It’s been a while. I hope you’re all doing great

As per usual, just scroll through and read the sections that interest you.

1) Where am I from? included in a list of “100 books to read before you turn 6!”

This refers to a book reading campaign organized by the Norwegian public libraries in Horten, Holmestrand, Larvik, and Sandefjord. Platon (the street artist) and I are honored to have our book listed there and recommended.  

2) Nelly’s Box made it onto ILT Education’s “January Book Recommendations” list in Germany!

Link here!

ILT Education offers digital picture book services that support students’ language and literacy development in multiple languages across Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, the UK, and the USA. The company was founded in Sweden, and its educational platforms Polylino and Polyglutt are used by students in the majority of schools in the country. All my bilingual books in English, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Finnish, and Spanish are available and can be read there.

3) Lesson plans for primary school and college students 

A few days ago, Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori wrote this insightful post. 

His words inspired Germaine Koskina, PhD to take it a step further, start a lesson for her second graders, and follow up in the future with one more lesson for her college classes. 

I’m so honored to see that she chose to use “Where am I from?” for this purpose <3. 

Here she shares what she did:

After seeing the post by Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori about identity for multilingual/transnational children I decided to start a lesson for my second graders and will follow up with one for my college classes based on this lesson. I want to share what I did:

I decided to ask my 2nd grade students about their perceived identities after asking where they or their parents are from. I got a lot of diverse answers. It was very interesting to see how different people had different viewpoints on identity.

One boy born in the United States to parents from El Salvador sees himself as El Salvadorian due to the language and that he feels he does not speak English well enough yet to consider himself American, equating language to his identity. Others see themselves as American and the nationality of their parents. While others see their identities separately from their parents.

My next step was to read the book “Where am I from? ” or “¿De dónde soy?” written by Elisavet Arkolaki. We went on Google maps and looked at where each country was and how far away from us, photos of each country, and then used the information in the book to learn a little more about what each country was known for. Some students were excited to see their country included and others were excited to “visit” their country even though it was not mentioned, which we did after finishing the book.

Then we continued discussing the issue of identity and the issues Yoshito spoke about in his post and how the kids can respond. It is ok to not prefer one or the other but reframe the answer into what they like about both. And no matter what they feel about their identities, they are all unique and it is ok to feel any way they want about their identities. The kids loved the lesson!!! 

For my college classes I will first discuss identity as well and then discuss our multinational student population, sharing Yoshito’s post with them, and what we need to do as educators, sharing what I did with my second grade class and getting them to share ideas of what they can do with their own students.

4) Reviews!

Thank you for the first reviews of 2026 (and the last 1 of last year…) !

5) Swimming with nurse sharks 

Last December, I had the amazing experience of swimming with nurse sharks. It’s not related to my books, but if you find this interesting, you can read more about it here. 

I wish you a great week ahead, a lovely January, and a great 2026 !

The post Swimming with sharks and some book news :) first appeared on Maltamum.

Hi everyone, I hope you’re doing great and that the festive season is finding you in a good place I’d like to thank you for your support throughout this year and for purchasing my books! I’ll be sharing two photos from my part of the world that I took recently and which I believe you might appreciate, and some news. 1) When the internal and the external worlds blur (or blend).  Our cat, our neighbor’s cat, and I. 2) Sunrise (not sunset)! In other news…  a) I’d like to thank Visit-Croatia.co.uk, for the mention Happiness Street – Ulica srece “Just the thing if you’re heading to the Croatian coast on holiday for this book tells the tale of a girl who spends the summer on the seaside with her Grandma and starts painting pictures. Wonderful watercolour illustrations accompany the story. Your kids may be encouraged to say some of the words about their own seaside holiday… or to start painting! The author Elisavet Arkolaki has also written the bilingual books Cousins Forever and Summer with Grandpa which you can also find Croatian versions of.” More here.   b) Share with you the campaign “100 books to read before you are 6 years old” “100 books to read before you are 6 years old” is a reading campaign aiming to inspire children and parents to read more together, while also fostering good reading habits from an early age. It has been developed by the Vestfold County Municipality, Norway, in collaboration with several libraries in Vestfold. I’m honored to see “Where am I from?” listed there. Links in Norwegian: https://holmestrandbibliotekene.no/nb/lister/100-boker-for-du-er-6-ar_761fee4a-f150-4755-88e5-aa285de1b8cd https://www.notodden.kommune.no/nyhet/ny-lesekampanje-for-de-minste-klar-%E2%80%93-ferdig-%E2%80%93-les-100-boeker-foer-du-fyller-6-aar c) Leigh Academy Molehill, UK It was brought to my attention that my books are being used at Leigh Academy Molehill, UK, a school that has been awarded Intermediate level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award, in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom. Thank you so much for selecting them for your school library! You can read more here. The International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop: -An international ethos embedded throughout the school -A whole school approach to international work -Collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools -Year-round international activity -Involvement of the wider community Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I wish you a lovely holiday soon with your loved ones. Take care

The post Happy holidays, and thank you for one more year together! first appeared on Maltamum.

