BTS Five (with a giveaway!)

1. Happy Two Year Anniversary to SMALL! I can’t believe it’s ONLY been two years since SMALL came out - it’s been a busy time. I’m so proud of my debut and hope it keeps finding it’s new readers. Not getting a trade review but getting on the Bank Street Best Book list has sadly still not balanced out. SMALL is in less libraries after two years than my latest book out for one month. I hope that over time, librarians will connect the dots between my books and give SMALL a spot on their shelves.

2. Peanut & Moe Tour Recap I read indoors, outdoors, in cities, in the country, at stores, in schools, to babies, adults and every age in between. I saw old bookstore friends, made some new ones and wrapped up by treating myself to fried clams (gluten free, of course) at Woodmans. One of my last visits was at Copper Dog Books (formerly Cabot Street Books in Beverly, MA) which was very recently purchased by long-time booksellers Meg and Julie. They are the new generation of indie owners and could use your support. Check out their indiegogo, here. Many thanks to all the stores (and libraries!) who hosted me! You can get signed copies at many of the stores I visited, particularly my home store, Water Street Bookstore.

3. Office Space It’s been almost a year since I moved and gained a real office. I finally got around to hanging some special things and giving it more of a fully decorated feel. Especially after the chaos of the book tour, it was time to put things in order. I still need to rearrange and hang my ‘tiny art’ and have space for two more big inspiration pieces over my desk. I’m allowing myself a bit more time to fill in the gaps but I’m loving the feel of things for now.

4. Summer Reads I started the summer with some big objectives - finishing two book dummies and querying for a new agent. When I finished, I treated myself to a pile of new lovely books to read. I’ve gotten through most of these and plan on making a new to-read pile soon. I might be outpacing my kids with books this summer!

5. Back to School Giveaway! Last, but not least… I truly appreciate all the love and support I have received for my books these past few years. It really does take a village to survive as an author and illustrator! As a thank you, I am giving away a copy of NOW? NOT YET! - just leave a comment below and I’ll pick a winner on August 13th. If you are a teacher/librarian I will add in a stack of bookmarks and extra goodies, too!

Marketing MAY-hem

As promised, I’m sharing a bit more about the packages I mailed out this week in advance of the June 4th release of NOW? NOT YET!

For each of my author/illustrated books, I have sent out a select number of packages to independent bookstores across the US. It’s my way of connecting with booksellers and hopefully, getting them excited about my book for their readers. Since Peanut & Moe are on an outdoor adventure this time, I wanted to include a mini sketchbook that one might use for nature journaling or drawing. The frenetic yellow bird appears a few times in the story, too.

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I do love making swag, so I also included two pins (made by Pure Buttons) so you can choose and declare whether you are a PEANUT or a MOE. And a bookmark with a fun reverse side that lets you mark your book as NOW or NOT YET with a simple flip. AND… a fortune teller. This time the game is ‘Can We Go Swimming NOW?’ *Spoiler alert: most of the choices end with NOT YET! (Bookmark and fortune teller printed by GotPrint)

I always include a personalized note, and if the store is local(ish) I mention that I would love to have a reading at their store.

Since Peanut & Moe now have two books I figured they deserve their own oversize rubber stamp for mailings!

I won’t lie. These are an incredible amount of work and a significant investment financially. But I really do enjoy putting them together, and much like my books, I do it with heart and fun.

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I always consider doing a pre-order giveaway but the idea of that feels a bit harder to justify (how many will i have to do? will I be shipping like crazy while preparing for book events? is that really helping my book reach more readers?). For these, I can control the number of packages I send and get them out a month or two before the book launch.

If you are a bookseller and have thoughts about mailings like this, please feel free to comment and share!

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In other aMAYzing news… TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH! was selected for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for 2019! If you don’t know about this program, please read about it here. I am over the moon that Peanut & Moe will be zipping into so many kids homes. This is really an incredible honor and I couldn’t be happier. Also - a signed letter from Ms. Dolly Parton herself!!!

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And one last bit of fun to share. Look up there. That’s ME reading SMALL at the MFA in BOSTON!!! I was so grateful for the opportunity to read and draw with kids during vacation week. I tried out some new drawing games with the kids and even got them to all do superhero poses with me. So fun!

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Bonus moment: Having my books in the MFA gift shop, displayed with the awesome Jannie Ho’s books (Jannie got the kids doing the chicken dance and bunny hops that week, lucky kids!)

Phew. I’m exhausted. I’m looking forward to a quieter May, then full steam ahead to celebrate NOW? NOT YET! on June 4th (you can pre-order wherever books are sold, but I highly recommend supporting your local indie!)

Happy PEANUT Day!

In celebration of National Peanut Day, I’m giving away three copies of TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH! to teachers and librarians (US only). The first three comments on this blog will get a copy and extra classroom goodies!

