Spring paintings and Books

Spring colors. I love them! Children’s storybook, music and room murals of bunnies and spring flowers.

Butterfly Dreams, A Friendship Takes Flight a storybook for ages 2-11. Published by Et Alia Press. etaliapress.com to order. Also available on Amazon and on my Etsy site Carol Dabney online store.

Painting of bunny hiding in the tulips is a very large canvas created with acrylic paints.

More paintings, books and music available at Etsy.com at my online store Carol Dabney.

Spring flower painting on canvas.

Have a wonderful blessed spring time.

-Carol Dabney

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Butterfly Art

I’ve been painting lots of butterfly paintings this year. I noticed the children like to look at the big visuals while I am reading my newest storybook “Butterfly Dreams, A Friendship Takes Flight” etaliapress.com

Most often lately someone will buy the paintings on the spot. I love that. Also my paintings have become larger.

Children’s Storybook “Butterfly Dreams, A Friendship Takes Flight.” for children ages 3-12. Available through etaliapress.com

My Youtube channel is fun for kids to watch Carol Dabney DabOhana. Stories and Songs. Please subscribe and share.

Storybooks are great gifts for birthdays or Christmas. There are also audiobooks with original songs for the stories. Request details by emailing carol.dabney@yahoo.com

My scripture art has been a big hit. I will custom your butterfly art with your favorite verse.

My students have a lot of fun with this story about an elephant family that is following God through Africa all the way to Noah’s Ark. Audiobook and music available through Amazon or emailing me.

Christmas Stories and Songs is our latest audiobook and in time for Christmas deliveries. 4 stories and songs.

Do you like to golf. Here is a fun story for kids.

Meet the authors Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale. see us on our YouTube channel DabOhana.

Butterfly art

Bigger Butterfly paintings

The Happy Pumpkin Story and Song is good for Halloween, Harvest and Thanksgiving.

Music for kids by the authors

Twas The Mouse Before Christmas is our best seller. A wonderfully fun story for the whole family. Available through my email.

Thanks you all for your continued support in our stories and songs. -Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Being Creative during Covid Pandemic

Its important for teachers to be creative for their students during the Corona-virus pandemic. Wearing a mask all day has been a challenge. My thoughts about wearing them are that doctors and nurses wear them because it keeps them and their patients safe. If they can do this, so can I as a teacher. Do I like wearing a mask? No, not at all. But in fact because I am a music teacher I not only wear a cloth mask, but also a face shield. It makes me feel trapped. It’s hard to breath and talk and sing. I do so hoping that this has helped me stay healthy and safe so I can continue doing what I love, which is teaching children. I think its working.

I am among the more fortunate ones during this Covid crisis, in that the school where I work has been completely operational since September with only a few interruptions. I think we are having success because we can keep our classes small, to about ten students per classroom. We keep our classes separated for the most part all day. We play outside whenever possible. Our students do not wear masks, however our all teachers do. We also have spray sanitizers we use every day.

In my music room I have a box of instruments for each class so no one touches another classes items. Then they are sprayed at the end of each day so another class can use. I prepare music that some can use tambourines and drums or ukuleles, maracas and bells.

When it comes to teaching music to children you have to be highly creative to hold their interest. I utilize puppets that tell stories to introduce new songs. I think the children enjoy looking at colorful paintings while they are learning the words and meanings to other music. Of course they always like marching with flags while singing our patriotic numbers or wearing butterfly wings while dancing.

Me wearing a mask and a face shield at my school. My sister, who is a military nurse made a dozen different masks for me. This one is because I wrote a children’s storybook called “Butterfly Dreams, a Friendship Takes Flight” it is published by Et Alia Press if you want to take a look at my children’s story and art. https://www.etaliapress.com/authors#/carol-dabney/

When the pandemic first happened, all school shut down. March 12 is a day I will always remember. I was at the Children’s library in Little Rock and my publisher Erin Wood and I were there going over what was going to be a big author and book release party to happen in April. I was so excited. I had written several books before, but this one was special because I now had a publisher and this book showed off my art and the editing was wonderful. But as you know the world shut down. The big readings at libraries and bookstores would have to be put all hold.

