What Are You?

It’s a question I’ve been asked my whole life. And now, it’s a book that I illustrated. Written by Christian Trimmer, What Are You? is an introduction to talking about being mixed-race. Though it is imperative that we talk about race with kids, the topic can often feel too heavy to find an entry point. However, I think our book offers a light opportunity to begin a conversation.

Here’s a little synopsis from Macmillan: From Christian Trimmer and award-winning illustrator Mike Curato comes What Are You?, a brilliant, new early-reader picture book brimming with warmth and playfulness that explores questions of race and identity.

When a puggle meets two new poodle friends, there is a question the poodles feel they must ask. 

What are you? 
What am I? 
Yes, what are you? 
I am a dog. 
No, what are you? 

So begins a conversation about family and identity, and about the things we’re good at… and why we’re good at them. Brimming with warmth and playfulness, What Are You? is an exemplary picture book for early readers. Equally funny and thoughtful, the book includes prompts to facilitate important first conversations about stereotypes and bias between child and adult.

I myself am mixed-race, and I think what I find most troubling about the question, “What are you?”, is that it’s one of the first things someone feels compelled to ask me, as opposed to “WHO are you?” Surely that would prompt a much more interesting, multifaceted answer, because I am many things. “I contain multitudes.” When asked the question, sometimes I’ll push back and inquire, “why do you ask?” That’s usually followed by “just curious!” But what exactly is driving that specific curiosity? Why not ask someone what their interests are? Or if they’re hungry? Or if they’ve read any good books lately? (I’ve got a recommendation!)

I hope that everyone sees themselves in these pages: the asked and askers. I like to create books that I wish I had when I was a kid, and I hope that mixed folks who read this feel validated and seen. But it would have been even better if kids in my class who weren’t mixed had this book, because it would have helped them understand how to talk to me, how to ask me to be friends, how to see me as a person not so different from themselves. As a creative, I fully support curiosity, and I also believe that there are some things that we must wait for someone to reveal to us in their own time and on their terms.

I’m so grateful that I was asked to illustrate this story, one that I felt compelled to tell for many years, but couldn’t find the right words. My thanks to Christian for finding the those words and putting them together so beautifully! Many thanks to the good people at Roaring Brook who helped make this happen: Jennifer Besser, Lisa Vega, Allene Casagnol, and the rest of the team at Macmillan Children’s. And a big thank you to my dear agent, Brenda Bowen.

I dedicated this book to my brother and sister, who are two people whom I rely on to know exactly how I feel about a shortlist of things, including “the question” in question. I’m sure if the three of us were asked “What are you?” at the same time, we would in unison reply, “WEIRD.”

And for anyone asking, I am the following mix:
a friend-baker-brother-traveler-son-singer-uncle-thinker-dreamer-reader

And to you, dear reader, I am your devoted storyteller. xo Mike

Order your copy today!

Where Is Bina Bear?

Please help me welcome my new friends, Bina and Tiny, to the world today! (You can order here! Or read to the end if you want a signed copy.) It’s been several years since I put out a picture book that I also authored, and my heart is full of love for my shy friend and her compassionate confidant. It’s become customary for me to post “the making of” in honor of book release, so here’s the story behind the story…

Once upon a time, I was having a bad summer. It was July 2019, and I had just arrived at one of my favorite places, the Highlights Foundation, to co-facilitate an illustration intensive. There was a lot going on in my life, and rather than face a room full of people, I really just wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for a year. I remember calling my bestie, Samantha Berger, and saying, “I can’t do this.” She assured me that I definitely could and pumped me up before the intensive started.

I affixed my “EVERYTHING IS GREAT!” smile, and headed to the first session. The nice thing about being surrounded by fellow illustrators is that no one thinks you’re being rude when you doodle in a sketchbook while someone is speaking. That is when this bear fumbled her way onto my page.

