Going once...

Book Expo America, the big annual book industry conference, starts today in New York City. I won't be there this year, but one of my illustrations will be. I donated this painting of Henry Aaron hitting his record-breaking 715th home run to this year's ABC Children's Group at ABA Silent Auction--the most recent incarnation of the annual ABC event, now in its 17th year.

The silent auction takes place tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 25. There is some amazing artwork up for bid, by some of my favorite illustrators, like Matt Phelan, Mo Willems, John Rocco, Bryan Collier, Paul O. Zelinsky, Chris Van Dusen... the list goes on and on. You can see all the artwork here.

All proceeds from the auction benefit the new ABFFE Fund for Free Speech in Children's Books, which promotes understanding of the importance of free speech for children and young readers and provides support to the students, parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers who fight the hundreds of challenges to children's books that occur in schools and libraries every year.

The auction is a ticketed event, but I've heard rumors of an online element later on. I'll keep you posted.

If you happen to be at BEA, stop by the Candlewick booth and check out my upcoming picture book, Over the River and Through the Wood (Fall, 2011). Thanks to Candlewick for posting this picture on facebook, so I can live vicariously through them as I sit here in my studio in Maine (middle shelf, far left).

Going once...

On the evening of May 25, the Association of Booksellers for Children will hold their annual silent auction of children's book art during Book Expo America in New York City. Money raised in the auction is used to fund projects that support independent booksellers. It's always a fun event, and it's even more amazing this year because David Wiesner is the keynote speaker.


Since I have two books coming out in 2010, I donated two pieces of artwork. If you're planning on attending the auction, keep your eyes open for them! The first one is a painting I did for Henry Aaron's Dream (Candlewick), of Henry Aaron hitting his record-setting 715th home run. In the end, I decided to include a full page of his career stats in the book instead of this illustration. But even though it didn't quite make it into the book, hopefully it will earn a few bucks for independent booksellers and look nice on someone's wall. Here it is:

My other donation is a sketch from my upcoming collaboration with Doreen Rappaport, Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy (Disney-Hyperion, October). It's a pencil sketch I did for the page in the book that discusses Kennedy's bold and ambitious goal of landing an American safely on the moon before the end of the 1960's. One interesting side note to this picture- this auction is being held on May 25, which is the anniversary of the day Kennedy announced this plan to the nation, May 25, 1961. Here's the sketch:

I also included a signed proof of the final illustration. Not sure if this will be out on display at the auction, but here it is: