Thrilled the Pigs and Big Bad Wolf are finally out of the bag. Oops! Did I say bag? I meant book! SUPER HUGE THANKS to Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, Marissa Moss, Deborah Zemke, Bank Street Writers Lab, and to my critique buddies for their endless encouragement and support. WHO’S WRITING THIS STORY? will be in bookstores and libraries Spring 2024. WOOHOO!
Today is THE DAY! Happy Book Birthday, DON’T CALL ME FUZZYBUTT! And on the Ides of March, no less. How cool is that? (Okay. I’ll admit it. I am a nerd. And a proud one to boot! :-))
A super huge THANK YOU to Sleeping Bear Press, Sarah Rockett, Susan Batori, Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, the Bank Street Writers Lab, and to anyone who may have even sneezed on the manuscript.
Over the weekend Bear, Woodpecker, and I celebrated the virtual launch of DON’T CALL ME FUZZYBUTT! at Books of Wonder. Many thanks to everyone who joined me and made the day extra special.
In case you missed it, the event was recorded. (Note: I am not sure how long the recording will remain available.)
If you are still interested in getting signed copies, please click here. The first 100 orders will receive a fuzzy-tas-tic giveaway!
Have a fuzzy-ri-fic week! XO
Birthing a book is NOT an easy process. THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES went through 32 plus rewrites and revisions. Talk about stretch marks! But in the end it is so worth it. I’d like to shout out a super HUGE THANK YOU to Creston Books, Marissa Moss, Deborah Zemke, Simon Stahl, Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, The Bank Street Writers Lab, Jill Davis, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Marcelino de Santos, Michael J. Miller, and Sarah Longstaff for their feedback and endless encouragement and support.
THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES is available wherever books are sold. However, please support your independent bookstores. In honor of Independent Bookstore Day this past Saturday, I am giving away a $50 gift card to Books of Wonder. To enter, click here. There are four days left to enter! Good luck!
Now, let’s get to the party! Deborah Zemke and I are having our Virtual Launch at Books of Wonder on September 6th at 1 pm (EST). To register for the event on crowdcast, please click here.
And one last item! The first 50 pre-orders of THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES will receive a super-cool detective loot bag! (Hat not included.)
That’s all folks!
Detective Wilcox, Captain Griswold, and I are thrilled to share our first review of The Case of the Bad Apples. Let’s just say it’s PIG-DIC-U-LOUS-LY AWESOME!!!!! Here’s what Kirkus Reviews had to say:
More hard-boiled hilarity, this time with a side of apples.
In their third case, mice Detective Wilcox and Capt. Griswold, esteemed Missing Food Investigators, look into the latest “bad apple” on the farm. The action starts with a call from a doctor at Whole Hog Emergency Care. It seems Porcini “pigged out” on a basket of apples that may have been deliberately poisoned! For the MFIs, that’s a Code 22—better known as “attempted hamslaughter.” The detectives rush to the scene of the crime to get the 411 and “save [Porcini’s] bacon.” At the pig’s pen, they find the basket (with four remaining apples) and a series of hoof, claw, and paw prints. The MFIs quickly narrow down the suspects to fellow farm animals Sweet Pea (another pig), Herman the Vermin (a rat), and Hot Dog (a dog, natch). But whodunit? Forensics will reveal the truth. With a successful formula established in earlier series entries, this one’s par for the course. The five chapters range in text complexity, reaching 23 lines at most per page. Full-color cartoon spot illustrations provide contextual clues and break up the text. Though yellow sticky notes define slangy terms like “tox screen” and “perp,” the abundant wordplay is perhaps best deciphered by more confident readers.
