A Candle

For the twenty children who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday, and for the brave teachers and school administrators who died trying to keep them safe:

Three Events This Weekend!

blurry photo of me reading The Gingerbread Pirates at the 2009 Polar Express night at Barnes & Noble in Portsmouth, NH

As the illustrator of two Christmas books ('Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Gingerbread Pirates), this is always a busy time of year for me. I've got three fun holiday events planned for this weekend. Here's where I'll be...

Friday, December 7	6:00-9:00 pm. "Matt Tavares Catches a Ride on the Polar Express". I'll be reading and signing my Christmas books at Barnes and Noble in Newington, NH, part of their annual Polar Express night. I read at 6:00, then there's a reading of The Polar Epress, and lots of other fun stuff (like free cookies and hot chocolate!) This has become an annual tradition for me and my family, and it's always a lot of fun.
Saturday, December 8	12:00-2:00 pm, reading and signing my Christmas books at the Rowley Public Library in Rowley, MA. I'll do a drawing demonstration, and you can decorate (and then eat) your own gingerbread man!
Sunday, December 9	1:00-3:00, book signing at The Hill House, 127 Mount Vernon Street, Boston, MA... right in Beacon Hill, the setting of my version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. This is the weekend when Beacon Hill is being decorated for the holidays, and it's always a fun time to be in the city.

	So if you're anywhere near Boston, Portsmouth, or Rowley, come say hi (and get some Christmas shopping done)!

Chemers Gallery Exhibit Opens Saturday

I'm getting ready to head to California for the opening reception of the 21st annual Children's Book Illustration exhibit at Chemers Gallery. It's a group show featuring original artwork by 5 contemporary children's book illustrators: E.B. Lewis, Sylvia Long, Chris Sheban, Boris Kulikov, and me. I'm honored to be a part of this amazing lineup of illustrators!
 
So if you're anywhere near Los Angeles, please join us at the gallery on Saturday, December 1, 1:00 to 5:00 pm. And even if you can't make it to California for the exhibit, you can view all the artwork online, here. Just contact Chemers Gallery if you're interested in purchasing any artwork.

A few of the illustrations that will be part of the Chemers Gallery exhibit

Helen's Big World in The New York Times!

Great news! Helen's Big World got a stellar review in yesterday's New York Times! Here it is...

The Making of... Over the River and Through the Wood

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how I made one of my illustrations for Over the River and Through the Wood.

For this spread, I started with this verse of the poem:

Over the river and through the wood, 
When Grandmother sees us come
She will say, Oh dear,
The children are here,
Bring a pie for every one.

I decided to show the grandmother looking out the window, watching the family arriving in their sleigh. Here's my sketch:

The idea was to show the scene from right outside the window, so we see the grandmother inside, and we see the reflection of the family in the sleigh. I knew it would be tricky, but if it worked, it would be a great way of showing all the different elements of that moment.

My art director loved the sketch, so then I started painting. Here's my finished painting. Well, the first version of the finished painting...

So I put this up on my wall with all my other finished illustrations and moved onto the next picture. I was pleased with how it came out. But then something happened that made me question it. Any time anyone visited my studio and looked at the artwork on my wall, they stopped at this one. Sometimes people said they liked it, but then there would be a moment of confusion, where they'd say, "Wait a second... so is she... oh, I think I get it..."

People liked the image, but apparently they couldn't quite tell what they were looking at. Was it a reflection of the grandmother, or a reflection of the sleigh? I realized that maybe the picture was a bit confusing. So I decided to add more frost to the window, to make it more clear. Here's how it looked after I made some changes:

I liked this one better... or at least I thought it showed more clearly that we are outside, looking in at Grandma who is inside, and we see the reflection of the horse and sleigh. Done and done.

But then I had another idea (uh-oh...). What if I showed the scene from inside the warm, cozy house? What if we're looking out the window with Grandma, and we see her reflection in the glass? Hmmm...

I liked the idea. But honestly, I didn't like the idea of starting completely over, after all the time I had already spent on this picture. But the more I thought about it, I figured I should give it a try.

I started over, and I made a whole new painting. Here it is:

And that's the one that ended up in the book. I think it works better this way. I like the contrast of the warm interior and the cold, snowy outside. And the curtains make it completely clear that we're inside, looking out.

It's always hard to go back and do something over, especially after I've already spent 5 or 6 days on it. But it's almost always worth spending that extra time to make sure I get it right.

