books

Fostering Curiosity and Creativity (Podcast)

| Bonnie Kelso

Hey, guess what? I was a guest on a podcast! And, not just any podcast, but a podcast called Parenting In the Digital Age, hosted by Jamie Buttigieg, the creator of Skill Samurai, a coding, math and STEM academy. (www.skillsamurai.com.au) That’s a dot au, which means they’re in Australia, one of my favorite countries to dive off of. The only thing that would have made this discussion better, is if I could have gone to Sydney in person to have it.

Jamie and I discussed my debut picture book, Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea, as well as how to add extra value to teachers’ curriculums through sharing picture books, and ways to foster curiosity and creativity in children. We also discuss the joys of teaching, how artificial intelligence is affecting the children’s book industry, the importance of remembering your childhood dreams, and the joy of collaborative art-making.

I hope you’ll take the time to check it out. Jamie has had a wide range of guests that have provided incredible insights regarding parenting in the digital age. So, be sure to listen in to some other episodes. One of my favorites was with Sharna Dawson – From Classroom to Career: Guiding Your Teen’s Journey. Probably because my oldest son is starting high school next year. Yikes! How did that happen?

See you on the radio!

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. SEA SMILES, the first of a three-part series, released February 20, 2024. Coming soon: WONDER OF THE WOODS and QUAIL TRAIL, releasing this fall. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

OPen Books, open Minds 2024 (SLJ & LJ)

| Bonnie Kelso

I have exciting news! I’m going to be on an author panel on Thursday, May 2nd for the School Library Journal and Library Journal virtual event, “Open Books, Open Minds.” The event is free and anyone who registers may attend, although the target audience is educators and librarians.

I’ll be discussing why I write for young people with fabulous authors, Vera Ahiyya, Jarrett Lerner, Rashin Kheiriyeh, and Kaz Windness. I love the dynamics when creatives get together and talk about the things they love most, so I’m really looking forward to this. We will be speaking from 9:55am PT / 12:55pm ET – 10:40am PT / 1:40pm ET.

There will be lots of other great speakers during the event including Kate Messner, Dan Santat, and Minh Lê. Children’s book publishers will be in attendance as well, including Gnome Road. I hope to represent them well.

Hoping you discover wonderful new books to read,

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. SEA SMILES, the first of a three-part series, released February 20, 2024. Coming soon: WONDER OF THE WOODS and QUAIL TRAIL, releasing this fall. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

Chalk It Down! Las Vegas Arts District

| Bonnie Kelso

This Sunday from 11am – 4pm is the first Las Vegas Arts District “Chalk It Down” Chalk Art Festival! I get to be one of the artists, so stop by and say, hi! I’ll be drawing a scene from my new book, Sea Smiles, a picture book all about losing a tooth and sea animals with weird teeth. Music, food, art… what more could you ask for? Hope to see you there!

Chalk with ya later,

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. SEA SMILES, the first of a three-part series, released February 20, 2024. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

Dexter, The Stand-Up Dog!

| Bonnie Kelso

I am soooo excited to announce that I’ve made a new book deal with Gnome Road Publishing! Fall 2025, Dexter, The Stand-Up Dog will be releasing. You may have met Dexter through the internet, or seen him on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He is a beautiful Brittany Spaniel who lost a leg in a car accident. He taught himself how to walk on his two hind legs. Since then, he has been delighting people all over the world with his story of patience, perseverance, and paw-sitivity!

To learn more about Dexter, check out his Instagram account @DexterDogOuray. Dexter’s owner, Kentee Pasek, and I have written the most adorable picture book and now I am starting to create the final art. I can’t wait to share some sneak peeks with you all. Go, Dexter, Gooooooo!

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. SEA SMILES, the first of a three-part series, released February 20, 2024. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

SEA SMILES Book REVIEW

| Bonnie Kelso

Since the launch of SEA SMILES, my second book, I’ve been receiving some pretty great attention. I can’t tell you everything right now, but here is a stellar review from The Children’s Book Review.

“Using marine animal science to explore the common anxiety of losing your first baby tooth, Sea Smiles is an enjoyable exploration of the diversity of the animal kingdom when it comes to teeth. 

When a little girl bites down on an apple and loses a tooth, it takes all the learning and knowledge her friend Wolffish can muster to help her feel better. Luckily, Wolffish knows all about teeth. He tells the little girl about his own teeth, which are great for catching live prey, and about the fleshy spines penguins have instead of teeth and the giant spiked tooth that is the Narwhal’s horn. She learns that some teeth in the sea can inject venom, that the crabeater seal has 32 spiral-shaped teeth (but does not actually use them to eat crab), and that sharks can produce up to 20,000 teeth in a lifetime.

