Jamie Michalak's Blog, page 21

Hazel Mitchell's (and Toby's) Five Favorite Dog Stories

Welcome HAZEL MITCHELL and her very famous poodle pooch TOBY to the Cottage! Toby is the star of Hazel's upcoming book, Toby (Candlewick 2016).
We're sitting down to a cup of Yorkshire tea and biscuits (dog biscuits, for Toby), and Hazel is going to tell us all about her FIVE FAVORITE DOG STORIES.
While we get the kettle on, tell us about the books you've brought today, Hazel...
We often hear people say 'at least the kids read the books when they've seen the movie/tv/video game,' but, you know, I think it's been the same for as long as visual media has been around (which is longer than you think if you count cave paintings which led to oral story telling traditions). The first real dog story that stole my heart (and the rest of the world’s) was Lassie Come Home.  And yes, of course, I saw the movie first (made in 1943 and starring Roddy McDowall) probably at the Saturday morning cinema I used to go to in my home town of Scarborough in Yorkshire. I loved dogs but was not able to have one at home. How I adored Lassie, her faithfulness, intelligence and sweet face! I’m sure she inspired me to own collies later in life. Lassie went on to be a huge media empire. The original book was expanded from a short story in the Saturday Evening Post by Eric Knight, published in 1940 with illustrations by Marguerite Kirmse. As well as loving the story I feel two other strong connections to Eric Knight; the book was repped by my agency, Curtis Brown, and he was a Yorkshireman!
- Excuse me if there is a British bias in the books I’ve chosen - I grew up in England so British books fill a large part of my soul. Dog and horse stories were favourites as a child. Especially if there was adventure and mystery involved. This next choice isn’t strictly about a dog, but the dog in the series (Timmy) is an important character. Enid Blyton wrote hundreds and hundreds of book in the mid last century, adored by children everywhere, but particularly by British kids. They’re considered very un-politically correct in our time, but back then they reflected the period. The stories still stand up and children love them. Blyton wrote several different series and T he Famous Five  is one of the most popular. It’s never been out of print and the latest covers were created by Quentin Blake. The stories concern five children, Julian, Ann, Dick, George and Timmy the dog. George is a tomboy and a bit of a loner. I related to her completely – and her dog, who understood her every move. The adventures always involved smugglers and gangs and remote, scary settings with a friendly Uncle there to call on when needed. Timmy the dog is always instrumental in helping to solve the mystery and save the day. I love the cover for Five go to Demon’s Rock  published in 1961 illustrated by Eileen A. Soper. Timmy is always front and centre on the covers! I know that the illustrations in this series had a lasting influence on my own work.

