|
|
7.9.2008
Grasslands Road Produces a Line
of Ballerina Products called "Little Ladies" designed by Kristin Sorra.
|
Independent Promotional for Little Ladies ©Grasslands Road.
Design and photography by Kristin Sorra.
|
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 
Mama Mouse's Birthday Present © Highlights |
6.10.2008
Association of Educational Publishers
ANNOUNCES ITS WINNERS!
Mama Mouse's Birthday Present wins
Distinguished Achievement Award for Best Illustration in the K-5 Category
The winners were announced at the AEP's gala awards event that was held on the evening of June 6, 2008 in Washington, D.C. The plaque hangs proudly at the Highlights editorial offices in Honesdale, PA.

|
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
6.2.2008
BEACH DAY
Published by Marshall Cavendish
Recently, Kristin completed illustrations for a board book
featuring this little redhead. Release date will be posted.
Art © Marshall Cavendish
|

|
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

|
2.2.2008
White Plains, NY
"Love Lost," by Kristin Sorra, oil on paper
AN EXHIBITION OF EMERGING ARTISTS at
JOSEPH THOMAS GALLERIES in White Plains, NY will be
presented by Alden Staffing. The group show will be on exhibit for one week in honor of Valentine's Day.
|
11.3.2007 thru 1.20.2008
"OPEN" GROUP SHOW
Long Beach , CA
"Open House," by Kristin Sorra, mixed media on paper
The work will be on view for over two months at the Open Gallery in Long Beach, CA. It was one out of twenty-five pieces that was chosen (from well over 500 entries) from the weekly Illustration Friday online exhibition website for the special IF: Open Group Show. The pieces were displayed and priced to be sold. Prints will also be available for sale.
UPDATE: Now that the show's over, there are available giclée prints in Kristin's Print Shop. Check out the Shop link for details!
|

|

|
11.28.2007
THE REVIEWS ARE IN for
WALTUR PAINTS HIMSELF INTO A CORNER!
Kirkus Reviews: Gregorich returns to till the rich soil of idiomatic expressions she explored in Waltur Buys a Pig in a Poke (2006). Cleverly combining the literal with the idiom, channeled through the likable oafish Waltur, she explains three idioms in ways even the most literal reader can begin to understand. When Waltur, in his race to give a thank-you speech for a contest that has yet to be judged, moves his horse behind his cart to speed the trip along, the familiar saying's meaning has never been clearer. Hilarious situations coupled with lively, quirky watercolor-filled pen-and-ink illustrations, make this a perfect, fun tool for teaching this literary construct. The final author's note traces the idioms' histories and a quick translation for any young reader who needs an explanation as clear as the nose on her face. Give Waltur another blue ribbon. |
"Sorra's colorful, comical illustrations help make the connection between...phrases and characters' actions."
"Gregorich creates some deliciously sticky, comical situations...[A]n appealing book that will call for repeated readings."
|
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
11.15.2007
WALTUR PAINTS HIMSELF INTO A CORNER NOW ON SALE! (Houghton Mifflin)
These funny, easy-to-read stories play with three common idioms, revealing how Waltur the bear eventurally discovers the wisdom in each. Waltur and his friends Matilda and Darwin are back in this collection of three stories that help beginning readers understand funny everyday sayings-like trying not to paint yourself into a corner(easier said than done!), putting the cart before the horse(how backwards can you get?), letting sleeping dogs lie(not much good can come from waking up a cranky dog!). What kind of trouble will Waltur get himself into this time? How much the wiser will he be for it?
10.1.2007
LATEST PROJECT WITH G.P. PUTNAM'S SON'S SLATED FOR FALL 2008
Currently working on a book for Penguin Group under the G.P. Putnam Son's imprint.
Stay tuned for more on the what, when and where!
Review from PUBLISHERS
WEEKLY!
In this funny early reader, a dimwitted bear named Waltur learns-the
hard way-what is really meant by three age-old idioms, each highlighted
in its own story. (The stories are further broken down into four
easy-to-digest chunks.) Waltur's wise and patient roommate Matilda
introduces each adage, then watches as Waltur's subsequent clueless
behavior drives home the meaning of the moral. In the first tale,
Waltur is eager to buy a pet pig at the fair. "Do not buy
a pig in a poke," says Matilda, explaining that a poke is
a bag. "You should not buy what you cannot see." But
when a wily fox proffers a pig in a box, Waltur figures he's home
free. The pig, however, turns out to be imperious and usurps Waltur's
place in front of the TV. The second tale's exegesis on "Don't
count your chickens before they are hatched" finds Waltur
hatching a money-making scheme by raising chickens from eggs but
finds himself stuck with a passel of ducklings. The final story
teaches the meaning of "You can lead a horse to water, but
you can't make it drink." Despite Waltur's missteps, things
do work out for him, sending an upbeat message to youngsters that
at times one only learns by trial and error. Gregorich's (Beep,
Beep!) prose tickles nascent readers while building their confidence
(Waltur to the horse: "I can make you drink water."
Horse to Waltur: "I think not"). Sorra's
(King o' the Cats) chipper spot watercolors add just the right
touch of comic visual stimuli. An afterword offers a brief
history on each idiom. Ages 7-10. (July)
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4–Gregorich has fun with idioms in this easy reader
featuring a single-minded bear. First, Waltur plans to get a pet
and his friend Matilda cautions him, Do not buy a pig in a poke,
meaning sight unseen. He takes the advice literally and purchases
a pig sealed not in a bag, but in a box, and ends up with an unpleasantly
bossy porker. Next, the enterprising bear plans to raise chickens
from eggs and sell them for honey money. When Matilda warns, Don't
count your chickens before they are hatched, Waltur refrains from
counting the actual number of eggs, but remains convinced that
they will all hatch without a hitch. He is in for a surprise when
the big day arrives. In the third tale, Waltur is determined to
prove Matilda wrong when she says, You can lead a horse to water,
but you can't make him drink, but only succeeds in landing in
the drink himself. The author makes excellent use of repetition,
sight words, and engaging dialogue to create a manageable and
entertaining read. Sorra's cartoon-style
watercolors are perfectly suited to the lively text and help round
out the characters' personalities with added emotional details.
A brief note introduces idioms and explains the origins of those
that appear in the book. These clever and accessible tales will
capture the interest of youngsters who are ready for short chapters
but are still most comfortable with the beginning-reader format.–Carol
L. MacKay, Forestburg School Library, Alberta, Canada.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. In an entertaining early-reader chapter book, Gregorich
tells three funny animal stories that dramatize idioms and play
with words in a cozy domestic setting. In "Waltur Buys a
Pig in a Poke," Waltur ends up with a bossy pig that treats
him like the pet. Similar funny scenarios and turnarounds characterize
the other two stories in the book, which demonstrate the familiar
expressions "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched"
and "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it
drink." Sorra's cheerful line-and-watercolor
pictures show Waltur and his friends trying to keep control in
the uproar, and a cheerful concluding note traces the idioms
to their probable origins hundreds of years ago. The wordplay
will appeal to kids as much as the wry outcomes, when the powerful
find that they've got everything wrong. Hazel Rochman Copyright
© American Library Association. All rights reserved |

LOOK FOR
THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF WALTUR STORIES ENTITLED "WALTUR
PAINTS HIMSELF INTO A CORNER AND OTHER STORIES" BY
FALL
2007. |
 |

|
|