Melissa Gardner
LightNews LightNews
banner
artgardner.bsky.social
Melissa Gardner
@artgardner.bsky.social
1.8K followers 2K following 480 posts
illustrator/storyteller, psychotherapist, mom and maker of magic! 🏳️‍🌈& ND
www.melissagardnerart.com
Rep’d by @sandraproudman.bsky.social
@galltzacker.bsky.social
#kidlit #kidlitart #illustrator
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
artgardner.bsky.social
Melissa Gardner @artgardner.bsky.social · Nov 15
Hello!
I am just getting my feet wet again on here again! It’s inspiring to see all the new illustrators #kidlit peeps on here.

I’m a picture book author/illustrator in the beautiful PNW.

This is a recent piece of mine, inspired by the art of Seth Clark.

#artshare
Of a ramshackle house that has legs and is wading through the ocean. a child with a crow costume is sitting on the roof. The house was inspired by the work of artist Seth Clark.
artgardner.bsky.social
Wow! We’re doing it! Keep showing up!
webvixen.bsky.social Webvixen @webvixen.bsky.social · Jun 16
Yassss! Go Team 💙
June 17, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
everylibrary.bsky.social
Employees of a Metro-East library district are unionizing to fight back against book banning and what organizers are calling “right-wing assault.”
Metro-East library employees organizing to fight censorship - The Labor Tribune
By ELIZABETH DONALD Illinois Correspondent Employees of a Metro-East library district are unionizing to fight back against book banning and what organizers are calling “right-wing assault.” The…
buff.ly
June 12, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
bencollins.bsky.social
Every flashbang could instead be a meal for a poor kid. Every hotel room for a National Guardsman deployed to fire at our neighbors could house a homeless vet. Every "less-than-lethal" bullet pulled from a journalist's eye could be already needed healthcare for anyone else. All of this is a choice.
June 11, 2025 at 4:22 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Please take the time to read this. I don’t know this person but her compassionate and dialectical approach echoes many thoughts I’ve had the past 1.5 years.
emilylhauser.bsky.social Emily L. Hauser (she/her) ❌👑 @emilylhauser.bsky.social · May 22
I'm dazed. My heart aches so, my whole body is flooded with anxiety, my brain racing to get ahead of what it means, for Jews here, for Gaza, for my family, for everything, what can I say, what will be helpful to say, about the murder of two Jews leaving an event convened to coordinate aid to Gaza.
May 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
brianlarossa.com
I believe deeply that teaching our children to love reading at scale is the only thing that can save us from ourselves.
May 15, 2025 at 3:50 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Kidlit writer and student is still locked up. For what?
Stating her opinion. Yes, she locked up for free and protected speech.
jeisinger.bsky.social Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · May 6
Amid all the other news, it's easy to become inured to the basic facts here. Öztürk:

-Is not accused of committing any crime

-Is nonviolent

-Was in this country legally

-Merely engaged in speech that the administration objects to

-Has been locked up for six weeks
uebey.bsky.social Erik Uebelacker @uebey.bsky.social · May 6
Now from Öztürk’s ACLU lawyer Esha Bhandari:

“Rümeysa Öztürk’s case is unprecedented and shocking. She has been held behind bars for six weeks while her health deteriorates for writing an op-ed.”
May 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
slj.com
It’s Children’s Book Week! Julie Flett and Sophie Blackall sat down for a chat for the occasion
www.slj.com/story/Sophie...
Sophie Blackall and Julie Flett in Conversation | Children
Award-winning author illustrators Julie Flett and Sophie Blackall sat down for a chat on the occasion of Children’s Book Week 2025. Flett created this year’s poster on the theme: “An Ocean of Stories”...
www.slj.com
May 5, 2025 at 2:12 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
This cracks me up! Love it, Rekha!
rekhasalin.bsky.social Rekha Salin @rekhasalin.bsky.social · May 1
Happy #KidlitArtPostCard
I am Rekha and I love to tell stories with illustrations. Stories that are silly, funny, whimsical and magical.
Repped by Alice at @ashliterary.bsky.social
See more at Www.rekhasalin.com
May 1, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
debbieohi.com
Today's #KidLitARTPostcard Day, when #KidLit artists worldwide share art on 1st Thu every month. Founded by
@ginaperry.bsky.social ❤️🎨

Note: Don't forget the "art" in #KidLitARTpostcard! Some are mistakenly posting #KidLitPostcard instead.