Hi, Lots of news to share, so just scroll down and read whatever interests you . 1) A Sea of Stars -> All versions featuring the dad + daughter and dad + son combinations have now been published. Available languages on all Amazon stores: English – Albanian    A Sea of Stars – Një det yjesh English – Arabic A Sea of Stars – بحر من النجوم English – Armenian  A Sea of Stars – Աստղալից ծովը English – Bosnian A Sea of Stars – More zvijezda English – Croatian    A Sea of Stars – More zvijezda English – Dari  A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها English – Dutch A Sea of Stars – Een sterrenzee English – Farsi A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها English – Finnish A Sea of Stars – Tähtimeri English – French      A Sea of Stars – Une mer d’étoiles English – German    A Sea of Stars – Ein Meer von Sternen English – Greek       A Sea of Stars – Μια θάλασσα από αστέρια English – Hungarian A Sea of Stars – Csillagtenger English – Irish A Sea of Stars – Farraige na Réaltaí English – Italian       A Sea of Stars – Un mare di stelle English – Korean A Sea of Stars – 별의 바다 English – Maltese    A Sea of Stars – Baħar ta’ Stilel English – Norwegian  A Sea of Stars – Et hav av stjerner English – Pashto A Sea of Stars – دستورو سمندر English – Polish      A Sea of Stars – Morze gwiazd English – Portuguese Portugal A Sea of Stars – Um Mar de Estrelas English – Portuguese Brazil A Sea of Stars – Um Mar de Estrelas English – Romanian  A Sea of Stars – Un ocean de stele English – Russian A Sea of Stars – Звёздное море English – Serbian A Sea of Stars – Море звезда English – Spanish A Sea of Stars – Un mar de estrellas English – Turkish    A Sea of Stars – Yıldızlar Denizi English – Ukrainian A Sea of Stars – Зоряне море English – Vietnamese  A Sea of Stars – Biển đầy sao 2) 60,000+ book sales I’ve reached the point where over 60,000 copies of my books have been sold, plus several thousand more have been read for free as eBooks, and through public libraries and schools. It’s a wonderful feeling because I’m doing what I love and getting paid for it, which frees up time to pursue even more creative threads that lead to other projects. In this post, I’m sharing some thoughts and useful resources for those who might be considering indie publishing. 3) Helping my child become biliterate: What the research says Yoshito Darmon-Shimanori interviewed Dr Germaine Moran Koskina on the topic “Helping my child become biliterate: What the research says”. This interview was part of the “The Grand Multi-literacy Event 2025” organized by Yoshito. My work was mentioned there, forever grateful that value is found in the books I create. You can watch it here.  Germaine commented, “I had to mention them as they are valuable in my classroom! And furthermore, as this was also an international event and you have had them translated in so many languages, I thought anyone watching this would benefit by knowing of their existence. I have also added them to my Google Site as one of the resources. And thank you for connecting me with Yoshito! His Grand Multiliteracy Event is awesome and I was so happy to be invited to take part!” 4) Thank you so much for sending me photos! I love seeing: Libraries that stock my books Your kids’ or students’ creations Anything else related. I appreciate it all! 5) Ukrainian language This one is for my friends who speak Ukrainian, have Ukrainian friends with children, or teach Ukrainian students at school. I’ve just found out that Oksana Sichkar (PhD in Literature) who writes and publishes children’s books in Ukrainian, also runs a YouTube channel featuring read-alouds in the language. You can now find three of my books there, beautifully read in Ukrainian: Nelly’s Box Part 1 Part 2 Happiness Street Cousins Forever 6) Two articles I wrote for Multilingual Families a) The Greek “Plural of Politeness”: Respect, Fear, or a Lingering Hierarchy? Dr Ute Limacher-Riebold wrote, “What languages you regularly use have a specific form of politeness/ “plural of politeness” like in Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, German… etc.? Are you still using them the same way or do you observe a shift? When our children grow up with languages that have various of these forms, they might prefer the “simplest” ones, i.e. those without (!) them, like English. At least this is what I observe – not only among children but also in adults juggling multiple ways to express politeness and respect. Elisavet Arkolaki shares her experience with this linguistic habit in her thought provoking post on our website multilingual-families.com What is your experience with these forms? What forms do your (multilingual) children prefer? And just generally speaking: what are your thoughts?” You can join this conversation here  and an ongoing discussion on social media here on LinkedIn  or on my personal FB profile here. b) A Multilingual Mother’s Reflections on Labels, the Self, and the Fluidity of Identity 7) Thank you to Aase Wivestad and Horten, Norway, public library for ordering these books in English-Arabic . 8) An interview in Greek for a local newspaper You can find it here. 9) Armenian language resource! Congratulations to Aregnazan Avetisyan, the translator who translated all my bilingual children’s books into Armenian, for publishing a book for young learners who want to start learning Armenian in a fun and easy way. You can find it here. 10) To close this long blog post  I’m sharing this photo from our daughter’s class in Norway, “We are all unique, but we fit together perfectly!” Have a lovely rest of the week! Sending you love, Elisavet, or just Liza as my friends call me

The post New book editions, articles on Multilingual Families, and other news first appeared on Maltamum.

