Going Batty at NJLA

One of my favorite moments from the 2012 NJLA Conference was meeting Brian Lies, author and illustrator of Bats at the Beach.  He spoke about his life and how illustrating children's books had always been a dream of his.  What struck me the most was when he said that as a child, he was not artistically talented.  It was through studying art and practicing his craft that he became the amazing artist we all know today.  He said that children need to realize that if they have a dream, they shouldn't give up just because they feel they aren't good enough or talented enough.  Talent isn't everything.  What an amazing example!