As you can see, she is not really up for engagement. I was having fun putting her in scenarios in which she was trying to hide in plain sight, and doing a very bad job at it. I didn’t really think of it as a story idea at first. I just kept toying with the visual play of hiding oneself, because that was my reality in that moment.

Days after the retreat, I was looking at these doodles (there were more than just these ones) and thought, “Is this a thing??” Before long, I had a story about a bear at a party who does not like parties, and her small rabbit friend (Tiny to be exact). Bina, stressed out by the crowd, finds quiet pockets of the house to store herself in, while disguised as an inanimate object. She is a lamp, a table, a tree, a bookcase. She suddenly runs out of clever ideas (or did I?) and assumes the role of “groceries” when she is finally found out (though we secretly know that Tiny has been onto this whole charade from the beginning).

I sat on a blanket on the coast of Maine with some computer paper, a pen, and some colored pencils. Within a day, I had a book dummy. My agent, Brenda Bowen, saw it the next day and sent it to my editor, Laura Godwin, right away. Laura took it to acquisitions at Macmillan that week. It was the fastest book pitch I’ve ever made and sold. Some aspects of the story changed, most notably my decision to make Bina purple to stand out from the many other bears in the kidlit universe. But at its core, the story has remained the same.

style development sample

I did lots of rounds of style tests with different mediums, but I was really enjoying working in pen and ink with color washes.

first phase of a finished piece: pen & ink with watercolor

This style was a departure from my earlier, tighter Little Elliot work (speaking of, keep your eyes peeled in this book for a cameo or two). I’ve varied my styles for other picture books written by other authors. But Bina would be my first post-Elliot book I’ve authored, and it felt like a change was in order. I liked the quirkiness of the pen line and punchiness of the color to match the humor of the story. I wanted Bina’s fur to have a rich texture, so that was done separately with watercolor and colored pencil. There are other pieces here and there that use a scanned texture, like canvas for the lampshade and brown paper bag for…a brown paper bag.

These are fragments of Bina’s fur textures for different pages throughout the book. High quality watercolor paper is expensive, so I used every bit of the surface as possible!

Similar to Elliot though, Bina is a mix of traditional and digital media. These elements were scanned and assembled in Photoshop. Then I colored digitally in both Photoshop and Adobe Fresco.

my first book illustrated on iPad

the final ilustration

On the surface, Where Is Bina Bear? is a cute hide and seek book. One could read this book and quickly chalk it up to a funny story about a bear with social anxiety. But for me it’s even more about two people trying to be good friends as best they can with what they have to work with. Tiny sees past Bina’s anxiety with compassion and playfulness, and we come to learn that Bina only came to this party because of her love and loyalty to Tiny. In the end, the most important thing is being together, and the two find a creative way to do just that.

Any of my loyal readers know that the theme of friendship never gets old for me. This book is a love letter to those friends who understand and accept each other’s idiosyncrasies without question. Vulnerability, so often seen as a weakness, can be an opportunity to allow others, to allow love, to enter our hearts and make us feel whole.

For reviews and to download the activity kit, please visit my website. I hope you’ll join me this evening for a virtual book release event with High Five Books! Click here to register and order your personalized and signed copies! I’ll be reading, drawing, and answering your questions live via Facebook. Don’t be shy…

FLAMER

I’m gay. It took me a very long and sometime perilous journey to be able to say that out loud and with pride. It’s taken me a long time to say I love myself. I like who I am. These are things I couldn’t say when I was 14.

I am trying to remember the first time someone called me a faggot. It’s happened so many times that I can’t pinpoint when it started. It still hurts. The best revenge I’ve come up with is to make a book about being a faggot, and how it’s nothing to be ashamed about. How being a faggot is a beautiful thing. How being gay and colored and fat isn’t ugly. I want all the little faggots out there to know they are loved and to wear their faggotry like a crown. We are kweens after all. We are not dirty. And we are not sinners for being gay. We sin when we believe the lies that are perpetuated against us. We sin when we apologize for being here. I sinned when I didn’t want to give myself a chance because I didn’t think I was worth anything. This story is my penance and my redemption.