Good morning from Horten, Norway

I hope you had a lovely summer -that is, if you live in a part of the world where the summer just ended. We spent the summer holidays, as usual, in my home country, Greece, with family and friends. Once we came back home, we got a kitten, so let me introduce you to our new family member, Kokos :).

And here are some photos and videos from last night’s full moon and eclipse as we experienced it. 

When it comes to book news:

1) A Sea of Stars 

I’m excited to share with you that this is what I am working on this month, with the expectation of having everything ready by the end of September. The fantastic illustrations are once again the work of Vivi Markatos children’s book illustrator and cartoonist. It’s the same story as in previous editions: it will be published in as many languages as before. However, this time, we’ll meet a dad with his daughter and a dad with his son on the pages.


 2) Level up!


As a writer, what I sell is words and imaginary stories that come straight from within my inner world. I hope that my soul will keep burning bright and help me stay in business for years to come :).

In that respect, I have some small (in the bigger scheme of things), but big (for me), news to share. As the quote in the 3rd photo of this post suggests, I’m not so important that I can afford not to blow my own horn. Since there’s no publisher behind me or anyone else to do this on my behalf, I need to do it for myself.



As of right now, “Cousins Forever” has exceeded 25,000 book sales! I published it in February 2021, and with the average self-published book selling 250 copies in its lifetime, and traditionally published picture books considered a big success if they sell 10,000 copies (in the USA), I can proudly say I have written and published a personal “best-seller”. Selling 25,000 copies is considered a rarity in the world of children’s books!



This obviously motivates me to continue creating and learning as I navigate the world of writing and publishing. It’s a great feeling to work on what you love and share it with the world, and at the same time see that love reflected back on you .

The last photo shows the sales figures on Amazon, excluding direct wholesale orders from me.

********************

In other news, Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori is organizing and hosting again the Grand Multi-literacy Event (a free online event with several guests who are going to share their insights and knowledge, and contribute to our multilingual and multicultural communities). A list of all the speakers in order of appearance:

Dr Eowyn Crisfield, PhD, Catherine McDougall, Lindsay Manzella, Dr Alessia Raineri, PhD, Valérie Besanceney, Inna Figotina, OCT, M.Ed., Chanda Ouk Wolf, Dr Roberto Filippi, Jessika Rabello, Zack Ekert, Dr Ellen-Rose Kambel, Dr Annie Chang Ng, Dr Ramona Gonczol, Dr Alexandra Perovic, Ricky Magee, Soofia Amin صوفیہ امین, Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori, Dr Germaine Koskina, PhD, Dr Ute Limacher-Riebold PhD. 

You can download the program here.

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That’s all for now. If you’d like to get in touch with me, you can reply to this email.  And thank you for posting your reviews! Even just a few words, like in this case, get the message across. Have a lovely day .

The post Cousins Forever: 25,000+ book sales! first appeared on Maltamum.

A Sea of Stars, Where am I from?, Cousins Forever, Happiness Street, Nelly’s Box, and Summer with Grandpa are bilingual books written by Elisavet Arkolaki (me), published on Amazon in 50+ languages, and as of right now, close to 65,000 books and eBooks are in the hands of readers (November 2024, over 15k eBooks have been offered and downloaded for free). These books are perfect for bilingual kids and kids learning Farsi or English as their second language, and can be purchased from all Amazon stores. Books of mine can also be found or requested in public libraries worldwide. If you’re interested in buying 50+ books for your school, library, group of students, event, etc., you can contact me at liza@maltamum.com for wholesale prices.

Read-aloud videos of these stories in many languages can be watched on PEaCH bilingualfamily.eu YouTube channel here. I am an ambassador of this EU, Erasmus+ funded project for bilingual and multilingual families. More information about my background can be found here.

For example, here’s a read-aloud video of “Cousins Forever” narrated in English.

There’s also a video of an event at Lynden Sculpture Garden, USA, as part of the “HOME Multilingual Story Time” project featuring Cousins Forever, which might work as an inspiration for more school and library projects. The story was read in English and Ukrainian by Halyna Salapata from Wisconsin for Ukraine, and the storytelling session ended with an art activity from Lynden art educator Claudia Orjuela in English and Spanish, where local kids were invited to send her their paintings and words to play the “Word swap” game.

Here’s also a video of kids of various ages reading Nelly’s Box in English and Romanian at the Centrul Educațional Arici Pogonici in collaboration with the Plymouth Babylab at the University of Plymouth, which might give you some ideas on how to use bilingual books in a classroom.

