Put on your costume and don’t forget your dancing shoes! This Saturday we’re movin’ and groovin’ to the Deedle Deedle Dees and then dancing up a storm with Jarret J. Krosoczka!
http://thedeedledeedledees.com/
Come see the Deedle Deedle Dees, an educational rock band based in Brooklyn, NY, in our Auditorium at 1:00 pm this Saturday, October 29th. Come dressed as anyone from a Deedle Deedle Dee song and receive a special prize! Click here for song lyrics. Tickets are $6 at the door (cash only, please!) and do not include Museum admission.
Then, join author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka as he celebrates his newest book, Ollie the Purple Elephant. Jarrett will read from his books, including one of our favorite Halloween books, Annie was Warned, for a special storytime in our Reading Library at 2pm. Afterward Jarrett with give a drawing demonstration and talk about his creative process. Ollie is Jarrett’s 10th picture book in 10 years and we’re in the mood to celebrate! So we’ll move from the Reading Library to the Cafe for some sweet treats, a book signing and an Ollie-inspired dance party! Want to test drive your Halloween costume before the big night? Come dressed up and be prepared to dance! It’s going to be lots of fun. Storytime and dance party free with Museum admission.
Pick up Jarrett’s books in our Shop or order online for autographed copies to get shipped to you!
Watch Jarrett on Mass Appeal talking about this great event!
Have you visited our Barbara Elleman Research Library (BERL) yet here at The Carle? The BERL is a non-circulating research collection of roughly 3,000 professional resources and children’s books devoted to the study of children’s literature and the visual arts. The library is named for former Museum Trustee and Book Links Magazine founding editor Barbara Elleman (you may know her by her fabulous Top of the Shelf book reviews here on the blog). Barbara, with her husband Don, generously contributed the books that form the core of the collection. This library is a children’s book lover’s dream and a real amazing resource for teachers, librarians and students of children’s literature. If you haven’t visited yet, this weekend marks an excellent opportunity as we hold our first annual BERL lecture.
The BERL Lecture Series will feature the country’s preeminent scholars, book collectors, researchers, editors, authors and illustrators in the field of children’s literature. These events will be a must-see for all those serious children’s book lovers out there, especially if you’re like me and love learning everything you can about the literature, its history and the industry.
This first lecture will be presented by renowned editor, writer and teacher, Patricia Lee Gauch.
Patti and Ron Gauch
Patricia was Editorial Director of Philomel Books for almost 25 years and in that time worked with many well known authors and illustrators such as Eric Carle, Patricia Polacco, Brian Jacques, T.A. Barron, Andrew Clements and Loren Long. She was the editor behind three Caldecott medal-winning books: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr, Lon Po Po by Ed Young and So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small. She also edited Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskin, which won the 2010 National Book Award. In addition to editing, Patricia has also written 39 books of her own, including the Tanya series, and has taught writing and children’s literature at college level. What an amazing wealth of knowledge about children’s books and the industry she must have!
The lecture programming begins Friday, October 21st, with a workshop on picture books led by Patricia, called “Creating a Picture Book: An Editor’s Eye View.” Then on Saturday, October 22nd, we’ll be hosting an informal brunch with Patricia, who will be discussing specific art pieces from books she has ushered through the publication process. Following, Director Alix Kennedy will lead a sneak peek tour of the new Jules Feiffer exhibition, Growing Every Which Way But Up: The Children’s Book Art of Jules Feiffer, which opens to the public next week. Brunch is at 11:00 AM and cost is $25. Registration is required by calling 413-658-1126.
At 1pm Patricia will lead a spirited presentation in our Auditorium, called “The Picture Book as an Act of Mischief.” The lecture will celebrate the magic and mystery of the picture book as a key genre in literature for children. A book signing and reception will follow. Free with museum admission.
I am so excited for this series, offering the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the great and influential people of the children’s book world. Hope to see some of you this weekend!
We are so excited about this month’s Book Talk interview! This Sunday, October 16th we won’t have just one illustrator here at The Carle for an interview, we’ll have five! This Sunday join our bookseller Andy Laties and our friend (and one of our favorite customers) Susannah Richards for a lively interview with five amazing picture book illustrators:
These illustrators are just part of the group, The Book Maker’s Dozen, a collaboration of 13 fabulous children’s book illustrators, who share studio space in Brooklyn and help promote each other’s work. Want to see what some of their studios look like? Betsy Bird wrote up a nice photo tour on her blog. Very cool!
