The publishing industry’s annual BookExpo convention was held at New York City’s Javits Center from May 29–31, with an all-star lineup of children’s authors and illustrators. The programming featured a number of panels, parties, signings, in-booth visits, galley giveaways, and more. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the show.
Actress and picture book author Lupita Nyong’o (l.) with illustrator Vashti Harrison, co-creators of Sulwe (S&S). Photo: Steve Kagan.
Just after the exhibition floor opened, Caldecott Honor author Elisha Cooper took up his pencil to recreate a spread from his forthcoming picture book, River (Scholastic/Orchard, Oct.), a paean to the Hudson which, not coincidentally, runs just west of the Javits Center. Photo: Sue Corbett.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor discussed her forthcoming picture book, Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You (Philomel), with the book’s illustrator, Rafael López. Photo: Steve Kagan.
Long before he braved new frontiers on Star Trek, George Takei was a Japanese-American child in an internment camp, where he was imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. Here, Takei signs samplers of his forthcoming graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, co-written by Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and illustrated by Harmony Becker (Top Shelf). Photo: Sue Corbett.
The skies opened up just as the Penguin Random House party started at the Bryant Park Grill, located adjacent to the New York City Public Library, but that didn’t stop the stars from coming out. (From l.): Random House execs Joe English and Judith Haut with R.J. Palacio, author of the forthcoming graphic novel White Bird: A Wonder Story (Knopf). Photo: Sue Corbett.
Editor Wendy Lamb (l.) and her Newbery Medal-winning author Rebecca Stead at the Random House party. Photo: Sue Corbett.
Renée Ahdieh, author of The Beautiful (Putnam). Photo: Steve Kagan.
Justin Chanda, v-p and publisher of S&S Books for Young Readers, with Spencer’s New Pet author-illustrator Jessie Sima, an innocent balloon dog, and an ominous pin.
Renée Watson, author of Some Places More Than Others (Bloomsbury).
Illustrator Sarah Jacoby and author Mac Barnett, the collaborators behind The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray). Photo: Diane Roback.
Penguin marketeers Jed Bennett and Adrienne Vrettos handed out candy canes and blasted Christmas music as they got the word out about The Crayons’ Christmas by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Penguin Workshop). Photo: Sue Corbett.
Rainbow Rowell (l.) and Faith Erin Hicks signing blads and prints for their graphic novel collaboration, Pumpkinheads (First Second).
Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer perched on the stage after the Children’s Book & Author Breakfast, chatting with Joan Kretschmer, the New York editor of the Owl Network. Photo: Claire Kirch.
Author Jason Reynolds and his editor, Caitlyn Dlouhy, at his booth signing for his newest novel, Look Both Ways (Atheneum/Dlouhy); the book pubs in October. Photo: Diane Roback.
Natasha Ngan, author of Girls of Paper and Fire, at the Jimmy Patterson party at Legacy Records.
Activist Tantoh Nforba (l.) and author Baptiste Paul sign copies of Paul’s new picture book, I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon, co-written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zenon (Millbrook).
Clad in her Women’s Timber Corps costume, Lumber Jills author Alexandra Davis (Albert Whitman) (l.) meets a fan.
Morgan Paker, poet and author of Who Put This Song On? (Delacorte).
On day two of the convention, Dav Pilkey was in attendance with Dog Man, whose seventh adventure, For Whom the Ball Rolls, is due out from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint in August. Photo: Sue Corbett.
Mother Bruce author Ryan T. Higgins with his editor at Disney-Hyperion, Rotem Moscovich. Photo: Steve Kagan.
Sourcebooks staff and authors Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly at the signing for The Star Shepherd. (From l.): Ashlyn Keil, Haring, Connolly, Kelly Lawler, and Michael Leali.
Upstairs in the Javits Center’s River Pavilion, Macmillan feted a constellation of its stars for lunch. (From front to back): Katy Rose Pool, Sara Faring, Leigh Bardugo, Daniel José Older, Marie Lu, Matthew Cordell, and Rainbow Rowell. Photo: Sue Corbett.
Author Meg Cabot signing copies of her new graphic novel, Black Canary: Ignite (DC Zoom). Photo: Diane Roback.
Celebrity author John Cena (Elbow Grease, Random House).
The Spotlight on African-American Picture Books panel featured (from l.) Derrick Barnes, Vashti Harrison, Tami Charles, moderator Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, Linsey Davis, and Jerry Pinkney.
Yu Rong (l.), illustrator of Cao Wenxuan’s Summer (Imprint), autographs her new picture book.
Julie Murphy, author of Dear Sweet Pea (Balzer + Bray).
Who Wet My Pants? (Little, Brown) author Bob Shea (l.) and illustrator Zachariah OHora. Photo: Steve Kagan.
Pamela Paul (l.), editor of the New York Times Book Review, and Maria Russo, children’s books editor of New York Times Book Review, signing advance reading copies and posters of their forthcoming book, How to Raise a Reader (Workman).
Actor Alyssa Milano, author of the new middle-grade chapter book series Hope (Scholastic).
Chris Ferrie, author-illustrator of There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe (Sourcebooks Explore).
Amy Webb, during her in-booth signing for When Charley Met Emma (Beaming Books).
During the Disney dinner, “Uncle Rick” Riordan (center) introduced two new additions to his imprint’s stable of authors: Kwame Mbalia, author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky; and Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Race to the Sun. Photo: Sue Corbett.
Laura Vaccaro Seeger signs a copy of her new picture book, Why? (Holiday House/Porter).
Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden, authors of The Hive (KCP Loft), the couple’s first writing collaboration. During their signing, Lyga quipped, “Let’s get this show on the road. The babysitter’s waiting!”
Finally, Elisha Cooper finishes his drawing.
No, just kidding. He did this painting in one hour, in the middle of a noisy convention hall. The crowd gave him a round of applause when he put down his paintbrush. The piece sold for $500 at the ABA/CBC Children’s Book Art Silent Auction, which benefitted the American Booksellers for Free Expression and Every Child a Reader. Photo: Sue Corbett.
