

Today, I signed books at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago. I was very pleased with the traffic in the exhibit hall – a lot of people came through. One library director bought a copy of each of my books and said that my books were “the best thing she had seen all day.” How cool is that?

I had some friends stop by such as Amanda Leblanc from the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (I presented there in March – awesome conference!) and Becky, Alison & Nancy from the Tennessee Association of School Librarians (where I will be presenting in September). I also ran into Tammy Dibartolo from the Rapides Parish Library system in Louisiana. Thank you so much for stopping by!

7-11-09 Dianne de Las Casas with Nancy & Alison, school librarians from Tennessee

Afterward my book signing, I met up with my good friend and fellow author, Juliet Bond. We had lunch and then toured the exhibit hall, checking out the latest and greatest in children’s books. Of course, we ran into some wonderful people – our author friends in the children’s lit world. I finally met Cynthia Liu face to face (after all that Facebook time! LOL). She is so beautiful and funny. I ran into the gorgeous Yuyi Morales. Then we bumped into Christine Urdahl and Christine Butler.

7-11-09 Dianne de Las Casas & Cynthia Liu

After 4 hours of walking, talking, meeting and greeting, Juliet and I needed to decompressed. We came back to my room and chilled for a couple of hours. Christine Butler invited us to dinner with a group of authors who are doing a non-fiction panel on Sunday morning. So Juliet and I met them at McCormick Schmick’s.

7-11-09 Juliet Bond, Kelly Milner Halls & Dianne de Las Casas

We dined with Kelly Milner Halls, Christine Butler, Hester Bass and her husband, April Pulley Sayre, Amy Hansen, Katherine House, and Gwendolyn (I didn’t get Gwendolyn’s last name!! Argh!). Gwendolyn lives in Oklahoma and I will see her at the Encyclomedia conference, where I am a featured speaker in September. It was a fantabulous evening with good food and even better company. The service was excellent.

7-11-09 A table of illustrious authors at McCormick Schmick. That's Kelly Milner Halls showing her lovely dessert.

Tomorrow, I have a book signing from 10am-12pm at the ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited booth. Afterwards, I am hanging out with Juliet Bond and we are attending the Caldecott Newberry banquet later that evening. It will be a great day.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

7-10-09 Arriving at Chicago's Ohare Airport, The Concourse of International Flags

Friends:

I arrived in Chicago’s Ohare Airport on Friday, July 10, 2009 for the American Library Association annual conference, after a slightly turbulent flight from New Orleans and a rather hard landing. I headed to the airport shuttle and booked a round-trip ticket to the Chicago Hilton on Michigan Avenue, where I had reservations. Seeing this van should have been an indication about how my day would go. It was a bad “omen.”

7-10-09 The 666 Airport Shuttle

The shuttle ride took 2 hours from the airport to the hotel. Fortunately, the van was full of wonderful people – ladies from England, librarians, ALA exhibitors, and our fabulous driver who even provided us with snacks.

I was so ready to decompress and get to my room after that long shuttle ride. When I arrived at the hotel, I was very dismayed to learn that the hotel did not have my reservation, which I made through the ALA housing system. ALA informed me that someone had cancelled my reservation. Unfortunately, all the hotels in the area were overbooked and sold out. I was “homeless at the Hilton.” But, fortunately, my publisher, Libraries Unlimited, came to my rescue. Barbara Ittner, an editor at Libraries Unlimited, offered to share her room with me. James Ingle, head of international sales, switched rooms with us so that we could have two restrooms. I am sleeping on a pullout sofa bed, which is actually pretty comfy.

My publisher took me to dinner at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian churasco steakhouse that served 16 kinds of roasted meats carved tableside. It was delicious. Afterwards, we went to a blues club called Buddy Guy’s, right behind the Hilton. Thank you Ron, James & Christie for a fun evening!

7-10-09 The insane amount of meat at Fogo de Chao

Fortunately, all’s well that ends well. I found a place to lay my head and was wined and dined. Yay!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

6-14-09 Paper Bag Pinata

Friends:

For your next party, try this super simple paper bag pinata! This one took me 10 minutes!

Materials:
Paper bag with handles (large gift bags work well)
Construction Paper
Streamers
Glue
Tape
Markers
Stapler
Candy & small prizes
Optional: Glitter

Instead of the usual pinata, try this handmade version. With construction paper, create a picture collage that fits the theme of your party (a pirate for a Pirate Party, a mermaid for Under the Sea, a cowboy for a Rodeo Roundup etc). You can look up images on the Internet for inspiration. Glue the picture collage to the both sides of the bag. For glitz and glamour, add glitter. Glue or tape streamers to the bottom of the bag. Stuff the bag with candy and goodies. Staple the top of the bag closed. Now you have a paper bag pinata for your party!