Today my book, FLAMER, is in the world for you. It is gay. And I am proud of it.

If I were in a more sales & marketing sort of mood, I would give you a synopsis right now and talk about the process of making this book. But there are already plenty of great interviews that can fill you in. My elevator pitch and art nerd street cred feel inconsequential in comparison to what I want to share with you here.

Children are killing themselves. Because they think they are unlovable. Because they think this world is not for them. Because they are afraid that if they don’t kill themselves, someone else will. I was a child like that. But I chose to stay. And I would like to ask my sweet, beautiful, worthy fellow flamers to stay. Stay here with me. We can see what happens. It won’t all be good. But there is more good in the world than you know. Sometimes life pulls a reveal. What gay person doesn’t love a plot twist?

FLAMER is a lot of things. Flamer is me going in deep. Deep into the pain. Snapping old broken bones into place and learning to stand up on them. I feel strong now. I want to give that strength to others.

FLAMER is fiction. But it’s also real. This is real life. This is what some people go through. Real life is violent and crass and funny and treacherous and shockingly hopeful. Flamer is me living. Flamer is me encouraging people to find a way to live. Your life doesn’t have to be lived on anyone else’s terms but your own.

You’re enough, kid. You are enough.

Love,
Mike

Join me tonight at 7:30PM EST for a launch event with Jarrett J Krosoczka (Hey, Kiddo). You will received a signed book and an art print via Brookline Booksmith. 

 

FLAMER Book Launch with Jarrett J. Krosoczka 9/1

IT’s ALMOST HERE!!! My debut YA graphic novel, Flamer, releases on Tuesday, September 1st! It’s the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone’s going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can’t stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

To celebrate, I’ll be having a socially distanced campfire chat with Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Hey Kiddo), live from his back yard at 7:30PM ET. With your ticket purchase from Brookline Booksmith, you’ll receive a signed & personalized book and this Flamer art print!

Get your hands on this free Flamer print and signed book with your purchase of event ticket, only through Brookline Booksmith

Jarrett and I will talk about the book, discuss writing and illustrating comics for teens, and read a passage from Flamer together. I’ll do a live drawing demo, and then a live question & answer. It’ll be fun! So REGISTER NOW, get your s’mores ready, and I’ll see ya Tuesday! 

Click here for more information and reviews of Flamer. Recommended reading age 14+.

All the Way to Havana

When I was a kid, I loved collecting Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels. I would “drive” them up railing highways and turn carpets into parking lots. My favorites were the classic cars with big fins and chrome eyeliner. As I got older, I went to antique car shows. Once when I was about 12, I got to see a Tucker ’58 in person, and it was one of the highlights of my year. I couldn’t tell you the basic mechanics of how a car operates, but I could stare longingly at a classic car all day. I drew a lot of cars in my childhood. Little did I know that one day I’d get to illustrate my favorite friends on four wheels.

Today is the release of All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle . Stating that it was an honor to work on this book seems inadequate. To illustrate something written by such a distinguished poet (now our Young People’s Poet Laureate) made me a little nervous. The book is the brainchild of our editor, Laura Godwin, who has also edited all of my Little Elliot books. (Little Elliot, Fall Friends also comes out today, and I will be writing a separate post about the making of that book, because I want to give each of my “children” their due). She has never steered me wrong, so I had to trust that she trusted me.

Margarita wrote a beautifully simple text. A boy and his family take a road trip from the Cuban countryside to the busy streets of Havana. They have a bit of car trouble before they hit the road, but after some time under the hood, father and son soon get things rolling. We get to see a lot of classic American cars along the way, and the family arrives at a cousin’s birthday party by sundown. It’s just another day in Cuba. But in this brief, seemingly ordinary tale lies the story of an entire people. I was excited to be a part of this, and also overwhelmed. But Laura said I could draw cars and cool buildings, so I thought, why not?