Completely “pig-dic-u-lous”—and a whole lot of fun. (recipe) (Early reader. 7-9)
I’d like to shout out a SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to Marissa Moss (editor and publisher extraordinaire), Deborah Zemke (illustrator genius), Simon Stahl (designer rock star), Mollie Katzen (cookbook author superstar), Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin (my very special agents), and EVERYONE who read, reread, and REREAD this manuscript that went through revisions of biblical proportions, including but not limited to, The Bank Street Writers Lab, Jill Davis, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Marcelino de Santos, and Sarah Longstaff. And wait! I’m not done.
A super HUGE THANK YOU to Julie Gribble, Doreen Cronin, Nick Bruel, and JoEllen McCarthy for the kind words on the back of the book. And of course, thank you to Kirkus Reviews for the lovely review.
Apology readers for being a tad M.I.A. from the blog but I finally have something to post. And it’s good news! Actually, it’s AWESOME news! But not just any kind of AWESOME news. It’s book news!!!! Drumroll, please.
I would like to shout out a BEHEMOTH THANK YOU to Jess Riordan, Julie Matysik, Running Press Kids, Sesame Street, Liza Fleissig, and last, but certainly not least, Elmo.
This is the second time Elmo and I have had the chance to work together. We first collaborated on the picture-book adaptation of Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, script by Geri Cole and illustrated by Tom Brannon (Running Press Kids) in 2017.
I often get asked, “What’s it like working with Elmo?” It’s gloriously happy and red. Very red! You find yourself constantly humming “LA LA LA LA . . . Elmo’s World!”
And strangely, you develop this interesting habit of talking to folks in the third person. Like the last time I spoke with my editor, I think I may have uttered the words, “Robin no like rewrites. Robin like ice cream!”
Here’s me and Elmo on vacation at Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos.
I cannot wait to share this latest project with readers.
There are many sunny days ahead!
Sincere apologies for the radio silence but it has been crazy busy on my end. For the writers reading this blog, we all know that crazy busy is AWESOMESAUCE!
I finally have some amazing news. Check this out!
A SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, Sarah Rockett, Sleeping Bear Press, and to everyone at the Bank Street Writers Lab for your encouragement and support. (It truly takes a village and then some to do a picture book.) I am beyond excited to be working with Sarah Rockett and the amazing team at Sleeping Bear Press, as well as the incredibly talented Susan Batori. Click here to check out her adorable illustrations.
If I had to summarize what the month has been like in one word, it’s been a good month of revisions. Lots of revisions! Revisions to The Case of the Bad Apples, which releases on September 1 (Since folks have been asking, it’s currently available for pre-order on Amazon. Click here!), and revisions to another book that I can’t talk about just yet. But more news to come!
Aside from revisions, I’ve also been doing some WRAD Skype visits. If you’re unfamiliar with WRAD, WRAD stands for World Read Aloud Day. WRAD is the brainchild of the amazing Kate Messner, whereby authors Skype with schools for free on a particular day of the year. This year WRAD is February 5th. Since I get way more requests for author visits than I can do in a single day, I like to think of WRAD more like, WRAW, World Read Aloud Weeks. I do a number of Skype visits before and after WRAD and I try my very best to include as many schools as possible. (If I have been unable to schedule your school, please email me again later in the year or early next year.)
My first Skype visit for WRAD with third, fourth, and fifth graders
at Christ the Teacher School.
And in the last bit of news, I am looking forward to my third Amelia Island Book Festival, and in particular, to their incredible Authors-in-School program, which generously purchases a book for each student visited by an author. This year I will be visiting with first and second graders at Yulee Primary School. I cannot wait!
p.s. Apologies for use of all the superlatives but it’s been a superlative-kind-of-month. 🙂
Sincere apologies for being M.I.A. from the blog lately but the fall has been crazy busy with book festivals, conferences, revisions, writing, and book deals.
Reader: Wait one second! Did she say book deals?
Why, yes I did.
I am thrilled to finally announce that the third book in The Wilcox & Griswold Mystery Series, The Case of the Bad Apples, illustrated by the amazing Deborah Zemke, will be out fall 2020. Heartfelt thanks to Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris, Marissa Moss, and to everyone who read, reread, and re-reread drafts of the book.
