This week, Peter Sís goes on a picture book odyssey; a pouty fish finds a reason to smile; Drag Queen Story Hour celebrates Pride Month; author Ellen Goodlett concludes her YA duology; the Jewish community commemorates Anne Frank; and canine heroes enter the spotlight.

On June 15, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass., celebrated the opening of “The Picture Book Odysseys of Peter Sís,” an exhibit dedicated to the Czech-born illustrator’s career. Several fellow artists came out in support of Sís: (from l.) Mo Willems, Diane deGroat, Will Hillenbrand, David Wiesner, Sís, Barbara McClintock, and David Johnson. The exhibit, which features original artwork from 26 picture books, editorial illustrations, public art projects, and painted objects, will run through October 27.

You Better Not Pout-Pout

Author Deborah Diesen and illustrator Dan Hanna recently set out on separate tours for their picture book The Pout-Pout Fish Cleans Up the Ocean (FSG, June). Timed for World Oceans Day on June 8, the newest Pout-Pout Fish Adventure focuses on issues of conservation. As part of the tour, Diesen and Hanna visited aquariums (including the New York and Seattle Aquariums), marine biology labs, and summer camps around the country to promote the book’s environmental message through interactive programs. For the fourth consecutive year, Macmillan is continuing its partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society; and, for the first time, the publisher is teaming up with Scholastic Book Fairs to send the author and illustrator on simultaneous tours again in the fall. Here, Hanna gives a drawing demonstration at the Vero Beach Book Center in Vero Beach, Fla.

Proud Readers

In honor of Pride Month, Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on New York City’s Roosevelt Island hosted an “Ascend with Pride” event. People of all ages gathered on the afternoon of June 15 for activities including a picnic on the lawn, coming-out testimonials, and Drag Queen Story Hour sponsored by Little Bee Books. The event also served as the official unveiling of New York City’s largest LGBTQ pride flag, as the park’s staircase was transformed in rainbow-colored fashion. Here, drag queen Yuhua Hamasaki reads Prince & Knight (Little Bee) to the crowd.

'Rise' and Shine

Author Ellen Goodlett celebrated the launch of her new novel Rise (Little, Brown)—the second installment in her YA fantasy duology that began with Rule—at a Books of Wonder event on June 11 in New York City. Goodlett provided audience members with rainbow-colored cupcakes and crowns in a nod to both the queer love story in the book and Pride Month. The author wrote both Rule and Rise while on the road, living in a different city each month for 12 months, and the audience at Books of Wonder included many members of the digital nomad community that she is a part of. After the reading, Goodlett participated in a q&a and signed copies of her books for fans.

In Memoriam

June 12 marked the 90th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank, whose diary turned her into one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust. In honor of Frank’s memory, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, Calif., hosted a reading and discussion of the new historical picture book The Cat Who Lived with Anne Frank by David Lee Miller (r.) and Steve Jay Rubin (second from r.), illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley (Philomel, Feb.). Joining the authors were Millie Perkins (l.) and Diane Baker, who played Anne and Margot (respectively) in the 1959 film adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Dogged Heroes

Children had the opportunity to meet a local firefighter dog named Molly at a film screening of Superpower Dogs at the New York Hall of Science on June 15 in Corona, N.Y. The film, which follows six working dogs and their handlers, inspired three nonfiction books from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Superpower Dogs, Superpower Dogs: Halo: Disaster Response Dog, and Superpower Dogs: Henry: Avalanche Rescue Dog.