Back to Work!

A signed copy of Boo's Surprise to the first person who identifies our photo locale!

My family and I just returned from a 10-day summer trip and we're right back in the thick of things on this fine Thursday afternoon.

I just mailed off several framed Dog Diaries pics for a September/October show at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, in Eureka, CA. These images will be shown in conjunction with the Humbolt County Author Festival, and I couldn't be happier about this return trip to northern California.

To top it off, I just learned that David Diaz is going to be there! I met David briefly at last winters' SCBWI NYC Conference, but was a little too shy (as usual) to really make his acquaintance. I'm totally cool when it comes to meeting kids, teachers, librarians etc., but put me in a room full of incredible authors n' illustrators and I shrink: "The agony!" To wit, since so many other fine folks are attending the Humbolt shindig as well, I promise to get out of my shell and make the most of it.

Signing off, I'll leave you with a proof of the Spring 2010 Cat Diaries cover. I've shown the cat image before, but the design is really coming together...

The drawing table awaits!

Grandpa Tomato

This spring, for the first time ever, my wife, daughter and I planted a garden. For a while now, we have been sampling the fruits of our labor, but this last batch of carrots and tomatoes was particularly satisfying. Lots of lettuce too, and a bunch of swiss chard that I neglected to include in the photo.

I've also discovered an nostalgic association for the smell of a tomato plant. It reminds me of my grandfather!

At last!

Yesterday afternoon, I *posted the final page of my summer reading adventure with the North Central Regional Library system.

Just in case you've missed out thus far, library-by-library, kids and assorted other audience members helped me to build this story page-by-page. We'd read the story in-progress, brainstorm, edit, and ask the all important question "what happens next?" The end result is action-packed and lots of fun. It gets a little silly at the end, but the evil Dr. Dexter definitely lands in the right place... for now!

*For some reason I can't post a picture up here right now. Follow the link and you'll get some artwork to accompany this rambling prose.

Boo's Surprise!

Sunday August 9th, 2009 2:00pm

Join me at Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, WA
to celebrate the publication of Boo's Surprise.

This sequel to Boo's Dinosaur (2006) has been praised by Kirkus Reviews for its upbeat voice, convincing family relationships, child-centered dialog, and engaging double-page drawings.
Meet the illustrator (yours truly!) and get your photo taken with Boo and her brand new dinosaur. Plus, I'll bring treats and a "surprise" drawing project.

Please, please, please, please, please, stop on by!

Summer Reading No. 25 - Chelan, WA

With many thanks to a thoughtful audience member, here is a quick snap shot of the Madam Zorony story in progress in Chelan, WA. Yesterday was the final day of my Summer Reading visits AND the publication date for Boo's Surprise. More on both of these things soon. Tonight I am hosting a kids art booth at the Mazama Market. Still looking forward to a real summer vacation in another week or two. Tally ho!