Snoopy! Cartoons, books, annuals, merchandising. I loved all things Snoopy! I still love Snoopy! Charles M. Schulz’ brilliant Peanuts strip cartoons are part of our social history. What a maverick this dog is. Fantasizing about flying around on his dog house, always having a smart solution and his love/hate relationship with Woodstock, the irreverent way he treats Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus and his blanket. It makes me laugh just thinking about him. What would Peanuts have been without Snoopy? I devoured all the new comic strip books as they came out, but my favorite pages were the ones that just featured Snoopy. Certainly the simplicity of the drawings and endlessly entertaining antics of the Peanuts gang had an influence on my art. I try to remember that less is more when drawing, but I don’t always succeed!
If you’re from the UK you will no doubt remember Fred Bassett. Another strip cartoon created first in 1963 by Scottish Cartoonist Alex Graham in the Daily Mail newspaper. Here again is a much loved pooch I first saw on children’s television back in the 70’s. He had the TV slot just before the 6 o’clock news when everyone was sitting down eating their tea and watching tele. (This slot was much coveted and created many national cartoon successes, including Paddington Bear, I believe). Fred Basset was syndicated around the world. Worldy-wise, reflecting adult attitudes, he lived in a safe surburban world with his  two middle-aged owners. (Not a child in sight).  Most appealing was Fred’s sense of humour. A bit of a snob, he liked the ‘better things in life’. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand a lot of the wry jokes as a child, but Fred, bumbling and having to put up with the ways of adults, always rising to the occasion, appealed to children. He had a bunch of doggie friends and together they got into and out of all kinds of sticky situations, always with a great punch line. I had a whole stack of Fred Basset cartoon books that I’d  read and re-read until eventually, dog-eared, they must have been retired to the charity shop. I wish I had kept them!
Greyfriars Bobby - another story I discovered through movies, no doubt I saw the Disney movie once again at the Saturday morning cinema (in between Laurel and Hardy and Abbot and Costello), munching crisps and sweets and surrounded by a couple of other hundred kids! Greyfriars Bobby is a dog who belonged to John Gray, a nightwatchman in Edinburgh, Scotland. When Gray died Bobby slept on the nightwatchman’s  grave every night for 14 years, waiting for him. A statue was subsequently erected to Bobby in Edinburgh. Whether this is true or not is debatable. It seems to be an urban myth with stories of such ‘graveyard dogs’ abounding around the world. Whatever the truth is, Bobby’s engrained in the British psyche as an example of a dog’s faithful nature and his love and loyalty for man. To a young girl who badly wanted a dog, the story hit home. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? The power of a story to touch the heart and stir emotions, to recognize something in ourselves. I’m getting a little teary sitting here writing about it!  This cover is from Greyfriars Bobby  (1912) by  Eleanor Atkinson , one of many, many books written about Bobby.
Thank you, Hazel and Toby! These books are marvelous, and the stories behind them are equally fascinating. Please come back and share more books and tea (and biscuits) with us soon!
"Woof!" Toby says, he'd love to.
Toby is Hazel Mitchell’s debut book as author/illustrator and will be published in Fall 2016 by Candlewick Press. She has always loved dogs! Right now she has one poodle, Toby, who she rescued in 2014 and a cat called Sleep. Originally from England she now lives and works in Central Maine.

She has illustrated many other books including Imani’s Moon, One Word Pearl, 1,2,3 by the Sea and How to Talk to an Autistic Kid. Her work has garnered several awards including a Foreword Review Gold Medal, Bronze Award from Society of Illustrator’s of Los Angeles, Learning Magazine Teachers’ Choice Award and has been mentioned in Bank Street’s Best of Children’s Books,  Charlotte/Mecklenburg Library and Chicago Library best book Lists. Find out more about Hazel online at www.hazelmitchell.com tweet @hazelgmitchell or on FB at /HazelMitchellBooks.

The Little Crooked Bookshelf

And Then It's Spring
by Julie Fogliano
illustrated by Erin E. Stead

This week's pick is by Cottager Anika Denise
What it's all about . . .
Following a snow-filled winter (sound familiar?) a young boy and his dog resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they wait. Brown turns to a more hopeful shade of brown… and then at last, to green.

Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .
It's not easy for kids to wait… for anything. Fogliano's gentle text and Stead's elegantly balanced spreads perfectly and poetically capture anticipation for the first few sprouts of green poking hopefully up from the dirt.

Our favorite lines . . ."and then the brown,still brown,has a greenish humthat you can only hearif you put your ear to the groundand close your eyes"
Our favorite illustrations…



Why kids will love it . . .
The book is quiet, but lovely. It whispers gently in a child's ear: Watch. Listen. Spring is coming. 

Why grown-ups will love it . . . And Then It's Spring feels like the first mild breeze after of a long snowy winter. Sun peeking out from the clouds; the little boy in his yellow rain jacket and red umbrella; the ground turning from brown to green, reminds us that even the most seemingly endless winter will end. And that hope springs eternal. 

Quote of the Week

"Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes—each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands."

—Sharon Draper (Out of My Mind)




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Happy World Read Aloud Day!

Happy World Read Aloud Day! How are you celebrating? Tell us your favorite read-aloud books or tweet us your favorite lines. #WRAD15

Mr. Pig LIVE . . . with the Good Crooks

Welcome to another exciting episode of my hit talk show, Mr. Pig Live! 

Today we have not one, but two special guests. They're the stars of a highly praised NEW early chapter book series written by Mary Amato and illustrated by Ward Jenkins. 