6-14-09 Eliana & Paper Bag Pinata

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

6-10-09 Jasmynn & Eliana take a dip

Friends:

Before leaving St. Martin Parish to go to St. Mary Parish, Jasmynn, my 7 year old niece, and Eliana, my 8 year old daughter, had to take a dip in the Olympic size swimming pool at our hotel. They were like two little fish who did not want to be land-bound!

Today, I performed in St. Mary Parish at the Patterson Branch Library and the West End Branch Library in Baldwin. It was so cool because I had the distinction of being the first performer in the brand new library in Patterson. It is simply gorgeous!

6-11-09 Brand new library in Patterson, Louisiana. Wow!

St. Mary Parish is celebrating “Once Upon A Time” this summer so my program “Fairytale Fever” fit right in. The kids and I had a blast. After my show, they didn’t want to leave!

6-11-09 Dianne and friends performing "Princess Pat" in the children's section of the new Patterson Branch Library

Thank you to Leisha and all the staff of the Patterson Branch for making our visit so much fun!

After Patterson, we headed to Baldwin. The West End Branch Library in Baldwin wins the prize for “Most Glamorous” in the library beauty pageant. Every section of their library was decorated with a different theme. One corner was outfitted with cowboy duds, while another corner was jazzed up with Louisiana music decor. The crowning glory of the library was the jumpin’, jammin’ jungle (once known as the children’s section).  You can definitely tell that the Baldwin librarians are wild about their library!

6-11-09 Jasmynn & Eliana standing in front of the "Jungle" at the West End Branch Library in Baldwin, LA. Watch out for the swinging monkeys, girls!

The Teche Talk, a local cable TV station came and filmed the show. The children and I had so much fun.

6-11-09 Dianne and friends performing at the West End Branch Library in Baldwin, LA

It was a great day and we enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you to my new friends in St. Mary Parish. We look forward to our next visit!

Tomorrow – LaSalle Parish (Olla and Jena, Louisiana)! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

6-4-09 Camrynn & Eliana having a blast!

Friends:

Eliana, my niece Camrynn, and I were in Shreveport today relaxing at my client’s house. The girls spent hours in the pool playing pool tennis, swimming underwater, and splashing around.

In addition to the pool, the girls have been enjoying themselves playing air hockey, basketball (pocket shot), Guitar Hero and Rock Band. My client has two children, Abby(14 years old) and Adam (7 years old). The girls love Abby and have fun competing with Adam.

I made belly faces on Abby and her friend Heather’s bellies. Of course, if helps if you have a flat belly. LOL And don’t laugh when the artist is drawing…

6-4-09 The Belly Faces (No teenage tummies were harmed in the making of this picture).

Later in the evening, I went to dinner with a wonderful group of librarians from the Caddo Association of School Librarians (CASL). Cantina Laredo is a fabulous restaurant with comida deliciosa! Yum!

6-4-09 Dinner with CASL Librarians

Thank you, Jeannie, for opening your home to the girls and me. We have truly enjoyed our stay! I love being in the upstairs “suite” and your children are darling. Best accommodations I have had in a while! I can’t wait to come back.

Tomorrow, I am doing a presentation for the Caddo Association of School Librarians. It’s going to be fun!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Valerie Byrd Fort, Dianne de Las Casas & Amanda LeBlanc, The Red Hot Mamas of SCASL 3-12-09

Friends:

I had an amazing time in Greenville, South Carolina at the 2009 South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) Conference. Valerie Byrd Fort (President), Amanda LeBlanc (Conference Coordinator), Kitt Lisenby (Past President, Betty Davis Davis (one of my hostesses), Lena Lee (one of my hostesses), and so many other media specialists made this one of the best library conferences I have ever attended. They made me feel welcome and loved!

Teacher Librarians cut "Joseph Had an Overcoat" in Handmade Tales Workshop 3-11-09

My first workshop (”Handmade Tales”) was on the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 2009 as part of the SCASL preconference. I had a great time with the librarians cutting, folding, drawing and telling Handmade Tales.

These librarians are "STARS" in my book! 3-11-09

My afternoon session was “Story Fest: Reading Comprehension through Story Theater.” It is a fun, active workshop that has the participants role-playing and dramatizing stories.