About my bilingual books

Dual-language or bilingual books are books in which the story is written in two languages. The bilingual books I publish are ideal for early readers and beginner language learners: white backgrounds (except books for a younger audience where the background has color), large and easy-to-read fonts, the image on one page and the text on the other, modern themes relevant to bilingual children, bilingual main characters and families that speak more than one language, etc. These books are available in 50+ languages with progressively longer stories from one book to the other. More languages and editions can be added depending on demand.

Amazon USA link
Amazon UK link
Amazon CA link
Amazon AU link
Amazon DE link
Amazon IT link
Amazon ES link
Amazon FR link

Cousins Forever -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Happiness Street -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Nelly’s Box -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Summer with Grandpa -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Where am I from? -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
A Sea of Stars -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.

Cousins Forever – دختر عموها برای همیشه

Nelly’s Box – جعبهٔ نِلی

A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها (boy edition)

A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها (girl edition)

Happiness Street – خیابان خوشبختی

Summer with Grandpa – تابستان با پِدربزرگ

Where am I from? – من از کجا هستم؟

The post Farsi Persian Bilingual Children’s Books first appeared on Maltamum.

A Sea of Stars, Where am I from?, Cousins Forever, Happiness Street, Nelly’s Box, and Summer with Grandpa are bilingual books written by Elisavet Arkolaki (me), published on Amazon in 50+ languages, and as of right now, close to 65,000 books and eBooks are in the hands of readers (November 2024, over 15k eBooks have been offered and downloaded for free). These books are perfect for bilingual kids and kids learning Dari or English as their second language, and can be purchased from all Amazon stores. Books of mine can also be found or requested in public libraries worldwide. If you’re interested in buying 50+ books for your school, library, group of students, event, etc., you can contact me at liza@maltamum.com for wholesale prices.

Read-aloud videos of these stories in many languages can be watched on PEaCH bilingualfamily.eu YouTube channel here. I am an ambassador of this EU, Erasmus+ funded project for bilingual and multilingual families. More information about my background can be found here.

For example, here’s a read-aloud video of “Cousins Forever” narrated in English.

There’s also a video of an event at Lynden Sculpture Garden, USA, as part of the “HOME Multilingual Story Time” project featuring Cousins Forever, which might work as an inspiration for more school and library projects. The story was read in English and Ukrainian by Halyna Salapata from Wisconsin for Ukraine, and the storytelling session ended with an art activity from Lynden art educator Claudia Orjuela in English and Spanish, where local kids were invited to send her their paintings and words to play the “Word swap” game.

Here’s also a video of kids of various ages reading Nelly’s Box in English and Romanian at the Centrul Educațional Arici Pogonici in collaboration with the Plymouth Babylab at the University of Plymouth, which might give you some ideas on how to use bilingual books in a classroom.

About my bilingual books

Dual-language or bilingual books are books in which the story is written in two languages. The bilingual books I publish are ideal for early readers and beginner language learners: white backgrounds (except books for a younger audience where the background has color), large and easy-to-read fonts, the image on one page and the text on the other, modern themes relevant to bilingual children, bilingual main characters and families that speak more than one language, etc. These books are available in 50+ languages with progressively longer stories from one book to the other. More languages and editions can be added depending on demand.

Amazon USA link
Amazon UK link
Amazon CA link
Amazon AU link
Amazon DE link
Amazon IT link
Amazon ES link
Amazon FR link

Cousins Forever -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Happiness Street -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Nelly’s Box -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Summer with Grandpa -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Where am I from? -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
A Sea of Stars -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.

Cousins Forever – دخترهای خاله برای همیشه

A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها (boy edition)

A Sea of Stars – دریایی از ستاره ها (girl edition)

Nelly’s Box – جعبهٔ نِلی

Summer with Grandpa – تابستان با پدرکلان

Happiness Street – کوچهٔ خوشبختی

Where am I from? – من از کجا هستم؟

The post Dari Bilingual Children’s Books first appeared on Maltamum.

A Sea of Stars, Where am I from?, Cousins Forever, Happiness Street, Nelly’s Box, and Summer with Grandpa are bilingual books written by Elisavet Arkolaki (me), published on Amazon in 50+ languages, and as of right now, close to 65,000 books and eBooks are in the hands of readers (November 2024, over 15k eBooks have been offered and downloaded for free). These books are perfect for bilingual kids and kids learning Pashto or English as their second language, and can be purchased from all Amazon stores. Books of mine can also be found or requested in public libraries worldwide. If you’re interested in buying 50+ books for your school, library, group of students, event, etc., you can contact me at liza@maltamum.com for wholesale prices.

Read-aloud videos of these stories in many languages can be watched on PEaCH bilingualfamily.eu YouTube channel here. I am an ambassador of this EU, Erasmus+ funded project for bilingual and multilingual families. More information about my background can be found here.

For example, here’s a read-aloud video of “Cousins Forever” narrated in English.