Our guests want to be good Crooks instead of following in their dishonest parents' footsteps. But they're being trained in the family business, so they must be good on the sly. Give a big Enchanted Woods welcome to . . . 

Billy and Jillian Crook! 
<<applause>>  
Let's get right to it. What are your full names?
Our names are Billy Crook and Jillian Crook. Our parents told us that we didn’t come with middles names!

What one word best describes you?
We are twins, so we need two words, Mr. Pig. Jillian, my sister, is a genius. She invents all kinds of cool gadgets. Me? I’m charming.
 
Indeed. Now for a more personal questions. Do you have belly buttons?
We do have belly buttons. Right now, Jillian is working on an actual on-off button to insert in my belly button, so that she can shut me down when I get too hyper. 

From GOOD CROOKS by Mary Amato. Illustration copyright 2014 by Ward Jenkins.
That is genius. What is the best thing about being you?
If you’re in trouble, we got your back, dude. That’s the best thing about us.

What is the worst thing about being you?
The worst thing is that our parents, Ron and Tanya, want us to lie, cheat, and steal, just like they do. We have to keep our good deeds a secret. 

Fascinating! If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
I’m sorry to say this, Mr. Pig, but I have to tell truth. I’d bring bacon. Jillian? She’d bring me to keep her company. I sing, dance, tell jokes, and make funny faces. I also snore, which I think is funny, but she would probably make me sleep on the other side of the island.

Oh dear. Let's change the subject. What is your idea of the perfect day?
Ah, waking up, sniffing bacon (sorry, again), going to school, playing with friends, and making people smile. Unfortunately, our parents want us to sleep late, skip school, eat junk food, and rob banks. It’s a problem.


If you have a pocket, what is in it right now? (Please don't say "bacon.")
I have a fake mustache in my pocket. We’re always in disguise when we do good deeds so our parents won’t recognize us. Jillian has a remote control for the jet-packs she invented for our quick getaways.

Share one thing that most of our readers don’t know about you.
When it’s late at night and I can’t sleep, sometimes I open the window and look out and wonder what everyone else in the world is thinking. And then if it’s winter, I get cold and have to shut the window. 

From GOOD CROOKS by Mary Amato. Illustration copyright 2014 by Ward Jenkins.
If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for?
We believe that we were robbed at birth and that Ron and Tanya Crook are not our real parents. We want to try and find our real parents and hope they turn out to be nice.

I wish you the best of luck! By the way, the Cottagers LOVE your series and recommend it to anyone looking for a funny early chapter book series. Thanks for joining us, Billy and Jillian! 

Our pleasure, Mr. Pig! 

----------------------------- 
About the GOOD CROOKS books

GOOD CROOKS: MISSING MONKEY! (Book One)
GOOD CROOKS: DOG GONE! (Book Two)
by Mary Amato
Illustrated by Ward Jenkins
Egmont USA, both published February 25, 2014
Book One ISBN 978-1606845097 
Book Two ISBN 978-1606845103

"Billy’s parents live up to their last name of Crook, and Billy and his twin sister, Jillian, are expected to follow in their footsteps. The problem is that both kids feel drawn to doing good deeds. . . . In this first book in the Good Crooks series . . . the twins try to help out at the local zoo, only to have their parents steal a monkey to train as a thief. Jillian’s genius for problem-solving and gadget-making and Billy’s more slapdash tendencies combine with comical results. With his jokes, burping skills, and endless craving for bacon, Billy is an entertaining narrator, and the book’s many gags and sweetly absurd resolutions to the outlandish problems that arise will have beginning readers eager for more chaotic misadventures from these well-meaning Crooks." --Publishers Weekly

"Scrappy song lyrics, energetic illustrations and plenty of potty humor keep the hilarity high for reluctant readers. " --Kirkus

"Bizarre and comedic circumstances keep readers wondering what will happen next, and frequent black-and-white art adds to the fun. This humorous series will be a hit with early-chapter-book readers." --School Library Journal



GOOD CROOKS: SNIFF A SKUNK! (Book Three) 
Coming in April 2015! 
ISBN 978-1606845998

Billy and Jillian’s infamous parents, the Crooks, expect the kids to find a new place to rob. Instead, the twins discover a lonely little orphan skunk in need of help. Will they be able to rescue the skunk and keep their parents from pulling off the next heist? Will their new furry friend help by raising a stink? How can a good deed smell so bad?








