Fresh! Start for 2012 at New Seasons Market

Let's help the little ones start the New Year with a healthy positive attitude towards wholesome fresh fruits and veggies!

Bring the kids and join me at the New Seasons Market
weekly "Kid's Day" kick off event.

    Book reading/sing along
    Crafts - kids make their own chef's hat
    Food tasting - "Try something new!"
    Original Illustrations on exhibit

    Book signing

 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

1:00pm

New Seasons Market, Fishers Landing

2100B SE 164th Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98683

360.760.5005  

 We Eat Food That's Fresh! 

is for sale at New Seasons Market. 

I'll be happy to dedicate your copy 

after the scheduled activities.

More about We Eat Food That's Fresh! 

More about New Seasons Market, Fishers Landing

IF - Fuel

Illustration Friday

The chef say's, "Fresh fruits & veggies are good fuel for your body."

I think he's right!

9 x 19 Pastel

Right now my chef is all dressed up in his best black frame to be on display in the dining area of New Seasons Market, Vancouver WA for their grand opening in November.

This illustration was made for the children's book,
We Eat Food That's Fresh!, by Angela Russ-Ayon, Our Rainbow Press.

Orange County Children's Book Festival

Irina Mirskaya, illustrator of We Love the Company and I will be at the

Orange County
Children's Book Festival
Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
Sunday, October 3rd, 1:30 - 3:00
CM School Supply booth #19

Come by and say hello!

Orange County Children's Book Festival

Easter at Anaheim Farmer's Market

Come visit me and join the festivities!

Anaheim
Certified Farmers' Market
& Craft Fair

Thursday, April 1st, 12n - 7p

Noon-7pm Family Karoake

2-7pm Trackless Train!

4-6pm Free Activities include
Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Dying,
Coloring Contest, Karaoke and more!

12n-7pm I'll be there to read & sign
We Eat Food That's Fresh!
with activity ideas to encourage children
to eat fresh fruits & veggies

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Five a Day - We Know We Should, but How?

It sounds easy enough - eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for better health. But, the truth is, between the busy schedules of today's families and a myriad of not so healthy temptations everywhere, it can seem like an impossible task. Plus, if your family's anything like mine they'll just go for what's easy. For example, we have the most delicious oranges in the world growing in our own back yard, but do you think anyone would go outside and pick an orange? At my house, if there's a $4 bag of chips in the kitchen and oranges on the tree, the chips will be consumed in a day and the oranges would rot away. But if someone cuts up the oranges and puts them on a plate, they're gone in a blink! So, what do you do to encourage yourself and your family to eat five a day? Here are a few habits that have helped me and my family eat healthier.

Make it hard to eat the wrong foods:

I'm much better off if I leave the cookies, chips, candy, and ice cream at the store! I find it's a lot harder to give in to temptation if I have to make a special trip to the store, in fact I probably won't do it. And I make it a point to never, ever shop hungry!


Make it easy to eat the right foods:

It always pays off when I add 15 to 20 minutes to my grocery shopping routine to wash and cut up fruits and veggies that stay fresh in the refrigerator all week such as:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Jicama
• Celery, carrot sticks, radishes*
• Cabbage - shred or chop
• Lemon & lime wedges
• Lettuce/leafy greens**

If a sign helps... whatever works!

These ones will last several days refrigerated after they're cut:

• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Bell pepper
• Summer squash
• Peaches
• Nectarine
• Apricot
• Mango
  
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Citrus
• Pineapple

From the book, We Eat Food That's Fresh!

If fresh fruits & vegetables are ready to eat, we're all much more likely grab some for a snack, to top a salad, or toss in our sack lunch. And if I have fresh lemon or lime sections handy, I'll squeeze them on salads, Mexican dishes, and in water or tea. When I'm approaching the end of the week, I'll use what's left of the cut up veggies in a soup, casserole or stir-fry. We don't often have left over fruits, but they can be used in a smoothie with bananas and yogurt.

Get Kids Involved

When children take part in the shopping and preparation of their food and they'll be more interested in eating it too.

From the book, We Eat Food That's Fresh! ***

• Even small children can help wash fruits & vegetables, place them on a platter, or stir a salad or dip. Make if fun!
• If they're old enough to write, have them make a shopping list of new fruits & veggies that they'd like to try. Or, cut pictures of fruits and veggies from grocery adds, then let little ones past them on a list.
  
• Children can help find the foods on their list at the grocery store produce department.
• Take the children to a local U-Pick farm. Or, if you have access to a garden, let them take part in planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. It's a wonderful experience for a child to watch a seed grow into a food bearing plant!
• And, of course, I recommend that you read "We Eat Food That's Fresh!"*** with kids at home, in the classroom, and play the CD with them so that the catchy tune will ring in their ears, "...try something new!"
  