There’s also a video of an event at Lynden Sculpture Garden, USA, as part of the “HOME Multilingual Story Time” project featuring Cousins Forever, which might work as an inspiration for more school and library projects. The story was read in English and Ukrainian by Halyna Salapata from Wisconsin for Ukraine, and the storytelling session ended with an art activity from Lynden art educator Claudia Orjuela in English and Spanish, where local kids were invited to send her their paintings and words to play the “Word swap” game.

Here’s also a video of kids of various ages reading Nelly’s Box in English and Romanian at the Centrul Educațional Arici Pogonici in collaboration with the Plymouth Babylab at the University of Plymouth, which might give you some ideas on how to use bilingual books in a classroom.

About my bilingual books

Dual-language or bilingual books are books in which the story is written in two languages. The bilingual books I publish are ideal for early readers and beginner language learners: white backgrounds (except books for a younger audience where the background has color), large and easy-to-read fonts, the image on one page and the text on the other, modern themes relevant to bilingual children, bilingual main characters and families that speak more than one language, etc. These books are available in 50+ languages with progressively longer stories from one book to the other. More languages and editions can be added depending on demand.

Amazon USA link
Amazon UK link
Amazon CA link
Amazon AU link
Amazon DE link
Amazon IT link
Amazon ES link
Amazon FR link

Cousins Forever -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Happiness Street -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Nelly’s Box -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Summer with Grandpa -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
Where am I from? -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.
A Sea of Stars -> Download the accompanying activities in English here.

A Sea of Stars – دستورو سمندر (boy edition)

A Sea of Stars – دستورو سمندر (girl edition)

Summer with Grandpa – اوړي موسم د نیکه سره

Happiness Street – خوشالۍ کوڅه

Nelly’s Box – د نیلي بکس

Where am I from? – زه د کوم ځای یم؟

Cousins Forever – ترور لورګانی همیش لپاره

The post Pashto Bilingual Children’s Books first appeared on Maltamum.

Vivi Markatos is a multiple award-winning animator and children’s illustrator based in the United Kingdom. She studied theater at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with an Erasmus program at Freie Universität in Berlin and graphic design at a vocational school in Greece. Additionally, she holds an MSc in Computer Animation from the University of Portsmouth, where she was honored with the title of Valedictorian (an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution).

Vivi has illustrated over 100 books, mainly children’s books, including my new bilingual children’s book, A Sea of Stars. She has also directed animated films, with two animated shorts currently underway. Her films have been nominated for awards by the Hellenic Film Academy and the Cannes World Film Festival and screened worldwide. For example, her film The Knight’s Hart has won over 16 awards and nominations! It was awarded 1st place at the Frankfurt Film Festival, 1st place as Best Animated Film by the Athens International Monthly Film Festival and was selected at London’s Pinewood Studios and Cannes’ World Film Festival. She is a member of the Greek section of IBBY and has represented Greece at the International Festival of Children’s Illustration in Bratislava. She is also a member of ASIFA and WIA (Women in Animation). 

Moreover, Vivi has been teaching illustration and concept art in various institutions and participates in lectures and seminars in schools and libraries to promote literacy and the arts.

How would you describe yourself in 10 words?

Hi! Thank you so much for the honor of talking about my work. I am passionate, diligent, empathetic, diverse, creative, hard-working, whimsical, inclusive, distinctive (in style), and honest.

What inspired you to start illustrating children’s books, and what led you to pursue this path? How did you get started with illustrating your first book?

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make cartoons on TV. I was fascinated by this art and medium. I was 4-5 years old, more or less, when I told my father this is what I wanted to do, and I was 13 years old when I found out it was called “animation”, which means bringing things to life (anima= means spirit, soul, and animation is the technique of bringing things to life through moving images).

I loved illustrating since I was a kid. I actually sold my first piece of art to a classmate and earned my first money when I was 7! I wasn’t the best in the class in terms of arts, but I loved drawing so much that it didn’t bother me how well I drew. After moving to a rural town with my family, things became more challenging, and I couldn’t get on well with my peers. I got introverted, and I faced loneliness. Again, art was, for me, my salvation; through it, I managed to make my own stories and characters and get through the difficult teenage years.

I won many awards from a young age and tried to use this to convince my parents that I wanted to pursue art for a living and that I didn’t see it as a hobby but as an extension of myself. My parents were proud of my art distinctions, but never agreed with or supported me becoming an artist. After special recognition in a Panhellenic Comic Competition, I met a friend who became my future mentor, but I wouldn’t know that until some years later.

I ended up in the subject field of theatrical studies at University because I didn’t attend any drawing classes and wasn’t well-prepared to apply to Graphic Design schools. I took the test, but I failed. Theatrical studies were my other choice. I was convinced that these studies would help me learn the theory of acting and directing so that I could produce animated films. And I was right!