About the author
Mary Amato is an award-winning children’s book author, poet, playwright, and songwriter. She's the author of the Good Crooks series, illustrated by Ward Jenkins; Get Happy; Guitar Notes; The Word Eater; The Chicken in the Family, illustrated by Delphine Durand; and many more. Her books have been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, produced onstage, and have won the children’s choice awards in several states.

To learn more about Mary, visit her website. 

About the illustrator
Ward Jenkins is an illustrator and animator. His first picture book was How to Train with a T-Rex and Win Eight Gold Medals by Michael Phelps. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children. - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/W...
Ward Jenkins is an illustrator and animator. Ward's books include the Good Crooks series, by Mary Amato; Chicks Run Wild, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; How to Train with a T-Red and Win Eight Gold Medals, by Michael Phelps; and more. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children.

To learn more about Ward, visit his website. 
Ward Jenkins is an illustrator and animator. His first picture book was How to Train with a T-Rex and Win Eight Gold Medals by Michael Phelps. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children. - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/W...

Quote of the Week

"One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others." 

--Lewis Carroll











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Mr. Pig Visits . . . Cathy Morrison

Greetings from Colorado! 

I'm on my way to visit author and illustrator Cathy Morrison in her studio with a view. Cathy works in her green constructed home located in the the foothills northwest of Fort Collins. Her studio overlooks the Mummy Range which is the northern side of Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Wow, she wasn't kidding about that view!


Cathy is the illustrator of numerous nature-themed picture books, including The Prairie that Nature Built by Marybeth Lorbieck, Pitter and Patter by Martha Sullivan, and Dino Treasures by Rhonda Lucas Donald. She's passionate about the environment, nature, and science, as you can see from her art!


Oh, here we are at her front door.

<<Knock, knock>>

Hello, Cathy! It's me, Mr. Pig!  


Come on in and get warm, Mr. Pig! You look chilly. I very much appreciate you visiting my studio. Follow me. I'll give you the tour. . . .

Mr. Pig, here's a chair for you to sit and enjoy some coffee and light reading.

Why, thank you!

This is my studio desk with my wacom cintiq and computer. I'm all digital, no pencils are harmed in the making of these books. The view from my window is the Cache La Poudre River canyon, the Roosevelt National Forest, and past that is the Mummy Range.

Sigh! It's gorgeous! And warm. I think my snout is frozen.

Oh dear. Here are my flat files with older work before I went digital. I used to do pastels, colored pencils and water color. I still do, but all through my computer now.

I get a lot of help from short people. This is my grandson, Konnor making snowflakes and taping them to the window.

Short people and pigs make great helpers. Need a hoof, Konnor?

Here's Konnor with his sister, Gracie, working away on more snowflakes.

Konnor assists when books are delivered. He's opening a box full of Daisylocks by Marianne Berkes. Konnor posed for some of the illustrations in Daisylocks and other books.

Meet my dog, Crowley. He goes with me to check the mail everyday as you can see he's excited to get ARCs for The Prairie That Nature Built, which he posed for, and Dino Treasures, which features a lot of dinosaur bones. He fantasizes about digging up a dinosaur and gnawing away to his heart's content.

Nice to meet you, Crowley!

Winter here in Colorado can range from negative numbers to 70 plus degrees. This a typical looking frosty morning view from my window.  

Here are some photos taken during other seasons. This one shows the beautiful sunsets we get here. 

Ooooh, pretty! I'd love to live here. Are you looking for porcine roommates, by any chance?
  Mr. Pig, I know you traveled many miles through snow-packed mountain switchbacks to get to my studio. I hope you come back in the summer when it's nice and sunny with a lot of pretty prairie flowers and grasses.
Yes, but next time I'll hop on a plane. Cathy, could you show us some your art?