After learning all those crazy, cool, diverse tooth facts, she doesn’t feel sad about her tooth anymore! 

Just like the protagonist, readers will find themselves distracted from their tooth troubles as they hear about the strange tooth-related experiences some other animals have. Alongside dozens of interesting tooth facts, humorous dialogue and wordplay keep the reading light and fun while reminding readers that looking different from others is okay. Bright cartoon-style artwork adds to the fun, interactive mood of the book. 

Sea Smiles is the perfect distraction from tooth troubles—and fascinating for any reader interested in marine animals or tooth biology.” 

—Dr. Jen Harrison, The Children’s Book Review

Whaaaa? Someone gets me! ❤️ Thanks, Dr. Harrison!

Oh, wolffish! You are always a winner in my book.

Keep an eye out for some new Giphys coming for Sea Smiles, including the one above. I’ve hit the big time with Giphy since my “Woo-hoo!” landed over 37 million views. GO NUDI GILL, GOOOOOO!!!! Here it is in case you ever want to use it in a text message after sinking your teeth into your favorite taco.

More exciting news to come soon, but until then…

May you find some time (and allergy meds) to get out in that beautiful spring weather!

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. SEA SMILES, the first of a three-part series, released February 20, 2024. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

NUDI GILL BOOK TRAILER

| Bonnie Kelso

Guess what today is?

It’s National Nudibranch Day!

What better day than to launch the book trailer for Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea!

It’s also my birthday month, so I’m super excited to share October with National Nudibranch Day. So why is October 29th National Nudibranch Day? Well, this is also the birthday of Dr. Terry Gosliner, a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences and one of the world’s experts on nudibranchs. So spread the word and hug a sea slug today, because they’re awesome and so are you. (Just kidding about hugging a sea slug. Please don’t touch one, but I’m not kidding about you. You are definitely awesome.)

Now let’s take a look at this book trailer I mentioned earlier. I’ve never made a book trailer before, but discovered it is a lot of fun. In fact, I plan to make a whole lot more of them. So I hope you enjoy it and please give it a thumbs up!

Nudi Gill is now available for pre-order!

Wishing you a very happy National Nudibranch Day! Air hugs!!!

Bonnie

NOW Available for pre-order!

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, releases March 7, 2023. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

Isn’t she radiant?

| Bonnie Kelso

Cover Tilt

Shaylee was inspired by all you kids out there who are learning how to SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! I am so proud of each and every one of you. Speaking clearly and passionately about what is most important to you is not something that comes naturally to all of us. I am one of those people. I am an adult who has felt silenced over the years due to my own fears of rejection, and I am learning through your example, what it means to speak my own truth through my creative expression. I gladly allow the youth of the world to show me the way. This one is for all of you young ones who need a little encouragement to stand up and be heard, too.

Standing up and cheering you on,

Bonnie

 

Bonnie Kelso is a Creativity Coach who uses Creating as a healing modality. She is the author of Vitalize Your Creative Life, a workbook for engaging with your inner creative child. She also facilitates creativity workshops and classes locally in Las Vegas, NV. She is the creator of the ABCs of Conscious Creating, a guided self-study program that delves deeper into the spiritual realm of your unique creative potential.

 

Radiant

A Gift of Healing

| Bonnie Kelso

For the remainder of the year I will be offering “Graceful Transformation: A Healing Coloring Journey” at a discounted price. This interactive coloring book for adults was developed from a creativity workshop with participants in addiction recovery. It was our collective intention that this book would be used to help others heal from past trauma and pain through mindful creating.

©Bonnie Kelso and Creating Your ExperienceWhether you are in recovery from substances or behavioral addictions, the themes presented in this book will provide you with a helpful exploration of your feelings. Each page asks you to Continue reading →

Launch: The Star Inside

| Bonnie Kelso

FrontCover2Sm

What does anger feel like? This is the question I’ve been asking myself and others as I have been working on a book and online course that helps people to express anger in safe and healing ways. The image that kept coming up again and again was the star.

Stars have a massive amount of energy inside of them. There is potential for heat, radiation, even a supernova explosion if a star continues to become more and more unstable. On the flip side of this anger (which is a manifestation of hostile energy), there is Continue reading →