Posts by jamiepeeps

Dark Sky Week

Posted by on Apr 27, 2022 in Horse Island | 1 comment

illustration detail from SKYWATCHER by Jamie Hogan Did you know it’s Dark Sky Week? There’s no better time to get out and see what’s up in the night sky. I was thrilled to learn the news that SKYWATCHER is on Bank Street College‘s Best Books of 2021! I’m humbled to be in stellar company of so many wonderful books. Thank you, Bank Street! I also learned that American Illustration judges had chosen two of my illustrations for their Archive, the cover of SKYWATCHER and this interior illustration. Hoot! illustration detail from SKYWATCHER by Jamie Hogan I kicked off...

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Kindling Words East

Posted by on Apr 6, 2022 in Horse Island | 12 comments

illustration by Jamie Hogan I first heard of Kindling Words years ago from my island neighbor and veteran kids’ book creator, Anne Sibley O’Brien. It sounded like a heavenly gathering of writers, editors, and illustrators of children’s books that took place in January at some cozy B&B in Vermont, completely out of my league. This year I was ready to get on the lottery list, thanks to the urging of my beloved critique group. But thanks to the post-holiday Covid surge, the event got bumped to end of March. It was all worth the wait! A new location, too. Annie and I drove...

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Star party at Rowe School

Posted by on Mar 11, 2022 in Horse Island | 0 comments

I was thrilled last fall to be invited by Jonathan Graffius, PK-5 Outdoor Nature-based Art Teacher at the Amanda C. Rowe School, to visit their stellar school. When I told them about my new book, Skywatcher, the ball got rolling for an all-school star gazing event that was months in the planning. I finally made a virtual visit last Friday afternoon! photo courtesy of the Rowe School After reading the book to students, I shared a little back story, like this photo of me when I was in fourth grade. Little Jamie I shared one of the few pieces of kid art I have, a card made for my Grammy that my...

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A Barnacle’s Book Tour

Posted by on Mar 4, 2022 in Horse Island | 6 comments

drawing by Jamie Hogan When you’re drawing flowers during a snow storm, maybe it’s time for a little getaway. I’ve been hunkered down by winter, what about you? We barnacles left the Rock and set out for Camden on Sunday, bound for the Camden Opera House, where my stellar colleague in kidlit, Stephen Costanza, was hosting a musical celebration for his latest title, “King of Ragtime: the Story of Scott Joplin.” Steve dedicated the show to Ashley Bryan, his dear friend, mentor, and major legend in art and children’s literature who passed away last month....

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Merry solstice!

Posted by on Dec 21, 2021 in Horse Island | 4 comments

illustration by Jamie Hogan Here’s to long, dark nights! I hope this finds you well and cozy. In the two plus months since Skywatcher was published, plenty has happened. I gathered some friends on the back shore of Peaks for a star party with Michael Richards, an island neighbor with a ginormous telescope on a new moon evening in early October at 7 pm. photo of Michael Richards by Carol Young We each got to see the rings of Saturn and moons around Jupiter, a first for my eyes. I read the story and as Mike began to share his wisdom, a shooting star arched through the sky, literally...

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Skywatcher: save the date!

Posted by on Sep 14, 2021 in Horse Island | 2 comments

It’s true! My new picture book, SKYWATCHER, will be published on October 5 and my local bookstore, PRINT, will be hosting a virtual book event from 7 – 8 pm. Pretty please: SIGN UP here and join me in celebrating my story about an urban boy’s quest to see the stars. I’ll be in conversation with Charles Fulco, a middle school science teacher in Delaware who is a NASA Solar System Ambassador. I want to see you there! I’m beyond excited to have my first book illustrated AND written by me since Seven Days of Daisy. When I left my adjunct teaching position at Maine...

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