And apparently I was an acceptable part of that menagerie, too, because Teri and I kept in touch, and kept working together, and kept seeing each other when I was in New England. At the time, it was a mouse who was so old and frail that her tail had broken off and a chinchilla whose dry-bath was in a beautiful crystal bowl. I’m not sure I remember the first piece she did for CRICKET, but I know it was either a mouse or a bear! And when I was able to meet Teri–it was on a trip that took me through Boston and she kindly offered to let me spend a night at her house–what stood out was that she had a little menagerie. I started working with Teri because she could draw mice and other small fuzzy creatures. Wake Up Baby Bear! by Lynne Plourde illustrated by Teri. Ron recounts that his CRICKET experiences with Teri left him feeling that she has, “always been one of my favorite people, and because of those illustrator get-togethers (and other visits to the Boston area), I do have some fond memories. Brian Lies, the Emberleys, Pam Levy, Marcia Sewall, and numerous others came, sharing, comparing notes, and enjoying some one-on-one with peers. In 19 Ron suggested lists of people, Teri among them, and we enjoyed fun potlucks. Everyone would gather at a long table in a busy Boston restaurant, which was fun, but those people at the other end of the table…what were they talking and laughing about? So, next time we gathered at my home to allow more fluid conversations. To build relationships with his illustrators, Ron would organize get-togethers when he came to New England. Ron McCutchan was CRICKET’s long time, greatly loved Art Director back when Teri began her career. Teri also illustrated many stories for CRICKET magazine, a media group based in Illinois. Merle Insinga and Ron McCutchan, Art Director at CRICKET magazine. Endearing baby animals draw children into Teri’s warmly feathered and furry world where adventure awaits.
By choosing ducklings, bear cubs and other animals, she has opened the story to any child, no matter what race or background, extending the reach of her books.
Her lively, delicate art and gentle stories portray the drama of youth with genial energy. “In this picture book, the first that Weidner has both written and illustrated, watercolor-and–colored-pencil artwork in a soft palette shows the ducklings’ anger, fear and love in ways that young children can identify.” In this excerpt from a Kirkus review of Always Twins (Holiday House 2015), the sensitivity of her work is highlighted. As a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design she began illustrating children’s books, some of which she also wrote. Teri grew up in Fairpoint, New York and later moved to Portsmouth, NH, an active New England seaport area rich with creative people. Footprints in snow melt away, but Teri and her books have left gentle, permanent impressions on the minds of children and all those who knew her.
Teri’s books are like that too, lovely vestiges of creative ideas shared between an author-illustrator and her readers. There is something intriguing about footprints in snow…they are traces of someone’s actions… evidence that someone has passed by. She sprinkled on coconut “snow” and outlined a bear print like the ones in Baby Bear’s Not Hibernating, by Lynne Plourde, which Teri had recently illustrated. Paw pads and claws can be made in other materials upon request.One day Teri Weidner baked brownies for an illustrators’ party. Stompy Feet can be made in Indoor and Outdoor, varieties but have an extra built-up internal structure to look large and extra toony! Indoor Feet are like Outdoor Feet, except they have a fur bottom with paw pads. If you would like for us to use something different, please discuss with us and we can generally accommodate this for an additional charge / if you send NEW shoes in. They have a thick mat sole on the bottom of the foot so they can be worn outdoors. Outdoor Feet have croc-style shoes inside for a secure fit. They are comfy and made to be worn indoors only. They are like slippers, and do not have an inner shoe or any extra structure. Slipper Feet are soft, and made with just fur and inner padding for a little bit of structure.
Paw pads are made in faux leather, and claws in a hard plastic. They are all made to fit your shoe size, have zippers running up the back, and they sit at a height of about mid-way up your lower leg (about 10"-12” tall).
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