Calling all Boneheads
Last Saturday we were delighted to join Melissa Sweet in celebrating the recent publication of her new picture book, Tupelo Rides the Rails. East End Beach in Portland was the panoramic location, and also the site of the Narrow Gauge Railway…perfect for combining dog romps and voyages like the one in the book. It brought out loyal fans and dog-lovers, adoptable dogs, a hobo, and these vixenish Boneheads, Mary Anne Lloyd and Kirsten Cappy. Daisy and her plush dog, Peggy, along with Nirmala and her plush dog, Brownie, pose with author/illustrator Melissa Sweet. Melissa’s art and...
Read MoreRickshaw Girl wins again
I am still glowing with the Lupine Honor and now comes another: the Jane Addams Honor Award for Rickshaw Girl! From the Jane Addams Peace Association press release: Three books have won honors in the Books for Older Children category. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins, with illustrations by Jamie Hogan and published by Charlesbridge, is a contemporary novel set in Bangladesh. In clear prose and detailed black-and-white drawings, ten-year-old Naimi excels at painting alpanas, traditional designs created by Bangladeshi women and girls. Her talent, though valued by her family, cannot buy rice or...
Read MoreCirque de Synchronicity
It’s that time of year again: mud season in Maine and the circus is in town. In memory of my dad, William Hogan, a Shriner, I take my daughter and friends to the annual Kora Shrine Circus from Lewiston, Maine. It’s the cheapest trick in town and remains entertaining after 7 years in a row. There’s something nostalgic for me, wandering amongst the men in their burgundy blazers and fez, ever accomodating. I know I went to circuses as a kid, but not one of them stands out. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to them as an adult. I went to an early Cirque de Soleil show in...
Read MoreLong live Lupine Land
YES!!! I am pinching myself still. Rickshaw Girl was chosen as the 2007 Lupine Honor Winner in the Juvenile/Young Adult category. The Lupine Awards have been presented annually since 1989 by the Youth Services Section of the Maine Library Association. Beloved author/artist Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius was the inspiration for the Lupine Award. The awards were presented at the annual Reading Round-Up conference held at the Augusta Civic Center on April 17. Things got off to a swell start, with energetic assistance from my Lupine Committee host, Amy Hand, from the Camden Public Library....
Read MoreLook out for the skibbis!
I found this handy note from my daughter in my suitcase just after arriving at the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Nashua, NH. I call it Skibby for short; leave it to an 11-year-old to manifest a mascot. I was there primarily to worship: so many great writers and illustrators in a single place all devoted to the celebration of craft and story for young readers. My hotelmate, Kirsten Cappy, graciously introduced me to new folks during the Friday evening cabaret. My island neighbor, Annie O’Brien was a hit in the off-off-Broadway parody...
Read MoreRickshaw in the rain
No amount of rain or dreary chill could dampen my excitement when the day finally came for my Brown Bag lecture at the Portland Public Library with Mitali Perkins. She gave an energetic and moving talk to the crowd of (mostly) young readers from three middle schools and several students from Deering High. I keep learning new things about Mitali’s source of stories, her heritage, and her strong connection to her audience. She’s one hard act to follow. The big question: how does a girl from New Hampshire illustrate a book set in Bangladesh? Well, it takes research and good drawing,...
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