The Red (and White) Sea
What’s red and white and striped all over? The crowd that turned out on what would have been Theodor Geisel’s 110th birthday to help R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., break the Guinness World Record for number of people wearing Cat in the Hat hats. The current record of 726 was achieved by Armstrong Elementary School and the Armstrong Elementary Dads Club Dallas, Texas, USA on February 28, 2014. While R.J. Julia awaits official word from Guinness (after submitting video, pictures, and witness statements), we think they can count the event a success – some 1,000 Seuss fans showed up despite frigid temperatures. Guess those famous toppers are practical as well as fashionable.
Autographs and Paw Prints
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., launched an exhibit called Presidential Pets with the help of author Julia Moberg, whose book of the same name (Charlesbridge), served as a resource for the curators of the exhibit. Among the items on view through April 27, 2014 are a baseball given to President George W. Bush’s dogs by Jane Clarke and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, and a sculpture of current first dog Bo, created by the White House floral department. As Moberg said in her speech at the exhibit’s opening, which was followed by a Q&A and a book signing, “It’s a well-known fact that if you want a friend at the White House, you’d better get a dog.”
‘Crown’ing Glory
The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., recently hosted a tea party in honor of Melissa de la Cruz’s forthcoming The Ring and the Crown (Disney-Hyperion, April 1), which launches a fantasy series set an alternate London. Several guests joined the author in wearing festive floral headgear; from l., Michael Johnston; de la Cruz’s husband and co-author of her Heart of Dread series; de la Cruz; Tahereh Mafi (the Shatter Me series), and Mafi’s husband, Ransom Riggs (the Miss Peregrine’s Home books).
Happy Anniversary, Humphrey
Betty G. Birney recently celebrated the release of Secrets According to Humphrey (Putnam), her 10th book in 10 years about Humphrey the hamster. More than 100 young fans turned up at Children’s Book World in Los Angeles for a party that included face painting, crafts, snacks, game, and prizes, plus an on-site lesson in how to do Humphrey’s Happy Dance. PW called the first book in the middle-grade series, The World According to Humphrey a “breezy, well-crafted first novel.”
Take Two Chapters and Call Me in the Morning
Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Lisa Brown visited The Booksmith in San Francisco to read from their new picture book, 29 Myths on the Swinster Pharmacy] (McSweeneys McMullens). The married author-illustrator team, dressed in lab coats, showed slides and assessed whether the audience needed “pharmaceutical assistance.” Those who did were in luck: San Francisco’s Ice Cream Bar soda counter provided “Melancholy Sour Phosphate” sodas to everyone who purchased a copy of the book.'