Margarita said this is her favorite spread in the book because it reminds her of her childhood.

I was born and raised in the States. I honestly knew very little about Cuba aside from it being an island off the coast of Florida. Cubans are communists and cigar smokers. In history class I learned about the Bay of Pigs, and there’s that scene in Godfather II that takes place in Havana. That summed up my expertise. So, what gave me the right to illustrate this story about everyday Cuban life? There seemed to be only one option, which was to go there and experience it for myself. Granted, one week in a place isn’t enough to become an expert, but it beats a Google image search.

I took several years of Spanish in middle school and high school. Guess how much of it I retained? No mucho. I messaged an old college friend and fellow artist, Erick Ledesma. Would he like to go to Cuba with me and act as a translator? He said yes, and I am eternally grateful. I would not have had the successful trip I did without him (and there would have been a lot fewer laughs. and less beer). I dedicated this book to Erick, “mi hermano viajero.” We’ll always have Cuba, friend.

Erick, me & “Cara Cara”

We travelled to Cuba in September, 2015. I took a few thousand photos, and have barely shown any of them. Stay tuned for a barrage of pics from the trip on my Instagram account. We took a cab from the airport to Havana. It was a Russian car from the 80s. Erick and I were silent for a while. We peered out through rolled down windows (no AC), while the diesel infused wind whipped across our faces and reminded us “we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Right away, we saw the old American dinosaurs: Chevy, Ford, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Mercury, Pontiac. Some sparkled as if they just drove out of 1956. Others were jalopy frankensteins, rusted and altered beyond recognition. Every now and then, a swayback horse trotted past pulling a crude buggy with truck tires while Castro looked down from a billboard that read ¡Viva la Revolución! Erick struck up a conversation with the driver. His son was able to leave the country as a professional musician. He boasted like any proud father, but admitted that he wished his son was back home. “I’d rather be poor and eating with my family than rich and eating alone.” The statement set the tone for our trip.

El Malecón is a coastal road that winds along the Havana shoreline.

We stayed with Margarita’s cousins, Julio and Isabel, at their casa particular (a state sanctioned B&B) in Habana Centro. They are both doctors, but struggle to make ends meet. The casa particular is a new enterprise for them. Julio works at the hospital, and used to also deliver pizza in his off time. Everyone does what they need to do to supplement the spare rations. Centro is mostly residential with the occasional storefront or restaurant. The crumbling buildings stand in stark contrast to the polished tourist center of Habana Vieja. Cracked paint, a makeshift door, the outline of what was once probably an ornate cornice show us the ravages of time and economic hardship, yet these buildings stand proud. They’re still standing. They’re still homes to proud people who also press on in the face of adversity.

Did you know that baseball is Cuba’s most popular sport?

We spent the first few days of the week walking around Havana taking reference shots. Between the classic cars, old architecture, and street vendors singing about their wares, Cuba really does feel like a time capsule. Then without warning you’re pulled back into present tense. In one plaza, a hoard of people squeeze in tightly to try to get cell service. Across the street, a giant tour bus squeezes through traffic.

Julio helped us find a driver to take us on a road trip. I wanted to experience the journey that the family in the book makes. His friend Rey arrived with his wife, Marbelis, and their 1954 Chevy 210 Series, AKA the Delray. Yes, he shares a name with the car model. She’s in good shape, if not a little rough around the edges. The Chevy has been in Marbelis’ family for over 30 years. Though the old American engine still works, they took it out to preserve it and installed a Mercades engine. This is no small feat, considering that in 2015 the average Cuban earned less than $100/month. Parts are rare, and those you can buy are pricey. As part of my research back at home, I watched Cuban Chrome, which I recommend watching if you want to get an idea of the pitfalls and triumphs of car repair in Cuba.

The engine on the right is made up of parts from many other machines, not all of them cars.

