Author Archives: rosinskynatalie

Not Just “For the Birds”

Posted on August 1, 2017

Saying something is “for the birds” is an old-fashioned put-down. It means “not worth much” and actually refers to the horse droppings on city streets that birds once ate. (So my saying that President Trump’s policies are “for the birds” … Continue reading →

Posted in biographies, graphic novels, picture books | Tagged Annette LeBlanc Cate, anxiety, Audubon On the Wings of the World, Audubon Society, bird-watching, birds, Birds Art Life, Birds of America, book collaboration, claire ligne, climate change, Depression, Etienne Gilfillan, Fabien Grolleau, French immigrant, Jerem Royer, John James Audubon, Kenard Pak, Kyo Maclear, Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Back Yard, ornithologist, The Fog | Leave a comment

Beyond Graduation: Leaving and Returning Home

Posted on July 1, 2017

June brings proud smiles and commencement speeches for graduates of all ages. For many older grads, another rite of passage will soon follow: leaving home for college or that first full-time job. At least, this is the idealized version of … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, labor | Tagged 1930s, Cecil Castellucci, college, Dan E. Burr, Depression, girls in disguise, graduation, high school graduation, hobo justice, hobo signs, hobos, Jack Vance, Jose Pimienta, Kings in Disguise, On the Ropes, riding the rails, Soupy Leaves Home, Sullivan's Travels, teen-ager, teens, The Journey of Natty Gann, USA Depression, Wild Boys of the Road, William Wellman, women's education | Leave a comment

Bigger Than Life? Tall Tales and “Fake News”

Posted on June 1, 2017

We Minnesotans love tall tales—especially ones about Paul Bunyan. Kids read about how his huge feet supposedly stomped out our 10,000 lakes and how the giant chopped down thousands of trees with one ax stroke. The communities of Bemidji and … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, picture books | Tagged "fake news", American folk lore, Audrey Wood, Bemidji, Brainerd, Carrie McIntie, Cathy Malkasian, David Shannon, dreams, Eartha, epitaphs, fairy tale, Kevin O'Malley, legendary heroes, Lucette Diana Kensack, Maine, Marybeth Lorbiecki, Minnesota, Ojibwe, Paul Bunyan, Paul Bunyan Day, Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart, Paula Bunyan, Phyllis Root, picture book, President Trump, quest, Renee Graef, social media, tall tale hero, tall tales, teen readers, The Bunyans, tween readers, tweets | Leave a comment

Today’s Tomorrow

Posted on May 1, 2017

“May Day! May Day! May Day!” That desperate radio call for help—once the best way for airplanes to signal disaster—is such an appropriate beginning for this May 1 blog post. Today’s inspiration is neither the traditional spring holiday nor the … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels | Tagged 1984, Adam Rapp, consumerism, cults, Decelerate Blue, dystopia, fifteen year-old, future, George Orwell, Grandfather, hospitals, Jonestown, language change, May Day, megamall, Mike Cavallaro, parents, resistance, schools, science fiction, shopping malls, speed, technology, teens, tweens, Vulcan Celestial Supply Shop | Leave a comment

April Hopes and Promises

Posted on April 1, 2017

Even experienced gardeners may be fooled by hopes raised by fine April weather. Colorful buds promising full flowers can still be savaged this month by thundering rains, high winds, or even a sudden frost. Similarly, children and others may be … Continue reading →

Posted in graphic novels, memoir | Tagged Beatrix Potter, Belgian illustrator/author, Brecht Evens, British illustrator/author, Bryan Talbot, child abuse, Dominique Goblet, emotional abuse, Guy Marc, imaginary playmate, incest, Lake District, Laura Watkinson, Lying is Pretending, Michelle Hutchison, Panther, physical abuse, recovery, Sophie Yanow, spring holidays, The Tale of One Bad Rat | Leave a comment

Going Nuclear

Posted on March 1, 2017

Going nuclear? A recent, award-winning picture book; another acclaimed, older picture book; and some classic and in-progress graphic novels remind us just how terrible this military choice has been. These works center upon the World War II atomic devastation of … Continue reading →

Posted in biographies, graphic novels, manga, memoir, picture books, Uncategorized | Tagged A Cartoon History of Hiroshima, atom bomb, atomic power plant, Barefoot Gen, Caren Stelson, comics, Depression, Fukushima nuclear power plant, Hiroshima, Ichi-F: A Worker's Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Abe, Junko Morimoto, Kazuto Tatsuta, Keiji Nakasawa, My Hiroshima, non-violence, nuclear arsenal, nuclear disarmament, nuclear melt down, nuclear power plant, nuclear war, peace, Peace Garden, President Trump, Raina Telgemeier, Sachiko Yasui, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story, Silbert Honor Award, United States, World War II | Leave a comment

Carrying a Torch for Miss Liberty

Posted on February 10, 2017

Watch out for the acetylene torch! This Valentine’s Day, “carrying a torch” holds new meanings for me. Besides being an old-fashioned term for infatuation, it brings literal torches to mind. I am a student in a course in “Balanced Sculpture,” with … Continue reading →

Posted in articles | Tagged Alexander Calder, American ideals, Balanced Sculpture, bigotry, dreams, Ellis Island, Guthrie Theater, immigrants, immigration, Lady Liberty, Minnetonka Arts Center, Miss Liberty, mobiles, President Trump, Promise Land, racism, stabiles, Statue of Liberty, Statue of Liberty replicas, torch, Transatlantic Love Affair theater ensemble, Trump administration, U.S. Constitution, Valentine's Day | Leave a comment