There’s more good news to come on this front . . . so please stay tuned. YIPPEE KI YAY!
Now, as we all know, being crazy busy for an author is AWESOME! Below is a quick recap of where I’ve been.
First stop, the Highlights Foundation, Honesdale, PA. If you’ve never been, I have one word for you. Go! Actually, two words. Go now! You won’t regret it. Not sure if it’s the pixie dust in the Honesdale air or just the to-die-for food, but Highlights is pure magic. It was beyond wonderful to have a few days to focus on work, and then just be able to ask an editor a question or two.
Sample Author-Editor Discussion Simulation
Me: Do you have a minute to read something? Is this working? Does it need another beat? Is it funny enough because my dogs always laugh when I read that line.
Editor: Do you give your dogs treats when you read that line?
Me: Maybe.
I’d like to shout out a very big thank you to Jennifer Jacobson, Juana Martinez-Neal, Gareth Hinds, Nikki Grimes, Padma Venkatraman, Neal Porter, Kathleen Merz, Laurie Calkhoven, and Alison Morris for sharing their words of wisdom, time, and for their encouragement and support, and to the above and beyond amazing Highlights staff for making the weekend extraordinarily special.
My adorable cabin.
Second stop, Collingswood Book Festival, Collingswood, NJ. This is one of my all-time favorite book festivals and it was such a treat to be there with so many author friends, including Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Laura Shovan, as well as so many friends from the KidLit Authors Club, including Hallee Adelman, Jodi Moore, Charlotte Bennardo, Darlene Beck-Jacobson, David Neilsen, Jeffry Johnston, Jennifer Robin Barr, and Kell Andrews.
Third stop, West Jersey Reading Council’s Fall Conference, Pennsauken, NJ. The West Jersey Reading Council provides educators, administrators, and parents with literacy-based enrichment programs. This year Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and I presented on Using Picture Books to Teach Empowerment and Inclusion. We also participated in the author meet and greet.
(Note: If we look like drowned rats in the photos, it’s because it was POURING cats and dogs.)
Fourth stop, Easton Book Festival, Easton, PA. Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the first ever Easton Book Festival. The book festival was the brainchild of Andy Laities, the former manager of the Bank Street Bookstore. In a word, it was AWESOME!
A quick side story . . . one of my first book signings was at the Bank Street Bookstore. Since I have a detective book, naturally I thought the kids would enjoy a fingerprinting activity. Well, this was a very bad idea. Not just a very bad idea but an exceptionally bad idea. The children were running around the store with ink on their hands while Andy was chasing them down with wipes. (So, if you have a detective book, I strongly advise against any kind of fingerprinting activities.) P.s. I’d like to note that I LOVE Bank Street Bookstore and am so thrilled that I wasn’t banished from the store.
Here are a few photographic highlights from Easton:
There was a spectacular author dinner, with belly dancers.
I’d like to shout out a super huge THANK YOU to Andy Laities, Sarah Laities, and to all the volunteers for making the Easton Book Festival unforgettable. Can’t wait for next year’s festival.
Where will Robin be next? NerdCampLI on November 2nd and the Huntington Public Library’s Picture Book Palooza on November 10th.
And in the words of the great Porky Pig . . .
No Peacocks! was off to a glorious flying start with its launch party at The Corner Bookstore on September 6, 2018. Fans of Phil, Jim, and Harry, the superstar peacocks from The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, flocked to the store for the book’s feathered-tale debut.
Here are a few photographic* highlights:
I would like to squawk, honk, and screech a SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who made the celebration extra special, including but not limited to: The Corner Bookstore; my amazing agents, Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin; the Bryn Mawr Club of New York City, with special thanks to Helen Thurston, President of the Bryn Mawr Club of New York City; Bebe Bakes (cupcakes) and Dean Lawrence Bake Shop (cookies, THANK YOU, Liza!); and to friends and family for your encouragement and continued support.
