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New Hope for Lagging Picture Book Sales--Color Nook!

Nice article on the color Nook. I hope it buoys the picture book market!

Stunning New Book!

My absolute favorite illustrator, Lauren Castillo, has a new book out today! Titled Christmas Is Here, this one is special, and is getting noticed--it's already gone into its second printing, and has received two starred reviews. Read this:

CHRISTMAS IS HERE: WORDS FROM THE KING JAMES BIBLE. illus. by Lauren Castillo. unpaged. S & S. Oct. 2010. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0822-7. LC 2009045979. PreS-Gr 3

The only text in this book is a few sentences from the King James Bible, and many of the ink and watercolor illustrations, in soothing tones of brown and gray with bold outlines, are wordless. They show a modern family—mom, dad, babe in arms, and dog-walking child—out for a stroll on a snowy evening, when they come across a small, outdoor Christmas pageant. As the child peers into the manger, readers are taken back in time to Bethlehem, with illustrations of sheep grazing over a dry Middle Eastern landscape as the shepherds learn of the birth of Jesus. As light from the star streams down over the holy family and shepherds leaning over the manger, the scene switches with a turn of the page back to the modern family singing carols in the snow in front of the manger. The theme—that the most basic meaning of Christmas has remained the same over the centuries—is conveyed with a warm and captivating simplicity that even the youngest child will understand. -Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Need more inspiration than that? Follow this link to the book trailer. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of my own!

Brilliant Marketing from Albert Whitman & Co.

From one of my favorite bogs, A Year of Reading, Mary Lee Hahn tells us about a SillyBandz-like marketing tool from Albert Whitman & Co.--"Book Bands" with shapes from some popular kids' books. Anything we can do to help kids connect with books gets a giant thumbs up from me!

Creative Ways to Fund Author Visits

With economic times being as tough as they are, funding programs for schools is harder than ever. Author Alexis O'Neill has a great article posted on her website on how to secure funds for school author visits. She talks in very specific (and helpful!) ways about exactly how to go about partnering with a corporate sponsor for just such an event. Some of the steps are as follows:

Estimate the cost (honorarium, transportation, lodging, food, books)

Write a short letter on school letterhead, bulleted with clear headers, describing:

The need. (What educational objective will this address? Also include a statement from the heart about what you see as the short-term and long-term effect on kids.)

How the school would like to fill that need(i.e. author/illustrator visit).

The specific request. (Money? Time? Promotion?)

What the school will contribute as a partner. (Share expense? Promote the organization? Take photos? Offer volunteer opportunities to the organization’s staff or members?)

The expected outcome? (Include how many or what kind of students will be served by this program.)

Anyone interested in learning more about how local businesses might be of help to schools might want to jump on over to this article. It's well worth reading!

Hot Chocolaty Treat

Some company has made a single-serve microwavable hot brownie mix. You pour the powder in the little dish that it is packaged in, add 2 tablespoons of water, mix and microwave it for 45 seconds. The results are not bad for someone wanting a quick, hot-out-of-the-oven treat. My best buddy used to make these while standing overnight watch of the Goodyear Blimp. Pretty convenient for a time like that! But tonight as I made him one, it struck me that you should be able to do the same thing in a regular, microwavable dish for a whole lot cheaper, at home. I pulled a package of Duncan Hines brownie mix out of the cupboard and began experimenting. For my first try, I added oil and water, since this particular mix called for both. This was an epic fail; the oil sizzled up through the "brownie". I tried cooking it more and more, hoping it would take on a brownie-like appearance, but it did not. Instead, it remained a dark oily blob of dark brown that began to smoke, emitting a distinctive burned chocolate smell, and I admitted defeat.

My second try went much better. 5 tablespoons of brownie mix, a scant 2 tablespoons of water, and no oil. I zapped it at full power for 60 seconds, and took it out exclaiming with joy "This might be a brownie!"

Sure enough, as it sat for a couple minutes, it took on a fresh-out-of-the-oven-brownie consistency, which is, of course, much softer, and gooier than a fully cooled brownie. (Love the goo!) This hot, steamy chocolatiness got topped with some vanilla ice cream, providing me with a quick, yummy, bedtime treat. I wasn't really hungry, and I certainly didn't need the calories, but I couldn't let this success go...well...uneaten!

Nice Article by Christine Pollock

I wanted to share this nice article done by journalist and fellow children's writer Christine Pollock. Thanks Christine!