Category: Promoting Vocations

OSV Acquires PBG content, including "Molly McBride" Series
Book Updates!, Molly Comics, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

“Molly” Meets New Publisher

Jeanie Egolf
OSV Acquires PBG content, including "Molly McBride" Series
Molly McBride series to be published by Our Sunday Visitor

Friends, I’ve had to keep a secret for a long time, but now it’s all out there:

Peanut Butter and Grace officially announced yesterday that Our Sunday Visitor, the largest English language Catholic publisher in the world, has acquired several of their titles and content, including my “Molly McBride” children’s picture book series promoting religious vocations.

The news that Molly was being sold to Our Sunday Visitor was a shock to me. Change is scary, and Peanut Butter and Grace has been by my side since almost the beginning of this journey. But on the other hand, I’m really excited. When I first found out the name of the company looking at my series, I thought, “Our Sunday Visitor? I remember their weekly newspaper on our porch and my parents reading it after Mass.”

Religious vocations awareness through children's literature
Sister and Molly have a heart-to-heart.

OSV has a huge reach, and that helps me in my mission, which can now be on a grander scale, to encourage Catholic parents and teachers to talk to kids about becoming religious sisters and priests. All of us here at the “McBride” household are looking forward to merging into the OSV family. Everyone I’ve spoken with over there is a gem.

You know, it’s always been my dream that “Molly McBride” would someday be a household name in Catholic families, a cute little reminder to plant those seeds early about becoming priests and nuns. Plus, she reminds us all to do as Jesus told us, to have the faith of a child.

Since OSV boasts an audience of millions of Catholic readers globally, it seems possible that dream can come true. I am so grateful for everyone who has helped me in this endeavor.

JesusWithMeWill the cartoon will be picked up by OSV Newsweekly?  There are currently no plans for this. But how cool would that be? One “Sunday” in the other “Sunday.”

Fellow authors, book stores, reviewers, and fans awaiting copies or even Book Four, I’m in a bit of  a “publisher limbo” at the moment. As OSV transitions over each new title, books will again become available. I’ll do my best to keep you all posted! Meanwhile, look right here for the next Molly comic on Mother’s Day.

cropped-molly-stamp-copy.png

And so does Sissy!
art, It's sharing time!, Molly Comics, Mothers of Mollies, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

What Do Kids Give Up For Lent?

Jeanie Egolf
And so does Sissy!
Molly McBride has this Lent thing all figured out!
art, Molly Comics, Mothers of Mollies, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

Molly For President!

Jeanie Egolf
Molly McBride For President!
Sounds good to me!
art, Book Updates!, It's sharing time!, Mothers of Mollies, Promoting Vocations, Recommended Reads, Uncategorized

Who(m) Do You Love?

Jeanie Egolf

The Cover Image: I think Bear came first. He might be about a year older than Hearts. I think Hearts was a Valentine’s Day gift to our little “Molly” when she was 3. They are well-loved.

The Title: As a homeschooling mom, I’m a little bit ridiculously proud of how I’ve managed to produce two mini grammar police.

But, what’s more important than a misplaced modifier or a surplus of exclamation points? How about a lesson in LOVE?

A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh (who may or may not be the inspiration behind a certain wolfpet-named-Francis) said you don’t have to know how to spell love, you just have to feel it.

pooh.jpg

The point is, kiddos aren’t just born knowing how to perform acts of charity; they must be taught. Ideally, we are molding them into selfless adults through our own example. But when the day is long and the night is short, we may find that we have neither the energy to shuttle everyone off to help ladle noodles at the soup kitchen, nor the funds to adopt a highway. In these cases, we may have to resort to some direct, didactic teaching, or, even better, read stories!

May I suggest the latest in the Molly McBride series? It’s called Molly McBride and the Party Invitation and it’s available both at Amazon and direct from the publisher at Gracewatch Media.

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.
A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

Party Invitation is a tale of true love, charity. I’m talking about “love” as in the word Paul used in writing to the Corinthians, using the Greek work agape, (also used by John to equal “God,”) that was later translated into the Latin caritas, the root of the English word “charity.”

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity. A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: "loving thy enemy" via the Gospel of Matthew.

