Collingswood Book Festival

Just a quick post to say that I'll be at the Collingswood Book Festival in NJ this Saturday (10/2) from 10-4. At 1 pm I'll be talking about all things Storm in the Barn and other than that, I'll be at my little table signing books and chatting. Stop by if you can.

Flora's Launch Party!

The official launch party for Flora's Very Windy Day at Children's Book World was a rousing success and loads of fun. The store was all decked out with a wall of books, balloons, and an eager crowd and Jeanne Birdsall was decked out in super-special heavy-duty red boots.

Jeanne and I chatted about how the book came to be and the collaborative nature of picture books. Then Jeanne riveted the crowd by reading a super-secret excerpt from the upcoming third Penderwicks novel. Speaking as a Penderwicks fanatic myself, it is going to be a looooooong wait until the book is published in May of 2011.

And to top it off, the good folks at CBW even had a delicious cake made. Thanks to everyone who came by and thanks to CBW for the grand send-off!

Flora's Very Windy Day Round-up!

I'm a bit tardy with this post, but I wanted to take a moment to trumpet the arrival of Flora's Very Windy Day by the incomparable Jeanne Birdsall. Flora was one of those books that was a joy to work on from start to finish. I jumped into this book after spending a year in the downtrodden Dust Bowl, so spending my days drawing two kids being tossed about in the wind was certainly a treat.

Speaking of treats, Jeanne Birdsall is joining me at the wonderful Children's Book World for the Official Flora Launch Party on Saturday, September 25th at 2 pm. Hope you can join us!

(An early sketch of Flora)

Reviews have been pretty glowing so far. Here are some clips:

As realistic as the mixed feelings it captures and as fanciful as a conversation with a rainbow, the first picture book by Birdsall, author of The Penderwicks (2005), blends homely and fantastic elements as naturally as a child at play... A fine picture book with a fierce, bold and (deep down) compassionate heroine.

- Booklist (STAR)

Phelan's illustrations are simply wonderful: His line floats and traces the air currents, his colors are subtle but strong and he captures Flora's multiple emotions and Crispin's silent toddlerness in every rosy-cheeked image. Emotionally true from cover to cover.

- Kirkus (STAR)

This gem of a book will resonate with older siblings everywhere.

- School Library Journal

...crisp and delightful...

- Publishers Weekly

And there's been some great reviews from the blogosphere including What We Read and What We Think and A Patchwork of Books!

Don't forget 9/25 at Children's Book World. Stop by and say hi to Jeanne and me!