And there was a silver lining here- when I was just about done with this book, a tour group from The Mazza Museum in Findlay, Ohio came to visit my studio. I showed them both versions of this illustration and explained this whole story. The people from the museum loved the paintings, and ended up buying both! So now both of these illustrations are part of the permanent collection of the Mazza Museum! So it all worked out.

Here's another behind-the-scenes look at Over the River and Through the Wood:

Find Over the River and Through the Wood at your favorite bookstore, or at any of the usual places online.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's the cover of my next book...

Becoming Babe Ruth, published by Candlewick Press, due out on February 12, 2013

Watch me work, hear me whistle!

Since Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away...



Find Over the River and Through the Wood at your favorite bookstore, or at any of the usual places online.

Please Help Save Books of Wonder!

Books of Wonder, in New York City, is a treasure of a bookstore. And right now, it needs our help. Due to an enormous, unexpected expense, Books of Wonder finds its future endangered.  If the store is to survive,  they must raise a minimum of $100,000.

Books of Wonder is beloved not only by the parents and kids who enjoy children's books, but also by the authors and illustrators who create them. So several of us (myself included) are pitching in to help Books of Wonder get through this temporary setback.

Here's a picture of my contribution, an original pencil drawing which you can have as a 4 x 6 print if you donate $10. The original is also available as a thank you for someone who donates even more.

You can also choose from prints by some of your favorite artists in children's literature, like Brian Selznick, Paul O. Zelinsky, Adam Rex, and even a pop-up postcard by Robert Sabuda!

I know better days are ahead for Books of Wonder. If you can, please visit their web site and help out.

Thanks.

Book Ends Event TOMORROW!

Just wanted to spread the word that I'll be reading and signing Helen's Big World at Book Ends in Winchester, Massachusetts tomorrow, Saturday, October 20 at 1:00 pm.

Winchester is my hometown, and Book Ends has supported me and my books from the very beginning, so I always love going back there. Just look at this awesome display of books they have right now (photo taken by my mom, a loyal Book Ends customer):

Hope to see you there! And if you can't make it, you can order personalized copies to pick up later.

HELEN'S BIG WORLD Publication Day!

Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by me, published by Disney-Hyperion, comes out today! This is my third collaboration with the amazing Doreen Rappaport, and I'm really proud to be a part of it. 

Here's an excerpt from my illustrator's note, where I wrote about some of the challenges I faced in trying to visually capture the story of a person who could not see or hear:

Helen Keller never saw the ocean or heard the sound of crashing waves. But she could feel the exhilaration of jumping in the water. She could ride in a sailboat, and feel the fluttering in her stomach as the sea rose and fell. She could taste the salty ocean spray, and feel the cold water as it splashed on her face. I kept this in mind as I illustrated this book, and tried to make sure my pictures focused on all the things she could do, instead of the two things she couldn’t do. 

It's always exciting (and a little bit nerve-wracking) when a book is finally done and people actually get to read it. Fortunately, the early response to Helen's Big World has been overwhelmingly positive (phew!). Here's a roundup of some of the great feedback the book has gotten so far:

 "Tavares's illustrations for Helen's Big World are, per the title, big and bold and often in intense close-up. Stirring and awe-inspiring..."
*The Horn Book Magazine (starred review)

 "A great design, incorporating the words in large type, makes this book visually striking.... The full images, without borders, invite children into Helen's world, while showing how big it truly became.... A dramatic spread shows the pupil and teacher in a boat, majestically cresting a wave, emphasizing what the youngster does experience more than what she does not. While there are many books available about Helen Keller for this age group, this title offers a unique and beautiful perspective on her life."
*School Library Journal (starred review)

"A magisterial account." -Kirkus Reviews

"Tavares’s illustrations evoke deep emotional response, incorporating large close ups and changing in color to reflect mood and tone. Particularly striking is his depiction on the front endpapers of the break through moment when Helen realizes her teacher, Annie Sullivan is providing her with words with which to express her experiences. Students reading this text cannot help but think about how they experience the world in which they live and offer their own words to communicate with those around them."
-The Classroom Bookshelf

Winner of a 2012 Oppenheim Platinum Award

Winner of a 2012 Oppenheim SNAP Award (for Special Needs Adaptable Products) 

2012 ABC Best Books For Children

For more about Helen's Big World, you can visit Doreen Rappaport's brand new web site. And for some great ideas about how to use this book in the classroom, please check out this excellent blog post on The Classroom Bookshelf.  

