There is a wealth of fresh new book offerings and enticing giveaways waiting for booksellers at the booths of children’s publishers at this year’s show, as well as a hefty roster of in-booth author autographings. Here’s a sampling of what BEA attendees will find as they roam the aisles. Look for a second installment of booth highlights in tomorrow’s issue.
There’s activity aplenty at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group’s booth (3056, 3057), where a lineup of author signings is scheduled, beginning with Mike Curato’s appearance this afternoon, 4 p.m., to sign copies of Little Elliot, Big Family, a fall follow-up to Little Elliot, Big City, which introduced this amiable young New Yorker. Tomorrow, Marissa Meyer will be at the booth at 4 p.m. to autograph copies of Fairest. Flipbook samplers with content from Meyer’s forthcoming Heartless and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows will also be given out.
Dan Hanna will be on hand Friday at 10 a.m. to sign copies of The Not-Very-Merry Pout-Pout Fish, and Pout-Pout totes will be distributed to promote this September picture book. The publisher is also giving away the totes at 1:30 p.m. today and tomorrow, and at 1 p.m. on Friday. Rainbow Rowell will visit the booth to autograph copies of Fangirl Special Edition, from St. Martin’s Griffin, on Friday, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., at a ticketed signing. Additional in-booth giveaways are ARCs of Leila Sales’s new YA novel, Tonight the Streets Are Ours, available today at 2:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 3 p.m., as well as boxed ARCs of Bardugo’s Six of Crows, Friday, 2:30 p.m.
Tor Teen welcomes Susan Dennard to that same booth (3056, 3057) today, 3 p.m., where she’ll sign ARCs of Truthwitch, the debut novel of the Witchlands series. Dennard, also author of the Something Strange & Deadly series, has given her new fantasy saga strong female characters who just may have real-life roots: the story is reportedly based on Dennard’s own friendship with fellow author YA author Sarah J. Maas.
Sleeping Bear Press (C1569) kicks off its booth events today at 1 p.m., when staffers are giving away tote bags containing books from the I Am a Reader! series to the first 50 guests. At 3 p.m., Keith Brockett, professional dancer and author of The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas, will entertain visitors with a brief dance lesson based on this ballet. A limited number of signed copies of the book, which is illustrated by Joseph Cowman, will be given out, and a signed giclée from the book will be raffled off on Friday at noon.
Tomorrow, Courtney Sheinmel will be on hand to introduce Stella Batts: Superstar, the series’ eighth installment, as well as Zacktastic, the author’s new series for middle-graders. Giveaways include Stella Batts books, ARCs, candies, and sunglasses. From 2 to 3 p.m., Lisa Fiedler and Anya Wallach will sign copies of their series launch, Stagestruck: Curtain Up! Founder of the Random Farms Kids’ Theater, Wallach will be accompanied by young actors appearing as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and Annie. A final giveaway of I Am a Reader! totes and books will take place Friday at 10 a.m.
At booth 2929, Capstone has a busy schedule of author signings and a bounty of ARCs and other giveaways to grab. Today, in celebration of the upcoming 150th anniversary of Juneteenth, Floyd Cooper will be on hand at 2 p.m. to autograph copies of his nonfiction picture book, Juneteenth for Mazie. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., Donald Lemke and Bob Lentz will sign their new board book, Book-O-Beards: A Wearable Book. Visitors to the booth can try on various installments in this series—making for silly photo ops. Thursday afternoon, the spotlight is on superheroes, beginning with the 1 p.m. giveaway of a limited number of ARCs of John Montroll’s DC Super Heroes Origami: 46 Folding Projects for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and More! illustrated by Min Sung Ku and licensed by DC Comics. Visitors to the booth can try their hand at Super Heroes–themed origami. At 3 p.m., Gwenda Bond will sign copies of her YA series debut, Lois Lane: Fallout.
Capstone puts books for younger readers front and center on Friday, starting with Franco Aureliani’s autographing of copies of Dino-Mike and the T. Rex Attack at 10 a.m. A celebration will follow at 11 a.m. for sassy chapter-book heroine Katie Woo’s fifth birthday, featuring cake and giveaways. And Jacqueline Jules will autograph copies of her new early reader series, Sofia Martinez: My Family Adventure, at 1 p.m.
Candlewick’s booth (2857) will be abuzz with author visits throughout BEA. Today, picture book collaborators Scott Menchin and Pierre Collet-Derby sign Goodnight Selfie, 3:30–4:30 p.m. Tomorrow, Maggie Thrash autographs galleys of her graphic novel debut, Honor Girl, 11 a.m.–noon; and Todd Strasser signs his fall sci-fi adventure, The Beast of Cretacea, 3–4 p.m. Friday’s author guests are Pat Schmatz, who will autograph her new novel set in a futuristic society, Lizard Radio, 10–11 a.m.; and Meg Medina, who’ll arrive to sign lithos from Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
On display at the booth is a poster heralding Mercy Watson’s 10th birthday, which Candlewick is celebrating with the raffle of a Mercy Watson gift basket, and with an ARC giveaway of Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon, from Kate DiCamillo’s new Mercy spinoff series, Tales from Deckawoo Drive. Also available at the booth are galleys of M.T. Anderson’s debut YA nonfiction book, Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad.
The Force will be with visitors to the DK display at the Penguin Random House booth (3119), where the publisher’s fall Star Wars titles are featured. Highlighted releases include Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, by Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, and Cole Horton, which uses an “infographic” design to explore the Star Wars world; and LEGO Star Wars: Caught on Camera, in which Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäki assembles and shoots his son’s Lego toys to recreate scenes from the original movie.