We had to once again be creative. So we turned to multimedia. I starting reading my story to libraries online through Zoom, Facetime and Youtube. I created my own Youtube channel and started singing and reading lots of my stories. You can find me at Dabohana on Youtube. All summer long along with my music partner Rod Ragsdale we stay home in our little apt and made lots of videos for children on Youtube. We used themed shower curtains as backdrops and made out own little video production studio. Check out the fun. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDluLLAyEJVzyrsCelEjvDw

I had tea parties zoomed to my grandchildren and small children’s groups.

Rod and I had a blast. We hope you will go to our Dabohana Youtube and subscribe. Share and little little ones watch our fun music videos.

Story time with bible values

puppets and songs and imaginary trips to Hawaii

Farm animal songs and real trips out in the country

Sharing my art from my balcony in the summer.

In the winter I even started teaching beginner piano from my room. Virtual Piano lessons are not easy, but we found a way.

Rod and I Serenading on the balcony

Having fun during a time of isolation and sharing music, art and stories helped keep us sane during the Coriv-19 pandemic. We also hoped that we entertained a few families along the way.

Stay safe. Be creative. Love from our little place to yours. -Rod and Carol

Serenading from the Balcony

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale are singing from their apartment balcony and uploading to their Dabohana YouTube channel and Facebook in order to stay connected to the dozens of senior communities they used to sing for each afternoon. Before the Coronavirus Pandemic brought it all to a halt, you could find them singing across the state of Arkansas entertaining with music and stories. Usually in Central Arkansas, but some days traveling to Star City, Camden and Hot Springs, and had plans to continue expanding up to Madison County this summer.

If you know someone in a nursing home who has a commuter and loves music that will takes them down memory lane, have them subscribe to Dabohana YouTube for a new song every day. Hopefully we will get to meet them in person for a live performance soon. Carol and Rod enjoy singing a variety show which includes the roaring twenties, country, folk, show tunes, gospel and patriotic.

If you are a senior community director looking for a way to Zoom a live show, It can happen. Contact by email at carol.dabney@yahoo.com.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDluLLAyEJVzyrsCelEjvDw

Serenading on the balcony with Rod and Carol. #SingingForSeniors #CoronavirusSingingSolutions #SerenadingFor Seniors #MemoryLane #Music #FamilyMusic

If you enjoy our music please share and subscribe on YouTube. Thank you for your support.

Carol and Rod are both children’s authors. You can find their storybooks on Amazon.

Carol’s newest story “Butterfly Dreams, A Friendship Takes Flight” can be found at etaliapress.com for extra special deals right now, check out the details.

Carol and Rod also have music videos for children on their DabohanaYoutube channel. Hope you will share with families.

Carol is a music teacher who is staying connected with her students with music, tea time stories and puppets.

Thank you for stopping in -Carol and Rod

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDluLLAyEJVzyrsCelEjvDw

adventure books Alwyn Erub alzheimers alzheimers association Americana American soldier animals Arkansas state Capital artwork author biography book book review books butterflies carol dabney children children adventure Christmas Cindy Reyes composer concert Donna Watkins faith family Hawaii Hillary Clinton Children's Library hula library love song love story melissa dabney migration military military families music Navy Noah reading recording artist Rod Ragsdale Thanksgiving ukulele wings WWII

Capital Event 2017

Come join Carol, Rod and Cindy at the Arkansas State Capital in Little Rock Saturday December 2 for the annual Christmas tree lighting from 6-8pm to welcome Santa coming to town. Carol, Rod and Cindy will be reading their Christmas storybooks and singing Christmas carols.

 

Story-tellers share children’s storybook “Twas The Mouse Before Christmas” written and illustrated by Carol Dabney. In English and Spanish. Spanish translation by teacher Cindy Reyes. Available in audiobook with song online at http://www.amazon.com write ‘Carol Dabney Music’ in the search. or click the links below:

https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Before-Christmas-Carol-Dabney/dp/B0182XWYNM/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511270067&sr=8-8&keywords=Carol+Dabney+Music

 

 

This is Carol’s first Christmas storybook published in 2013. It has a cookie recipe and an original song on sheet music in the book. The audiobook has character voices read by Cindy, Carol and Rod along with the song “Christmas in Your Heart”

Hear the story and see the illustrations on UTUBE on the link below: So much fun. Thank you for supporting teacher-artist Carol Dabney.

 

Thanks for listening. Hope you enjoy this very fun story. Please leave a message. Send to a friend with children.

