Russ Cox

Russ Cox is the illustrator of Major Manners: Nite Nite Soldier and Whatever Says Mark: Knowing and Using Punctuation

Learn more about Russ on his website

Cynthia Lord

Cynthia Lord is the author of Newbery Honor book, Rules. She is also the author of Touch Blue, Hot Rod Hamster, Happy Birthday, Hamster. In the Spring of 2014, she has two new books coming, Half a Chance, and Hot Rod Hamster Monster Truck Mania

Cynthia writes about her dot, "Like most people who live near the ocean in Maine, I have a jar of sea glass at home. It plays a role in my novel, Touch Blue, and it always makes me think of this rule in my novel, Rules:  

Not everything worth keeping has to be useful.  

Sea glass started off as trash: broken bits of bottles and dishes. And yet, every time I find a piece on the beach, worn-smooth and shining, it reminds me that there is always another chance and beauty to be found, even in unlikely places or in unlikely people. You only have to look for it."

Learn more about Cynthia on her Website.

Bonny Becker

Bonny Becker is the author of, A Visitor for Bear which won the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Her other books include: A Bedtime for Bear, Birthday for Bear, The Magical Ms. Plum and others. 

Bonny describes her dot, "I like to do mandalas. Nothing elaborate—just a circle with symmetrical lines and simple patterns inside. Sometimes I go more freehand. This dot is about the things I love in nature—water—ocean, rivers, rain—freshly plowed fields, plants, the seasons and above it all the sun. Mandalas like this are easy and fun. All you really need is a small plate to draw your circle, a ruler to mark out your lines and colored pencils or paints. Then you can draw in whatever you love."

Learn more about Bonny on her website.

Barbara O'Connor

Barbara O'Connor is the author of On The Road to Mr. Mineo's, Greetings from Nowhere, Me and Rupert Goody and many other novels and biographies. Barbara says about her dot, "I can't draw or paint or design or do anything artistic with my hands except write. So I was in a quandary about what kind of celebridot I could create. Then I noticed my collection of bird nests and thought THOSE are such lovely round shapes and right from nature. Certainly more wonderful than anything I can create. Perfection."

You can learn more about Barbara on her website.

Kristi Valiant

Kristi Valiant’s love of dance led her to jump and jive in a Latin and swing dance group called The Fourth Street Alley Cats. Unfortunately, there were no penguins in the group. PENGUIN CHA-CHA is Kristi's first book as both author and illustrator. She's illustrating the upcoming picture book, PRETTY MINNIE IN PARIS, written by Danielle Steel which combines Paris, a fashion runway show, a long-haired teacup Chihuahua, and a stylish little girl. Oh la la! Watch for Pretty Minnie in the fall of 2014 from Random House. Kristi has also illustrated THE GOODBYE CANCER GARDEN, CORA COOKS PANCIT, and the Little Wings chapter book series. Kristi volunteers as the Regional Advisor for the Indiana region of SCBWI. She lives in Indiana with her husband, little girls, and a room full of hippos, monkeys, and sneaky penguins.

Kristi's website: www.kristivaliant.com

Kristi's blog: http://kristivaliant.blogspot.com

Visit the dancing penguins: www.penguinchacha.com

Penguin Cha-Cha Storytime Activity Kit: http://www.penguinchacha.com/Penguin_Cha-Cha/activities.html

Kirby Larson

Kirby Larson is the acclaimed author of the 2007 Newbery Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky, a young adult historical novel she wrote inspired by her great-grandmother, Hattie Inez Brooks Wright, who homesteaded by herself in eastern Montana as a young woman. Just released—due to popular demand by her readers—is Hattie Ever After, the final installment in Hattie’s adventures. Her passion for historical fiction is evident in The Fences Between Us and The Friendship Doll, as well as a fall 2013 title, Duke. She is at work on a companion novel to Duke as well as a novel set in 1910.


In 2006, Kirby began a collaboration with her good friend, Mary Nethery, which has resulted in two award-winning nonfiction picture books: Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival (illustrated by Jean Cassels) and Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle. They think three’s a lucky number so have their eyes peeled for another project to tackle together.

Kirby explains her dot, "The inspiration for this collage came to me while doing one of my favorite things: beach-combing. So you'll see six pieces of glass that I've found on our beach (a real feat on our rocky Washington coast). I am a hopelessly amateur birdwatcher, but enjoy collecting feathers -- one of my treasures is an Eastern Turkey feather sent to me by my friend, Barbara O'Connor. The feather on this dot, however, is from a Western gull (I think). Aside from the beach, another of my happy places is France; you can see the old fashioned luggage sticker for Hotel D'Europe, in Avignon, as well as the Tour Eiffel. My love for stories started with my parents, so I've included little cut-outs of them as children, to reflect my passion for telling stories for children. History fascinates me so there is a snippet from an old letter, and a page from an old dictionary; I've placed the white piece of beach glass over the word, "write." Art should be signed, right? This dot is "signed" with my initials, photographed from old typewriter keys (I have a mini-collection of old typewriters)."

Learn more about Kirby on her website.

Lynn Plourde

Lynn Plourde is the author of "You're Wearing That To School?!" and dozens of other books. She created this video to explain her dot:




Watch her video for Dot Day last year:

"Make Writing Visible" blog entry for the Dot Day video (includes activities page):

http://www.lynnplourde.com/index.php/blog/48-dot-day-imaginative-brainstorming

Learn more about Lynn on her website

Kelly Light

Kelly Light is the illustrator of  "Elvis and the Underdogs" by Jenny Lee. She has a new book called, "Louise Loves Art" next fall from Balzer and Bray.

Kelly writes, "These characters are from 'Louise Loves Art' - my picture book that comes out next Fall from Balzer and Bray. The idea of the book is all about making your mark- the love of creating and expressing yourself. Louise says, "I love art! It's my imagination on the outside!"

You can learn more about Kelly and see samples of her artwork on her website.

Sharon Creech 2013

Sharon Creech is a Newbery Medal winning author and the inspiration behind the Celebridot project. You can see her 2011 dot here and 2012 dot here. Sharon's latest book is "The Boy on the Porch," released on September 3, 2013.

Learn more about Sharon Creech on her website. 

Susan Verde

Susan Verde is the author of "The Museum" illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Shelives in East Hampton New York amidst an explosion of Legos, art supplies, animals and picture books with her twin boys Joshua and Gabriel and her daughter Sophia. They are the constant inspiration for her writing. They never let her forget how to see things from a child’s point of view and keep the kid in her alive and kicking.

Susan says about her dot, "I was having a lovely summer afternoon with my children, taking pictures as they blew bubbles into the bright blue sky full of fluffy white clouds. This one incredible bubble floated into the air and hovered, lingering for what seemed like forever as we all stopped and stared in awe and amazement. I was able to get a photograph of it just before it popped. There is nothing like a bubble to capture the joy and wonder that life brings and the kid in all of us. What a dot!!"

Learn more about Susan on her website.

Stephen Shaskan

Stephen Shaskan holds a BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. Since graduating, and moving to Minnesota, Stephen has done freelance illustrations for advertising agencies, and poster designs for local bands, theater companies/productions and area events. Stephen has also worked with children, teaching art classes through the Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul Academy, and Minneapolis Public Schools. Since 2003 Stephen has worked in Early Childhood Education, and focused his art on children’s book illustrating. Stephen has been a member of SCBWI since 2005. Stephen’s first picture book A Dog is a Dog (Chronicle Books) came out in Fall 2011, and his second picture book The Three Triceratops Tuff (Beach Lane Books) came out in Spring 2013

Learn more about Stephen on his website.