Find Helen's Big World at a bookstore near you, or any of the usual places online.

"Dark and almost demonic, it conveys instantly both the catastrophic nature of Helen's disabilities and the steely will that raged to be unleashed." -Publisher's Weekly, describing this illustration from Helen's Big World

 

Books of Wonder

I had a great time in New York City last weekend. Doreen Rappaport and I introduced our new book, Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, at one of my favorite book stores anywhere, Books of Wonder. Here are a few pictures...

Very exciting to see Helen's Big World in the window of Books of Wonder! This was our very first public event for this book (It doesn't actually come out until next Tuesday.)

Nice display inside the store

Doreen and I did a little presentation about the book.

After the Books of Wonder, event, we visited the Helen Keller Archives at the American Foundation for the Blind, which was amazing. Here's a picture of Helen from the AFB reading a letter that Mark Twain wrote to Helen Keller! (Pictured, left to right: Doreen Rappaport, our editor Rotem Moscovich, Helen Selsdon of the AFB, and Doreen's husband, Bob).

My illustration of Helen learning to write, above a display case containing some of the actual papers I used as reference for my illustration.

Doreen sitting at Helen Keller's desk!

Doreen and I signed plenty of stock, so if you missed the Books of Wonder event but still want a copy of Helen's Big World signed by both of us, you can still get one!

Now I'm home for a few days, then it's off to Wisconsin for the Waupaca Book Festival next weekend!

Chemers Gallery Exhibit Preview

On December 1, I'll be in California for the opening reception of the 21st annual Children's Book Illustration exhibit at Chemers Gallery. It's a group show featuring original artwork by 5 contemporary children's book illustrators, E.B. Lewis, Sylvia Long, Chris Sheban, Boris Kulikov, and me. 

I've just recently started selling my originals (I used to just sell prints) and this is the first big gallery show I've done, where a lot of my original artwork is available. So if you're interested in buying some original illustrations from my picture books, here's your chance! 

Even if you can't make it to Tustin, California for the exhibit, you can view all the artwork online, here. Just contact Chemers Gallery if you're interested in purchasing any artwork.

"All Snug in their Beds..." from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, pencil, 10 x 11.75

 

Chemers Gallery Exhibit Opens December 1

Just wanted to spread the word about an upcoming exhibit I'm really looking forward to- the 21st annual Children's Book Illustration exhibit at Chemers Gallery in Tustin, CA. It's a group show featuring original artwork by 5 contemporary children's book illustrators, E.B. Lewis, Sylvia Long, Chris Sheban, Boris Kulikov, and me. 

We'll all be there for the opening on December 1. So if you're in the Los Angeles area,  please come join us! It should be a lot of fun.

I already sent some of my artwork, and today I'm preparing another batch. Here's a sneak peek...

some of the artwork I'm sending to Chemers Gallery

Fall Events Schedule

At Book Ends in Winchester, MA in 2010 (I'll be there on October 20 at 1:00 pm!)

I'm just about to start final art for my current picture book project, so I don't have a ton of events planned for this fall... but I will be traveling around a little bit, with events planned in New York, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and California (but oddly, none in Maine, which is where I live...). 

So if you happen to be in or near New York City, Winchester, MA, Newington, NH, Waupaca, WI, or Tustin, CA, please come join me for one of these fun events! Here's where I'll be:

October 6	12:00-2:00 pm, book signing and talk with author Doreen Rappaport on our new book, Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, at Books of Wonder in New York City.
October 12-13	Waupaca Book Festival, Waupaca, Wisconsin.
October 20	1:00 pm, book signing and talk on Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, at Book Ends in Winchester, MA.
October 24	School visit, Mast Way School, Lee, NH
October 25	6:00 pm. Opening reception for "The Original Art 2012: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration". Original artwork from There Goes Ted Williams will be included in this exhibit at the Museum of American Illustration, at The Society of Illustrators in New York City. The juried exhibit will be on display October 24-December 22.
November 17	1:00-4:00 pm, Barnes and Noble, Newington, NH, book signing for Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, part of a book fair for Wells Elementary School.
December 1	1:00-5:00 pm, Opening reception for 21st Annual Children's Book Illustration Show, Chemers Gallery, Tustin, CA. This is a group exhibit featuring original artwork by 5 comtemporary children's book illustrators: E.B. Lewis, Sylvia Long, Chris Sheban, Boris Kulikov, and Matt Tavares.
December 7	6:00-9:00 pm, reading and signing my Christmas books at Barnes and Noble in Newington, NH, part of their annual Polar Express night. I read at 6:00, then there's a reading of The Polar Epress, and lots of other fun stuff (like free cookies and hot chocolate!)...