*Photos provided by Liza Fleissig, Joanne Kaplan, Ellen Fisher, Marcelino de Santos, and Nancy Armo.
I am thrilled beyond words to share the cover for No Peacocks! (Sky Pony Press) illustrated by the amazing Chris Ewald. Drum roll, please!
No Peacocks! is a fictional feathered tale about the three real-life mischievous peacocks who reside on the grounds of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Let me introduce you:
This is Phil.
This is Jim or Harry.
Or Harry or Jim.
(I can’t tell the difference between Jim or Harry but if you ask any of the children, they all know which bird is which.)
For five years, my son attended The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine. And from the moment I saw the birds, I knew I wanted to write about them. There was just one problem. I needed a story. On one extremely fortunate day while I was attending a meeting for the school’s book fair, one of the school administrators came into the room asking if anyone had left a sandwich in a stroller because one of the peacocks ate it. And as soon as I heard that, I knew I had my story.
No Peacocks! is about Phil, Jim and Harry’s quest to taste the school’s very famous mac ‘n cheese. It’s a cheesy story of friendship and teamwork, with a mild sprinkling of criminal activity that’s perfect for influencing the impressionable minds of children ages 0 to 1000. It flies onto bookshelves September 2018.
I’d like to take a quick moment to thank my editor, Alison Weiss; my agents, Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin; my writing teacher, Jill Davis; my writing group, Jacki Morris and Joanne French; my husband, Michael, who has probably read this story more times than he would have liked; my son, Noah, for the tremendous joy he brings my husband and me every day—even during homework; and anyone else who so much as sneezed on my manuscript.
No Peacocks! is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at your favorite independent bookstore.
I say this every year, but cross my heart it’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The New Jersey SCBWI Annual Conference is the BEST conference ever!
What makes it great? I’m so glad you asked. Here goes my laundry list:
Critiques, first pages, workshops covering every imaginable kidlit topic from picture books to YA, pitches, connecting with editors and agents, and more editors and more agents, getting solid feedback on your stories and illustrations (the good, the bad, and the sad ugly truth), inspiration galore, and lifelong friendships. Shall I go on?
Here are a few photographic highlights:
Behind the scenes the day before the conference.
Opening Keynote with Stephen Savage
Blake Hamilton and Matthew Winner
Sheela Chari and Leslie Zampetti
Me with Detectives Wilcox and Griswold on the job
Anita Arakelian and me (Mawrters in the house – Anassa kata ’89)
Virginia Law Manning, me, Leslie Zampetti
Leslie Santamaria
The Liza Royce Crew!
(Left to right: Me, Laurie Wallmark, Darlene Beck-Jacobson, Liza Fleissig, Leslie Santamaria, Yvonne Ventresca)
Me and David Lubar
(Top row, left to right: Kathy Temean, Darlene Beck-Jacobson, me)
(Bottom row, left to right: Katey Howes, Jody Staton, Colleen Rowan Kosinski)
Me and Hallee Adelman
Cathleen Thole Daniels and Rosanne Kurstedt
Anita Arakelian
Heather Montgomery
Stephen Savage, Mike Ciccotello, Annie Silvestro
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Cathleen Thole Daniels, Kirstine Erekson Call, me
Closing keynote with David Lubar
I’d like to shout out a HUGE THANK YOU to the amazing, incredible, you-take-my-breath-away NJ SCBWI team, including but certainly not limited to, Cathleen Thole Daniels, Rosanne Kurstedt, Karen Romagna, Annie Silvestro, Kelly Calabrese, Charlotte Bennardo, Guy Olivieri, Mike Ciccotello, Linda Bozzo, Tami Charles, and to all the incredible volunteers.
And do you want to know a little secret? If you close your eyes, take a deep breath, and cross your fingers and toes and hope the publishing gods are on your side, you’ll notice the hint of publishing contracts in the air. How could any conference ever get better than this?
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