I'd love to! This image is from Pitter and Patter. Its release date was March 1, but it's already out! In this illustration, Pitter landed on the leaf of an oak tree. Hello, squirrel. Good morning, blue jay. Rise and shine, caterpillar.

 
Meanwhile, Patter had landed in a spring meadow. Hello, daisy. Good morning, bee. Rise and shine, butterfly.

So many beautiful details! Hey, what's this dino doing?


This is an illustration for the cover wrap of my new book Dino Treasures. It should be available any day. It's the sequel to Dino Tracks. Lots of research went into this book. . . .



Each spread was vetted by the dinosaur expert. Donna German, my art director and editor, sent the illustrated spreads to the person who worked on the dig and got their feedback. Then Rhonda and I made any adjustments necessary. This is one reason I'm glad to be a digital illustrator. We needed to tell a fun story while being as authentic as possible. 

The book's release party will be at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. You should come, Mr. Pig.

You bet! This pig loves a party. Tell me about this picture, Cathy. 


This is from This Land Is Your Land by Catherine Ciocchi. Its release date is April 10, 2015. This book is about landforms and geologic features, and includes a study of maps.
You sure have a lot of books in the works. Thanks for the tour, Cathy! Um, it's a long, cold walk back to the Enchanted Woods. Do you mind if I stay a while? Maybe I'll take a nap or . . . Zzzz.
Sure thing, Mr. Pig. But er, may I ask how long is "a while"? . . . Mr. Pig? Hello?
About Cathy Morrison Cathy Morrison is the illustrator of Daisylocks by Marianne Berkes, Dino Treasures by Rhonda Lucas Donald, Pitter and Patter by Martha Sullivan, The Prairie that Nature Built by Marybeth Lorbiecki, and many more. Her forthcoming books include This Land Is Your Land by Catherine Ciocchi (Arbordale, April 2015). She also wrote and illustrated the picture book I Want a Pet!  To learn more about Cathy, visit her blog, Studio With A View.

About Cathy's books

PITTER AND PATTER
by Martha Sullivan
Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
Dawn Publications, March 2015
ISBN: 978-1-58469-508-0

"Startlingly realistic artwork takes readers through the water cycle. Pitter and Patter are two water droplets that fall as rain. . . . But what most stands out is Morrison’s gorgeous artwork. Full-page spreads show a slice of each habitat and close-up, realistic portraits of three animal. . . . An unusually striking glance at the water cycle." --Kirkus 

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DINO TREASURES 
by Rhonda Lucas Donald
Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
Arbordale
ISBN 978-1628554502

"This book is a jewel for early elementary teachers in grades K-3. The book begins with a series of dinosaur behaviors and topics, such as nesting or sleeping. Each topic has a poem explaining the science in simple terms. . . . Both the text and illustrations are thoughtfully written and scientifically accurate." --The National Science Teachers Association (recommended)



THE PRAIRIE THAT NATURE BUILT
by Marybeth Lorbiecki
Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
Dawn Publications, September 2014

"A cumulative rhyme describes the components of a prairie. . . . Morrison’s digital illustrations are full of identifiable creatures and tiny details. While the text will read aloud nicely, the images are worth the careful attention a child reading alone can give them. . . .  A vivid introduction to a vital habitat." --Kirkus

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The Little Crooked Bookshelf

POLAR BEAR'S UNDERWEAR
by tupera tupera

This week's pick is from Cottager Jamie Michalak.
 
What it's all about . . .
Polar Bear can't find his underwear. It's a problem. Do those striped underpants belong to him? No, Zebra is wearing them. What about the itty-bitty pair? Nope, those belong to Butterfly. And so the search continues. . . . What's a nude polar bear to do?

Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .
This book had us at "Polar Bear's Underwear." It delivered with a funny story, clever die-cuts, and lots of silly surprises. Like the underwear-shaped bellyband that kids must remove before they can read the book.


Our favorite lines . . .
It's Bunny's underwear!
And it looks GREAT on her head!

Our favorite illustrations . . .

