Brambletale Blog
The Very Hungry Imagination of Eric Carle
Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, but his childhood took a major turn when his family moved back to Germany when he was six. He studied art there and graduated from the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Stuttgart. Still, Carle never lost his fond memories of America. In 1952, he returned to New York with a portfolio and just forty dollars in his pocket.
Artist Spotlight: Issey Miyake
Born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1938, Miyake studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Even early in his career, he viewed clothing as a form of design rather than simply fashion. While still a student, he challenged the design world by asking why clothing was not being treated as seriously as architecture, furniture, or industrial design.
The Polish Writer Who Reforged Folklore
Andrzej Sapkowski is sometimes compared to J. R. R. Tolkien, but his fantasy has a very different flavor. Tolkien built a grand mythic world filled with ancient evil, noble quests, invented languages, and sweeping moral stakes. Sapkowski’s world is more crooked, cynical, and human. His stories often ask what happens when old legends meet ordinary greed, prejudice, fear, and survival.
Making a Movie for Your Ears: Bringing Moby Dick to Audiobook
Listening through auditions was exciting, but also a little strange. There are many talented narrators out there, and plenty of them can deliver a clean, professional read. But finding the right voice is different from finding a good voice.
For this story, I needed someone who could make the sea feel wide, Captain Ahab feel intense, and the whole adventure feel inviting for a young audience.
That is where Brandon Miller stood out.
Artist Spotlight: Camilla d'Errico
Camilla d’Errico is an Italo-Canadian artist, illustrator, painter, comic creator, and author known for her dreamy “Pop Manga” style. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, and later based in British Columbia, she has built a colorful career blending manga influence, pop surrealism, expressive characters, and a deep love of imaginative storytelling.
Molecular Gastronomy: The Art You Can Eat
Chefs, chocolatiers, bakers, and even adventurous home cooks use molecular gastronomy to play with texture, temperature, shape, and surprise. A familiar food can become something completely unexpected. A sauce can become bubbles. A liquid can become jelly. A scoop of ice cream can smoke and swirl like a wizard’s potion!
Bringing Moby Dick to Life for Kids (Yes, Really)
Moby-Dick is not exactly known for being a quick, easy read… especially for kids. It’s long. It’s dense. And somewhere between whale anatomy and philosophical tangents, most adults start quietly wondering what they signed up for. So naturally, I thought: “Let’s turn this into something a 5-year-old can actually enjoy.”
Stepping Through the Wardrobe: The Life of C.S. Lewis
From the time he was a boy, C.S. Lewis was surrounded by stories. He devoured myths, fairy tales, and legends from across cultures, and they planted the seeds for the imagination that would later make him famous.
Green Eggs, Grinches, and Genius: The Legacy of Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss eventually found his true calling in children’s literature, and he completely changed the way kids learn to read. The Cat in the Hat was written to replace dull school primers, using only a limited list of simple words.
From Daydreamer to National Treasure: The Story of L.M. Montgomery
L.M. Montgomery’s stories teach us about friendship, hope, and finding beauty in simple things.
Jungle Adventures and Talking Animals: Who Was Rudyard Kipling?
Rudyard Kipling became a writer and wrote many famous tales, like The Jungle Book, Just So Stories, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. His stories were filled with brave animals, curious children, and important lessons about courage, kindness, and loyalty.
Sailing Through Stories: The Life of Herman Melville
Herman Melville’s most famous work, Moby-Dick, tells the story of Captain Ahab’s obsessive hunt for the great white whale. Ironically, when it was first published, people didn’t pay much attention to it.