BYOB: Bring Your Own Bears

Yesterday I visited the famous children's bookstore The Blue Bunny Books and Toys in Dedham, Massachusetts for a Teddy Bear Storytime Party. The Blue Bunny is owned by Peter Reynolds, bestselling author-illustrator of THE DOT and illustrator of the Judy Moody series. His charming shop is every bit as magical as you might have heard. 

I had the pleasure of reading and dancing along with author and friend Anika Denise, who also wrote a story about bears. I read my picture book, The Coziest Place, and Anika read her adorable new book, Baking Day at Grandma's. Children brought their own bears, made a teddy bear craft, and snacked on teddy treats. 
 

Here are some photos of our big day. Thank you, Margie and Cheryl, for being such warm and welcoming hosts!

You can't miss the big blue bunny outside the shop! 

Reading books about bears is serious business.

Anika's teddy, Eddy, and my forlorn bear, Bear.

Pretending it's a cold, winter day and reading THE COZIEST PLACE, illustrated by Jon Davis.

Marching to Grandma's house. (From the BAKING DAY AT GRANDMA'S song.)

Dance party with the littles!

Hey, look! It's the dot from THE DOT by Peter Reynolds! "Make your mark."

Thank you, The Blue Bunny, for a beary fun time! (Sorry. Couldn't help myself.)

Teddy Bear Book Party!

Like bears . . . and books . . . and treats? On Tuesday, November 11th (Veteran’s Day) at 10:30 a.m., I'll be joining author and fellow Cottager Anika Denise at the famous Blue Bunny Books & Toys for a Teddy Bear Book Party. 

I'll be reading my picture book The Coziest Place and Anika will be reading her delicious new book, Baking Day at Grandma’s. Children will be invited to make a teddy bear craft, bring their own stuffed bears, and enjoy teddy bear treats.  

Drop by for some fun!

The Little Crooked Cottage

Mr. Pig, illustration copyright by Christopher Denise.

"Who's the pig?" you ask. He's part of the reason I haven't updated my blog for a loooooong while. (Although I plan to update a lot more this year.) 

Meet Mr. Pig, star of the The Little Crooked Cottage, a children's book blog I created with friends and fellow authors Anika Denise, Kara LaReau, and Kristen Tracy. This portrait of the dashing Mr. Pig is by bestselling illustrator Christopher Denise.

Please stop by the Cottage for interviews with favorite book characters (guests of Mr. Pig's hit talk show, "Mr. Pig LIVE!"), studio tours, Literary Lunches by the talented Nina Holstead of Mamabelly's Lunches with Love, book recommendations, and more!

Hope to see you there!

Launch Party

On Saturday, September 7, I'm officially launching the third Joe and Sparky book, Joe and Sparky Go to School, at my favorite local bookstore, Barrington Books.

We'll be celebrating books and back-to-school with face painting, cupcakes, treats (including a turtle-shaped watermelon if I can manage it), giveaways, crafts, games, and a raffle. Hope to see you there!

The Next Big Thing! ~ a global blog tour

I’ve been tagged by Brian Rock, author of The Deductive Detective, to participate in The Next Big Thing!, a global blog tour about children’s books that started in Australia. (Go check out his post!)

I’ll be talking about my brand-new early reader, Joe and Sparky Go to School, illustrated by the hilarious Frank Remkiewicz of Froggy fame.

Where did the idea for this book come from?
Kids! After meeting lots of elementary students as a visiting author, I thought it would be fun to send Joe Giraffe and Sparky Turtle to school with them. But I didn’t have the story’s conflict until my son came home from school wearing a star sticker for good behavior. Joe and Sparky each try to earn a star, with Sparky succeeding and Joe, well, not so much . . .

"Paint something you love" does not mean "Paint your friend."

What genre does your book fall under?
Early Reader

Which actors would star in a move rendition of your book?
Joe Giraffe is loud, adventurous, and tall. Sparky Turtle, on the other hand, is cautious, grumpy, and bald. So let's cast . . .