More info: ginaperry.com/postcard
All about KidLitArtPostcard — Gina Perry Illustrations
ginaperry.com
May 1, 2025 at 2:45 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Beautiful!
abigailhalpin.bsky.social Abigail Halpin @abigailhalpin.bsky.social · May 1
It's #kidlitartpostcard day, so here's a drawing I've been working on, inspired by growing up near the sea.
🐟
Portfolio: theodesign.com
May 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
It’s #earthday today and I’m reminded of this poster I made several years ago. Sadly it’s all still true today. Climate change is real and we humans aren’t the only ones feeling its effects—but we are the only ones who can stop it!
A poster with illustrations of endangered animals that are partly painted, partly sketched, to give the impression that the animals are disappearing.
April 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
This is why government funding is so important to academia.
Governments give money to universities, which in turn use it for research to save us all from the next pandemic, global warming, etc. Trump defunding research institutions is not just short sighted, it’s dangerous!!!
sailorrooscout.bsky.social Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · Apr 22
The preclinical study has been published in Cell Biomaterials. YES, it is PEER-REVIEWED.
• www.cell.com/cell-biomate...
• www.buffalo.edu/news/release...
THE BIGGER PICTURE The widespread emergence of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b in North America has severely impacted the agricultural sector and represents a pandemic threat for human spillover. Vaccine preparedness is therefore critical. Here, we show that recombinantly produced clade 2.3.4.4b H5 and N1 viral surface proteins can be displayed on the surfaces of immunogenic liposomes. When administered as a vaccine to mice, immunization elicited functional antibodies against H5 and N1 and consequently protected mice from lethal challenge in monovalent or bivalent format. A simplified and controlled vaccine formulation of H5 and N1 antigens in nanoparticle format offers promise for countermeasures against H5N1 HPAI clade 2.3.4.4b. HIGHLIGHTS •A liposome platform enables co-display of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b recombinant H5 and N1 •Vaccination with monovalent or bivalent H5 and N1 protect mice from challenge •Nanoparticle vaccines with HA and NA have potential to address H5N1 influenza SUMMARY The widespread transmission of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza, clade 2.3.4.4b, in wild and livestock mammals with isolated human cases has heightened concerns for zoonotic outbreak, necessitating vaccine readiness. Here, we assess whether recombinant H5 hemagglutinin and N1 neuraminidase proteins can confer protection from disease when antigens are presented as an adjuvanted nanoparticle vaccine. Multimeric recombinant H5 and N1 derived from H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b were coupled to liposomes that incorporated cobalt-porphyrin-phospholipid (CoPoP; for liposome display), along with the immunostimulatory adjuvants QS-21 and synthetic monophosphoryl lipid A. H5 and N1 rapidly converted from a soluble to a liposome-bound format, while maintaining reactivity with monoclonal antibody probes. Upon immunization, H5 and N1 elicited antigen-specific cellular and functional antibody responses, and bivalent H5 + N1 presentation on liposomes resulted in immune responses against both antigens, reduced viral load in lungs of infected mice, and protected them against lethal challenge with a highly virulent 2.3.4.4b H5N1 strain. The study was a collaboration of investigators from the University at Buffalo, the National Microbiology Laboratory (Public Health Agency of Canada), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, and the University of Manitoba. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT The illustration shows the experimental bird flu vaccine platform. The H5 and N1 proteins attach via his-tag (teal coil) to cobalt ions (red plug) within the cobalt-porphyrin-phospholipid nanoparticle. PHAD and QS-21 are adjuvants embedded into nanoparticle. [University at Buffalo]
April 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
rbreich.bsky.social
Tyrants prey on people who feel unsafe, vulnerable, and alone.

But when we find ourselves surrounded by courageous people and brave institutions, we can more easily find courage inside ourselves.

This is the beauty of solidarity.
April 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
There’s still time!
ndkidlit.bsky.social Neurodiverse Kidlit Collective @ndkidlit.bsky.social · Apr 18
💸🧠AUCTION LIVE:
Bid on: 30-min zoom portfolio review w/ #kidlit #illustrator, @artgardner.bsky.social

champ.ly/qIOKYCzY

Auction: champ.ly/xSRrqf-V

<a href="/hashtag/ndkidlitauction" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#ndkidlitauction #picturebooks #diversebooks #childrensbook #autism #adhd #neurodivergent #writingcommunity #booksky #charity #nonprofit #donate
April 19, 2025 at 1:14 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
I love this!
April 18, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
debbieohi.com
Hi, I'm Debbie Ridpath Ohi. I live in 🇨🇦,where I write & illustrate bks. My newest #KidLit bk: I Want To Read ALL The Books (Simon & Schuster). Next: I'M BUSY (written by @michaelianblack.bsky.social, illus by me).

