2nd Draw a Jumboo Contest Winner
April 13, 2025
After receiving over two dozen additional submissions from Belmont Elementary students, I decided to host a second 'Draw a Jumboo Contest.' I'm thrilled to announce that Layla Russo is the first-place winner of this second contest! Layla's imaginative drawing of a bunnybird was excellent, and I can easily envision these creatures inhabiting the world of Jumbalot. A heartfelt thank you to Layla and all the students who took the time to create their unique jumboo characters.
The Latest Jumbalot News!
Introducing the first AI animated short for my book, Journey to Jumbalot. This project features multiple clips of the main characters, Alby the housecat and his guide, the annoyingly lovable Fremmy the froguar (frog and jaguar hybrid), as they walk through a colorful forest on their way to the magnificent Kingdom of Jowla. I envisioned my book as an animated film or series while I was writing it and learning how to use Seedance 2.0 helps me bring my characters to life. I know there is a lot of unpleasantness with folks regarding the use of AI, but I certainly cannot afford to pay a professional animator thousands of dollars for something like this. Who knows, perhaps an agent or a movie studio will see one of these clips and realize that the world of Jumbalot has the potential to become much more than a book. I'm not giving up on my dream :) 🐈⬛ 🐯 🦝 🦊🦓
A huge shout-out to University of South Florida Zimmerman students Regina Segovia, Nicholas Bowen, and Ashika Patel for an outstanding presentation of their final media kit project featuring my book, Journey to Jumbalot. They provided valuable ideas on promoting my book through social media, press releases, in-person events, and interactive drawing contests. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Mimi Perreault for reaching out to me about her PR Writing course’s media kit project. It’s hard to believe that I released my book five years ago. Despite winning several awards and receiving positive reviews, selling a self-published book has proven to be quite challenging. Nicholas, Regina, and Ashika showcased their creativity with excellent promotion ideas that will help me spread the word, and I am forever grateful. They have bright futures ahead of them!
I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to every student from Belmont Elementary for their incredible submissions to the ‘Draw a Jumboo Contest!’ It’s truly inspiring to witness the creativity and effort that went into each unique character. I’m thrilled to announce that the winner of this year’s contest is Skylar Odom ! Skylar’s imaginative use of so many different animals to create a beautiful new jumboo was truly outstanding. As a reward, Skylar receuved a Fremmy the Froguar stuffed animal, Jumboo Guidebook, and two signed copies of Journey to Jumbalot. Every other student who participated received a free signed paperback copy of the book. Your imagination and thoughtfulness have brought so much joy and excitement to this contest. Keep up the amazing work and never stop dreaming big!