From our house to yours… Merry Christmas…-Carol Dabney

Also enjoy being a part of the Santa’s North Pole Holiday magical Adventureland each year in Jonesboro.

We have enjoyed sharing our story over the past 4 years at schools, libraries, festivals, nursing homes, annual Holiday House Santa event and the annual Christmas tree lighting at the Arkansas State Capital.

The first time I read it was for a classroom at Schofield Army barracks in Hawaii. I also read at Ft. Lee when my daughter was stationed there. At home in Arkansas I travel the state and read with Cindy and Rod. Cindy and I are both teachers and love the classroom or school assembly events. Rod is a wonderful story-teller and has fun as the Singing Santa.

We will be presenting our story and music at the Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center Saturday December 16, 2017 at the 10am family story hour. You can get a book and we will personally sign it with your child’s name in it. Please share this with your friends and thank you for supporting local artist. It helps us continue our work.

 

Merry Christmas 2017

Fall 2017

 

This year 2017, my canvas paintings and stationary cards for Arkansas cotton was selected to be displayed in the Plantation Agricultural State Museum in Scott, Arkansas.

These are are some of the artwork that is displayed. My father’s first job as a young boy was picking cotton. This state attraction is located south of Little Rock, Arkansas at 4815 AR-161 in Scott.

Rod and I also sang there for the tractor expo, and sold some books, paintings and music.

Then it was time for story-telling and “The Happy Pumpkin” storybook, which I revised this year into a BIG BOOK and added some more art.

I have a great deal of fun reading this story and singing through harvest time, Halloween and into Thanksgiving about a Pilgrim named Jack who sails to the new world to plant a pumpkin seed with a big idea about sharing his pumpkin seeds. A tribute to the American farmer. Oh my, Jack must water through the intense heat and watch over that little sprout through wind and weather till it finally grows to be a huge happy pumpkin. Thank you American farmers for all you do. Jack, like you, had a desire to feed a nation. Then, in his sharing, he receives what he hoped for most, someone to share his life with. Oh the simple pleasures of life- FAMILY! A wonderful book about hard work, sharing and faith. Book also has some healthy pumpkin treats, and see the seeds come out and a jack-o-lantern with a candle made into this happy pumpkin. Celebrate Thanksgiving by reading this book to your family year after year.

click link below to see all my storybooks.

https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Dabney/e/B0056B1AFW

 

Thank you for supporting artists like myself. To all Happy Fall. -Carol Dabney

https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Dabney/e/B0056B1AFW

There were fall festivals and schools and libraries to read and sing at.

I teach music at my school in the mornings, but if you live in central Arkansas, I am available to come and read for your child’s classroom, school assembly or event in the afternoons. Let me know. Have a bless fall.

Holiday Books written and illustrated by Carol Dabney.

Scott Plantation Settlement Fall Festival 2015

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale books, music and Pumpkin watercolor art. Tis the season to read pumpkin books.

http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Pumpkin-Patch-childrens-Thanksgiving/dp/1480236675/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Rod Ragsdale and his book booth of The Adventures of Andrew on the Golf Course. Golf for children is a great family sport.

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Andrew-Golf-Course-Adventure/dp/1514820870/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444479938&sr=1-1&keywords=rod+ragsdale

Carol Dabney cooking up something good for pioneer days at Scott’s Pioneer Settlement

Carol Dabney singing for the folks at the Scott’s fall festival

Rod Ragsdale playing his guitar and harmonica at the Plantation Festival 2015

Playing our music. Original songs, plus country and gospel and patriotic music

We got some local honey

We admired local handsewn quilts

tasted honey butter freshly churnned

Canned goods by local gardeners

There was Hayrides for the kids. Viewed other nteresting automobiles of the past

The beautiful white cotton grows in the south

The baked goods were amazing

Blacksmith demonstration was really neat

tours of the train station and about the cotton and other older buildings

pioneer homes on the settlement in Scott Arkansas

making something sweet naturally

Of course there was a horse

My cotton field watercolor painting

My pup and pumpkin watercolor painting. I will be reading the Happy Pumpkin, Patch story at the Good Earth Garden Center Pooches and Pumpkins Festival on Cantrell in Little Rock Arkansas Oct 17 2015 from 11-3 

Pumpkin books by local children’s authors

My watercolor pumpkins

My Razorback Arkansas watercolor (Sold)