Sunday is going to be a full day of fun because after the interview in our auditorium, we’ve invited them all to do story times in our Library and art demonstrations in our Art Studio in the afternoon, along with a big ‘ol book signing outside the Shop. I hope to see you all here!
For our schedule of Book Talk interviews here at The Carle, click here. Was there an interview you missed? Starting next month we’ll be releasing recordings of each of the interviews here on the blog. Stay tuned!
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 6th, is Jumpstart’s annual Read for the Record literacy event. Millions of people all around the world are pledging that they will read this year’s chosen book, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dowdney together all on the same day with children in their life or local area.
Jumpstart, working with the Pearson Foundation, started this campaign six years ago to call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap. “Millions of children in low-income neighborhoods are at risk of school failure before they even start kindergarten.” Jumpstart’s Read for the Record event acts as a world-recognized statement that we pledge to make time to read to children and make sure they get the quality early education that they deserve. Last year over two million people around the world read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats together, and this year we hope to break the world record again with 2.5 million!
Want to join in? Take the pledge online and tomorrow, read Llama Llama Red Pajama to young children in your area. Many of the staff here at The Carle are offering to do a Read for the Record storytime in their child’s classroom or at the local library. If you’re in the Amherst area tomorrow, you can even come to The Carle’s official Read for the Record Storytime and be counted in our pledge. At 11:00 am we’ll be reading Llama Llama Red Pajama in our Reading Library, followed by a special activity in the Art Studio. We have copies of the book for sale in our Shop, or if you’re in a pinch, you can find a free copy to read online here.
We hope you’ll join us, either here or in your local area, to be counted for this celebration of books and literacy. “Sit down to read. Stand up for children.”
The 6th Annual Carle Honors is almost here! Tomorrow, September 22nd The Carle will be in New York City to kick off another year celebrating picture book art!
Copyright 1969 & 1987 Eric Carle
Each year The Carle pays tribute to four exceptional individuals who are dedicated to the art of the picture book and its integral role in art appreciation and early literacy. The year’s award recipients are Lois Ehlert (Artist), Jeanne Steig (Angel), Michael di Capua (Mentor) and Karen Nelson Hoyle (Bridge). To learn more about the recipients and about the awards, you can read my blog post from earlier this year here.
In addition to the awards ceremony, The Carle Honors will be holding its 4th annual fundraising art auction featuring original works by some of the industry’s most celebrated artists. This year’s contributing artists include Jon Agee, Harry Bliss, Etienne Delessert, Lois Ehlert, Jules Feiffer, Steven Kellogg, Barbara McClintock, Chris Raschka, Tomi Ungerer, Chris Van Allsburg and Rosemary Wells. Jerry Pinkney also created an original lithograph that will be sold on-site tomorrow evening to benefit The Carle. All works of art will be on display at Books of Wonder in New York until the end of the day today. You can also view them online here.
How amazing is this Steven Kellogg piece?
Copyright 1976 Steven Kellogg
Or this piece from Lois Ehlert’s new book, Ten Little Caterpillars?
Copyright 2011 Lois Ehlert
This year, in addition to original pieces of art, the auction will also include the chance to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences with authors and artists. These experiences include a personal tour of Tomie dePaola’s New Hampshire studio, followed by a dinner together at one of his favorite local inns, a personal tour of Kadir Nelson’s studio in Los Angeles, an original Rosemary Wells fresco in your home, a personalized poem written by none other than prolific Jane Yolen herself about the person of your choice, or an original name collage created just for you (or for someone you love) by Eric Carle. Wow!
Copyright Eric Carle
For details on each piece and starting bids, click here. Absentee bids are welcome and the silent auction will culminate tomorrow evening at The Carle Honors.
Here’s to another wonderful year of celebrating picture books!
In 1974, a young french aerialist, Phillipe Petit, stretched a tightrope between the massive World Trade Center towers. There, a quarter of a mile in the sky, he performed tricks — walking, dancing and jumping on the tightrope to the fright and delight of onlookers. Petit’s daring stunt has become part of the history of New York City, and, like the towers of the World Trade Center, will forever live in our memory.
