Happenings
FOUR YEAR OLD SOPHIE READING BIG BOUFFANT
BOOK EXPO AMERICA
I was lucky enough to do a podcast at Book Expo America in May. The interview is also posted on BookExpo Authors Studio and on Authors On Tour-Live!
Podcast by Kate Hosford at BEA
BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL
In November, I got to attend a book festival in my own backyard, at the Brooklyn Museum. I was seated next to author/illustrator Tad Hills, creator of the the very popular Duck and Goose series, and a very nice guy. My author/illustrator friend Melissa Iwai was also there promoting her many beautiful books. I got to read Big Bouffant in the Rodin sculpture garden.
ONE WAY TO MAKE A BOUFFANT
I wanted see if it was possible to make a bouffant using a small water bottle. Brave Adeleen volunteered to be the guinea pig, and the results speak for themselves! Thanks to Johanne, Adeleen’s mom, we also now know that ‘big bouffant’ is ‘le grand chignon’ in French.
BIG BOUFFANT BIRTHDAY PARTY EVITE
Have you ever considered having your own Big Bouffant birthday party? Here is an evite that you can download and use.
MAKING YOUR OWN BOUFFANT
Bouffanting (if I may invent a verb), is also great activity to do with friends and family. There are many different ways to go about making a bouffant, but here is the way that Adeleen’s mother Johanne did it. (Check out the video of Adeleen above.) Only a Parisienne could come up with something so chic. Thanks, Johanne!
A BOUFFANT IN SEVEN EASY STEPS
- Bend forward and have a grown-up brush your hair over your head.
- Have a grown-up place a plastic water bottle inside your hair without the cap on. Use a smaller water bottle if your hair is shorter.
- Put a hair elastic around the hair and the top of the water bottle.
- Spray the hair to keep it in place.
- Take a ribbon and criss-cross it around the hair do a couple times and then tie a knot or bow.
- Insert artificial flowers in the bottle, and in the sides of the hairdo. Add bows, barrettes, butterflies, feathers or anything else you want.
- Voila—a bouffant! Go admire yourself in the mirror.
If you have a bouffant birthday, send me the pictures and I’ll post them on the site!
Below, are a few more gorgeous bouffants that girls got at various book signings:
REVIEWS
The reviews for Big Bouffant are starting to come in!
Here are the links:
Posh Little Baby
Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews
HERE ARE SOME INTERVIEWS
I have started doing some classroom visits. Last week, I read Big Bouffant to Ms. Patel’s fourth graders at the Berkeley Carroll School, and then talked to them about the writing process. One girl quoted her third grade teacher who had said, “a story is like a meal, and you don’t want to pull the fork out too quickly.” I love that idea. So often in picture books, writers focus on condensing their stories so much that they forget about the middle. It’s important to throw multiple obstacles in front of your protagonist, even in a picture book:
Later in the week, I received this beautiful card:
Inside was a small pocket filled with ideas that we had generated during our discussion. Here were some of them:
It can take years to find the right words
It takes a really long time to write a book
You can create a story after you make a title
You make lots of drafts in writing
You can write a picture book that rhymes
Triple or quadruple check your work
I also read the story to Ms. McKay’s second grade class at Berkeley Carroll. These kids already knew that stories need problems, a main character, supporting characters, a hook at the beginning…I was so impressed! We then talked about special qualities that Annabelle had, and the children wrote pieces about special qualities that they have. One boy suggested that I write a book called Mini Mohawk, in which Annabelle’s brother gets a new do.
I did this same exercise in a kindergarten class at P.S. 29, with very nice results: I wish I could post them all!
I'm an artist.
I can sing.
BOOK SIGNINGS
March 4, 2011 | Books of Wonder
On March 4th, we had an incredible launch party for the Big Bouffant at Books of Wonder in Manhattan. A team of fabulous moms helped makes bouffants and other amazing hair styles for the children. There were well over a hundred people at the event. Thanks to all who turned out for the event. Here are some pictures.
March 23, 2011 | My Book Smart
Check out the pictures from this fabulous event ago at My Book Smart in Morgan Hills, California. The hair salon Cherisse co-hosted the event and made fabulous bouffants for the children. Girls were also able to make their own headbands. So fun!
March 24, 2011 | The Towne Center
Here are pictures from a really fun event that I did at The Towne Center bouffants. There were mother/daughter bouffants, a boy with a mini-Mohawk, and bouffant Cupcakes. Thanks to Judy, the owner who made it happen!
March 25, 2011 | Hicklebee’s
I did a signing at the wonderful Hicklebee’s in San Jose. This bookstore has a tradition of letting authors and illustrators sign its walls. The bathrooms are spectacular! Here are pictures of the walls, and a couple pictures from the event. I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk to Valerie and Monica, the sister who have run Hicklebee’s for thirty-two years.
March 26, 2011 | The Reading Bug
The final event I did in California was at The Reading Bug, a gorgeous bookstore in San Carlos, California. The store hosted a day of beauty, and girls came in costume and did their hair and nails. Thanks to Lauren and Diane for making the event such a success. Check out the pictures here.
May 15, 2011 | Barnes & Noble
I did a book signing and hair party at the Barnes and Noble on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Children got hair-dos afterwards, and a good time was had by all. Special thanks to my friend, Kristin Mensing for making the hairdos, and to Sara Duston, the Community Relations Manager at the store. View the photos.