This Comes Out Today!

"Swashbuckling gusto and a poignant finish should make this a new favorite."
*Publisher's Weekly (starred review) 

It's the mini, stocking-stuffer, gift edition of The Gingerbread Pirates, written by Kristin Kladstrup, illustrated by me, and published by Candlewick Press. It's just like the original version, but a bit smaller and much cuter. (And it's only $8.99 in hardcover... not too shabby!)

You should be able to find it at your local bookstore, or any of the usual places online.

Another Star for HELEN'S BIG WORLD!

"The full images, without borders, invite children into Helen’s world, while showing how big it truly became.... A dramatic spread shows the pupil and teacher in a boat, majestically cresting a wave, emphasizing what the youngster does experience more than what she does not. While there are many books available about Helen Keller for this age group, this title offers a unique and beautiful perspective on her life."
*School Library Journal (starred review)

Starred Review in The Horn Book!

I'm always happy when my issue of The Horn Book Magazine arrives in the mail. But it's especially exciting when this is inside:

A starred review in The Horn Book Magazine (!!) for my upcoming book, Helen's Big World, written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by me, published by Disney-Hyperion. Here's a snippet:

"Tavares's illustrations for Helen's Big World are, per the title, big and bold and often in intense close-up. Stirring and awe-inspiring..." *The Horn Book (starred review)

Thank you, Horn Book!

Helen's Big World also got a nice review in Publishers Weekly this week. I especially like their description of this illustration:

"Dark and almost demonic, it conveys instantly both the catastrophic nature of Helen's disabilities and the steely will that raged to be unleashed." -PW

I almost scrapped this picture and started over, because I worried that it was too dark. I like it now, though.

"The Puddle Jump" etching, 1995

Here's another one I found when I was looking through my old portfolios. It's an etching I did in college, of "The Puddle Jump" a crazy annual tradition at Bates College.

Every St. Patrick's day, a hole is cut in the ice on Lake Andrews (aka, The Puddle), and in a strange sort of cult ritual, students take turns dunking into the icy water. I never participated, but I did go watch and take pictures, which I used as reference for this etching. 

The Puddle Jump, etching, 4" x 6", 1995

High School Self Portrait

Cleaning my studio, I was just looking through an old portfolio from high school and found some artwork I hadn't looked at in a really long time. Here's a somewhat melodramatic self-portrait I drew during my junior year in high school, when I was 16.

I think I added the globe in the background so it would look like it was "about something", but I was really just covering one eye because it was much easier to draw myself in a mirror with one eye closed. Looking at it now, I really like it. Just wish I hadn't put the earth in the background! Oh well...

self portrait, 1992, pencil, 18" x 24"

The Original Art 2012

Just got some great news! There Goes Ted Williams was selected by the Society of Illustrators to appear in their annual children's book exhibit, The Original Art 2012! Woohoo!

The exhibit opens on October 25 at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York City. It's always an amazing show, so if you are a fan of children's books and you happen to find yourself in New York City in October or November, definitely check it out!

 

 

Kennebooks Event Tomorrow!

One last stop on the Van Dusen/Tavares 2012 World Tour...

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 16 at 10:30 AM, Chris Van Dusen and I will be reading and signing our new baseball books at Kennebooks in Kennebunk, Maine. If you happen to be in southern Maine, come join us. Maybe I'll bring a wiffle ball and bat and we can having a little Team Tavares vs. Team Van Dusen wiffle ball game after the signing...

me and Chris at one of our baseball events this spring

Talking about Ted Williams on the radio

Yesterday I was a guest on The Bill Newman Show, on WHMP 96.9 in western Massachusetts, talking about There Goes Ted Williams. You can listen to it here. It's the July 10 show, and my interview starts about 8 minutes in. Enjoy!

Barnes & Noble event tomorrow!

I'll be reading and signing There Goes Ted Williams at Barnes and Noble in Burlington, Mass tomorrow, July 11, at 7:00 pm. A friend sent me this picture from the store. Looks like they've got plenty of books!

Two Museum Events This Weekend

an Arthur Griffin photograph and one of my illustrations from There Goes Ted Williams, on display at the Griffin Museum in Winchester, Massachusetts

I have artwork in two museum exhibits right now, featuring illustrations from my two Red Sox books- Zachary's Ball and There Goes Ted Williams. And I'll be at both museums this weekend!

