IRA signings

For any and all folk who will be attending the upcoming IRA conference in Chicago, please come by one or all of my signings! I would love to see you there. I'll even draw a picture in your book(s)!

Tuesday, May 1

11:30-12pm Simon and Schuster, booth #2611. Signing copies of ITSY-BITSY BABY MOUSE  and LEAP BACK HOME TO ME

2-3pm Abrams, booth #2438. Signing copies of BAT AND RAT (it'll be BRAND NEW!) and LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE

3-3:30 Macmillan, booth #2440 . Signing copies of ANOTHER BROTHER, TROUBLE GUM, and JUSTIN CASE


Wednesday, May 2

10-11:30am Boyds Mills Press, booth #1542. Signing preview samplers of the upcoming poetry collection (fall 2012) IF YOU WERE A CHOCOLATE MUSTACHE, with the man himself, J. Patrick Lewis!

From the Drawing Board

Just a couple of random recent samplings from the drawing table. I'm scribbling like mad these days. I'm in finishes (watercolors) on a picture book, finished drawings for a 160 pp poetry book, and sketch revisions for another poetry book. Drawing these days with whatever makes an interesting mark. Pencil, sharpie, but mostly bamboo pen. Bamboo (essentially it's like dipping a stick in ink and pulling it across paper) is horribly frustrating, but when it's good, it's so good. What matters... keep the line loose, fresh, varied, and beautifully ugly. If that makes sense...

BAT AND RAT book trailer!

Some of you may remember the very first ever book trailer I created and that was for ANOTHER BROTHER just a few months back. Today marks the day I finished my second ever book trailer for my next book out, BAT AND RAT, by the heavily-talented Patrick Jennings. Mr. Jennings helped me figure out the script here and his apparently also-heavily-talented daughter, Odette, swooped in to save us with her sweet, jingly, piano tune that goes perfectly with the song in the book, Favorite Favorite.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby present the world debut of the book trailer about two of the sweetest, hippest urban nocturnals that go by, simply enough, BAT AND RAT. (Trailer's super-mini here on the blog, but if you'd like to see it larger--go FULL SCREEN!--here's the official link to YouTube.) BAT AND RAT is available anywhere books are sold on May 1, 2012 from Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Donkeys and Dental Floss

By golly, it's been a long time since I've checked in here on the blog. It's just been slammed with work these days. Among other things, I'm currently in final art for a 160pp poetry book by none other than Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. It will be out in the fall of this year, titled IF YOU WERE A CHOCOLATE MUSTACHE. I'm doing the whole book in straight up pen and ink and very much enjoying it. Here's a taste of one of the final drawings. Two angry donkeys dueling over a strand of dental floss. (click it, make it bigger)