Join author/illustrator Mordicai Gerstein in our Auditorium on Sunday, September 11th at 1pm as he tells the story behind his Caldecott-winning picture book, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers on this day of remembrance.
Admission to the museum will be free all day, Sunday September 11th. A book signing will follow Mordicai Gerstein’s presentation.
Can’t make it to the event? As always, you can pre-order your books online and we’ll ship them to you, autographed, after the event. We hope to see you here on Sunday!
June 25th is Eric Carle’s birthday! We were so lucky to be able to see Eric recently here at The Carle for the Tomi Ungerer exhibition opening. Here are a few photos of all the different ways we’ve celebrated Eric’s birthday in the past:
A Caterpillar parade in our courtyard:
A giant Very Hungry Caterpillar puppet walking through our apple orchard:
A giant birthday cake in our Great Hall:
A museum staff gathering in front of Eric’s murals:
and, of course, birthday cake!
Lots of cake!
Happy Birthday, Eric, and best birthday wishes from all of us for the coming year!
I’m back from an exciting few days in New York City for the annual Book Expo America (BEA) convention. Although the convention was smaller than previous years, it was jam-packed with workshops, panels, celebrity sightings, book signings, publisher & sideline booths, and of course, books, books, books! There are so many new exciting titles for Fall that I want to share with you and I’m sure I’ll be going into detail about each of them sooner to their release dates. But for now, here’s a quick preview of a few great books to come this Fall:
Picture Books:
Stars by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane, October 2011)
I am a HUGE Marla Frazee fan. Not only is her artwork in this book dream-worthy, but Mary Lyn Ray’s text is delightfully simple and sweet. Together they examine all the special ways stars (not just the ones in the sky!) appear in our lives. “Pin a star on your shirt and you can be sheriff. Put a star on a stick and you’ve made a wand. If you hold a wand the right way, you might see a wish come true. Not always. Only sometimes. You never know about a wish.” I love that.
The Man in the Moon (Guardians of Childhood) by William Joyce (Simon & Schusters/Atheneum, September 2011)
The first in a new series by picture book legend William Joyce, this book introduces the Guardians of Childhood – a league of familiar childhood figures including The Man in the Moon, Mother Goose, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus, whose task is to look over the children on Earth and protect them from darkness and nightmares. This book shows how the Man in the Moon (and in fact, the moon itself) came to be and is full of spectacularly colorful illustrations, complete with fantastical moonmice and moonbots. I especially love how the children of the Earth communicate with the Man in the Moon through their lost balloons! While this works well as a standalone picture book, I’m certainly excited to see what comes next, including a major motion picture in 2012.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick, September 2011)
This was my unexpected gem of a discovery at BEA this year. A bear’s hat goes missing and he asks each animal he encounters if they have seen it. Children and adults will both love the deadpan and slightly dark humor, reminiscent of Emily Gravett’s books, with the its surprise, laugh-out-loud ending. The book’s design is especially exceptional and noteworthy, with it’s use of color in both the illustrations and text, as well as the pacing and page turns. Definitely look for this one in September.
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press, August 2011)
A beautifully illustrated picture book that explores family history through a garden of memories, imaginative topiaries and the bond between granfather and grandson.
Drawing from Memory by Allen Say (Scholastic, September 2011)
While I consider myself being very familiar with Allen Say’s work (see our 2007 exhibition Allen Say: A Sense of Place), I didn’t know Say’s early beginnings in cartooning. Told in a scrapbook-like format, filled with photographs, sketches and cartoons, this book is not only a story of Allen Say’s journey to becoming an artist, but also an incredibly touching tribute to his mentor and sensei, Noro Shinpei. Say fans will enjoy the many references to his earlier picture books, as so many of those stories were based on his own life and those of his family and friends.
Middle Grade: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (Scholastic, September 2011)
In the tradition of Caldecott-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, once again Brian Selznick has masterfully woven together illustrations and text in a gigantic masterpiece. Two children, set apart by 50 years, find their paths intersect in the most wonderful way. A book for any museum lover, I just have to share this one quote:
“A curator’s job in an important one, for it is the curator who decides what belongs in the museum. The curator then must decide exactly how the objects will be displayed. In a way, anyone who collects things in the privacy of his own home is a curator. Simply choosing how to display your things, deciding what pictures to hang where, and in which order your books belong, places you in the same category as a museum curator.”
Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka (Walden Pond Press, September 2011)
I really enjoyed the first two Guys Read anthologies and find them an excellent handsell for both reluctant AND avid readers in the store. Includes 10 thrilling short stories by children’s book greats like M.T. Anderson, Walter Dean Myers and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, edited by the fabulously funny Jon Scieszka.
The Chronicles of Harris Burdickby Chris Van Allsburg and 14 other authors (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 2011) TheMysteries of Harris Burdick, Chris Van Allsburg’s 1984 masterpiece that included simply 14 strange illustrations with only a short bizarre caption for each one, has always been a great book for the imagination. Artists and writers alike have been using this book for years as a leaping off point to imagine their own stories. What could possibly have led up to this bizarre situation? What’s going to happen next? Finally 14 well-known children’s book authors, including one by Chris Van Allsburg himself, have written their own short stories to accompany each of the book’s illustrations.
Around the World by Matt Phelan (Candlewick, October 2011)
By the creator of The Storm in the Barn, here’s another wonderfully accessible historical fiction graphic novel. The book traces the amazing stories of three remarkable figures who, inspired by Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg, each broke records by traveling all the way around the world. Thomas Stevens in 1884 went around the world on a bicycle, Nellie Bly in 1889 was the first female to make it around the world in less than 80 days, and Joshua Slocum in 1895 made the journey in a small sailboat.
For those of you who were at BEA, what favorite upcoming books did I forget to mention? It’s going to be so hard to wait until Fall!
I’m so excited about the chance to finally see the film, Library of the Early Mind, right here at The Carle! I first heard about this film about the impact of children’s literature months ago and have been since hoping to catch a screening of it as it traveled from venue to venue all across the country. Finally the waiting has ended! This Friday night, April 29th at 6:00 pm, join producer Steven Withrow, director Edward Dalaney, authors Jane Yolen and Richard Michelson, and author/illustrator Grace Lin, in a screening of the film in our cozy Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion and small reception. If you can’t make it Friday night, we’ll be showing it again Saturday afternoon, April 30th, at 3:00 pm (but without the panel and reception).
The film features over 40 authors and illustrators as they explore the significance of children’s literature for our kids, our culture, and ourselves. Here’s the trailer for the film to give you a better idea. Talk about a star-studded cast!
For more information and schedule of screenings in your area, visit their website here. Have any of you seen it yet? I hope to see some of you here on Friday!
This day in 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to us all as Dr. Seuss, was born in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Working in a children’s bookstore, surrounded by friends and old classmates who are also children’s book aficionados, I sometimes forget that the rest of the world doesn’t quite have the same working knowledge of children’s books. What I have found, however, is that if someone only knows one creator of picture books, it’s usually Dr. Seuss. By now, almost 75 years after the publication of his first children’s book, entire generations have been touched and enchanted by Dr. Seuss’ nonsense rhymes and wildly imaginative characters. But where did he get all of his such wonderfully entertaining ideas? I was delighted when I stumbled across this old interview with him in an issue of The Horn Book Magazine from 1989. I think his answers capture his sense of humor and playfulness just right:
How do you get your ideas for books?
This is the most asked question of any successful author. Most authors will not disclose their source for fear that other less successful authors will chisel in on their territory. However, I am willing to take a chance. I get all my ideas in Switzerland near the Forka Pass. There is a little town called Gletch, and two thousand feet up above Gletch there is a smaller hamlet called Uber Gletch. I go there on the fourth of August every summer to get my cuckoo clock repaired. While the cuckoo is in the hospital, I wander around and talk to the people in the streets. They are very strange people, and I get my ideas from them.
Although he became a world-renowned bestselling children’s book author and illustrator, Dr. Seuss was not an instant success. Sitting in my History of Publishing class, I remember being shocked when my teacher, Anita Silvey, told us he had been rejected 27 times by 27 different publishers with his first book (And To Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street). A pure stroke of luck had a dejected Dr. Seuss walking home only to run into an old friend from Dartmouth College who had recently been made children’s book editor and agreed to publish Seuss’ book. In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, Anita has the full story today over at her wonderful blog, Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac.
In other shocking Dr. Seuss facts, I recently saw some unorthodox Dr. Seuss taxidermy at the local R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA. Very bizarre and very funny. Check it out!
