We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
A Peter Sís tapestry was unveiled at Ellis Island’s National Museum of Immigration on July 29, in honor of the newly decreed John Lennon Day, which commemorates the day Lennon received his green card. The tapestry depicts Manhattan as a yellow submarine and Lennon as its captain; it is one of four tapestries honoring influential figures, created by Sís. The projects were commissioned by Bill Shipsey, president of Art for Amnesty, and were funded by U2 band members Bono and The Edge, among other individuals. At the unveiling were (l. to r.): Peter Sís; Bill Shipsey; Melissa Mark-Viverito, speaker of the New York City Council; The Edge; Yoko Ono; Bono; and Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International.
Color Me Happy!
It was a colorful occasion at the offices of Penguin Random House on August 18, with a company-wide celebration for the release of The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Employees Talia Benamy (l.) and Brian Geffen (r.) of Philomel dressed as crayons, flanking Penguin Young Readers Group president Don Weisberg, who holds a sign promoting local bookstores and the social media site devoted to the crayons.
Like Father, Like Son
Mike Wohnoutka celebrated the July 7 release of his picture book Dad’s First Day (Bloomsbury) with a launch at the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minn., on August 15. Wohnoutka read to the audience and offered reassurance to kids anxious about going back to school, before serving up pieces of a Dad’s First Day-themed cake. Wohnoutka carefully coordinated his outfit with his son, Franklin, who was the inspiration behind the book.
And… Action!
During a July 30 Thalia Book Club Camp session featuring Jude Watson (Loot, Scholastic Press), eager young readers and writers shone so brightly, they had to wear shades (sunglasses also play a role in the story). During her time with the campers, Watson (center) led the group in a writing activity that asked them to create action scenes inspired by Loot. The Thalia Book Club Camp sessions are sponsored by and take place at Symphony Space in Manhattan.