Rod Ragsdale book one of The Adventures of Andrew on the golf course 2015

My Golf watercolor art

Rod Ragsdale book art by Carol Dabney

Scott Plantation Settlement Fall Festival

Summer Reading program at Williams library

Reading and music at Williams Library

http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Dabney/e/B0056B1AFW

Rod Ragsdale and his harmonica

dancing hula with the girls

Monarch Butterflies migrate to Mexico story time reading Bows and Butterflies

Sing along

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale

Love is Like Glue song

Bows and Butterflies
http://www.amazon.com/author/dabneycdbooks

So music fun

talking story together

trying on Hawaiian leis and Mexican sombreros

Only in our imagination can we go from Hawaii to Mexico in 30 minutes

Rod sharing a joke upclose

My reading team Rod Ragsdale, Cindy Reyes and myself at a children’s library event in Little Rock

Cindy Reyes has translated Bows and Butterflies in the beautiful Spanish language and it is in both the book and children can hear the bilingual story of Bows and Butterflies on the audiobook music CD as well.

Children’s authors Donna Watkins and Carol Dabney working together on audiobook adventures for children.

Donna Watkins wrote the words to On The Wings of Dreams for her story The Duck Adventures of Cheese and Quackers

Rod Ragsdale composed the music and we recorded the music at Blue Chair Recording Studio. Donna’s song went so well with my story Bows and Butterflies that she is sharing this beautiful song on my audiobook as well as hers. Her audiobook will be published soon. Go to Amazon.com and look at Donna Watkins children’s books.

Bows and Butterflies is a book and an audiobook with a song by Donna Watkins called On The Wings Of Dreams… recorded by Rod and Carol find it online at amazon write in the search box Carol Dabney music to find the audiobook story and song.

http://www.amazon.com/Bows-Butterflies-Carol-Dabney-Ragsdale/dp/B012PN8DWG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1439045959&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Carol+Dabney+music

Now children can listen to our stories and music as you drive in the car, on the way to school, on a trip. Read along with our books or just listen. Its fun and educational. Bows and Butterflies – book or audiobook CD. Your support helps us continue our work as local authors, artist and musicians.

We have enjoyed entertaining reading stories and playing music with children this summer at many libraries around the Little Rock area. If you have a party or event for children and want us to sing, read a fun story, and want to encourage children to read more, we can bring and sign our books personally to your children and its a gift your can give to each child at the end of the party that they can have in their home library. connect by emailing us at carol.dabney@yahoo.com

Summer Music Programs at Clinton’s Children’s Library

Rod Ragsdale and Carol Dabney play music for children’s hour at the Hillary Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale will be playing music during children’s story hour Monday August 3 and Monday August 10th at 10am and 11am Summer Children’s programs at the Hillary Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dabney and Ragsdale compose and record music and audiobooks for children. They also teach music on request guitar, piano, harmonica and ukulele. They sing at private birthday parties, luaus and special events.

Children enjoy interactive music time with Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale June 30

children singing and dancing with Miss Carol

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale having fun playing music for children

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale having fun playing games during story hour at the Children’s Library June 30, 2015

Carol Dabney and Rod Ragsdale will be playing interactive music with children again August 3 and August 10th and 10am and 11am at the Hillary Clinton Children’s Library.

http://www.amazon.com/author/dabneycdbooks

Hey Kids, Meet Carlos the Caterpillar!!!

I will be reading and singing for a meet the author event with several other local authors at the Hillary Clinton Children’s library Saturday June 6 from 10-noon. Mark your calendars if you live near by and have children that love to go to the library for story hour, music, crafts and snacks. They will be allowing me to sell and autograph books with your child’s name at this event. That’s new. So if you have been wanting my newest spring book “Bows and Butterflies” about Carlos the Caterpillar, this is the place. See a butterfly habitat and learn about the stages of a butterfly’s life. A special friendship with Jane who encourages Carlos to believe in his dreams to fly. Hear a new song “On The Wings of Dreams” composed by Donna Watkins and Rod Ragsdale.

Bows and Butterflies by Carol Dabney in English and Spanish. Spanish by Cindy Reyes

New 2015 book Bows and Butterflies by Carol Dabney

Speaking for the young author workshop in Little Rock April 2015

My story time and singing team Rod Ragsdale, Cindy Reyes and myself at a children’s event in Little Rock.