Recently, distinguished authors made a school visit, an author gave a storytime about a familiar and impactful setting, a mother-daughter duo appeared on TV, a co-op celebrated a holiday with free books, readers enjoyed a skating-themed event, and an author held a book signing.
Accolades Aplenty
Author Isabel Allende (l.) and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina made a visit to speak to students at Marvin Elementary School in Los Angeles on May 31. The pair discussed the importance of reading and handed out copies of books to students. The event also acted as a celebration of Allende’s latest picture book, Perla, the Mighty Dog, illustrated by Sandy Rodríguez (Philomel).
Right Where It All Began
The Houston Children’s Museum in Houston gave Tonya Duncan Ellis a warm welcome for her Juneteenth storytime event on June 16. Ellis gave a reading of her picture book They Built Me for Freedom, illustrated by Jenin Mohammed (Balzer + Bray). The tale highlights the history of Juneteenth and the origins of Houston’s Emancipation Park.
‘Stepping’ into the Spotlight
On June 12, mother-daughter collaborators Jewell Parker Rhodes and Kelly McWilliams made an appearance on ABC News Prime Live to discuss their picture book Soul Step (Little, Brown), illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. The pair discussed working together on a project for the first time, the inspiration behind their book, and why it was important to highlight the cultural practice of step. (From l): Rhodes, ABC News anchor Linsey Davis, and McWilliams.
A Juneteeth Celebration
Rozzie Bound Co-op in Roslindale, Mass., gave away 100 books primarily written by Black authors at Boston’s Juneteenth celebration on June 15 in Hyde Park. Here Rozzie Bound owner Talia Whyte greets a customer.
Skating to a Good Time
Little Bee Books and trans and queer-led mutual aid initiative Nonbinarian Book Bike partnered to hold a Pride event on June 15, featuring Rushie Ellenwood and Sally Chen’s picture book A Song for Nolan (S&S). Guests were invited to Brower Park in Brooklyn for a themed roller-skating meet-up and free skate lessons. Free copies of the book were available to guests.
Puppy Power
Sara Varon went to Taylor & Co. Books in Brooklyn on June 4 for a book signing event. Her latest graphic novel Detective Sweet Pea: The Case of the Golden Bone (First Second), is a mystery adventure inspired by her real-life dog. Varon’s 2007 graphic novel Robot Dreams was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film and is currently in theaters.
