Monica Edinger's Blog, page 62

Bunnies in Tiaras

So let’s start with the bunnies. While Battle Bunny (my review here) isn’t yet out, its fiendish villain has already received a movie treatment thanks to the always brilliantPink Me.

As for tiaras, dust yours off for this year’s Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet where everyone who is anyone will be heading down the red carpet all decked out in attire celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Award. Need a little help figuring out what to wear? No need for Stacy and Clinton — there’s Bet...

Queen for a Day

Africa is My Home isn’t out till October, but marketing and publicity for it revved up yesterday with Candlewick featuring it at their NYC fall preview and having me do a signing of advanced copies at BEA.

I’ve been going to various publisher previews for years, but not as a featured author! It was strange and wonderful. They saved Africa for last and my editor Sarah Ketchersid did a wonderful job presenting it. After that I spoke a bit, several attendees who have been part of my long journey...

SLJ’s Day of Dialog 2013

I had an excellent time at SLJ’s Day of Dialog yesterday. First of all, it was held at Columbia University’s Faculty House, a place familiar to me as my father was a professor at Columbia. And, another plus is that I live within walking distance. (Though it felt a very l-o-n-g distance walking home with a large bag o’ books at the end of the day.)

Secondly, and most importantly, all the speakers were outstanding.

The day opened with a keynote by the distinguished Kevin Henkes. Moving, smart, an...

Nimble Artistes

I was one of the fortunate 100 who recently received a brown paper package tied up with stringand was completely charmed by both the handmade nature of the mailing and the enclosed book, Matthew Olshanand Sophie Blackall‘s The Mighty Lalouche. A longtime fan of Blackall (going all the way back to her hilarious collaboration with Meg Rosoff,Meet Wild Boars) I was delighted with this elegant Cinderella story of a mild mailman who became a celebrated boxer.

Yesterday I read it aloud to my 4th gra...

Africa is My Home: The Cover! The Book Trailer!

While I can’t show you Robert Byrd‘s gorgeous interior art for Africa is My Home, I can show you the cover in the following book trailer. (And if you are at BEA, do stop by the Candlewick Press booth for a more comprehensive look or, even better, come to my Thursday 3:30 signing of F&Gs of the complete 64 page book.)

Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf’s The Enduring Ark from Tara Books

After seeing many tantalizing mentions ofTara Booksover the last few years,I was delighted to receive Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf’s The Enduring Arkand get a firsthand look at one of their creations.

It is said from time to time, the world is re-made. Ancient stories talk of an age when a huge flood destroyed the earth, leaving nothing behind. … You may have heard it before, but great tales must be retold – and so I will tell it now in my way, as I have heard it said.

So begins Gita Wolf in...

BEA and Me (Signing AFRICA IS MY HOME)

BEAis, as many know, the premier bookseller trade show, which has been held in NYC for the last few years. Years ago I made it to the floor and remember it as incredibly big and wild, getting coveted ARCs, crazy guys in costumes promoting books, tasty treats, swag, and being completely blown away by it all.

And so when Candlewick contacted me about doing a signing for my forthcoming book at this year’s show I was thrilled and nervous. Thrilled, as it is making the long road to publication real...

Coming Soon from Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, and Matthew Myers: Battle Bunny

I am a big fan of subversive books, say the”recommended inappropriate books for kids” featured inLane Smith’sCurious Pages.That said, I also have observed that kids respond better to some of these more than others, an issue I explored years ago ina Horn Book article “Pets and Other Fishy Books.” So when I ran into Jon Scieszka a few months ago and he excitedly told me about the forthcomingBattle Bunny, I was intrigued but also wary — was this a book kids would get or would it be something mor...

Posting the Old-Fashioned Way

Betsy Bird has a charming contestinspired by Sophie Blackall’s remarkable mailing, of hers andMatthew Olshan’s bookThe Mighty Lalouche,to a bunch of folks in the old-fashioned way — wrapped in brown paper with string accompanied with a letter sealed with wax. Having received one of these lovely, lovely packages I’m not going to participate in Betsy’s contest, but urge others to do so. And even if you don’t wish to do so, I highly recommend reading the contributions there already. They are var...

Children’s Book Art Online Auction

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression,an organization committed to fighting censorship, will be holding its 19th annual Children’s Book Art Auction at BEA, an event that is always a highlight for attendees, on Wednesday, May 29th. In addition to their wonderful array of offerings, they are having a special Maurice Sendak Memorialwith artists paying homage to the great American artist.

And this year, they’ve something new: an online auction for those who can’t come to the live...