Additional children’s titles DK is promoting at BEA are David Macaulay’s How Machines Work: Zoo Break! featuring models and illustrations demonstrating the technology of six simple machines: levers, pulleys, screws, inclined planes, wedges, and wheels; Picturepedia, a compilation of 10,000 photos and illustrations; Daniel Lipkowitz’s LEGO Awesome Ideas, demonstrating how Lego models are built; LEGO: I Love That Minifigure! an encyclopedia of Lego minifigures; and Sophie la girafe: Sophie’s Big Noisy Day Book!, a board book with sound.
At booth 1452, C&T Publishing has two autographing sessions planned for Rachel Low, author of Girl’s Guide to DIY Fashion: Design & Sew 5 Complete Outfits: Mood Boards, Fashion Sketching, Choosing Fabric, Adding Style. The author, owner of the New York City sewing studio Pins & Needles, will sign copies of her guide for young fashionistas today, 2–3 p.m., and tomorrow, 11 a.m.–noon.
Random House Children’s Books welcomes a throng of authors to its in-booth (3119) autographing area during the show. Today, the publisher hosts Diane Muldrow, who will sign copies of Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Disney Little Golden Book, at Table 4, 1:30–2:30 p.m.; Jennifer Donnelly, autographing ARCs of These Shallow Graves, at Table 4, 3:30–4:30 p.m.; and R.J. Palacio, who will sign ARCs of Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, at Table 3, 4–5 p.m. Thursday’s lineup of authors and the books they are signing are Rebecca Stead, Goodbye Stranger at Table 3, 9–10 a.m.; Alice Hoffman, Nightbird at Table 2, 9:30–10:30 a.m.; James Dashner, The Maze Runner and the Scorch Trials: The Collector’s Edition at Table 4, 9:30–10:30 a.m.; Julianne Moore, Freckleface Strawberry: Backpacks! at Table 4, 1:30–2:30 p.m.; and Louis Sachar, Fuzzy Mud at Table 3, 4–5 p.m.
On Friday, Mathew McElligott will autograph copies of Mad Scientist Academy at Table 3, 9–10 a.m.; Jory John and Bob Shea will sign a print from I Will Chomp You! at Table 4, 10:30–11:30 a.m.; Marc Brown will be on hand to autograph copies of Monkey Not Ready for Kindergarten at Table 2, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; Tad Hills will sign a print from and copies of R Is for Rocket at Table 3, noon–1 p.m.; Nicola Yoon is scheduled to autograph ARCs of Everything, Everything at Table 4, 12:30–1:30 p.m., where tie-in tote bags are also available; Emily Jenkins and Paul Zelinsky will sign prints from Toys Meet Snow and copies of Toys Go Out at Table 4, 1:30–2:30 p.m.; David Levithan is due to autograph ARCs of Another Day at Table 3, 3–4 p.m.; and Jennifer Niven will sign copies of All the Bright Places at Table 3, 4–5 p.m.
Appearing today at the Seven Stories Press booth (3149A) is author Cory Silverberg, who will sign ARCs of Sex Is a Funny Word, 1:30–2:30. This new comic book by the author of What Makes a Baby? discusses bodies, gender, and sexuality for readers ages 8–10, parents, and caregivers.
Booksellers stopping by Scholastic’s booth (1938, 1939) will find staffers handing out several goodies at various times during the show. Today, 2–3 p.m., ARCs of Space Dumplins, graphic novelist Craig Thompson’s debut book for young readers, as well as a limited edition print by the author commemorating Scholastic Graphix’s 10th anniversary, can be picked up. Both giveaways will again be available at the booth tomorrow, 3:30–4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, the publisher will distribute ARCs of Scholastic Press’s The Marvels, Caldecott medalist Brian Selznick’s latest novel told in both words and pictures, 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m.
At booth 3246, Charlesbridge is hosting an author autographing each day of BEA. Today, Wendell Minor will be on hand, 2–3 p.m., to sign copies of Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue, written by Robert Burleigh. Minor illustrated this picture book, which is based on the true story of a whale that was rescued after becoming entangled in fishing boat nets. Thursday, Charles Nurnberg and Joe Rhatigan will sign copies of Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole, their adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic story, illustrated by Eric Puybaret. And Friday, 2:30–3:30 p.m., T. Neill Anderson autographs copies of Massacre of the Miners, the latest installment of the Horrors of History series. Visitors to the booth can pick up ARCs for Currents, a middle-grade novel by Jane Petrlik Smolik; and ARCs for Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune, by Pamela S. Turner, illustrated by Gareth Hinds.
Edda USA is exhibiting an array of its titles at booth 1357, and the display reveals the growing span of the publisher’s offerings. The North American arm of Edda Nordic Ltd., Edda USA released its first books in the U.S. market in 2014, Disney Frozen Hairstyles and Disney Princess Hairstyles, which have sold a combined 125,000 copies. The company’s publishing partnership with Disney continues with additional titles showcased at the booth, including The Ultimate Disney Party Book, Amazing Frozen Hair Accessories, and Disney Villains Hairstyles and Looks.
At BEA, the publisher is also introducing books based on DreamWorks Animation characters, the first of which, The Ultimate DreamWorks Cookbook and DreamWorks Celebrations, is due in October. CEO Jon Axel Olafsson is pleased to be at BEA to spread what he calls “the exciting news of what’s in our pipeline. We will be working with additional global brands, expanding from nonfiction and lifestyle into storybooks, diaries, and other merchandise. We plan to publish 40 books in 2016.”
This article appeared in the May 27, 2015 edition of PW BEA Show Daily.
