Children's Book People Know How to Have Fun, Part 2

Coe's Bar

Arthur Geisert and assistant

Fun for writers (part 1) is meeting the readers of our books. Fun for writers (part 2) is going to book parties--our own and those of other writers.  Last Saturday was that wonderful kind of book-party fun. 

The book party for Arthur Geisart's new Thunderstorm  (Enchanted Lion Books) was held at Coe's Bar in Bernard, Iowa.  Arthur also opened his studio/residence for us to tour. (He lives in a remodeled bank, sleeps in the vault.)

Coe's Bar was busy selling copies of Arthur's book, and selling beer, burgers and fries to book lovers from all over Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.  The place was standing room only. Arthur was busy signing from noon until 4:00 p.m. Many writers and illustrators were in attendance as well as various stripes of book readers, book lovers and book sellers. Ahead of me in the signing line was MaryAnn Peters, owner of the wonderful NewBo Books in Cedar Rapids.

It was energizing to see such widespread and genuine excitement about a children's book.  Arthur Geisert's publisher Claudia Zoe Bedrick of Enchanted Lion Books came to celebrate this new release. A producer from NPR was on the scene interviewing attendees. (I think the program will be aired on an up-coming "Week-end Edition.")

I was able to pick up a copy of the 2013 Enchanted Lion Books catalog and am eager to get my hands on some of these quirky, heartfelt, and remarkable books.  Claudia Zoe Bedrick writes at the front of the catalog:  "We seek out books that spark curiosity, wonder and astonishment; books that ask and explore, while affirming the creative force of the imagination and of life.  We are always creating the future. Life is always in the making. To open up this idea for children is to give them an infinite sense of hope and possibility. It is to nourish their capacity to act and to dream." Indeed!

cinnamon roll nearly as big as a tractor tire

And speaking of nourishment...I also was able to share a farm-house sized cinnamon roll with Jeni Reeves and Bonnie Geisert while we chatted about writing, our particular projects, and our lives. I've known and enjoyed Jeni for a number of years, just met Bonnie that Saturday; but it seemed as if we had been eating cinnamon rolls together in Bernard for decades. 

I love the communities of children's book people and how they intertwine--Brooklyn, New York--Bernard, Iowa; Galena, Illinois--Mount Vernon, Iowa; a story of a thunderstorm in the country conceived and made by an artist from a city; tractors and publishers catalogs; cinnamon rolls and books that "nourish our capacity to act and dream."

Thanks Arthur Geisert and Claudia Zoe Bedrick for a great book and a great party! 

Good inuksuit

In the last post I mentioned going to the AASL in Minneapolis. Sharron McElmeel , Jeni Reeves, Carol Gorman and I spoke on how to foster curiosity in young readers and how librarians can become an important part of the collaborative process with teachers in helping students to become better readers.

Our session had a good audience. We saw some long-time friends, including Toni Buzzeo, shown here with Sharron (Sharron on the left, Toni on the right).Toni was at the AASL speaking on a topic similar to ours--how librarians can become visible and essential collaborators in their schools. We know they are essential, but we are the choir. We-writers and readers--want school boards, parents, community people to realize that excellent schools, even just good schools, require trained librarians.

I also had a chance to spend some time with Phyllis Root, which is always a treat. Phyllis and her daughter Ellen have recently built this inuksuit, a trail marker like the ones built by Alaskan natives to mark the way. Rocks were what they had to build with and what they used.

Every writer needs to run into an inuksuit once in a while. Wandering is good. We find what we didn't even know we were looking for by wandering. But once in a while it's good to see an inuksuit that reminds us that we are on the path, a path.


Seeing friends, spending time talking about shared writing problems, seeing librarians talking about shared purpose-good inuksuit.