We headed out of the city on a highway. The decaying pastel structures gave way to a lush green landscape. Every few miles a crowd waited for a bus to Havana. Some piled into almendrones (communal taxis)—more than one would think imaginable. We stopped at several farms. Erick and Rey explained what we were doing. Everyone was very welcoming while I traipsed around with my giant camera. A woman hung laundry on a line while men tinkered with farm equipment. A small boy insisted that I meet his guinea pig. We drove south, passed through the beautiful French architecture of Cienfuegos, and stopped in Trinidad, a small colonial village on the southern coast where Margarita’s parents met. Unfortunately, Trinidad is not featured in this book, simply because 40 pages wasn’t enough visual space to cram it in. However, it meant something to visit a town that Margarita has ties to, and that we were traveling on roads she and her forbearers once traversed.

The next day, we drove all the way to Havana.  I tried to take in the whole scene. Palm trees and Plymouths. An old friend, and two new ones. And this big blue hunk of metal, a symbol of past and perseverance, the most incredible automobile I have ever had the honor to ride in. “Does the car have a name?” I asked. Rey and Marbelis were puzzled. “In the US, sometimes people name their cars,” Erick translated for me. They smiled at the novelty of this. “What is the name of the car in the book?” they asked. “Cara Cara,” I said. “Well, then that is her name now!” This remains one of my favorite moments.

There’s so much more about making this book that I want to share. And there’s so much more of Cuba that I wanted to show in this book. All I can do is hope it’s enough. Margarita said this book is about peace, about bringing two neighbors together: the Cubans in the book, and the Americans reading it. Neighbors should be friends. While some of this book may seem very foreign to some, I hope that they can also see the universal themes of family and the roads we take, some bumpy and others smooth. If one neighbor can see the road the other is traveling on and discover a familiar feeling, then maybe that is enough for me.

Read these art notes to learn more about the process of illustrating this book. To read the four starred reviews or to order online, please visit my site. To hear even more about this book, listen to this podcast interview with Matthew Winner of All the Wonders. ¡Gracias!

Little Elliot is Board!

Many have asked, and Macmillan has heard! Little Elliot, Big City is now available as a board book! It’s a great gift for our littlest friends who enjoy some light reading and heavy snacking! You can order it from your local indie bookstore, or any online book retailer.

For more info about Little Elliot, Big City, or to download a free activity kit, check out my website!

BIG FUN Tour

Little Elliot and I are hitting the road next week for the Little Elliot, BIG FUN Tour! I’ll be traveling in September and November, mostly doing school visits, but here are some public events that all* are welcome to attend!

*The Reading Bug event is for librarians and educators only.

Visit my events page for more details! Want Little Elliot and me to visit your school? Book a private school visit for 2017!

To purchase copies or for more information about Little Elliot, BIG FUN, visit my website. Thanks, and see you soon!

Little Elliot, BIG FUN is here!

I’ve never been a thrill seeker, at least when it comes to amusement parks. While I’ve slightly expanded my joyride repertoire, I still prefer my feet on the ground, and an ice cream cone in my hand.

“Keep that ground where I can see it!”

One time, when I was very little (…ok, I was 14), a group of friends convinced dragged me onto a ride at an amusement park. It was a big platform that was connected to a giant sun by a very long arm, which would rotate around the sun to a height of (by my estimation) ten thousand feet. Apparently, my face looked something like a mood ring before I fainted on my friend, woke up, and nearly threw up Exorcist style. But my buddy Jim squeezed me tight with one arm and cupped his other hand over my mouth and screamed bloody murder until the technician stopped the ride early. I almost died. I mean, I thought I was going to. But I didn’t. My friend was there for me, and after we got off the devil’s slingshot, we had a really good time.

In Little Elliot, BIG FUN, Elliot and his friend Mouse go to Coney Island to see the sights and ride the rides. Mouse wants to go on the wet rides, the dizzy rides, and the fast rides! Poor Elliot is not up to it. Even when he tries to take it easy, the chaos of Coney Island sends Elliot on a pandemonious misadventure and Mouse on a wild goose chase.  