Do you have any tips of your own? Please share!

* Carrot & celery sticks and radishes are crunchiest when stored covered in water in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

** Fresh lettuce tip: wash lettuce leaves, allow to drip dry in colander, then tear into bite size pieces. Place in airtight container, put a couple of paper towels on top of lettuce, seal and store upside down in the refrigerator. You can also store in a zip lock bag.

*** We Eat Food That's Fresh! Picture book with song CD: A whimsical chef introduces young children to fun food experiences that stir up their interest in fruits and vegetables. More about We Eat Food That's Fresh!

Buy We Eat Food That's Fresh!

Facebook Fan Page

IF - Crunchy

This is my entry for Illustration Friday - Crunchy. It's a sketch that was inspired by the children's enthusiasm during a classroom visit where I shared my new picture book, We Eat Food That's Fresh! written by Angela Russ-Ayon. I've sketched the boy in pencil. The butterfly and the word "CHEF" are cut and paste from the book with Photoshop.

See more Illustration Friday entries for this week

2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Results

I am thrilled and honored to announce that We Eat Food That's Fresh! by Angela Russ-Ayon, illustrated by myself, Cathy June, and published by Our Rainbow Press has won two

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards:

#7 Picture Book - Preschool Silver Award 

#36 Best Illustrator Silver Award

"The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading."

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

IF - Strong

This week the topic for Illustration Friday is Strong.

If it has a strong unpleasant smell,
you probably shouldn't eat it!

pastel & gouache on paper
From the book, We Eat Food That's Fresh!
by Angela Russ-Ayon
illustrated by Cathy June
Our Rainbow Press

Book Signing & Sneak Preview at Chemers Gallery

Book Signing
&
Sneak Preview



CHEMERS GALLERY
17300 17th St., Tustin, CA
Saturday, September 12, 2009, 4-6 pm

WHO's signing WHAT book?

I am happy to say, Chemers Gallery has invited author Angela Russ-Ayon & illustrator, Cathy June (that's me), to celebrate the release of our new book "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" on September 12th. We'll have a reading, lots of books, and reFRESHments!

WHAT's the SNEAK PREVIEW all about?

December 5th, 2009 Chemers Gallery will have its18th Annual Children's Book Illustration Show & Signing. Normally, the books for this event are available to pre-order in early October, but if you come on September 12th, you'll get an early peak at them! There will be dozens of children's books to choose from.

Every December, Chemers Gallery is transformed from a beautiful contemporary art gallery to a magical land of make believe, filled with original illustrations from picture books. It's a place where children and adults alike can wonder and imagine and dream.
Works by five different illustrators are exhibited each year and their books are available. This year, the event will benefit Saint Joseph Ballet in Santa Ana. Even if you can't come December 5th, signed and dedicated books can be pre-ordered, starting September 12th.

Beth Krommes chats with visitor, Patti Lui at the
2008 Children's Book Illustration Show
CLICK HERE to see more pics

Above: 2007 Children's Book Illustration Show

Pictured: Linda Zielinski, Joe Cepeda, Stacia Deutsch, Laura Huliska-Beith, Raul Colon, Mordicai Gerstein, Noah CLICK HERE for more pics

MORE DETAILS ON THE CHEMERS GALLERY BLOG

My comments about the 2008 show

What a Great Day!

We had a great turn out at our book launch party for "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" and "We Love The Company". I am honored and appreciative of the support and enthusiasm of friends, family, and fellow illustrators.

SCBWI Westside Illustrators: Cindy Whitlock, Laura Lacamura,
Irina Mirskaya, Steven Corvelo, Suzy Engleman Block

Some people were so generous as to buy books to give to libraries, preschools, teachers and parents. I can't tell you how much that means to me. If I could, I'd give a book to every library & classroom, to encourage children to eat healthy, but alas, I am only me. So, I am very grateful for the help spreading the word!


Tim Russ play some wonderful songs from his CDs. It was obvious that everyone thoroughly enjoyed his performance. I am so glad that Tim shared his talent to create voice of the chef for "We Eat Food That's Fresh!".






Cathy June, Angela Russ-Ayon, Tim Russ, Irina Mirskaya

We had many helpers to make it a special event. Laura set up refreshments and tended to refreshments while Dennis made sure no one went thirsty. Jisel, Julia, Marcus and Emily helped children make crafts throughout the day on the patio. Thank you Sandi, for rescuing me at the sales table!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated and helped to make it a memorable day!

Angela Russ-Ayon and I will be at another signing at Chemers Gallery for "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" on Saturday, September 12th, from 4-6pm.