From Polar Bear's Underwear. Copyright 2015 by tupera tupera.
From Polar Bear's Underwear. Copyright 2015 by tupera tupera.
Why kids will love it . . .
Three words: POLAR BEAR'S UNDERWEAR!!!

Why grown-ups will love it . . . 
This read-aloud is a surefire crowd-pleaser. Get ready for giggles!

Quote of the Week

“I believe in courtesy. It is the way we avoid hurting people's feelings. She thought that maybe, just maybe, western civilization was in decline because people did not take time to take tea at four o'clock.”
― E.L. Konigsburg, 
The View from Saturday






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MR. PIG LIVE. . . (sort of) with THE CRAYONS!

Well, folks, I have good news, and I have bad news. Let's start with the bad news. My guests today for MR. PIG LIVE are unable to appear. They offered a phone interview in lieu of a live in-studio segment, but that didn't go quite to plan. The GOOD news, however, is that we have some audio.
[The following is a transcript of the attempted interview with author DREW DAYWALT and his crayons from the hit book THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT.]
**************
DREW - First off, I’d like to thank Mr. Pig and everyone at the Little Crooked Cottage for inviting me and my crayons to do this interview.
RED CRAYON - Wait a sec... Are we getting paid for this?
DREW - Well, no. This is just something nice that we do, so people can get to know us, ya know... since they like the book so much.
RED CRAYON - So this is our day off. That’s what you’re saying. Right? This is our day off and we’re working ... That’s what you’re saying here...
DREW - Well no, I mean yes, but that’s not really--
RED CRAYON - No, no, no... You’ve said plenty. It’s our day off and you’re making us work. Fine. I get it. Why don’t you start by saying that Duncan is really just a pseudonym for you as a kid?
DREW - I’m going to. But we haven’t started the interview yet, and--
RED CRAYON - Don’t forget to tell them that in the book, Duncan learned his lesson.
DREW - I will, I just--
RED CRAYON -- and that you didn’t. Because, you know. Here I am... being overworked.
DREW - Look, if you’d just let them start the interv-
RED CRAYON -   --on my day off... S’all I’m sayin’.
DREW - You done?

From The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.  © Oliver Jeffers
PINK CRAYON - At least you GET to work, Red honey.
BEIGE CRAYON - Preach it, Pink.
WHITE CRAYON -
BLACK CRAYON - What did White say?
BEIGE CRAYON - Dunno. Can’t read it. He wrote on white paper again.
(snickers from the other crayons)
PURPLE CRAYON - Hey Black, maybe you should outline it for him so we can read it.
(more snickers from the crayons)
BLACK CRAYON - Keep it up, Purple, and you’ll be a chalk outline.
PINK CRAYON - Just make sure you color inside the chalk lines. You know how he gets.
PURPLE CRAYON - Oh is that where this is going? That I’m too neat? Unlike you slobs, I like to color inside the lines once in a while, SUE ME.
DREW - Okay you guys. Let’s leave Purple alone. I told you on the way over. No fighting during the interview. People will get the wrong idea about us.
PINK CRAYON - More like the RIGHT idea.
(big laughter from the crayons)
GREEN CRAYON - Guys, guys, guys!! I agree with Drew. Could we please just let them start the interview?
BEIGE CRAYON - You always agree with Drew.
GREEN CRAYON - Oh I’m SORRY. Can I help it if I like my job?
BEIGE CRAYON - (mocking Green) “Look at me! I’m Greeeeeen Crayon and I want to congratulate you on a career of coloring things green so far.”  Such a kiss up.
GREEN CRAYON - Go color a turkey dinner.
GRAY CRAYON - Yeah, with a side of wheat.
(the crayons all crack up)
BEIGE CRAYON - Well, look who woke up! If it isn’t Gray Crayon. Sleeping again huh?
GRAY - You’ve seen my workload. You’d be tired too.
BLUE - Oh cry me a river.
GRAY CRAYON - Go COLOR a river.
DREW - Blue, where have you been this whole time?
BLUE - I’ve  been standing right here!
DREW - I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.
PINK CRAYON - Maybe we should have brought him a footstool.
BLUE CRAYON - Short jokes? Is that what this has come to?
WHITE CRAYON -
PINK CRAYON - Yeah, you tell ‘em White.
(more laughing)
DREW - Guys! Please!! Everyone’s going to think that we’re all a bunch of misanthropes who whine and bicker and fight all the time.
GRAY CRAYON - And?
GREEN CRAYON - Speaking of fighting, where are Yellow and Orange?
(sounds of tumbling and fighting - a door bursts open and two crayons fall in, wrestling and struggling)
RED CRAYON - Speak of the devil. What are you fighting about now?
DREW - ORANGE! YELLOW! Stop fighting right now!
ORANGE CRAYON - This animal tackled me in the hallway.
YELLOW CRAYON - Yeah. And with good reason too. He said campfires are orange, when we know they’re yellow.
ORANGE CRAYON - No they’re not. They’re orange.
RED CRAYON - Actually they’re mostly red.
ORANGE CRAYON - You want a piece of me, Red? Huh? You want some of this?
RED CRAYON - Sure! Bring it, you secondary color!
YELLOW CRAYON - No one picks on Orange but me!
(At this, point, all that can be heard is the sound of Red, Orange and Yellow fighting, then Drew and all of the other crayons jumping into the fray. The end result is a cacophony of jabs, punches, insults and general chaos.)
PEACH CRAYON - (timidly) Such bad behavior. And I thought I was embarrassed. I hope the sequel has crayons that know how to behave themselves...
BROWN CRAYON - Don’t count on it, Peachy.
(pause)
BROWN CRAYON - And for goodness sakes, put on some pants.
#END#