Will Ferrell as Joe Giraffe

Ed Asner as FDR Sparky Turtle

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
The endearing and mismatched pals accidentally latch onto a big yellow bus and leave the cageless zoo for their first trip to school.

Who published your book?
Candlewick Press

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
A week or so, but the revision process was much longer. In the original version, Joe and Sparky wait by the boys' restroom, but don’t go inside. My brilliant editor asked me to bring them inside of the bathroom, and that scene is now an entire chapter. Joe and Sparky believe they've discovered a magic pond. The water disappears -- AND IT COMES BACK AGAIN!!



What other books would you compare this story to within your own genre?
Reviewers have compared the story to Amelia Bedelia and Frog and Toad. I’ll take it!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My two sons (who had lots to say about the bathroom scene), their school, and bits of our everyday life. For example, our town library's guinea pig, Rudy, makes a cameo appearance as the class pet.



What else about this book might pique the reader’s interest?
Joe and Sparky Go to School is the third book in a series. For more Joe and Sparky shenanigans, read Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels and Joe and Sparky, Superstars!

Now I’m sending you across the pond to meet the Next Big Thing, author-illustrator Paula Bowles. She’ll be talking about her adorable and uplifting picture book What Goes Up! Check out her blog on August 12 for her answers!

Toodle-dee-doo . . . It's here, it's here!

It's the big day! JOE AND SPARKY GO TO SCHOOL releases today. For a sneak peek, check out the book trailer . . .

To celebrate, we're whooping it up at  Scribbling in the Garret, blog of my good friend and fellow author, Cynthia Platt.

Cynthia's blog is a must-read. As a children's book author, editor and an MFA student (holy cow!), she knows a thing or two about writing for kids. She blogs about her writing adventures with humor and a healthy dose of pop culture.

We had a fun chat about teacher sayings, the Hokey Pokey, and early readers. Plus she's hosting a BOOK GIVEAWAY! Just write the name of your favorite teacher in her blog's comments section to enter to win a signed copy of JOE AND SPARKY GO TO SCHOOL. Visit Scribbling in the Garret for more info.

A NEW Joe and Sparky Adventure

JOE AND SPARKY GO TO SCHOOL (Candlewick Press, June 2013)

Yippee! Look who's headed your way this June!

Joe and Sparky take an unintended field trip to school in their third adventure. When they get there, they discover that there’s a lot to learn, like that the restroom is full of little magic "ponds," that you’re supposed to count the peas in math, not eat them, and that the goal of the day seems to be to get a star.

I'm ecstatic about this book because 1. Frank Remkiwicz's illustrations are snort-milk-out-of-your-nose HILARIOUS; 2. This story was inspired by all the amazing students I've met at school visits; and 3. Joe and Sparky encounter a bathroom for the first time, a scene that my sons have been asking me to write since they could talk. (You know you have the best editor ever when she asks you to expand the bathroom scene.)

JOE AND SPARKY GET NEW WHEELS in the Candlewick Press Spring 2013 catalog

You can pre-order a copy at amazon.com, your local independent bookstore, or anywhere books are sold.

Stay tunes for a giveaway, fun activities, and more details . . .

2012 Best Books of the Year

Yesterday I was thrilled to discover that Joe and Sparky, Superstars! made the Bankstreet College 2012 Best Children's Books of the Year list. Hooray! I'm happy to be in such great company. Congratulations to all!

Talent Shows and Toast

On Monday, I had the pleasure of meeting the amazing students of Guiteras Elementary School in Bristol, Rhode Island. I visited grades K-3 as part of their Reading Week celebration.

During our brainstorming sessions, the students were bursting with imaginative storylines and characters. Then they brilliantly performed the talent show scene from Joe and Sparky, Superstars! We had a pizza party, and we discussed Bigfoot and told knock-knock jokes. And a nice young gentleman named Henry brought me the best gift ever--toast! He gave me TOAST! La! Happiness.

Thanks to Superstar Librarian Nicole Galipeau for all of her help!

Here are some photos of our big day:

Stretching like a giraffe

Brainstorming story ideas. Start with what you love.

Showstopper! The kindergartners perform the talent show scene from Joe and Sparky, Superstars!

Toodle-dee-doo! Our talented band

Thank you, Henry! :)

Happy Reading Week!

April 8 - 14 is National Library Week. Children across the country are turning off their televisions and reading good books.

I'll be celebrating this week by visiting the Super Readers of these schools:

Monday, April 9: Guiteras School, Bristol, RI

Thursday, April 12: Sowams School, Barrington, RI

Friday, April 13: Barbieri Elementary School, Framingham, MA

What are you reading this week?

Barrington Books’ Annual Children’s Books Authors & Illustrators Event

Hope to see you at Barrington Books this Saturday, October 29th for spooky story hour, treats, crafts, and lots of good BOO-ks! I'll be the lady with the giant spider on her head. Check out this year's line-up!

Event Schedule
10 am-12pm

• Jamie Michalak – Joe and Sparky, Superstars! Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels
• Alison Paul – The Crow; Sunday Love

12-2 pm

• Anika & Christopher Denise – Bella and Stella Come Home; Pigs Love Potatoes
• RW & Zoë Alley – There’s A Princess In The Palace; There’s A Wolf At The Door
• Willa Perlman – Goodnight, World; Pocket Kisses

* Spooky Story Hour will begin at 1 pm – costumes encouraged!
2-4 pm

• Pamela Lowell – Returnable Girl; Spotting for Nellie
• Liz McGrath – The Ghouls Come Haunting One by One
• Sarah L. Thomson – Mercy: The Last New England Vampire; Dragon’s Egg; The Dragon’s Son; Pirates, Ho! Three Cups of Tea (Young Reader’s Edition)

Q & A and Book Giveaway!

Award-winning author and one of the nicest people on the planet, Clara Gillow Clark, kindly invited me to be a guest on her blog. Click here for our little chat about crazy families, noses, and early readers.

If you haven't yet read Clara's novels about Hill Hawk Hattie, you must run to your local bookstore right this minute and get them. Grab a box of tissues while you're at it. I've yet to meet anyone who's read Hill Hawk Hattie without being deeply touched by it. You will love these books.

Clara will be announcing the winners of personalized Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels and Joe and Sparky, Superstars! tomorrow morning.

What Joe and Sparky Did on Their Summer Vacation

Oh dear.  I'm a little behind on blogging. Imagine, if you will, that it's late August.

Joe and Sparky had the rare privilege of spending their summer in the Barrington Public Library. They were part of the Children's Department's popular Summer Reading Club.

This year's theme was "One World, Many Stories." Check out the story hour room's eye-catching displays of favorite read-alouds. . . .

Joe and Sparky hang out with Elmer and Rose.

(Believe it or not, I was sitting on that step for five minutes waiting to sign up my sons for the book club before I turned around and noticed the giant Joe. What a surprise! I think there was some squealing and leaping with joy. And perhaps a fist-pumping victory lap around the room . . . Erm, this is getting embarrassing. Let's move on.)

The Greedy Python, Koala Lou, and Tacky the Penguin.

A small Sox fan spins the wheel to see which category he may choose a book from. 

The children return to the library to answer questions about the books they've read. This fellow reads a question from the cap he's chosen off the Caps for Sale tree.

Notice how the camera-shy Sparky is trying to jump off that log before I snap his photo. Too slow, my small green friend!

Thanks to the dynamite children's librarians of the Barrington Public Library for hosting Joe and Sparky this summer!

Congratulations to these Superstar Libraries . . .

Curious City has announced the winners of the Joe and Sparky book giveaway. Copies of Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels and Joe and Sparky, Superstars! are on their way to the stellar libraries below.

If you didn't win, you can still DOWNLOAD the Activity Kit and take the Joe & Sparky Personality Test for a spot of fun.

Hillcrest Elementary School BC
Bristol Public Library CT
Mabry Elementary School FL
Brookdale Elementary GA
Monticello Public Library IA
Plainfield Public Library IL
West Lafayette Public Library IN
Cleveland Elementary School Library MA
Limerick Public Library ME
Norway Memorial Library ME
MCLS: Bedford Branch MI
Dakota County Heritage Library MN
Horace Mann Elementary School NY
Hudson Library & Historical Society OH
Bishop Elementary OK
Lucknow Central P.S. ON
Adrian School Library OR
Stewart Heights Elementary School SC
Richneck Elementary VA
Craft Memorial Library WV

Woodland Elementary School Is Awesome

I love visiting schools. One of the last school visits of the year was to this one in Southwick, Massachusetts:

Thank you, Woodland Elementary School!

I was lucky enough to spend two whole days with the kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students of Woodland Elementary School. You should know that they are EXTREMELY smart and talented. During the presentations, they brainstormed oodles of story ideas and had lots of excellent questions. (My favorites: "Does your hand ever get tired?" and "What did your mom think when you got published?")

We had a pizza party in the library, where the guests offered many exciting ideas for a third Joe and Sparky story. Like these:

JOE AND SPARKY BATTLE GENERAL GRIEVOUS
JOE AND SPARKY SWIM WITH SHARKS
JOE AND SPARKY: LOST IN SPACE
JOE AND SPARKY MEET JAKE THE ELEPHANT
JOE AND SPARKY: SHARK ATTACK!

And they are not just gifted authors. They are artists, too. Check out what the kindergarten class did!

Stunning hallway display by the Woodland Elementary School kindergartners

Can you spot the handprints?

As a bonus, I fulfilled a lifelong dream and ate in the teachers' lounge!!! After being barred for decades, I was finally allowed to enter that secret clubhouse of educators. It was all that I imagined and more--a smorgasbord of complimentary baked treats, chocolate, and ten different kinds of coffee. (Somebody later told me that the treats and coffee were a special gift for Teacher Appreciation Week, but I prefer to think that the teachers' lounge always has a party in full swing.)

All in all, a perfect school visit. Now carry on and enjoy your summer.

SUPERSTARS Book Launch Party!

Last month, I had my first-ever book launch party at a very special place, my childhood library--the Forest Park Branch Library in Springfield, Massachusetts. It's where I got my first library card, where I participated in summer book clubs, and where I discovered some of my all-time favorite books.

So when the amazing Springfield librarian Jean Canosa Albano invited me to visit as an author, I jumped at the chance. We decided to throw a book party for JOE AND SPARKY, SUPERSTARS! Even if the idea did make me a teensy bit nervous. (What if nobody came? What if kids came, but didn't have enough to do? What if too many people came and I didn't have enough cupcakes and the children formed an angry mob?)

But then I reminded myself that part of being an author is being eternally and unapologetically optimistic, and so I planned and prepared and harassed all of my family and friends on facebook and guess what? People came. We had lots of fun. And there were enough cupcakes for everyone.

Thanks to all who joined the party and thank you, Forest Park Branch Library!

Set up and ready. Will anyone show up? Will I sit here alone with 100 cupcakes looking like Minnie Pearl? Only time will tell.

Hooray, they're here!

Desperately trying to pay attention to someone as my son wildly boogies on down next to me. (Keep smiling, keep smiling.)

In case the lollipop and sunglasses did not tip you off, he's kind of a big deal.

Disappearing cupcakes.

A little pre-Hokey Pokey reading to the star-studded crowd. (Those may or may not be jazz hands.)

The heckling giraffe.

A cute baby.

Crafty kids making puppets.

These gentlemen take their puppet-making seriously.

SUPERSTARS!

Click here to read an article about the event.