Teacher Librarians dramatize a role in my Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

Here are some more pictures of the group acting up! LOL

Teacher Librarians "act up" in Story Fest workshop. hahaha 3-11-09

It was a blast to see them let go of their inhibitions and have a great time. The workshop culminated in the librarians acting out two stories (I divided the room in half). The first group performed “Sausage Nose,” a Swedish folktale.

Teacher Librarians dramatize the story, "Sausage Nose" in Story Fest Workshop 3-11-09

The created their flavorful story choruses while the storytellers rehearsed. Then they put it all together.

"Sausage Nose" story chorus cheerleaders in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

The second group performed “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” an Aesop fable.

Teacher Librarians dramatize the story, "The Ant and the Grasshopper," in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

The story chorus for “The Ant and the Grasshopper” got down with their flavorful hip-hop rap.

"The Ant and the Grasshopper" story chorus in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

On Thursday, March 12, 2009, I did two breakout sessions, “Tangram Tales,” and “Tell Along Tales.” Tangram Tales was well-received and the librarians loved combining the math of Tangrams with stories.

Teacher Librarian does a Tangram boat on her computer! 3-12-09

Here is another Tangram, the “organic” way…

A Candle Tangram in Tangram Tales workshop 3-12-09

I didn’t get any pictures from my Tell Along Tales workshop! But my room was packed to capacity. I received lots of compliments on all my workshops. I also told The Cajun Cornbread Boy at the awards luncheon and afterward, my book, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, sold out. I autographed a lot of books at this wonderful conference! It was a pleasure and an honor to do so.

Children's Book Authors Dianne de Las Casas, Phil Bidner & Dan Yaccarino have fun at dinner 3-11-09

One of the many highlights of my trip was meeting fellow children’s book authors, Phil Bidner & Dan Yaccarino. They are wonderful guys and so much fun to be around.

"Mice on Main" art installation with "Goodnight Moon" in front of Hyatt Hotel in downtown Greenville, SC 3-12-09

Here is a picture of one of my favorite people from the conference – Kitt Lisenby. Kitt (Kee-Yit) taught me how to speak South Carolinian. Add a couple of syllables to every word and draw it out. I loooooove you, Kee-yit! LOL In addition to Southern speak, I had the best Southern food like fried green tomatoes! Yum!

I can’t wait to return to SCASL. I just love those librarians! Thank you all so much for making my trip to South Carolina so special!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Eliana & Camrynn rock out on heart guitars 2-16-09

Originally, this was a Valentine activity. But why not let someone know that they rock your world any day of the week?!

Directions:
Using construction paper in the color of your choice, cut out a heart about 5 1/2 inches in diameter (A). This will be your guitar’s body. Cut out another heart in a different color to fit inside (with about a one inch margin around) (B). This will become your guitar’s sound hole. To create the guitar’s neck, cut out a 9 X 2 inch piece of construction paper (C). To create the headstock (top of the guitar), cut out a heart about 3 1/2 inches in diameter (D). Cut out another heart to fit inside (E).

Assembly:
Glue the neck (C) to the back of the large heart (A) and the headstock heart (D). Glue the sound hole heart (B) inside the middle of the large heart (A). With a marker, draw 6 strings from the bottom of the big heart (A) to the middle of the top heart (D). Draw frets across the neck of the guitar, all the way down. Using the last heart (E), glue over the string lines in the top heart. Create tuners by drawing 3 small hearts on each side of the headstock heart (D).

Yes, it sounds complicated but look at the pictures and it becomes very clear. Now rock someone’s world with love!

You Rock My World Heart Guitars 2-16-09

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

The Cajun Cornbread Boy Puppet with Alligator - 12-16-08

Friends,

I am so excited! My first picture book for children, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, came in! My publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, is based in New Orleans so my husband picked up a case of books for me today. The books are beautiful! They are scheduled for a Spring 2009 release so getting the books this early is quite a delicious surprise. I have my first book signing on Saturday so, with the help of my daughter Soleil (who is majoring in art at LSU), I made The Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet. He came out better than I had hoped.

Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet w book - 12-16-08

I absolutely adore him! He is made out of felt, 8 inch cardboard cake circles, jumbo craft sticks, chenille sticks, foam, paper, and an enormous amount of hot glue. I have the burn marks to prove it! LOL There was even a bit of hand sewing involved. He was quite labor intensive (about 3 hours from start to finish) but well worth the effort.

I hope The Cajun Cornbread Boy will run into the hearts of many readers and spice up many children’s bookshelves! You can order your own autographed copy of the book from the Story Connection Store. http://storyconnection.net/?content=store If you order by Friday, December 19, 2008, you’ll get it in time for Christmas!

Spice up your holidays with The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne