New Arrivals, Part 1

Hooray! I recently received a box full of my very first board book! I'm so excited that Alice Schertle's Very Hairy Bear (2007) will now be ambling about in a sturdy, well-nigh indestructible form. It is a full version of the original, a great size, and the reproduction is terrific.

The folks at Harcourt have impeccable timing. Here's what arrived the day before...

(Baby not included with purchase)

First Board Book!

(Korean edition & printer proof for new board book)

I am extremely excited that my 2007 picture book Very Hairy Bear by the wonderful Alice Schertle will be available in a sturdy board book edition this fall! As the parent of a toddler, I have come to appreciate the genius of the board book format. I've been hoping for my own board book for a long while now. Thanks, Harcourt!

And here's an interior printer proof shot against the current snowy scene outside my studio...

NCTE/ALAN: The Convention Within Walking Distance

Hey teachers! Going to the NCTE and/or ALAN convention in Philadelphia this weekend? Me too. Here's my schedule:

Friday, 2-3 pm: signing Storm in the Barn at the Candlewick booth (#112).

Friday, 5-6 pm: signing Storm at the Anderson booth (#544).

Saturday, 10:30-11:30: signing Big George and Very Hairy Bear at the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt table.

Saturday, 3:10-3:40 pm: Author Roundtable!

Tuesday, 11:40: speaking on the Appeal of Graphic Novels panel for the ALAN workshop (signing Storm as well, I think).

I will also be giving free tips on cool places to check out in the City of Brotherly Love. You can't spend all of your time at the convention center.

Very Hairy Bear Arrives!

Since I can't seem to update my main website for some reason, I thought I'd plug my latest book here on the Planet Ham: Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle (Harcourt)! It's my first book using pastel and pencil instead of ink and watercolor. Available now at finer book emporiums.

Above is a sketch for my initial cover idea.

UPDATE: You can now read a Very Nice Review over at Seven Imp!

A Bowler and a Tie and Seven Impossible Things

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast is always a blog worth reading, but today it's particularly nice. Super bonus points for also linking to one of the greatest cartoons ever made.

Thanks to one and all!

I just want to say thanks to all the swell people that I had the pleasure of meeting at the ALA convention. I had a sincere and total blast. Since I am a blogger of few words, I'll simply post the initial sketch of what became the cover of The Higher Power of Lucky, and direct you to the intrepid Fuse #8 for a recap of the whole shebang. She's good with the words and stuff.

Pick up a copy of the new Horn Book for a transcript of the wonderful speeches by David Wiesner and my friend Susan Patron, a class act through and through.

ALA!

I'm pleased as punch to be attending the American Librarian Association's Annual Conference in DC this weekend. On Saturday, I'll be signing copies of the upcoming Very Hairy Bear (preliminary sketch above) at the Harcourt booth from 1:30-2:30, and then I'll be at the Simon & Schuster booth from 3-4 with Newbery Medal winner Susan Patron to sign The Higher Power of Lucky. If you miss that, Susan and I will be signing Lucky again on Sunday from 11-12. Later that evening, I'll have a pretty good seat at the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet. Stop by and say howdy.