This week, a publisher celebrates its upcoming titles in style; an illustrator shares his process; writers talk craft in Arizona; an incognito author tries his hand at beekeeping; and authors serve up a musical storytime session.
What a Team!
The Little, Brown publishing teams behind Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales’s Thunder Boy Jr. and Diana Murray and Bryan Collier’s City Shapes gathered for a festive cocktail hour on February 23. Also joining the authors, illustrators, and Little, Brown staff, were booksellers, librarians, and members of the media, who came for a sneak peak of art from 2016 books. From left: Alvina Ling, Sherman Alexie, Yuyi Morales, Megan Tingley, Bryan Collier, Diana Murray, and Allison Moore.
Maybe Something Beautiful
Houghton Mifflin illustrator Rafael López gave a presentation at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators San Diego chapter on February 13. López shared his two latest books, Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. He also provided a demonstration of one of his painting techniques on wood board.
Stars Come Out
The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University in Tempe hosted the “Desert Nights, Rising Stars” writing conference from Feb. 18-20. Among the discussions at the conference was the talk “Writing for Two Audiences: Adult Readers of YA Literature,” which featured (from l.) Amy J. Nichols, Stephanie Kuehn, and A.S. King. PW’s midwest correspondent Claire Kirch moderated.
The Bee's Knees
Author Pseudonymous Bosch toured schools and bookstores in Arizona, San Francisco, and Los Angeles throughout the month of February for the newest title in his The Bad Books series, Bad Luck (Little, Brown). Here, Bosch elicits the help of beekeeper assistants at Skylight Books in L.A. (what could possibly go wrong?).
What’s the Cat-ch?
Brooklyn bookstore Powerhouse on 8th hosted Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson on February 21 for a Sunday Story Time session. The pair read from their book Peg + Cat: The Pizza Problem (Candlewick) and led the audience in a ukulele sing-along.