Drawing Day 2009 "I'm the Chef!"

Drawing Day I'm the Chef!

This sketch was inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity of the children during my classroom visits for the book, "We Eat Food That's Fresh!"
DrawingDay.org

More about "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" by Angela Russ-Ayon, illustrated by Cathy June (c)2009 Our Rainbow Press.

Classroom Visits

I had such a great time sharing my new book, "We Eat Food That's Fresh", written by Angela Russ-Ayon, with two classrooms yesterday!

After reading the story and listening to the fun bouncy sing along song we had fun making art projects.

In Mrs. McMath's 1st grade class each student decorated their paper "I'm the Chef" hat and cut it out. With a little help and a little tape they were fit to size and ready to wear.

We all worked together to decorate an eight foot banner with our favorite fruits and vegetables using soft pastels, my favorite art medium ;)

Here's a picture of the colorful banner made by Mrs. McMath's talented 1st graders:


In Mrs Rios' kindergarden class we also worked together to make a mouth watering banner with loads of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, I left in a rush and forgot to take a picture.

Summer picnics must be on the students minds, because watermelons were definately a favorite in both classrooms!

Thank you Mrs. McMath & Mrs. Rios for sharing your students with me!

Click here for more about
"We Eat Food That's Fresh"

Thank you CHEMERS GALLERY for supplying paper for the banners!

1st Copy "We Eat Food that's Fresh!"

Here it is.. it finally arrived! I can't tell you how excited I am. My first copy of "We Eat Food That's Fresh". The book will be released for purchase soon and I'll be sure to keep you posted when it's available! You can pre-order it on Amazon.com LEFT: "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" and happy illustrator (me) It's all about a whimsical chef who encourages children to try new foods. He stirs up their interest in fruits and vegetables in the garden, kitchen and while on an outing to the beach. It comes with a musical CD that will delight children with easy rhymes and repetitive verses. I'm sure this fun and persuasive chef will have them tasting new fruits & veggies in no time! Mmmm... yummy! Makes me want to eat something fresh right now! 

 

Click the image below  for more info and a video of the full book and companion song.

 

 We Eat Food That's Fresh Author: Angela Russ-Ayon Illustrator: Cathy June Our Rainbow Press ages 4-8 Hardback ISBN: 978-1-934214-06-0 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-934214-09-1 Soon to be released" Pre-order "We Eat Food That's Fresh!" on Amazon.com also encourage good manners with this soon to be released book: Pre-oder "We Love the Company" on Amazon.com

More about "We Eat Food That's Fresh!"

IF - Wise

This WISE chef encourages children to taste
new fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pastel on Paper
by Cathy June

This is from the new book I illustrated, "We Eat Food That's Fresh", which will be released in early 2009. It's written by Angela Russ-Ayon, published by Our Rainbow Press.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

IF - Vacant

This is my entry for Illustration Friday - VACANT

copyright cathy june 2008

There may be a vacant spot where her front tooth used to be,
but her mouth will soon be filled with fresh, juicy fruit.

This is the original cover illustration that I did for "We Eat Food That's Fresh" by Angela Russ-Ayon. Of course, it's been changed some to suit the needs for the cover. Click the image if you'd like to know more about the book, soon to be released by "Our Rainbow Press". Thank you for visiting my site!

Sneak Preview - We Eat Food That's Fresh

Here is a sneak preview of the soon to be released book that I illustrated, "We Eat Food That's Fresh", by Angela Russ-Ayon, published by Our Rainbow Press. It comes with a CD for children to play and sing along with, so I've included a short clip of the song. Children and educators can enjoy the CD with or without the book. Below are a few pictures from inside the book.

"A whimsical chef introduces young children to fun food experiences that stir up their interest in fruits and vegetables. Join them as they pick from the garden, prepare in the kitchen, and relax by the shore. The chef wants the children to try something new, and they just might, before he's through.

Easy rhymes and repetitive verses are combined with deliciously colorful pastel illustrations. This picture book comes with a companion song, audio book, and instrumental on CD. Ages 4-8."

Hardback ISBN: 978-1-934214-06-0 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-934214-09-1

"You might just want to try something NEW. Blended BERRIES and APPLES. Make a smoothie too." "You might just want to try something NEW. PAPAYA, MANGO, GUAVA. Taste one or two!"

"We Eat Food That's Fresh" will be released late 2008 or early 2009. I'll keep you posted!

My Current Book Project

I'm very happy to say that my first picture book is going off to the publisher this week! Soon, I'll have a better image of the cover to post... the color is off on this one.

The working title is "We Eat Food That's Fresh" by Angela Russ, published by Our Rainbow Press. It is a book for preschool and elementary age children to encourage healthy habits.

More info to come!