Life presents us with many rides. Some are more inviting than others. Sometimes we have to get on rides that we don’t want to get on. While it’s great to have friends around to have fun, it’s these scary times when we really need friends close by. In this book, Little Elliot and Mouse continue to show us what friendship is all about, but this time they also show us great courage. Elliot musters the courage to face his fears, while Mouse has the courage and patience to be there for him.

Like Elliot, I have been afraid of lots of rides, both at the park and in my life. I’ve been very blessed to have many friends who double as heroes. I hope that I have been able to return the favor from time to time. It’s important to know that you’re not riding this roller coaster alone. We need to be good friends and hold each other’s hands…and maybe also a vomit bag.

Why Coney Island?

Luna Park at night c.1937

While I was doing research for Little Elliot, Big City and Little Elliot, Big Family, I looked at many photos and films ofNew York City during late 1930s and early 1940s. Eventually, I stumbled upon Ken Burn’s documentary, Coney Island. After watching it, I knew exactly where Little Elliot and Mouse should go next. The old film clips are totally mesmerizing. Nothing quite says “summer in New York City” like Coney Island. I love living vicariously through Elliot, who gets to see an enchanting world that is lost to us.

Coney Island was once a skyline of towers, turrets, and minarets. At its brightest, it was the product of visionaries that transported its visitors to a world of dreams and possibilities. It was, in its way, a wonder of the world that showcased the very heights of humanity’s imagination and innovation. At its darkest moments, Coney Island was scandalous, financially ruinous, and even morally reprehensible. It’s eventual downfall reminded us that joy is fleeting. Little Elliot, Big Fun walks the tightrope of hope and fear, and Coney Island is the perfect backdrop.

So much research!

It was a lot of FUN making this book, and also a lot of WORK! I did more research for this book than Big City and Big Family combined! What made it extra challenging is that not much of the Coney Island of that time still exists. The boardwalk was plagued by fires, while other parts of it were demolished by a certain opportunistic developer. In the early 20th century, Coney Island consisted of three large amusement parks: Luna Park, Steeplechase, and Dreamland, plus many small independent rides and stands. Most of what you see in BIG FUN is based on Luna and Steeplechase, while Dreamland burned down in 1911 (a real shame because it was truly enchanting and I would have loved to have drawn it in the book). It was challenging deciphering blurry vintage black and white photographs, and then trying to envision what a scene might look like from a different perspective.

Some iconic rides still stand, like the Parachute Jump (which is just decorative now), the Cyclone, and of course the Wonder Wheel, which is at the very height and heart of our story.

I went to Coney Island several times to take photos and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the boardwalk.

Dan and Katrina on the pier with the modern day boardwalk behind them.

Ruth wolfs down a “Coney Island Red Hot”

Katrina and I ride the Wonder Wheel!

Speedy (1928)

Aside from the documentary I mentioned earlier, I also watched many films featuring Coney Island, including Speedy, The Devil and Miss Jones, Enemies: A Love Story, and for some added levity, The Warriors.

photo by Morris Engle, 1938

I looked at many photographs, and my favorites were by Morris Engle, which I certainly reference in some illustrations in the book.

Pip and Flip, Reginald Marsh, 1932

I also looked at many artists, including Reginald Marsh, Paul Cadmus, Harry Roseland, Benton Murdoch Spruance, plus many other nameless illustrators who created posters and other advertisements for Coney Island.

artist unkown

Easter Eggs!

I’ve hidden away a few surprises in the book as a thank you to some of my friends who have been there for me when I’ve been afraid.This Berger’s Burgers billboard is in honor of my friend and queen of wordplay, Samantha Berger, who I am making a book with soon!

This lovely couple is actually Flora and Henry from Martha Brockenbrough’s The Game of Love and Death.

There is a portrait of my magical editor, Laura Godwin, in the endpapers…

Ruth Chan is serving ice cream and 1930s realness on page 16.