Several pictures from Zachary's Ball are on display at the Wenham Museum in Wenham, Massachusetts. I'll be signing books there today, Saturday, at 2:00 pm. There will be lots of fun baseball-themed activities, and I hear they're going to raffle off a copy of Zachary's Ball signed by me AND Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia!

Tomorrow, Sunday at 3:00 pm I'll be doing a gallery talk at The Griffin Museum in Winchester, Massachusetts, as part of the There Goes Ted Williams exhibit. I was there for the opening reception a couple weeks ago, and it was a wonderful event. I hadn't seen the exhibit before then, and it was so cool to see my illustrations up there with Arthur Griffin's photographs.  That was more of a grownup event (my kids came, but it was after their bedtime so they got very tired...), but tomorrow will be perfect to bring the whole family.

And there's also an amazing Fenway Park exhibit at the Griffin Museum, so if you come to my signing, you can check that out too!

The Fenway Park exhibit, at the Griffin Museum in Winchester

Happy 100th Birthday Fenway Park!

To celebrate the 100th birthday of Fenway Park, I'm giving away a copy of There Goes Ted Williams, with an original pen drawing of Fenway inside (which I just drew a few minutes ago). Here it is:

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. Feel fee to share a Fenway memory if you want.

I'm also posting the giveaway on Twitter, so if you're on Twitter, please help me out and retweet it! Thanks.

Junior Library Guild Selection!

Hey, look what arrived in the mail today! Thanks, Junior Library Guild!

Late on deadline... must get back to work...

EXTRA! EXTRA!

There Goes Ted Williams in the Washington Post!

I always love Opening Day, and this year it was even more fun than usual, because with it came a flurry of new reviews of There Goes Ted Williams- including great reviews in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times!

Here are some snippets from some recent newspaper reviews:

"Exhilarating... Tavares’s full-bleed spreads alternate with sepia-toned spot drawings, all beautifully arranged in this old-fashioned but evergreen tribute."
-The New York Times

"Kids will especially like that this wonderful picture book spends a lot of time talking about the childhood of the famous Boston Red Sox slugger.... an exciting and inspiring story."
-The Washington Post

"Tavares writes “There Goes Ted Williams’’ like a jazzy poem. There is musicality in every line, and in every full-color painting. The nostalgia of the paintings plays beautifully against the straight-up clarity of the prose."
-The Boston Globe

And a few new blog reviews...

"Matt Tavares’s present-tense narrative lends drama and immediacy to the all-smiles-and-heroics biography, and the watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations depict Williams as large as a double-page spread can hold."
-The Horn Book, "Opening Day" feature

"From the super talented author-illustrator of four other equally spectacular baseball-related picture books... comes the story of lanky Ted Williams... The figure he portrays in this gorgeously illustrated picture book is that of an American hero."
-Letter Blocks: The Barnes and Noble Parents & Educators Blog

"This is a stirring book about Ted Williams, but also about what makes baseball so great.  I love it! It's a home run."
-Shelf-Employed

"In There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, author/illustrator, Matt Tavares captures the passion, dedication, and magic that was Williams."
-Kid Lit Frenzy

Thanks newspapers and bloggers!

There Goes Ted Williams Art Exhibit Opens Thursday

Just spreading the word about this exhibit I'm really excited about.  If you're anywhere near Winchester, Massachusetts, I hope you can join me at the opening on April 12! Here are the details...

THERE GOES TED WILLIAMS: ARTHUR GRIFFIN AND MATT TAVARES

 

Ted Williams, photographed by Arthur Griffin during his rookie season, 1939

THERE GOES TED WILLIAMS: ARTHUR GRIFFIN AND MATT TAVARES

Opening reception: Thursday, April 12, 7:00-8:30pm
The Griffin Museum of Photography, in Winchester, Mass
Exhibit runs April 5 through May 27, 2012

An exhibit of Matt Tavares's original artwork from his picture book, There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, alongside Arthur Griffin's historic 1939 photographs of Ted Williams, taken during his rookie season with the Red Sox- the first color photographs ever taken of Ted Williams.

Matt Tavares gives a members talk on There Goes Ted Williams on April 12 at 6:15 PM, before the public opening. He also gives a gallery talk and book signing  at the Griffin Museum on April 22 at 3 PM.  

