Category: Art

December 30 . Issue #149

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date December 30, 2022

Hello all, and welcome to my last newsletter of the year. I want to share with you my new children’s picture book Samba in Switzerland. The cover design and the illustrations by Joshua Miller. Well, all I am sharing now is the cover reveal.

1. The back cover text for: Samba in Switzerland, written by Paul Yanuziello with illustrations by Joshua Miller, is a story of adventure, fun, fantasy and beauty. In book 3 of the series, Samba the Bernese Mountain Dog and his best friend, Ariela, visit Switzerland and stay in the Ice Hotel. Samba has the adventure of a lifetime. He skis the Swiss countryside and goes up and down the mountains — a fantastic family vacation that only a “Berner” like Samba could dream up. Joshua Miller has created a magical fairy-tale land with his wonderful illustrations.

2. How do you spend the holidays? I spent my time watching Xmas classics, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and A Christmas Story. I spent time with loved ones and enjoyed some great meals.

3. Have you visited Ripley’s Aquarium? We did a family outing on boxing day and toured Ripley’s Aquarium. Fantastic! I really wanted to get in the water and swim with the sharks. The staff seemed to think it would not be good for the sharks.

4. Someone recently asked me why I write children’s books. There are a few good reasons, but the one that came to mind first was the opportunity to share a great artist’s illustrations. I believe Joshua is a great artist and I want as many people as possible to enjoy his beautiful art.

Other authors and author-illustrators had similar motivations, Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) author of The Cat in the Hat and so many other great children’s books. Thornton W. Burgess wrote his books, Old Mother West Wind, his first, so that people could enjoy the artwork, and illustrations of Harrison Cady

Gyo Fujikawa, I have added her to this list just because she inspired me with her books and her beautiful, inclusive artwork. Babies is her 1st book, published in 1963, she wrote & illustrated all her books.

Beatrix Potter is another author-illustrator who inspired me and whose books I have fond memories of reading and viewing. Peter Rabbit, is perhaps my very first book.

5. My listening pleasure this month, is all about time. I listened to Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, the album, Time Out, and the featured tune “Take Five”, one of my all-time favorites. I also spent time with Brubeck in his later years, a live concert, Jazzwoche Burghausen 2001.

All my books are available at your favorite bookstores; support local bookstores and authors with your online purchases. Make sure you get out and about this winter. Visit a bookstore or the library and pick up some books. If you’re looking for a great early reader chapter book, get my book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Or one of my picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or Samba in Brazil.

Happy New Year! Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Tags Ripley's Aquarium Canada

Art Books Children's Activities Reading

August 26 . Issue #144

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date August 26, 2022

“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.” Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

Hello and welcome to my Monthly Journal. A place where I share 5 points of interest. Things that kept me busy, piqued my interest or gave me a sense of purpose. This month, a trip to Tobermory, a visit to nearby Bruce Peninsula Park, Symphony in a Barn contributing to a new magazine and more.

My world starts to look more familiar with a time a few years ago when people got together and events were happening all the time. Yes, things are slowly getting back to a new sense of normalcy.

1. This has been a busy month for me. Travelling for adventure, a staycation in Ontario. A visit to beautiful Tobermory, diving for wrecks and exploring the Bruce Peninsula Park and lovely Lake Emmett.

2. As I mentioned in last month’s journal I had purchased tickets to Symphony in a Barn. My report on that adventure was recently published in That Canadian Magazine.

During the Toronto Jazz Festival, I got the chance to interview Emanuel Harrold, the mainstay drummer for the Gregory Porter Band. My interview is featured in That Canadian Magazine.

3. The nearby Town of Collingwood recently had a Sidelaunch Days Events. They featured some local vendors and artisans who set up along the pier in Collingwood harbour. There I met Owen, a young woodworker artisan.

I commissioned Owen of Blue Water Design to make me a custom vertical sword stand. I have three Japanese swords and one is strictly for show. A 1939 Kai Gunto, a Japanese naval officer’s sword, is the featured photo, mounted in my new katana kake (sword stand).

4. The Labour Day Weekend, September 2nd – 4th will host Elephant Thoughts, Labour Day Festival and I have tickets to the Saturday events.

I’m looking forward to seeing my friend Saiku from the African Drums and Crafts store in Toronto and all the other entertainers for this spirited and engaging eco-retreat. A 3-day cultural event for the entire family.

5. Eden Mills Writers Festival is the following weekend, September 11th. Look for me on Publishers Way. I’ll be there with Samba the Bernese Mountain Dog, book 1 and book 2 and Scratchy the Squirrel.

Thank you for reading, if you think someone you know would be interested in my newsletter please pass it along.

All of my books are now available at your favourite bookstores, support local bookstores with your online purchases. Make sure you get out and about this summer. Visit a book store, or the library and pick up some books. If you’re looking for a great early reader chapter book get my book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Or one of my picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or Samba in Brazil.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Tags African Drums and Crafts, Blue Water Designs, Eden Mills Writers Festival, Elephant Thoughts, Saiku

Art Books Music

April 1 . Issue #137

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date April 1, 2022

“The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.” Will Rogers 1879 – 1935

The featured image, Ideal Balance – Yin and Yang by Sharon Cummings speaks to me about the way and balance, something I’ve been working on this week.

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal, a place for me to share with you 5 points of interest. The things that got me some joy, inspired me, motivated me and kept me going. This week a look at the Oscar winners, my ear and eye candy, and more…

1. Two films I picked as Oscar winners came out on top. Summer of Soul and Encanto. Summer of Soul winning best documentary, all about a music festival that coincided with Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.

Encanto won for the best-animated feature film for Disney Animation Studios. I haven’t watched this film yet, hopefully, this weekend I’ll fix that.

2. The composer Vangelis had a birthday this week, March 29th, his 79th. Naturally, I had to help celebrate and listening to his Oscar-winning soundtrack for Chariots of Fire was just the ticket. The soundtrack from the film 1492 – Conquest of Paradise is inspirational as well.

Speaking of Oscar-winning soundtracks I had to check out Hans Zimmer and his Oscar-winning score for the film Dune.

3. I watched a wonderful movie about bringing people together through family and music, the Pixar animated feature film, Coco.

The actor Gael Garcia Bernal is the voice of one of the lead characters, Hector. I wonder if he would consider doing an audible book? His voice is great, he would make a magnificent Latin American Scratchy the Squirrel.

4. This week I’m reading another McCall Smith book, he has so many, this one from The Sunday Philosophy Club Series, The Careful Use of Compliments. Also known as the Isabel Dalhousie series of books of which there are sixteen in this series.

5. Outdoor training: the weather is starting to warm up and I have taken my training outdoors. This week I practised many of my karate forms on my deck.

I took some videos and shared them with my karate group on Facebook. It’s a private group so I can’t share it with you.

But I have a clip here that I can share, this is Seipai. A form I like a lot because of its flowing nature.

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them.

If you are looking for a great children’s book check out one of my books, including my new children’s early reader chapter book, now available at Indigo/Chapters Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other children’s picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve. Or you may enjoy Samba in Brazil or the Brazilian/Portuguese version Samba no Brasil.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.