So, there you have it. Nina from Lunches with Love made a scrumptious and adorable lunch, expecting a box FULL box of Crayons to drop by, but, alas, we shall not let it go to waste. Scroll down for a peek at Nina's delicious creation after I tell you a little more about Drew and his colorful crew of characters.

Ever since his childhood in one of Ohio’s most haunted houses, writer director Drew Daywalt has been writing escapist fantasy and building worlds of his own. With a degree in Creative Writing, and a concentration in Children’s Literature from Emerson College in Boston, Daywalt set off to Hollywood where he spent years writing for Disney and Universal on such beloved shows as Timon & Pumba, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody Woodpecker, and where his animated series The Wacky World of Tex Avery garnered an Emmy nomination. 
His first trip into live action landed him studio screenwriting and feature film directing work with such Hollywood luminaries as Quentin Tarrantino,  Lawrence Bender, Tony Scott, Brett Ratner and Jerry Bruckheimer. 
With an eye toward picture book writing, Daywalt’s first book THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller’s List in June 2013, and has since become a number 1 Best Seller.  The crayons will return in August 2015 for the highly anticipated sequel, THE DAY CRAYONS CAME HOME.
THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT by Drew Daywaltillustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Philomel BooksISBN: 978-0399255373-2015 Texas BlueBonnet Award Winner!
Goodreads' 2013 Picture Book of the Year!
Amazon's Best Picture Book of the Year!

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2013!

* “Making a noteworthy debut, Daywalt composes droll missives that express aggravation and aim to persuade, while Jeffers’s (This Moose Belongs to Me) crayoned images underscore the waxy cylinders’ sentiments: each spread features a facsimile of a letter scrawled, naturally, in the crayon’s hue; a facing illustration evidences how Duncan uses the crayon, as in a picture of a giant elephant, rhino, and hippo (Gray laments, 'That’s a lot of space to color in all by myself'). These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Jeffers delivers energetic and playful illustrations. The drawings are loose and lively, and with few lines, he makes his characters effectively emote. Clever spreads, such as Duncan’s 'white cat in the snow' perfectly capture the crayons’ conundrum, and photographic representations of both the letters and coloring pages offer another layer of texture, lending to the tale’s overall believability. A comical, fresh look at crayons and color."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fresh and funny. Oliver Jeffers's quirky, joyful illustrations convey the strength and comedy of the crayons' sentiments, and children ages 4-8 will laugh in recognition at seeing their own color preferences reflected back at them."—The Wall Street Journal