To say it’s been a busy month is an understatement. The same week that TOO MUCH! was released my family and I moved from our home of 16 years. We didn’t go far, we really love our town, but we still had to pack up all that stuff. AND host a launch party at Water Street Bookstore. THEN unpack (in theory, that part is going REALLY slow) and adjust to a new home, a new school year starting and lots of fun Peanut & Moe book parties.

If you’ve missed the fun, don’t worry. Join me (and Jannie Ho and Jennifer E. Morris) on September 23rd at 2pm at Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, NH. OR! Come to the Strawbery Banke Children’s Book festival during their Fall Festival on October 6th from 11am-3pm. Admission is free for the book festival and there will be a room full of authors and illustrators.

*I’m celebrating National Peanut Day by making muffins. It’s on the rainy day fun fortune teller, make one for yourself, here, on page 3.

April Five

1. SMALL is a Bank Street Books Best Children's Book of 2018 selection. Wow! I am so honored to have my debut make this esteemed list. I hope that it brings a bigger audience to SMALL. I just enjoyed a lovely book event at Wellesley Books this weekend, and was reminded once again how this book can empower all types of kids. A big thank you to my agent, Teresa Kietlinski and my editor, Jenna Pocius for believing in the power of SMALL and helping it become a real book in the world.

2. TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH! won't be out until mid-August, but a review is out today from Publisher's Weekly. It actually has a lovely reviews from Story Monsters Ink (p55), University of Manitoba, and Picture Book Sleuth as well. I have lots of surprises up my sleeve to celebrate Peanut and Moe's launch into the world, just you wait!

3. GIVEAWAY! To celebrate the one year anniversary of IT'S GREAT BEING A DAD in the world, I am hosting a giveaway on Amazon through Friday at midnight. It's super easy to enter - I hope you'll go check it out, here. P.S Happy Unicorn Day! (Thank you for the cute graphic, Tundra!)

4. On my desk I am working on another book for Tundra books (dream life, I swear!). When the time is right I will reveal the title, but for now I will just tease it by saying it's so much fun to be drawing these two friends again... I'm also doing a fun Halloween-y assignment for Highlights and waiting on a few last bits from the middle-grade project to wrap up. Happy to be busy!

5. Still spinning! One of my 2018 resolutions was to try a spin class (I know, I'm like a decade off trend). I started in February and it's totally my jam. I think it's the combo of a childhood love of bikes, a great instruction who pushes us every class, and blaring music. I'm often sitting at my desk for longer work stretches because I'm afraid to get up for the leg pains!

Monday Five and Two Giveaways!

1. Wearing Two Hats and a Giveaway! Thanks so much to Kim Chaffee for the interview on Writers Rumpus. Giveaway closes September 15th - go read and comment for a chance to win a copy of SMALL!

2. Up in the Loft I finally made it to an event at The Writers Loft in Sherborn, Massachusetts. I attended an excellent panel presentation titled "Behind the Bookshelves: A Panel on Building Relationships with Bookstores. It was a packed room, and the content was so helpful and relevant. Book promotion has been overwhelming, and I learned some new and valuable gems. Thanks to everyone on the panel and the moderator: Sarah Berman (of Concord Bookshop), Carter Hasegawa, Josh Funk, Peter Sherman (Wellesley Books), and Alison Pottern Hoch. If you live near the Writers Loft it is absolutely worth checking out. Jannie Ho will be presenting on Tuesday: The Illustrator Who Writes

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3. Double-Dad Giveaway! I really enjoyed interviewing Chana Stiefel about Daddy Depot. It's a sweet and funny picture book about exchanging your not-so-perfect Dad at a very unique store. Chana and I are each giving away a copy of our Dad-themed books to one lucky winner. There are 6 days left in the giveaway!

4. I'll Meet You at the Library I will be reading SMALL at the Weymouth Public Library on October 7th at 2pm. This is my childhood hometown library and I'm really looking forward to stepping into that magical place after so many years. I hope any friends and family nearby can make it - we'll make it a fun time for all the kids - reading, drawing, talking about being an author/illustrator.

5. Working on the Go I've been talking about getting an iPad Pro and pencil all year. I have an awesome work setup at home between my Mac and my Cintiq. But I have long hoped for a way to write and draw while I'm away from home - whether it's during kid activities, or on vacation, or just escaping to the coffee shop to work. I've also known that I need a device to start doing school presentations. I can be a real slow-poke to make big purchases, but my husband thought this was the perfect birthday gift and I think he was right. He's always been very supportive (and knows how cheap, erm, practical I can be with equipment). I've only had it a few days, but I loved bringing it to the Writer's Loft event and TYPING my notes on my lap. I'm playing with Procreate and trying to find the brushes and settings that feel just right. If anyone has recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

P.S. I'm so thankful for all the kidlit friends, new and old, who have supported me this year.
P.P.S Check out this cool SMALL review on Missy's Product Reviews - thanks, Missy!

