Listen To Me Talk!

Me recording the audiobook for *Scampers Thinks Like a Scientist.* Yes, I’m recording in my pantry. It was the only room in the house where I couldn’t hear the whine of my neighbor’s stupid weedwacker.

I can’t imagine that hearing me talk would be of much interest to anyone, but in the off chance I’m mistaken, I have good news! You can register for a free, online panel discussion where I’ll be blathering about my new book, Pirate & Penguin!

The event, hosted by New York literary institution, Books of Wonder, will held on Sunday, May 28, at 1 p.m. (EST).

Sounds great doesn’t it?

Well, there are other authors there, too. Jack Wong, author/illustrator of When You Can Swim, and Erica Root, author/illustrator of Close To You From Far Away, are both wonderful (and wonderfully talented) people.

If you ask me, it’s well worth the price of admission. (Free.)

All you gotta do is sign up and enjoy! And there’s a livestream, so you can ask me a question! How does that sound? (Answer: Groovy.)

Just click here to register. Here’s hoping I’ll see you Sunday!

EDIT: 5/28

Well, that was fun! If you missed the event, no biggie! You can see the video here. (I read an except from the book in a pirate voice, so that’s something.)

May 18, 2023May 19, 2023

Pirates! Penguins! Prizes!

No matter how colorfully you paint one, a penguin will never be a parrot.

I have another book coming out!

About a pirate!

And a penguin!

It’s titled Pirate & Penguin! (Titles are hard.)

The story is about a penguin who slips off his iceberg onto the poop deck of a passing pirate ship. The captain, perhaps a bit dotty from his many months on the high seas, mistakes the stowaway for a parrot and expects his new companion to govern himself accordingly. Penguin’s well-meaning efforts to talk, perch on Pirate’s shoulder, and keep things ship shape leads to mayhem. In fact, things get so out of hand, someone might end up walking the plank.

There is no feeling that can quite replicate the joy of opening a box of author copies.

Pirate & Penguin was the most fun I’ve ever had writing a picture book.

More importantly, I love the way the book turned out. (No one can do a better job at depicting seafaring chaos quite like illustrator extraordinaire, Jenn Harney.)

Pirate & Penguin has gotten good reviews, too!

“A pirate searching for a parrot and a clumsy penguin collide in this lively tale about friendship…. Inventive pirate speak and bright colors compliment this whimsical story.” — Foreword Reviews

“An amusing romp that will have landlubbers and scurvy sea dogs alike giggling.” — Kirkus

“Although children’s library collections are not lacking in pirate stories, this fresh and funny tale makes its case for inclusion by using a pirate-ship setting to explore the nature of friendship.” — Booklist

And Page Street, my publisher, believes in this book so much, they made up a batch of P&P buttons!

But here’s the best part:

YOU CAN WIN A FREE COPY!

All you gotta do is head over to Kathy Temean’s blog and enter the giveaway.

And who knows? You may just receive a wonderful work of kid lit—a prize at least as valuable as a medium-sized chest of buccaneer booty.

So go. Good luck. I’ll be rooting for you.

April 17, 2023April 17, 2023

Blog Loser

It happens every other year or so. I plan a little bloggy break—just a little break, mind you. Three weeks tops.

Then, about six-months-to-a-jillion-years later I think, “Oh! Right! The blog! I have one!”

That’s my problem with blogging; when I stop writing posts, I really stop writing posts. I almost aggressively stop writing posts.

I’m sorry. I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that my mind, dazzled by the extra time on its hands, flits elsewhere. I’ll become obsessed with crossword puzzles. I’ll polish the neglected baseboards in the living room. I’ll dig into the collected works of Neil Gaiman and intimidate myself with just how awesome a writer the guy is. I’ll teach creative writing classes and (ironically) remind my students that “You have to keep to a regular writing schedule!”

Or, I’ll putz around trying to come up with The Great American Picture Book, which, I admit, has been really slow going.

The point is, I’m back now. I have things to say and news that I will dutifully report on in the coming weeks.

The image at the top of the page is a clue as to one of those stories. Also I have more news (a sequel of sorts) regarding the image below:

So, again, sorry. And sit tight. I have tales to tell.

And how have you been?