Book Ends of Winchester will be handling book sales at both events.

illustration from There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, by Matt Tavares

 If you're interested, here's a longer post about how this exhibit came to be.

Road trip!

We're packing up the family minivan and heading down to New York City tonight for my signing at Books of Wonder tomorrow. Then it's on to Connecticut for an event at R.J. Julia Booksellers Sunday afternoon. If you're in NYC or the Madison, Connecticut area, come say hi! Both events should be a lot of fun. Here are the details:

Saturday, March 31	12:00-2:00 pm, book signing and talk at Books of Wonder in New York City. "Batter Up!" baseball event with Diane deGroat & Shelley Rotner (author and illustrator of Homer) and Audrey Vernick & Steven Salerno (author and illustrator of Brothers at Bat).
Sunday, April 1	3:00 pm, book signing at R.J. JuliaBooksellers in Madison, CT, for There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

FYI- there happens to be an Ivy and Bean event at RJ Julia on Sunday at 2:00, just before my event. So if your kids are Ivy and Bean fans, come early and stay for both!

Sneak peek at my next book...

My next book, Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller (written by the amazing Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by me, published by Disney-Hyperion) doesn't come out until October, but my editor gave me the go-ahead to post the cover image on my web site. So... here it is!

New Events Added in NYC and Connecticut!

My kids at Books of Wonder, 2009

I'm traveling around a lot this spring, promoting my new picture book, There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. I just added two exciting events for the weekend of March 31-April 1, at two excellent independent bookstores- Books of Wonder in Manhattan, and R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT. Here are the details:

March 31	12:00-2:00, book signing and talk at Books of Wonder in New York City. "Batter Up!" baseball event with Diane deGroat & Shelley Rotner (author and illustrator of Homer) and Audrey Vernick & Steven Salerno (author and illustrator of Brothers at Bat).
April 1	3:00-5:00 pm, book signing at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, for There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

If you happen to be in NYC or Connecticut that weekend, come say hi!

And since I haven't posted this in a while, here's the trailer for There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived.

Report from Tucson: Books Are Not Dead!

During one of my sessions at the Tucson Festival of Books last weekend, someone asked the question that seems to come up in pretty much every Q & A session these days, about what's going to happen now that everything is switching over to ebooks.

My answer was something along the lines of, "Right now, we're at a book festival, and there are one hundred thousand people here..." I wasn't trying to go for the easy applause, but everyone clapped at that point (which, I admit, was nice).

But it's true.  Spending the weekend at a book festival attended by over 100,000 people, watching enthusiastic readers walking around with armloads of signed books, definitely made me feel pretty good about making books- especially picture books.

Now I'm back in my studio, working on my next picture book. Maybe some people will end up reading this on a kindle fire, or a nook, or who knows what the next thing will be. But as I work on it, I'm still looking at it as a physical work of art that people will hold in their hands.

Anyway... here are a few pictures from the Tucson Book Festival:

The University of Arizona. Not sure how much work I would have gotten done if I'd gone to college here!

The campus looked a bit different than the east coast schools I'm used to.

The Festival

My first event of the weekend was a book signing, and about 200 feet from where I was signing, there was, literally, A CIRCUS! I assumed nobody would come to my signing, but thankfully, plenty of people did.

The tablecloth at my first signing had 25 years worth of drawings and signatures from all the authors and illustrators who had signed there. Pretty amazing stuff. I particularly loved this one by the brilliant David Wiesner.

me signing

I drew this picture of Ted Williams on the tablecloth.

It's right next to one by pop-up master Robert Sabuda!

It got REALLY crowded!

I was part of a panel called "Bats, Balls, and Gloves: Great Sports Heroes" with my friends Phil Bildner and Kadir Nelson

Then I presented with Kadir Nelson and Doreen Rappaport, on a panel called "She Writes, We Draw: A Story of One Author and Two Illustrators". (For a sneak peek at my next book, look under Kadir's hands.)

reading There Goes Ted Williams at the Story Blanket

me doing a drawing demonstration at the Story Blanket

It was really a wonderful event. I met a bunch of people, and I got to hang out with some author and illustrator friends like Doreen Rappaport, Phil Bildner, Chris Van Dusen, and Kadir Nelson. I also got to meet so many authors and Illustrators I'd never met before, like Jack Gantos, Adam Rex, Mac Barnett, Maxwell Eaton III, Chris Gall, Jon Scieszka... what a fun weekend.


Now, back to work.