Page 19 features cameos galore, including Georgie & Feta from Where’s the Party?; my favorite childhood stuffed animal, Ricky Raccoon; my husband’s childhood teddy bear, Willy; my friend Sarah Jane Lapp‘s bunny, aptly named Bunny; the awesome bird friend from Boo-La-La Witch Spa illustrated by Isabel Roxas; and Snuggleford Cuddlebun from Samantha Berger’s Snoozefest!

Don’t miss the double gatefold towards the end of the book! On the right side page, you’ll notice an elephant standing amongst the buildings. Well, that is also a building! In fact, it is the Elephantine Colossus, which was at one point or another a hotel, concert hall, and amusement bazaar. It stood on Surf Avenue from 1885 to 1896, when it burned down in one of Coney Island’s many fires. Though technically it wouldn’t have been around for Elliot to see in the late 1930s, I couldn’t resist paying tribute to our lost pachyderm palace.

The “Suzie” is named after my mom.

Have Fun!

You can purchase a copy of Little Elliot, BIG FUN at your local bookstore or any major online retailer. Signed copies are also available from Books of Wonder. You can also visit my website for more information, links, and to check out my other books!

Ruth and Mike’s Excellent Adventure: Children’s Book Week 2016 Recap

Ruth Chan and I had an awesome mini book tour to celebrate Children’s Book Week 2016! Check out Ruth’s debut book, Where’s the Party? Here are some photos of us with Little Elliot and Georgie as we visited Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle! A big thank you to Macmillan for sending us on our adventure!

First stop: Portland! Little Elliot went started working before we did…

Greenbean Books wins the cutest bookstore award!! (photo credit: Greenbean Books)

WE know where the party is!

Greenbean Books has a magical reading room–UNDER A TREE!

Georgie and Little Elliot love Powell’s Books!

Little Elliot and Georgie earned an afternoon treat at Papa Hayden.

Next stop: Oakland! Little Elliot and Georgie visited Havens Elementary!

Check out this awesome ceiling at Havens Elementary!

While we were in Oakland, we stopped by to visit out friends at Merrymakers. They make the Little Elliot plush doll!

Ruth’s little cousins met us for our book reading at Books Inc in San Fransisco! (photo credit Sachi Chen)

The folks at Books Inc are super nice (and they baked cookies!).

Last stop: my old stopping grounds, Seattle! Lots of familiar faces stopped by at University Bookstore! (photo credit: Elizabeth Rose Stanton)

Look at this: Little Elliot, CUTE FAMILY!

We had breakfast at my friend’s house, where I painted this tree for this little guy when he was still in his mom’s belly.

The students at Bryant Elementary were the best audience!

Party at Bryant Elementary! They surprised us with Cupcake Royale, MY FAVORITE CUPCAKES IN THE WORLD!

Finally, we had a few extra days to enjoy Seattle friends, food, and views!

If you’re interested in having Ruth and me visit YOUR school, drop us a note!

Children’s Book Week 2016

Little Elliot and I are hitting the road with our Macmillan friends, Ruth Chan and Georgie, for Children’s Book Week (May 1st to 7th)!

I will be sharing Little Elliot, Big Family, while Ruth will be sharing her debut picture book, Where’s the Party?

Here’s a list of all of our public events. We’ll be reading our books, doing drawing demonstrations, and signing. If you’re in the area, please join us! We encourage folks to purchase books from these awesome indie bookstores who are supporting us, rather than bringing in copies purchased elsewhere.

5/1 Portland, OR: Green Bean Books, 11AM-12PM
5/1 Beaverton, OR: Powell’s Cedar Hills Crossing, 2PM-3PM
5/2 San Fransisco, CA: Books Inc Laurel Village, 6PM-7PM
5/3 Seattle, WA: University Bookstore, 4PM-5PM

If you’re in the area, but still can’t make the event and would like a signed book, please get in touch with the store to pre-purchase. We’d be happy to personalize a copy for you that you can pick up later!