Fenway Park Photo Shoot

The Massachusetts Teachers Association asked me to do a photo shoot at Fenway Park on Saturday, to promote their 2013 Red Sox Reading Game. I said yes, because it's an awesome program that promotes literacy at every school in Massachusetts- and because any time anyone invites me to Fenway, I'm there! It's pretty amazing to be inside the park when almost nobody is there.

Renowned photographer Rick Friedman was kind enough to shoot a few author photos for me after the MTA shoot was done.  I'll post those once I have them, and I'll post details about the Red Sox Reading Game once it's up and running. For now, here are a few snapshots from the photo shoot...

And there was this cool moment- I heard them rehearsing Jackie Bradley Jr.'s first-ever Fenway Park introduction. I'm sure this moment will get some loud applause this afternoon:

Happy Opening Day! Play ball!

artwork from kids

One of the fun parts of being a children's book author-illustrator is getting mail from kids. Usually it comes in big batches, from an elementary school class that just read one of my books, or from a school I visited. It's always so cool to look at art made by kids, and it's very inspiring to know that the books I'm working on here in my studio will (hopefully) inspire kids to make art of their own.

Here are a few pieces of artwork I've gotten in the mail recently:

Over the River and Through the Wood, by Grace

Over the River and Through the Wood, by Celia

Captain Cookie, by Marissa

Captain Cookie with the sleigh from Over the River, by Anonymous

Mudball, by a different Anonymous

A picture of me doing a drawing demonstration, by Kaeden

MUDBALL book giveaway!

APRIL BOOK GIVEAWAY!! In honor of the rainiest, muddiest month of the year, I'm giving away a signed copy of Mudball, with an original pen drawing of the main character, Little Andy Oyler, inside. Anyone who "likes" my facebook page between now and Friday, April 29 is entered to win.