Dear Friends,

I’m sending this out to say THANK YOU to all of you for your continued support – it’s a tremendous help and been quite an avenue to meet such nice people. I love reading all of your communications too.

A special thanks to many of you for calling and sending in the many questions for the past near two years of radio shows, your suggestions, your invaluable feedback, your questions and for listening in on the various shows. I have been on a 4-month break from the radio shows and interviews I was accepting, enabling me to focus on some exciting projects as a children’s author, a fully grain-free (and of course gluten-free) cook, my work in the celiac arena and of course my studying which is very important to me.

I am being very selective ( or picky as you may say) and will do just a few shows this year, keeping you informed. Some very exciting and very wonderful projects are moving forward. Things have really expanded beautifully.

Wishing you all an amazing 2011 and wishing you all success and accomplishment in your goals.

Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com
r.n.

Congratulations to Tina Turbin!

Some people accomplish extraordinary things. When they do, it’s nice to recognize them and applaud them for their accomplishments. Tina Turbin is one of those people. She’s well known by many of you because of her involvement in the celiac community.

Who is Tina Turbin?

Tina is an activist in two main fields: 1) She actively works to make improvements in children’s literacy and education, and 2) She works diligently to raise awareness about celiac disease. She speaks regularly on these topics on national radio shows and writes articles and columns for a wide variety of publications and websites. You can learn more about Tina at http://TinaTurbin.com.

Why the “Congratulations!”?

Tina wrote the award-winning children’s picture book Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. iSTORYTIME (the iPhone App Developer for Dreamworks) has recently signed to turn the DVD of this book into a children’s book app. This production is unique because its the first of its kind to have sign-language interpretation added for the deaf to assist this under-served population.

Imagination Publishing Group President Alan Wayne said, “I’m pleased to say that this is the first of many apps to be created through iStorytime for the Danny the Dragon series.” Profits from the sales of the Danny the Dragon DVD are donated to the Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf. Learn more about her books, DVD, and what she does to help celiacs at her website.

Congratulations Tina!

Connie Sarros

www.gfbooks.homestead.com

Children’s literacy is one of the most important issues facing us today. Fortunately, many groups, organizations, and individuals are dedicated to reversing the staggering statistics. However, as hard as people are working to get kids reading, there are some kids—such as the visually- impaired ones—who get left out.  Thanks to Stevie Wonder, though, visually-impaired literacy is getting some of the attention it deserves.

Stevie Wonder recently appeared before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of the United Nations urging for global copyright laws to be changed to the benefit of the 300 million print-reading-disabled global citizens, to whom millions of books are inaccessible to them as audiobooks due to the current copyright system.

According to the Huffington Post, the way the system is currently set up requires that many audiobook versions of the same work be produced, which carries a higher cost, the burden of which falls on the visually-impaired public. What’s more, some poor countries can’t even afford to make their own versions of works, so that they’re not available at all to their blind citizens.

Here is part of Wonder’s address, courtesy of The New Yorker:

“While I know that it is critical not to act to the detriment of the authors who labor to create the great works that enlighten and nourish our minds, hearts and souls, we must develop a protocol that allows the easy import and export of copyright materials so that people with print disabilities can join the mainstream of the literate world.”

“According to the AFP,” reports The New Yorker, “aides to Wonder said that just ‘five percent of printed materials and books are available in a readable form for the blind or visually impaired in industrialized nations, and just one percent in developing countries.’”   You may wonder, as I certainly did, how come such a small amount of books get translated into formats accessible to the visually-impaired, such as Braille and audiobooks. Ian Crouch of The New Yorker interviewed Paul Schroeder, the Vice President of Programs and Policy at the American Foundation for the Blind to find out more about this issue.

According to Shroeder, while several developed countries have different copyright laws allowing books to be reproduced in Braille, audio, and electronic or large print, the materials must fulfill two limitations, first that the books only go to those who are unable to read print books due to a disability, and secondly that the books are made by “specialized format producers who work with people with print-reading disabilities.”

In the U.S. the copyright provisions, also known as the Chafee provisions after former Senator Lincoln Chafee, allow these specialized producers to reproduce books in formats that are accessible to people with print-reading disabilities. A problem arises, however, with the fact that the provisions don’t allow for export outside the U.S., a law that other counties have in common with us.

According to Shroeder, “We definitely want to see a treaty or other mechanism that allows books to be shared across borders for use by people with print disabilities.” Stevie Wonder’s advocacy work is in alignment with this goal.

It’s an inspiration to see other artists working on behalf of children who aren’t typically represented in the children’s literacy issue.  After visiting with the bright children of Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf on my East Coast book tour, I released Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy, the first book of my children’s book series, on DVD with a sign interpretation, and the profits are going to the causes of literacy and education. Now the DVD has been released by iStorytime, of Dreamworks and Shrek Forever After, as an app for the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. I hope to see other artists and individuals follow in Stevie Wonder’s example by championing causes that are special to them, and I look forward to seeing progress in developing a global system whereby the millions of visually-impaired are able to enjoy the books we ourselves are lucky to have access to.

Tina Turbin

www.TinaTurbin.com

Resources:

New Yorker: Stevie Wonder and Books for the Blind http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/09/stevie-wonder-and-books-for-the-blind.html#ixzz10K3xYhi1

Huffington Post: Stevie Wonder To UN: Ease Copyrights For The Blind http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/20/stevie-wonder-to-un-ease-_n_732281.html

The renowned and distinguished School Library Journal LOVES my Danny the Dragon children’s book series just as much as the kids do.

A terrific review of the Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD was published in the June 2010 issue.  I’m very pleased to share it with you below.

Tina Turbin

Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. DVD. 21 min. Imagination Publishing Group.2009, 2010 release.

PreS-Gr 3–When Jimmy and Sally visit the beach, they find a beautiful shell and take it home with them. They soon discover that it houses a dragon named Danny, wearing red tennis shoes and carrying a yellow backpack, and his navigator friend, Skipper. Danny and Skipper have dinner with Jimmy’s family and stay the night. The picture book by Tina Turbin (Imagination Pub. Group, 2008) closes with a promise that the friendly dragon will guide the children through a series of upcoming adventures. The DVD opens with a message from the author. Interpreter Carol Downing signs the entire story, standing on the right side of the screen as the pages turn. The fun cartoon illustrations by Aija Jasuna are scanned. Sound effects add to the narration, underscoring word meaning and helping children with some hearing identify sounds. Recommended especially for schools and libraries seeking to offer a greater variety of material to hearing-impaired children.

–Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY

I am really thrilled to share this good news. My children’s book on DVD with sign interpretation, Danny the Dragon has made a PR headliner on the ever popular and important, Deafness Research Foundation site:

http://www.drf.org/news/133/Widely-Acclaimed,+Award-Winning+Children’s+Author+Produces+DVD+for+the+Deaf+

Tina Turbin www.glutenfreehelp.info

I came across a review for Tina Turbin‘s book Danny The Dragon “Meets Jimmy” on my friend’s blog.  Because I have a child her son’s age and a child a bit younger, and because I trust her opinion on books that we will enjoy, I did not hesitate to order a copy of the book and audio CD for my own children.  I have two kids, ages 4 and 2, who are bookophiles and I know they will love their book! 

Additionally, I told Tina that I am walking in the 2010 Dallas Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure and that I am hosting an event with a silent auction in order to raise the funds needed to participate – funds that will directly benefit breast cancer research.  Tina was gracious and generous enough to donate a DVD, audio book and some other goodies to assist me in my efforts.  I am so excited to be able to present someone with her items and spread the word about Danny the Dragon while raising awareness about breast cancer!  Thank you, Tina!

Lyndsey Griffin

Tina Turbin

Booklist, Issue: April 15th 2010

Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy.

Apr 2010. Victory, DVD

In this presentation of author Tina Turbin’s picture book, Carol Downing interprets the story in sign language while Janis Welch reads the text. Jimmy finds a large green shell at the beach. When the youngster lifts the shell, he hears voices coming from inside the vessel. After Jimmy takes the shell home, two creatures, Danny the Dragon and Skipper, emerge. The brightly colored illustrations depict Jimmy and his family as they serve dinner, play catch in the yard with friends, and finally settle down for the night.

Instead of utilizing animation, the film merely displays the book pages. But what sets the program apart is Downing’s signing, making the charming story accessible to both hearing and deaf children. See also ASL Tales: The Princess and the Pea (2009), featuring performance artist Pinky Aiello telling a nontraditional version of the familiar tale in American Sign Language.

— Candace Smith

Teacher: Hi Tina, I hope your trip was enjoyable!  We did do a read-aloud with your book and the students had a number of questions in both classes about process as well as choices.   I’m giving you their questions as they (as a class) created them.

Period 5:

1. How did the author and the illustrator decide on the illustrations?—especially the expressions on the characters

I envisioned them myself and directed my illustrator to create MY characters. I delevoped all the characters. It was a unique experience.

2. What kind of creature IS Skipper?

You name it. It is not important to a child to be specific about this. Some call him a p-wog, some a frog. Kids NEVER have asked me.

3.Why did you choose a dragon to emerge from a sea shell? (this was troubling for Seniors who wanted an egg

Kids are imaginative. Why are there space ships in the ski, how can a refrigerator talk in a cartoon,  who can prove any of that? The writer, in my case is imaginative. The seashell will be told in future stories. Obviously this story CONTINUES……hence, the ending which leaves room for future books.

4.What was the inspiration for the book?

My own life and surrounding of a playful , creative and imaginative life I wish others to have and experience…..fun!

5. What is the significance of the RED sneakers and YELLOW backpack?

None. Simply a decision.

6.What is in the backpack?  (we kind of got caught up in the details and not your role as author—sorry)

You will find out in future stories.

7.       Why are the parents so accepting of a dragon?

It is a Good story, he is a good dragon…no demons and bad guys.

8. How and why did you choose the illustrator?

Long story but in a nutshell, she is European and in Latvia. Speaks no English and I adored her and decided I really wanted to work with her.

9.How long did it take to finish the book in its entirety?

approx. 2 years- NOT full time

10.What lesson, if any, was the book trying to teach?

I leave that open to the reader.

11.Does the theme have to do with manners?/…………..Why is the dragon so polite? That is his character.

I leave that up to the reader

12.Why doesn’t Danny act like the dragon (I’m not sure what they were asking here—I can ask for clarification)

Can not answer this………..this is sort fo a silly question, sorry.

13.Are you concerned with the logic of Danny shrinking in water?  (the discussion was Danny ate soup which is watery and yet he does not shrink from eating liquid—or must the water be salt water?) The explanationis is in the book and in this story.

14.Is there a significance to the pictures—7:10 for dinner clean-up, license plate FL-1, feather on the picture of a boat, grandparent picture in the background . . . ?

No significance at all.

Period 3 Class

1.Same as #4 in 5^th period

2. Same as #5

3. Why did you choose imaginary characters (dragon) rather than realistic (hermit crab)?

Boy, …..because I am a wtier / author and as a writer I make my decisions as I choose. I am able to create ideas and imagination and place this on paper for others to envision my words. That Iisan authors job and capability. This is what writing is all about.

4.       Was the book meant to be an independent reader or a “read-to” book?

From the Reviews all Lower School ages seem to be reading it as well as being read to.

5.Why is there no real conflict in the book? (we are High School and used to looking for conflict)

Smart point. In many books there are conflicts and especially at the middle, turning point. The turning point is the evolving from a shell.

Keep in mind this is a 32 page children picture book so they may look at the halfway point, or there-about.

6.How long did it take you to write the book? above

7. Is there a significance to choosing (the name) Danny the Dragon?  (They know Danny and the Dinosaur) above

8.Was the book written as a stream of consciousness?  No.

I tried not to answer their questions, or guess what your response would be.  They were inspired from your introduction of your own writing at 16 that they could illustrate and/or write their own best-selling children’s books! Good.  Thank you so much for willingness to share.       Thank you, Karon

Additional comments to teacher from me- my views: Hi Karon,  These answers above are short and sweet. With this many question there is usually a live phone interview. I tried to answer quickly as I just eloped a plane after a 18 day tour.   Many of these questions are goood. The spirit of writing, having fun, playing with your reader and in this case young children, is the main purpose. You can break some rules IF your story communicates. Never allow the students to fail in writing by getting so caught up in the “rules’.   The questions as to why does he act so nice, like a dinosaur and am I concerned with him shrinking….well, I can say that the magic did not convey to som fo these kids, maybe due to them be HS students? They are looking at a book trying to dissect it as an educational tool, which is terrific but due to the nature of the questions, they may loose sight of the magic of writing if they need a WHY to all points in a book and on its pages, especially a childrens’ picture book. Writing can be much simpler and fun.Working with my illustrator was a magical experience. I am an Author and love to write, my illustrator is an Award Wining illustrator and this particular book is the opening to Adventures. The rest is sure to come.   Thank you for your questions and time. I wish all the children in your classes with a true goal to be a writer all the best os success in their endeavor. Those with a goal to be a children’s picture book writer will need perseverance and stamina and I feel anyone with enough perseverance can make it.       All the Best, Tina Turbin, Author

“What a terrific cover illustration!  Danny the Dragon is wonderfully drawn and is sure to appeal to kid readers; Skipper and Jimmy are wonderfully drawn, too.  The interior illustrations are as wonderful: bold, bright, comical, full of amazing detail, quirkily fun – wonderful for the story and wonderful on their own.  The story itself is delightful.  What child wouldn’t be intrigued by a talking shell – that turns out to house a talking dragon?  Kids will love that the mother very calmly and casually invites Danny and Skipper to stay for dinner and even agrees to let the dragon spend the night.  (They’ll wish their own moms would be so accommodating.)  Danny is loveable and polite (a nice, subtle lesson in manners for the kids reading this book); Jimmy and Sally’s reactions to his appearance in their household ring true (it’s also nice that they’re shown, without comment, cleaning up after themselves – a nice lesson for kid readers that is done subtly enough to not seem like a lesson).  The story sets up itself for a series of future adventures.  Children will enjoy reading about Danny again and again.”

To my surprise most of these kids I visited at Shriners had flown in from all over the world for the intimate care at Shriners. Shriners caters to kids under 18, accepts no payment from parents or insurance companies and all their money is raised by donations and the hard work of the Shriners.

Half of the children I visited spoke little English and were under care to receive prosthetics or some type of surgery , due mostly to being born with a certain defect.

These kids were bright and creative as we made our own “book” to leave in their hospital library. They titled their “combined-efforts book”,   Danny and Friends to go with my book, Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy.

It was an amazing day, to say the least. The knowledge I gained afterwards truly opened my eyes to the many needs and the various ways to help out in society.

Note: The little girl sitting in the wagon next to me (above photo) had no legs “yet” but she handle this with pride and in her own way. She hid an assortment of chocolate pudding, bags of candy and 3 cans of Gatorade as well as all sorts of stuffed animals tucked under her blanket covering her legs. I am smiling at her as she had taken a break from our coloring to get a bit too much pudding on her face rather than in her tummy. She was a charm and the staff were amazing with all these kids!

Enjoy!

Tina Turbin