In the meantime, I was also studying Graphics in college, which helped me learn the practical aspects and gave me the tools to work toward achieving my dream. During my years as a student, I started going out with my dear friend and future mentor, Paris Charalampidis, an amazing artist. He was lending me books and his notes about animation and drawing. I had never received so much support from a stranger before. He’s now a friend for life, and I owe him a lot. One day, he told me, “Why don’t you do a children’s book? Your art style is cute and is perfect for this!” I followed his advice… and here I am! I illustrated my first book in no time. Its title is Water and Soil by Sofia Politou Ververi, Saita Publications, and it was a phenomenal anti-war fairytale about two kingdoms. I really enjoyed it, and it was the start of so many great things for me and my artistic life!

How have your studies in Theater and Computer Animation Image influenced your approach to illustration and animation?

It helped me understand academic and esoteric notions in the industry, break down the processes of creating the medium, and see every aspect of production. I approached the work as a professional, having the ability to talk, imitate and understand other accomplished professionals in the field. I had the head professor of film studies at the University of Portsmouth, Searle Kochberg, as my supervisor, and Pan Vafiadis, the head professor of VFX at the Uni. I also had amazing professors in the field of humanitarianism from the Greek University in anthropology and folklore, like Dr. Valter Puchner, and I was lucky enough to attend seminars of Erika Fisher Lichter, another great researcher in performance and folklore, at Freie Universitaet. All these inspired me and came along with the influence of some other great professors, such as Dr. Anna Tampakis, Dr. Anna Karakatsouli, Manos Stefanides, and one of the greatest directors in Greece, Giorgos Michailidis.

Can you describe the process you follow when illustrating a children’s book?

I love human interaction, and communicating with the writer is the most important part of the process. You have to understand the needs and the vision of the writer and the things he/she wants to point out, cover, unravel and reveal. It’s like microscopic surgery; you try to bring to the surface something hidden in the deepest part of the ocean of the human mind. It’s fascinating and always amazes me; I never get bored with it. After that, there are several steps. You can create some samples and sketches, or if you have a really good connection with the author, you can go ahead and start drawing and painting. Luckily, most of the time, the result is wonderful, with no or few alterations. The straightforward process is riskier (because it can contradict some ideas of the writer) but wins in some other aspects: spontaneity, child-like image, more creativity, and more whimsical.  I enjoy both processes.

How is that different from the process you follow when working on an animation film, and what is your role in such projects?

 The main difference is that a book can have 13-14 images, whereas an animation of 5 minutes can have 7200 images! A book can take a month to complete, whereas the duration of an animated film can vary from some months to years, depending on style and length. Animation requires the hiring of more creative fellows, as well as artists, to speed up the process. It needs if it has voices, voice actors, a sound designer and music, as well as, most of the time, VFX and SFX artists. You also need a good editor to finalise the work, and for cinematic releases, specific software and hardware, and specialised staff to export your file to the right format.

For cinematic releases, you might also need to rent a theater to test your film on the big screen to ensure the exportation of your file is correct. My role is dyadic most of the time in the films I take part in. I work as a director to ensure everything goes according to my vision and as an animator in the production pipeline. Sometimes, I also love working in pre-production, in the creation of the storyboard, to be able to give a clear image of what I want and what I want to show on the big screen.

What challenges did you face while directing animated films, and how have these experiences contributed to your professional growth?

 The difficult thing in an animated film is that you have to work with many creative individuals. You have to ensure that everyone understands the concept and that you cast your coworkers well: Everyone has to share the same passion as you. The film needs passion, and if your team doesn’t have it, you have chosen the wrong team. Every single person working with you should be part of your great idea and work as a representative of it and your film. Everyone should feel proud of it from start to finish, and support each other. That’s the most difficult part, I think. The other one is that you have to be able, as a director, to listen to their needs and voices. Although there is one solid thing that has to come out, it also should include the different voices of each one to be inclusive and diverse. And this is also something that a good director should do.

What is the significance of your participation in international festivals, such as the one in Bratislava, and how do these experiences impact your artistic journey?

I have been chosen for a second year to represent Greece alongside other talented artists. It is really important, and I feel proud. I also feel a bit stressed out about it because I want to make sure that I am the right choice and a good addition to the Greek team. I believe I have a distinctive style as an artist, and I think it adds something to the Greek community, so that reassures me that the choice is right. However, because there are a lot of challenges and competition, I am on my toes, trying to better myself year after year to ensure I hold a place in the Greek team. This journey has made me more responsible and more picky about the books I choose to illustrate. I don’t want to fail the readers, and I want to ensure the books I sign impact a better, more insightful and hopeful future. I want my work to give a glimpse of positivity.

How do you see the role of illustration in promoting literacy and art among children?

Our role as people working with kids and books is very important. We have to make sure that our work meets the requirements of our readers, as well as providing wider horizons for them. The books we make should not limit the kids’ minds but embrace and extend them to infinity and beyond. Books should be windows when doors are closed and should be bright stars in dark skies and eras. I believe we should approach our work in a responsible and careful manner because, at the end of the day, it impacts our society, children’s beliefs and lives. I think that, as an illustrator, specifically, the images we make should promote the love of life, peace, kindness, hope, and diversity. Images and words can have a huge impact on anyone, and we should be very careful with their content. The role of an illustrator is very crucial and must be, above all, ethical in our field.

