Congratulations to Barbara Higgins Bond, an illustration instructor at Nossi College of Art. Nossi College utilizes adjunct instructors who currently maintain a full time career in their creative industries. This experience is invaluable for our students, to learn from instructors who are part of this so-called “real world” that college students must join after graduation.
Barbara Higgins Bond has been a children’s book illustrator for 38 years. It was her desire to stay home and raise her son that introduced her to the world of children’s literature. Her most recent work, “A Place for Bats,” received a coveted Parents’ Choice Recommended Seal to be placed on its cover, informing buyers of the educational and fun story that lies within the pages of the hardback. It is one book in an educational series about ways human interaction can affect animal populations. It also encourages its young readers to help aid habitat preservation within their community.
The Parent’s Choice Foundation offers six award levels. After receiving hundreds of thousands of entries, less than 20% of the submitted material receives a commendation. The Recommended Seal is designed to help parents and guardians make informed decisions about the products they buy for children. Their award system is highly regarded among parents, educators, store owners and the press. In addition to this award, her illustrations have been touted as ‘vivid,’ ‘accurate’ and ‘glorious’ on Amazon.com.
This is the second award this series has received. “A Place for Butterflies” won the Green Earth Book Award in 2007, honoring the best of environmental youth literature. Only 70 books have received this honor since 2005. Other books in her series include “A Place for Birds” and a “Place for Fish.” She is currently working on the next title, which features turtles.
She has been teaching at Nossi for four years as she continues her professional work. Nossi utilizes her vast knowledge to teach young illustrators. Her everyday experiences in the professional world of illustration are invaluable to every student’s learning experience.
“Teaching is a nice outlet for me,” said Higgins Bond. “It gets me out of the house and interacting with the students. They are invigorating for me. I think I am learning as much from them as they are from me.”
Want to see some illustrated works by Nossi students? Interested learning more about Nossi’s comprehensive Illustration program? Click here for more info or call us at 615/514.2787.