And in this love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity in a surprising way: the story examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

 

Illustration of the pharisees, from Molly McBride and the Party Invitation
“Ever wonder why it is so much easier to love our friends than our enemies?” asks Father Matt of Molly and Dominic.

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As in the first 2 Molly McBride books, lessons abound whenever the fiery-haired 5-year-old encounters her faithful friends, the Children of Mary sisters and, in Book 2, Father Matt. It is my dream that every child will learn a little something, in a fun and entertaining way, from the relatable characters in these books. And, hopefully, the books will fulfill the daily goal of every teacher and homeschooling parent, that is, to help children learn to enjoy reading and to continue to grow in their faith.

Blessings!

Jeanie

What are you reading? You can share your favorite books by tagging your social media posts with #OpenBook and linking up with us at Carolyn Astfalk’s “My Scribbler’s Heart” blog as well as CatholicMom.

 

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.
art, Book Updates!, It's sharing time!, On Being a Good Friend, Promoting Vocations, Recommended Reads, Uncategorized

I Promised You a Party

Jeanie Egolf

As well as a Trifecta in February as we unveil the long-awaited sequel to Molly McBride and the Plaid Jumper, and so, at last! here it is:

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.
Cover image of Book #3 in the Molly McBride Series, “Party Invitation” is a tale of true love, charity.

 

From the back cover:

Molly McBride is turning 6, and her Momma is planning a BIG party. Everyone in Molly’s class is supposed to get an invitation. But should a certain class bully be invited, too? Or would it be better if his were “lost”?

Join Molly and friends as they learn that doing actor of charity, while always a good thing, isn’t always a party.

A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

Molly McBride and the Party Invitation: Bullies need love, too!
A true love story, Molly McBride and friends, with the help of Father Matt, learn the real meaning of charity. The story also subtly examines school bullying through a unique lens: “loving thy enemy” via the Gospel of Matthew.

As always, in my effort to expose Catholic kids to the religious life, there are special guests in this book: along with Father Matt, the Children of Mary sisters play a big part in Party Invitation.

"Party Invitation" is a tale of true love, charity.
From the award-winning Catholic author/illustrator of the Molly McBride series comes book #3 : Molly McBride and the Party Invitation: A Story About the Virtue of Charity. Addresses the meaning of charity as well as school bullying, as seen through the unique lens of Gospel stories.

Friends, it’s ready to order NOW via Amazon here: Party Invitation! It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthday, or First Communion gift for the Catholic kids in your life. Miss Molly is turning 6 in this story, but the Molly books are enjoyed by kids of all ages, especially the 3-9 year-old crowd.

Momma here wishes to thank all Molly’s faithful fans, especially my family: may charity and love prevail.

Blessings,

Jeanie

art, Book Updates!, It's sharing time!, Molly Comics, Promoting Vocations, Recommended Reads, Uncategorized

Happy New Year!

Jeanie Egolf

2018 is a PARTY year for MM fans young and old. Stay tuned to your favorite Molly McBride social media channels so you don’t miss her latest book release information and trailer!

MM New Year 2018

art, Book Updates!, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

Trifecta in February

Jeanie Egolf

The header image above is an actual message I received, in a rather round-about way, from a reader. Fear not, faithful followers of the fiery-haired five-year-old! The “folks” over here in Mollyland have set a goal: in 2018, the month of Valentines and Mardi Gras will feature BOOK THREE! Rumor has it, it’ll be something to party about. Little teaser:

sprucing upFEBStay tuned for updates!

Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

Religious Vocations Awareness 2017

Jeanie Egolf

National Vocations Awareness Week 2017 begins Sunday, November 5, and it’s been a really exciting time here at the “McBride” residence. I had the pleasure of writing a piece again this year for Peanut Butter and Grace, and that article is here. Additionally, I had the privilege of appearing live on Catholic TV’s This Is the Day show with Bonnie Rogers and Kevin Nelson. We discussed my favorite topic: fostering religious vocations through children’s literature!

Looking back, I was lucky. I treasure so many beautiful childhood memories, especially visits from my 2 nun-aunts, Sister Carla and Sister Mary Elizabeth. My mom used to say, back then, every Catholic family strived to raise at least one child to hear the calling to the religions life.