Monday Five and a Giveaway

1. Book it! I'm finally getting things together for SMALL book events. I updated my events page to include a visit to the Burlington Barnes & Noble (Oct.14th) and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Dec 27th). I already had a local event, Children's Author Festival at Strawberry Banke (Nov. 4th), and should just be adding to the list over time. I love filling up my calendar with days to read SMALL to kids.

2. Sweatpants and Coffee and a Giveaway I'm really happy with how my interview on Sweatpants and Coffee came out. Many thanks to writer Barbara Doyle. I'm giving away a personalized, signed copy of SMALL and there's only 4 days left in the giveaway. Go check it out!

3. Children's Book Fair-by-the-Sea Our family has been spending summers in the midcoast Maine region for many years. I had been to the Camden library book fair years ago so it was a real honor and treat to actually take part. I got to meet super-talented (and incredibly nice) authors and illustrators AND read SMALL with friends old and new (including my daughter, seen above). Huge thanks to Amy Hand, her team at the library, and Sherman's book shop for organizing such a grand day.

4. Back to School, OMG It's really happening. My kids return to school tomorrow. I will have an actual work day. Which is great because I have two deadlines this week. Thanks to Mr. Patrick Greenish I have another fun Highlights assignment, and thanks to my dearest agent Teresa, something fun and to be revealed at a later date!

5. What I'm listening to (soon!) I love listening to podcasts, but I will confess that I pretty much drop them during the summer. I much prefer a quiet work day for podcasts. The ones I've been waiting to dig into are agent Jennifer Laughren's LITERATICAST, a million ALL THE WONDERS episodes that I've missed, Michelle Kondrich's CREATIVE PLAYDATE (I confess, I actually have listened to the first 4 - this one makes total sense to sneak in while your children run wild in the summer!) and LULU & BEAN READ. I did listen to Gaia Cornwall's episode on LULU & BEAN READ (thanks for the SMALL shoutout, Gaia!) and I thought it was just an awesome format. I love having kids be part of the podcast.

Winner! And another chance...

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway! If you didn't win, be sure and toss your name into the hat over on Goodreads. That giveaway ends June 6th, at midnight EST.

I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks - I have a bunch of cool book events (see my new events page!) in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, school is ending, and I'm wrapping up work on TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH!, coming out Summer '18 from Tundra Books.

Giveaway and NESCBWI recap

With Father's Day around the corner, I thought it was a great time to have a book giveaway. I'm giving away one copy of IT'S GREAT BEING A DAD by Dan Bar-el, illustrated by me. The giveaway ends May 30th and I will notify the winner promptly. Open to anyone 18+ years of age in US or Canada.

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I promised a little NESCBWI Conference recap, so here are my top five takeaways:

1. Oh, hello! Taking a few years off of this conference was exactly what I needed in order to reboot my perspective. I really enjoyed meeting lots of new people and listening to where they are on their journey. We all know we are part of a tribe, but this tribe comes from a million unique and interesting places - and it was a blast getting to soak it all up. And I had the special privilege of meeting (IRL!) some of my newest tribe - Picture The Books 2017 We are a group of debut children's book authors and illustrators. Their collective talent is only surpassed by their kindness.

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From left to right: Mike Malbrough, Emma Otheguy, Alison Goldberg, Heather Pruesser, Gina Perry, Vivian Kirkfield

2. Always take Sudipta's workshops. I've said this before on my blog. If you want to walk away from a writing workshop with tools to improve, look no further than Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Also, you will NEVER fall asleep in her presence. Even after you stayed up way too late both nights before...

3. Mr Schu is in the house. Pass the tissues. I was literally tearing up within 2 minutes of Mr. Schu's presentation. In a good way, of course. I am SO thankful to NESCBWI for snagging him for a moment of his busy year to remind us WHY we write for kids. I am so thrilled for all the kids around the country that will be infected with his sheer joy and love for books. His presentation wasn't all inspiration - I walked away with some really good tips about presenting my work online (BIG, clean book cover jpegs, ready for sharing!) and finding a larger tribe of librarian and teacher advocates. 

4. And the award goes to... Christina Rodriguez! Honestly, that was the most polished, entertaining presentation... not including all the illustrator antics on stage. Or the fabulous prizes! I hope Sketch Battle returns at every possible opportunity. Or you trademark it and make it a prime time show. Thanks for bringing the fun (and the chocolates), Christina!

5. Vita Lane: ready for takeoff! Is there nothing better than seeing a good friend succeed? Keep an eye on my very dear friend, Vita Lane. She has always inspired me in all her creative accomplishments. But her latest work is just blowing me away. It's so good I have to share... Go read her post about her latest project and drool over her beautiful watercolors. 

Be sure to enter the giveaway, it ends on May 30th (Psst. Starting on May 22nd, I'm also hosting a separate giveaway over on GoodReads)