7 Kicks in March

•  I will be featured on 7 KICKS; 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast's Blog this Sunday, March 15!     

• I'M YOUR PEANUT BUTTER BIG BROTHER (Knopf, $17, ages 4-8) debuts!  
  

•  The Absolutely Mindy Show interview on Sirius Radio aired on March 10, and I didn't freeze-up!

• The terrific write-up in TimeOut NY Kids (a tasty read, p 44) is on magazine stands!
  

• PB Big Brother's BOOK RELEASE PARTY (March 13, 7 PM) and a kid-friendly reading (March 15, 11 AM) are both at Book Court!
  

• My new + vastly improved WEBSITE (www.selinaalko.com) is LIVE!  
  

• Sean & I are doing our first joint show EVER at the Hootenanny Art House (15 St, 8 Ave.  S. Slope, Brooklyn)!  Opening reception: Sunday, March 29  4- 6 PM.
  

TimeOut NY Kids; a tasty read!

Here's my interview in TONY Kids!  I will post a link when it appears online in March.  For now this scan will have to do (click on image to enlarge).  I have to say, I am pretty thrilled with this bit of press and hope that it inspires people's interest in my latest book I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (Knopf, $17; ages 4-8)

While I have your attention, please save the date Friday, March 13th for I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother's book release party at Book Court!  Beginning at 7 PM, rub shoulders with - and get books signed by - the author/illustrator (ahem), and kick-off the week-end with some fine wine & cheese.  FYI, we were going to have some fancy peanut butter hors d'oervres, but decided not to take the chance of accidentally poisoning anyone who might show up!

If you can't get a babysitter or you chose to leave the kids behind for the book's Friday night shin dig, bring them instead on Sunday, March 15th,  for a special child-friendly reading @ 11 AM, also at Book Court.

Book Court 

163 Court Street, Brooklyn NY

  

Chapter Books; a whole new world!

Last week, at Books of Wonder, I was on a panel with a bunch of cool folks who write chapter books.  Until last week, I knew next to nothing about chapter books.  That evening I discovered, much to my delight, it's quite a different beast!  Like an older, more sophisticated, distant relative to children's books.  Still, like picture books, chapter books tell stories for a young audience.  I was completely captivated as my colleagues revealed tales about their characters and how they came to be.  I sat with Jackie Longstead (of the Sister's 8 series), Bruce Hale (his latest, From Russia with Lunch) and Charise Mericle Harper (Just Grace books fame).  The second coolest part of the evening for me, next to hearing all of their back-stories, was discovering that Charise Mericle Harper not only writes and illustrates books (like me!), lives in the NY area w/ her 2 kids (like me!), but is from Vancouver, B.C., (like me!), AND went to Prince of Wales high school (like me!! - only we missed each other by a year).  What are the odds of that?  I discovered I absolutely adore Charise's work.  Her main character, Grace, has the super power of empathy!  How cool is that?  I love the fact that even though I was probably misplaced on the panel to begin with (ie/ Greetings from the 50 States is not exactly a chapter book!), it was totally worth the effort to make that random connection and to learn just a bit more about the world of chapter books!  Rebecca Sherman (my agent), my daughter Ginger and I are featured above at the Cupcake Cafe in Books of Wonder. 

Peanut Butter Promotion

My debut as AUTHOR begins this spring with the publication of, I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother (which I also illustrated), but getting the word out for the book has already begun!  My wonderful publicist at Knopf has been busy setting a few things up, helping me get into the spirit of self-promotion.  

The first thing came to me a few weeks ago while my family was vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I received an email asking if I was available to do an interview for Sirius Radio for an All About Kids segment with Sesame Workshop.  It was a LIVE interview set for 9 AM est, which is (yikes!) 4 AM Hawaii time.  But who I am to pass up an interview?  After all, it's my very first book that I have both written and illustrated, I need all the press and buzz I can get!  Who cares about relaxation!  Who needs sleep?  Forget the fact that I'm not really sleeping anyway, since my 11 month old has been in our bed most nights anyway!  So I said, bring on the interview!  When the dark and ungodly hour arrived, fresh brewed Kona coffee in hand, notes from my talking points in front of me, I waited for 'the phone call'.  Apparently, it was the-call-that-could-not-get-through, since no-one was at the condo's reception area to receive it AND they had misplaced my cell #!  In retrospect I guess I can say it was good practice... the live interview is rescheduled for February 27th!  Now I have plenty of time to let people know about it, plus it's closer to the release of the book.

The second blog-worthy promotional event for, I'm Your Peanut Butter big Brother is a PRINT interview, which will be in this March's: Time Out New York Kids.  Last week, fresh off the Aloha Jet I met with Maureen Shelly from TONY Kids at the Cupcake Cafe midtown.  Always welcoming an opportunity to get out of my studio and head into the city, I chatted with Maureen about the makings of Peanut Butter.  It was a really enlightening conversation covering everything from the original inspiration for my story to the current political culture.  We talked about how completely thrilling Obama's Inauguration Day was (since it was the same week!) and for me, especially, the significance an African America President has on my biracial children.  I am looking forward to seeing the interview in print and will, of course, post it when it comes out in this March's issue of Time Out New York Kids.

And finally, there will be a BOOK RELEASE PARTY for I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother at Book Court in Carroll Gardens, on Friday, March 13th.   Should be the event of the season!  Come alone or bring a date, your kids, nieces, nephews, mother-in-law, etc., for an evening of wine, cheese and schmoozing.  Would love to see each and everyone of you for my big debut!  By the way, there is also supposed to be a day time reading at Book Court on Sunday, March 15th especially for kiddos, so the book release party might be a nice opportunity for a night out -- sans the little ones.     