Find #BlueSkyTips in my Unofficial Guide To Bluesky.

My work: @work.debbieohi.com
Collage of book covers from children's books illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, some also written by Debbie. In the lower left corner is a photo of Debbie reading a copy of WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? and looking quizzically up at the books.
April 17, 2025 at 12:02 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Auction is live!!!
ndkidlit.bsky.social Neurodiverse Kidlit Collective @ndkidlit.bsky.social · Apr 11
💼 Fundraising Auction spotlight

@artgardner.bsky.social offers a portfolio review! Get feedback & support a grt cause!

Auction is live 4/15-4/30. Proceeds fund our #neurodiverse #kidlit @highlightsfound.bsky.social scholarship

👀 champ.ly/xSRrqf-V

<a href="/hashtag/autism" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#autism #mentalhealth #adhd #writingcommunity
April 16, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
lyndamh.bsky.social
Would you like me to visit your school? To enter my contest for a free school visit (sorry, USA only) please pre-order WISH IN A TREE and then go to this link: forms.gle/rtgFbhP8jmXh...
@penguinschoollib.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Hi! It’s still #portfolioday in my neck of the woods!

I’m an adolescent psychotherapist turned author/illustrator of picture books & beyond.
I love stories full of human connection, natural beauty and sprinkles of magic.
Rep’d by @sandraproudman.bsky.social
See more at
www.melissagardnerart.com
Illustration of a ramshackle house on legs. It is wading through the ocean and has a child, grandmother and kitten dancing on the roof. A child wearing an abstract colorful dress climbs a tree as birds of the same abstract colors take flight A poster of animals that are going extinct. The animals are partially sketched and partially fully rendered to illustrate that they are disappearing from our world.
April 9, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
amlibraryassoc.bsky.social
Ready to make your own voice heard?

Head to ala.org/showup to learn how you can fight for library funding.

Call or email Congress, write a letter to your local paper, or bring your elected officials into your library! We need everyone to show up #ForOurLibraries. (3/3)
Show Up for Our Libraries
Join us and Show Up #ForOurLibraries.
ala.org
April 8, 2025 at 1:57 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
We stand with you ALA! Thank you for making good trouble!
amlibraryassoc.bsky.social American Library Association @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social · Apr 8
NEW: ALA is going to court to stop the President’s attempts to illegally dismantle the Institute of Museum & Library Services.

The President does not have the authority to destroy a federal agency. That's why we're taking action with our co-plaintiff @afscme.bsky.social. #ForOurLibraries (1/3)
We're suing Trump to save library funding. Show up for our libraries, American Library Association.
April 8, 2025 at 2:18 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Yes, thank you!!!🥰
katemessner.com Kate Messner @katemessner.com · Apr 7
Happy Library Week to all of the public librarians, school library media specialists, and aides who make sure our kiddos have access to the stories they need!

We don't tell you often enough how much we appreciate you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. ❤️
April 8, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Reposted by Melissa Gardner
kellyesparza.bsky.social
Hey, #writingcommunity! I'm looking for more editing work!
I edit in all genres, all age groups, and business writing too! I have 4+ years of editing experience and BAs in English and Creative Writing!
kellyesparza.wordpress.com/editing-writ...
Editing Services
Hi there, writers! I am offering editing services! As you’ll see, I edit poetry collections, poems, short stories, novels, flash fiction, nonfiction books, screenplays, all types of business …
kellyesparza.wordpress.com
April 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
This is amazing! It should be a book.
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · Apr 6
A little while ago, my parents' cat Bridget went missing. As the weeks dragged on, they became extremely worried. My dad devised a way to distract himself: he began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up in some of art and music's most iconic scenes.
Bridget with The Beatles on Abbey Road. Bridget hanging out in Grant Wood's American Gothic. Bridget in Bruegel's Hunters In The Snow (with a freshly caught mouse). The Cat With The Pearl Earring.
April 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM