Top Six Must-Dos
TODAY
See a Caldecott Honor Artist at Work
Today, 2–4 p.m., Elisha Cooper will be in the Scholastic booth (1639) painting a scene inspired by his picture book, River (Orchard, Oct.). Booksellers can pick up River f&gs during the demonstration, and the author will sign prints from the book afterward. Heads up for Cooper fans: he’s donating today’s painting to this evening’s Children’s Book Art Silent Auction.
Win a Sponsored Book Event
Does hosting a ready-made, kid-pleasing book event strike your fancy? Head to booth 833B, where Fabled Films is hosting a raffle to promote the Nocturnals series, whose latest installment, The Kooky Kinkajou by Tracey Hecht, illus. by Josie Yee, is due in September. One independent bookstore and one library will win a visit from a professional face painter (who’ll transform kids’ faces into likenesses of series’ characters), plus signed books, plush, reading kits, and more. The publisher will announce the winners in mid-June. Party on!
TOMORROW
Calling All Dog Man Devotees
Dav Pilkey will be at Scholastic’s booth (1639) today, 11 a.m.–noon, to thank booksellers for their role in making his Dog Man series a global hit—with a whopping 80 million copies in print in 28 languages—and to introduce Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls (Scholastic Graphix, Aug.). Here’s a sneak peek at the lithograph Pilkey will sign at the event.
Want a Little Christmas Now?
It’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit. There’ll be plenty in the air at the Penguin Young Readers booth (1221), 11 a.m.–3 p.m., where a colorful crew of crayon characters will sing carols around a Christmas tree to celebrate The Crayons’ Christmas by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (Penguin Workshop, Oct.). Candy canes and photo ops with Esteben, “the breakout crayon,” are featured.
Catch Up with Tami Charles
Author Tami Charles has a bustling agenda today, beginning with a signing of her September YA, Becoming Beatriz, in the Charlesbridge booth (1725), 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. She’ll take part in the “Spotlight on African-American Children’s Books: Let’s Talk About Picture Books” panel, 2–2:45 p.m., in Room 1E16, before heading to Candlewick’s booth (1039) to sign Freedom Soup (Dec.), 3:30–4:30 p.m., a picture book illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara.
Wish Pigeon a Sweet Sixteen
How time flies! Mo Willems’s Pigeon is turning sweet 16, and Disney-Hyperion makes the occasion all the sweeter today with a birthday bash for the delightfully obstinate bird, whose next dilemma plays out in The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! (July). And, yes, there will be cake. Drop by booth 1713, 4:30–5 p.m., for a slice.
