Books and Bovines

A publication party for author David LaRochelle and illustrator Mike Wohnoutka’s Moo! (Walker) was held at the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minn. The lively event featured cow balloons, cow cookies, a red sports car, and even a cow portrait carved into a pumpkin. Here, Red Balloon owner Holly Weinkauf (center) joins LaRochelle (r.) and Wohnoutka.

Birds of a Feather

At the Original Art show opening reception and awards ceremony in New York City, the Society of Illustrators author/illustrator Jennifer Yerkes won the gold medal for A Funny Little Bird (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky). A few days later, Yerkes made an appearance at Books of Wonder as part of the store’s Halloween Treats and More picture book panel. Yerkes (l.) signed for fans, many of whom came derssed for the occasoin.

Fangs a Lot

Authors Julie Downing (Spooky Friends, Scholastic) and Lisa Brown (Vampire Boy’s Good Night, Harper) visited the Booksmith in San Francisco for a reading and Halloween-themed celebration. The event featured eyeball cookies, gummy worms, and creepy costumes. Here, Brown (l.) and Downing show off their glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth.

Gone to the Gourds

During the annual Ghouls and Gourds festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Stephen Savage (center) read from his Halloween-themed picture book, Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book (Dial) in the event’s Book Barn. Other guest authors included Lauren Thompson (l.) and Diane Muldrow (r.).

Going Incognito

Teachers from Poestenkill Elementary School in Poestenkill, N.Y., dressed up as characters from Chris Grabenstein’s Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (Random) to celebrate the school’s word of the week – incognito. Grabenstein will be visiting the school on December 12. From left to right: Melissa Weatherwax, dressed as Dr. Zinchenko; Vince Gaetani, dressed as Mr. Lemoncello; and Michelle Smead, dressed as Mrs. Tobin.