What is your perspective on the use of technology in illustration, and how do you think the field will evolve in the future?

Technology is great and has done many good things for our field. In animation, people would need to use a lot of paper to finish a full-length film, which wouldn’t be considered environmentally friendly. Nowadays, with technology, we can tackle a lot of paper waste, and we can go a greener road. We have also achieved a lot of modern ways of drawing, drawing portable on screens or being able to communicate with projectors in schools, drawing from our tablets, and showing a whole classroom how to draw or how you can communicate your thoughts visually. Overall, technology has made massive changes to the artistic life of a creative individual, but I have never seen it as a threat. Technology is a very good friend. It has created so many new job opportunities, and even with AI, once the boundaries are set, we might be looking at a better and even more prosperous future. I am looking forward to it.

Tell us about your proudest achievement.

My proudest achievement was when I decided to leave home and follow my dream. I am proud that on my 24th birthday, I was celebrating my new self in another country, studying in the field of my dreams. It was stressful and lonely, but I felt that I made the right choice. I chose myself and my dreams instead of comfort and adhering to others’ expectations about my career.

What was your greatest failure and what did you learn from that?

When I was running to catch a bus, I gave up in the middle of the way. Rationally, the chances were 50-50; I might have made it, I might not have. Still, I convinced myself that I wouldn’t make it even though I had some minutes left. It was the first time I stood on a pavement crying because I failed to believe in myself, my ability, the impossible, and the possibility of trying. It was a big slap.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

Ι got an Erasmus scholarship to study at the Freie University in Berlin. However, I had to matriculate to the University before I gοt my scholarship, and there I had a problem. I was completely broke, and it was impossible for me to find a cheap flight to Berlin, so I had to plan my way through it. I found a very cheap direct flight from Greece to Stuttgart through Istanbul. I didn’t even have a passport which was mandatory. I was holding my EU ID. I had to spend overnight there, and the next morning, I got on a flight to Stuttgart. I not only didn’t do what I was supposed to (to remain in the airport because without a passport you cannot leave the airport), but I also spent a night in a stranger’s house. In the morning, I took a taxi and then I went in for the check-in. I created a small chaos because I wasn’t supposed to go out with an EU ID. I managed to fly anyway after a lot of fuss. When I arrived in Stuttgart, I stayed with a Greek family I didn’t know from before and hired a “black taxi” (an Italian car, which was driving to Berlin and was able to drive you to your destination together with others for some euros). I ended up in a stranger’s car, together with some other strangers traveling across Germany to reach Berlin. At the end, they left me at my accommodation, wishing me a great time as a student, and it was quite cute! I don’t know if I would ever do such a thing again. It was crazy, risky, and it could have gone wrong at any point, really. However, I don’t regret it because I did what I had to do, and ultimately, with one thing leading to the other, I achieved my dream. I am very grateful for the kindness of the people and their hospitality.

Who do you admire the most and why?

I admire the passion of people doing what they love, no matter their age or background. I am proud of them, which also gives me the power to keep going.

If you could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask?

I don’t know. I like having questions and wanting them answered. I prefer being a student rather than a teacher, so I prefer asking questions rather than giving answers. I would probably, maybe, ask about world peace, but only if the answer was positive.

Share with us a sweet or funny story that has happened to you recently.

Due to a double cancellation of my flight after a work trip, I was stranded in Athens for two days when I was supposed to fly from Rhodes to the UK. It was tiring but also wonderful. I met friends and people I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, which warmed my heart. Despite the very awkward trip, in the end, I turned the bad luck into funny faces and lovely moments.

What is your vision? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I won’t say because I believe if I say it… It won’t happen. However, I really want to be a strong, inspiring and independent woman. If I achieve these, I will be very happy.

How can people get in touch with you, and where can they find your books and animated films?

You can find my work by checking my portfolio here.
You can contact me by email here: vmarkatos@yahoo.gr

Thank you!

The post Interview with Vivi Markatos, multiple award-winning animator and children’s book illustrator first appeared on Maltamum.

I just learned about the Lusophone Calendar Art Contest for Kids, which was published on the Vice-Consulate of Portugal in Providence website and The Herald News! It’s such an honor that my book “Summer with Grandpa” in European Portuguese (there’s another edition in Brazilian Portuguese) has been selected for this purpose. I truly hope it will inspire kids and that they’ll have a great time reading in Portuguese and painting. 300 calendars featuring the winners’ paintings will be printed.

The watercolor artist is Svitlana Holovchenko, the European Portuguese translator is André Morgado, and the proofreader is Ana Pereira.

Links:
https://providence.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/the-consulate/news/2025-lusophone-calendar-art-contest

https://providence.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/images/iplws_2025_calendar_contest_rules-rdx.pdf

https://eu.heraldnews.com/story/news/local/ojornal/2025/02/27/portuguese-studies-institute-rhode-island-college-bilingual-lusophone-calendar-art-contest-returns/80708128007/

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Art-Calendar-Contest-is-back-.html?soid=1103000147407&aid=kRVbsdfTn4c

The Lusophone Calendar Art Contest is back. Seeking entries from K-12th graders.