Born Family, Portsmouth, OH c. 1938
Back then, every Catholic family strived to raise at least one child to become a religious.

 

My grade school principal was a religious sister, as were several of the teachers and staff. These days a Catholic school kid can go a whole 12 years of school (or more, if you count pre-school and kindergarten) without ever meeting a religious other than his/her parish priest.

This makes me so sad. How will we continue to have religious sisters and brothers, as well as ordained priests and deacons, in the future of the Church when this generation of children never sees any?  And so I write the Molly McBride series with the hopes that my colorful little character will influence other spunky little kids to consider the calling.

Besides reading books about religious to your kids, you can head over to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ page for a long list of suggestions for families. The following prayer is from the same site:

“O Holy Family of Nazareth, community of love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, model and ideal of every Christian family, to you we entrust our families. Open the heart of every family to the faith, to welcoming the word of God, to Christian witness, so that it become a source of new and holy vocations. Touch the hearts of parents, so that with prompt charity, wise care, and loving devotion they be for their sons and daughters sure guides towards spiritual and eternal values. Stir up in the hearts of young people a right conscience and a free will, so that growing in wisdom, age and grace, they might welcome generously the gift of a divine vocation. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that all of us, contemplating and imitating the assiduous prayer, generous obedience, dignified poverty and virginal purity lived out in your midst, might set about fulfilling the will of God and accompanying with far-sighted sensitivity those among us who are called to follow more closely the Lord Jesus, who has given himself for us (cf. Gal 2:20).”

Amen.

 

 

art, It's sharing time!, Mothers of Mollies, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

Family Idea for All Saints’ Day: Momma Draws

Jeanie Egolf

We all have *that friend* who can make anything and everything as perfect as Pinterest. I, however, once attempted to make a “simple” Minecraft Creeper birthday cake. It came out looking like 50 shades of mold growing on a box.

You know what makes me even more jealous? People who can sew up coordinating Halloween costumes for a family of 10. I knew a family who did the Incredibles one year. Yeah. We don’t have the best of luck here at the “McBride” household when it comes to costumes. Here’s “Molly” one fun Hallowed Eve about 8 years ago:

Dang, the things we do to our kids for holidays!

Ok, so back to current. Momma can draw, but when we start talking about 3-dimensional art like cake and costumes, I fall short. But if I could sew really well and really fast, I’d make Victorian Era costumes.

Victorian Era French Fashion Magazine
Victorian Era Children’s Fashions

I fell in love with the Victorian Era a coupe years ago when I took on an illustration job for author Becky Arganbright. The book is about one of everyone’s favorite little saints, the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux.

I had a blast researching the life and times of the Martin Family, from their charming house (now a museum!) and the plates they ate off of, to their garden tools and their clothes.

Martin Family Furniture and China
St. Therese’ Room: First Communion and Confirmation Dresses

Oh! how I’d love to go to France some day and see these things for myself. I had to be content with my old pal Pinterest to provide reference photos for this project.

IMG_2061

Drawing St. Therese was a holy experience. Through this particular job, I drew closer to this saint (and her saintly family) than to any other saint whose life I’ve studied.  I read everything she’d written that I could get my hands on, studied her artwork and her photos, and read every public letter anyone ever wrote to her. For several months before officially beginning the job, I did pencil and watercolor sketches of Therese, her mother Zelie, and her father Louis. For nearly a year, I thought of little else than the Martin Family.

IMG_0602
Working on likeness: St. Therese Project
IMG_1946
preliminary watercolor sketches of St. Therese
IMG_0661
Pencil sketches of St. Therese’ First Communion and Confirmation Dresses
IMG_2064
watercolor sketch of St. Therese’ First Communion dress
IMG_0915
imagining St. Therese as toddler through early childhood
IMG_1185
Watercolor sketch of Therese with her father Louis Martin
IMG_0644
planning night scene of St. Therese
IMG_2354
watercolor sketch of St. Therese in a typical Victorian Era dress, as well a her famous hair!
IMG_1187
detail of Victorian Era watering can in the garden scene –later cut from the book

 