50 States Chapter Book Fun!

I'm kicking off 2009 with an event next week at Books of Wonder.  Join me and a few other distinguished authors on Thursday, January 29th for an evening of CHAPTER BOOK FUN!  I will be presenting Greetings from the 50 States, fielding questions and signing copies.  This time I promise not to put the audience to sleep by reading from the book! (unfortunately it does not read well out loud, so I learned from the Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair... yet it IS a great companion for kids learning their states, and also makes for a fairly handsome adult coffee table book!)  

5-7 pm 

(ie/happy hour; when cupcakes should be half price.  But since they're not, if you make the monumental effort to show up, I will happily treat you to one!)

Books of Wonder 

18 West 18th

between 5th and 6th Avenues

Brooklyn Museum's Children's Book Fair

The 2nd annual Children's Book Fair will take place this Saturday, November 15 from 1-5 PM at the Brooklyn Museum.  My husband Sean Qualls and I, along with about 30 other Brooklyn authors and illustrators, will be sitting at a booth with our latest books.  On the agenda is a special reading from Greetings from the 50 States at 2:30 by yours truly... so come on by and check out my latest book!  I will be talking about how recently the states have captured the imagination of our nation in ways that we've never seen before.  Last week's historic election highlighted interest in formerly sleepy states such as: Alaska, Illinois, Hawaii and Kansas.  Not to mention, the states that swung blue this time round: Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado- and so on.  For children just learning their states this is a completely unique take on the states module for the classroom.  Buy your kid the coolest new states book in town - better yet - get it signed by the illustrator, and begin the process of educating your child about all 50 of this great countries' states!  By the way, it kinda gives me the chills writing things like, 'this great country' now... GObama!

          

Ghouls, Gourds & Books

Halloween comes early this Sunday for kids and adults alike at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  Time to show off those costumes, carouse with colossal puppets, create recycled junk instruments, carve pumpkins and, of course, chat with celebrated children's book authors and illustrators!  I will be there signing books and would love to see familiar friendly - and scary - faces.  This is a picture of my son, Isaiah as a Taxi Driver and his friend, Levi the lion from a few years ago.  It was around when My Taxi Ride came out, so I made his stroller into a taxi cab.  Fortunately, he was young enough, and not yet highly opinionated, to impose my artistic vision onto!

     

Original Art at The Society

Last Thursday I attended the The Original Art Show opening at the Society of Illustrators.  It's an annual show of art from about 150 selected picture books published within the past year (usually around 650 are submitted).  I must say that this year's show was stunning!  It stood out for me from past years partly because the Society has made some changes.  For one, they got rid of that awful carpeting on the walls and painted them gallery white.  The art really pops, and quite a fabulous, diverse selection of art at that!  My husband, Sean Qualls, got both of his books in the show: Phillis's Big Test and Before John Was a Jazz Giant.  His beautifully textured modern folk paintings hang along with Mo Willems' witty graphic, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Ana Juan's lovely trippy, The Elephant Wish and Kadir Nelson's hauntingly realistic, We are the Ship (which took him 7 years to complete!).  Another new addition to the show is the inclusion of video clips, showing interviews and artistic processes.  For example, there is a cool video next to William Steig's art; he was awarded the posthumous lifetime achievement honor.  At the reception (since we don't get a night out nearly often enough!), it was fabulous to shmooze with editors, art directors, our agent and colleagues... but I will definitely have to go again during the day to spend more time really looking at the art - and the BOOKS.  Yes the actual books.  All of the picture books will be on display and it's always a treat to see them next to their real live art counterparts on the walls!  FYI, the selected illustrator gets to chose which spread (or spot or single page) from their book will go in the show and is responsible for framing it his/herself.  It's always interesting to me to see which image the illustrator choses as THE image to frame and display.  I've been in the show twice and believe me, I know how hard it is to decide.  The show is up until mid November and is totally worth checking out!

Society of Illustrators

63rd and Lexington

New York City     

Greetings From The 50 States

Newly released from Scholastic: Greetings From The 50 States; How They Got Their Names.

My latest illustrated book by Sheila Keenan is now in book stores and online!  From extensive research, detailed sketches to final art work, this 112 page book took me about 2 years to complete.  I'll bet I got to know more about US geography than your average Canadian New Yorker, not to mention fellow American.  Now if only I could vote in the next election... but that's another issue.

I will be taking part in 2 Brooklyn based events this Fall to promote "50 States" along with other local children's writers and illustrators.  Mark your calendars!

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Gouls and Gourds Festival

Sunday October 26

noon - 4:30

The Brooklyn Museum

Children's Book Fair

The Rubin Pavillion

Saturday November 15

1 - 5 PM

In the mean time grab a copy now - I promise to sign it next time I see you!

BUY HERE at B&N.com - Greetings from the 50 States

   

7 Months Later

Ginger Molly Viva Qualls arrived on Valentine's Day 7 months ago and it's like she's been with us forever!  These past months feel a bit like a hazy fog stumbling back to my own work post-birth.  I've done the interesting challenge of trying to get some work done with the baby around.  This was somewhat successful when she was a newbie and slept a lot during the day.  I actually completed a manuscript for my next children's book, which is pretty cool!  I wrote in cafes on the go, whenever Ginger nodded off and inspiration hit.  Now that she is growing and awake much more it's become clear that I need the time to work when she is being cared for adequately and attentively.  So it is not without some separation anxiety that she off to day care now for just 15 hours a week, during which time I frantically get what I can done!  My current to-do list includes: creating content for (exciting, new, upcoming!) website, as well as coordinated blog, developing manuscripts and dummies for at least 2 new books and promoting my latest illustrated book, Greetings From The 50 States - oh and did I mention the endless errands?  But hey, it's real good for me to be back to my creative, productive self.  It makes me a happier, more fulfilled mom for when I am around my kids.