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March - April 2006
From Storytelling Adventures:
According to Cheryl Juanette, Librarian II of the North
Region, the only problem has been that we could not have
benefitted more children!
Librarian I at Diego Martin, Marvin Canterbury had this to
say: Of all my years here at the library I have never seen
such a well organised presentation. Ms. Johnson is very
talented. Her ability to work with children and her range of
expression is fascinating. The Nestle crew set up with ease and
the bags were all packed and ready for distribution. Our
community really appreciates what Nestle has done by
facilitating this tour.
"(Joanne) .... your love for children and the work that
you do are exceptional. You are an outgoing and bubbly
person that will bring joy to any one's spirit that is down even
if he pretends he is not interested. You wake him up like
a shock of electricity! I like the way in which you put forward
your stories in that even the smallest child will understand....
... you have the know-how. Children these days need something
more than television or even the computer. They need human
interaction, where one can sit and communicate freely. Thank you
for bringing this extra curriculum in education to our children.
May God bless and give you the strength and wisdom needed to
reach these children in whatsoever way He uses you to perform
it." Janet Pierre NALIS
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"... part of an educational and
entertaining series"
LISA ALLEN AGOSTINI
Trinidad Guardian
- August 6, 2002
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"...you can't help noticing Joanne's ability to capture
that sense of wonder and curiosity that all children
possess."
"Beautifully illustrated... Soodeen's colorful style is
both eye catching and simple, using images that all children can
relate to and understand."
HALCYON PIERRE
Trinidad Express
- July
21, 2002
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For anyone who has never gone to see the turtles at Grande Riviere, or any
other beach, "The Scottish Island Girl" by Joanne Johnson is an enjoyable
little bridge between knowing and not knowing what the experience is like
and what it involves. Seen through the eyes of Trinidadian Alex, her
Scottish friend Lizzie and Lizzie's Trinidadian mother, Mrs. Steele, the
intriguing world of "turtle watching'' is brought to life. Without trying to
be educational, this book "educates" - with an easy flow of writing that
makes for a simple, memorable story. Vanessa Soodeen's unique illustrations
add dimension to the already colorful landscape painted by Joanne's words.
Not just a book for children.
ELSPETH DUNCAN: multi-media artist/ writer/ producer
HAPPY
HIPPY PRODUCTIONS: Now is
Now
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"My friends loved the books (I took back as gifts) - they especially liked
the Caribbean flavour of the stories. I never had to explain any of the
stories - you have kept cultural references universal enough that everyone
can understand and relate to."
MALINI SAITH: Mother (Trini in the US) |
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FROM THE ARTIST:
Vanessa Soodeen - Illustrator of Go Barefoot, Sally's Way and the Scottish
Island Girl
It has been a wonderful experience working on the illustrations for Joanne's
first three children's books. Being partly Caribbean myself (thanks Dad), I
could see first hand how much these stories reflect the genuine Caribbean
life. This enabled me to internalize and then externalize through my
illustrations what Joanne communicates through her stories; the real
picture.
'Go Barefoot' was done in watercolour, inks and acrylics. That poem allowed
for much play in the artwork, drawing the wind laughing through Lisa's hair
and her singing along to the palm tree's song. It was a freeing experience,
the kind that children have, the kind that the child in all of us has from
time to time. Before long I too felt I had taken off my shoes.
'The Scottish Island Girl' and
'Sally's Way' led us directly to real places
and people in Trinidad. Yes, giant leatherback turtles do actually lay eggs
on our beautiful beaches and yes, there are homes that still don't have any
running water.
There's one characteristic (among many) that stands out when we speak of
Joanne, and that is her ability to see the whole picture. Yup, that's a 360
degree swivel. In her desire for authenticity, places were visited,
characters chosen, notes jotted down and scenes photographed. With these
references both 'The Scottish Island Girl' and 'Sally's Way' were first
drawn by hand and then scanned into the computer for completion. |
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