After a while, when I could draw her familiar face from memory, it was time to build the story board to go with Becky’s manuscript. Here are some early scene plans:

IMG_1066
Second Round of storyboarding a scene from Flowers For Jesus
IMG_1086
Third round of storyboarding for Flowers For Jesus
IMG_1109
St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower
IMG_1338
Early watercolor study of Therese Martin using actual photo

So, if I could sew, I’d whip up the whole McBride and friends gang outfits to match the famous Martin Family, and I’m sure we’d be a hit at any Saint’s Day Feast.

fusain-annould-1917-60x80cm

Unknown

Flowers for Jesus (Gracewatch Media) is available wherever books are sold and available in full PDF preview here.

How ’bout you? Any plans for family costumes for Halloween or All Saint’s Day? Don’t be afraid to share. I promise not to be jealous. Too much. 😉

 

art, It's sharing time!, Mothers of Mollies, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

Family Idea for All Saints’ Day: Momma Draws

Jeanie Egolf

We all have *that friend* who can make anything and everything as perfect as Pinterest. I, however, once attempted to make a “simple” Minecraft Creeper birthday cake. It came out looking like 50 shades of mold growing on a box.

You know what makes me even more jealous? People who can sew up coordinating Halloween costumes for a family of 10. I knew a family who did the Incredibles one year. Yeah. We don’t have the best of luck here at the “McBride” household when it comes to costumes. Here’s “Molly” one fun Hallowed Eve about 8 years ago:

Dang, the things we do to our kids for holidays!

Ok, so back to current. Momma can draw, but when we start talking about 3-dimensional art like cake and costumes, I fall short. But if I could sew really well and really fast, I’d make Victorian Era costumes.

Victorian Era French Fashion Magazine
Victorian Era Children’s Fashions

I fell in love with the Victorian Era a coupe years ago when I took on an illustration job for author Becky Arganbright. The book is about one of everyone’s favorite little saints, the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux.

I had a blast researching the life and times of the Martin Family, from their charming house (now a museum!) and the plates they ate off of, to their garden tools and their clothes.

Martin Family Furniture and China
St. Therese’ Room: First Communion and Confirmation Dresses

Oh! how I’d love to go to France some day and see these things for myself. I had to be content with my old pal Pinterest to provide reference photos for this project.

IMG_2061

Drawing St. Therese was a holy experience. Through this particular job, I drew closer to this saint (and her saintly family) than to any other saint whose life I’ve studied.  I read everything she’d written that I could get my hands on, studied her artwork and her photos, and read every public letter anyone ever wrote to her. For several months before officially beginning the job, I did pencil and watercolor sketches of Therese, her mother Zelie, and her father Louis. For nearly a year, I thought of little else than the Martin Family.

IMG_0602
Working on likeness: St. Therese Project
IMG_1946
preliminary watercolor sketches of St. Therese
IMG_0661
Pencil sketches of St. Therese’ First Communion and Confirmation Dresses
IMG_2064
watercolor sketch of St. Therese’ First Communion dress
IMG_0915
imagining St. Therese as toddler through early childhood
IMG_1185
Watercolor sketch of Therese with her father Louis Martin
IMG_0644
planning night scene of St. Therese
IMG_2354
watercolor sketch of St. Therese in a typical Victorian Era dress, as well a her famous hair!
IMG_1187
detail of Victorian Era watering can in the garden scene –later cut from the book

 

After a while, when I could draw her familiar face from memory, it was time to build the story board to go with Becky’s manuscript. Here are some early scene plans:

IMG_1066
Second Round of storyboarding a scene from Flowers For Jesus
IMG_1086
Third round of storyboarding for Flowers For Jesus
IMG_1109
St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower
IMG_1338
Early watercolor study of Therese Martin using actual photo

So, if I could sew, I’d whip up the whole McBride and friends gang outfits to match the famous Martin Family, and I’m sure we’d be a hit at any Saint’s Day Feast.

fusain-annould-1917-60x80cm

Unknown

Flowers for Jesus (Gracewatch Media) is available wherever books are sold and available in full PDF preview here.

How ’bout you? Any plans for family costumes for Halloween or All Saint’s Day? Don’t be afraid to share. I promise not to be jealous. Too much. 😉