Organized by the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies (IPLWS) at Rhode Island College in collaboration with the Day of Portugal and Portuguese Heritage in RI, Inc., the contest is open to students aged 5 to 18 who wish to submit their drawings to be featured in a 2026 bilingual calendar.

“We have returned by teacher demand,” said Dr. Silvia Oliveira, the Director of RIC’s Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies. “Since 2004, over 4,000 students have participated in this activity.”

In its 18th edition, the contest is open to students enrolled in Portuguese language and culture classes in public, private or charter schools or community Portuguese schools.

“There is no better way to learn a language than by learning the culture, the stories, the places, the traditions throughout the ages, and the modern times,” said Dr. Oliveira.

The goal is to encourage students to develop an understanding of Lusophone cultures and heritage by learning about their people, stories, history, geography and art through artistic expression.

“The Portuguese-speaking nations span 900 years and there are over 265 million speakers spread through all continents, including our heritage communities here in the U.S.,” said Dr. Oliveira. “And the Portuguese language has the unique ability to connect all of those different cultures and people in all continents today.”

Students 5 to 10 years old (grades K-5) are invited to explore a bilingual picture book provided by the IPLWS and submit their drawings based on the story of the book. Students aged 11 to 18 are asked to explore a given theme.

“Our themes are designed to be developmentally appropriate for students’ ages, and relevant to Portuguese language learning, following curricular guidance set by the Rhode Island World Language Standards and the ACTFL World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages,” Dr. Silvia said.

Teachers are asked to work with their students in exploring themes and in encouraging their students’ imagination and creativity through artistic expression.

“The materials are made available to all K-12 teachers of Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures; however, only Rhode Island students can submit their artwork for this contest,”

What are the age categories and themes for the 2026 Bilingual Lusophone Art Calendar?

The 2025 Lusophone Calendar Art Contest age categories and themes are as follows:

Ages 5 to 7 (Grades K-2): ‘Summer with Grandpa/Verão com o Avô’ by Elisavet Arkolaki;
Ages 8 to 10 (Grades 3-5): ‘Summer with Grandpa/Verão com o Avô’ by Elisavet Arkolaki or ‘A Lusophone Picture of the Past’;
Ages 11-13 (Grades 6 -8): ‘A Lusophone Picture of the Past’;
Ages 14-18 (Grades 9 -12): ‘A Lusophone Picture of the Past.’

Only one entry per student will be accepted.

Entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by the IPLWS Community Advisory Board.

The three entries in each age category with the most votes will be declared the winners. Each winner will receive a monetary prize.

Each teacher from a winning entry will receive a matching award, to be expended on materials or activities for their Portuguese classes.

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If any of you live in Rhode Island, speak Portuguese, and have kids or students who will participate in this competition, please send me an email. 

Thank you!

The post Lusophone Calendar Art Contest for Kids 2025, Rhode Island, USA first appeared on Maltamum.

Meghan Markle reads to children on sidelines of Invictus Games  Good morning I hope you’re doing great. The last time I posted here, I mentioned the Invictus Games and the mini library that would host all my bilingual books in 18 languages. Well, something completely unexpected happened. For an independent author like me who publishes her books on her own, it was huge!  Here, I’m sharing some photos I received of the mini library before the kick-off of the games. And here are some photos from the opening ceremony that I found online.  Later, as I was searching online for photos and videos from the Invictus Games, I discovered that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hosted a storytelling session at that library, where she read the book “All Are Neighbors” by Alexandra Penfold (Author), Suzanne Kaufman (Illustrator), and Knopf Books for Young Readers (Publisher). Can you spot the books I’ve written and published in the background  ?   In other news, did you know that International Mother Language Day was celebrated on the 21st of February? The International School of Piraeus published videos where students shared interesting information about their languages, like this one about Chinese. They also read books I’ve written and published in various languages: Nelly’s Box, Chinese Happiness Street, Ukrainian Where am I from?, Russian ISP and kids, thank you for this honor. I hope you had a lovely day at school . Finally, we’ve started the process with Vivi Markatos Heinemann/ Vivi Markatos children’s book illustrator and cartoonist. to publish “A Sea of Stars” in new editions (same story) featuring a) a young dad with his toddler girl and b) a young dad with his toddler boy (instead of a mom). Do you like what you see here in the opening scene? We hope that he comes across as a gentle, kind, caring dad who loves deeply his little one. You can reply back to this email if you’d like to and give me your feedback. PS. The artist will try having the kid’s right leg bend over the dad’s arm to make the pose look more natural.  That’s all for now. As always, thank you for your support and following my journey in writing and publishing. I wish you a lovely weekend!

The post Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hosted a storytelling event at the Invictus Games and my books were there <3 first appeared on Maltamum.