Annabelle was tired
of birthdays at the zoo.
She yawned at the monkeys
and the baby kangaroo.

My birthday is soon.
It’s practically here.
I think I’ll have a party
on the moon this year.

Annabelle is determined to have a birthday that stands out from the rest. But wearing spacesuits and partying in a place with no atmosphere create some challenges that Annabelle didn’t expect.

Will her out-of-this-world birthday party still be a blast?

Ponytails and braids!
Ponytails and braids!
I don’t see anything but
ponytails and braids!

This class needs some fashion.
This class needs some fun.
I’ll find a hairdo to impress
everyone.

Annabelle doesn’t want the same boring hairstyle that all the other girls have. When she spies a picture of her grandma, she has the perfect idea: a big bouffant! But how can she make her style stand up? And will her classmates really be impressed with her daring ’do?

About the Author

I graduated from Amherst College in 1988 with a degree in English and Philosophy. Before becoming an author, I worked as a social worker, an elementary school teacher and an illustrator. In 2011, I received my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I presently live in Brooklyn, New York with my husband and two sons. My books are Big Bouffant (spring, 2011) and its sequel, Big Birthday (spring, 2012). I also have a picture book entitled Infinity and Me, coming out (fall 2012). All three books are published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing.

About the Illustrator

Holly Clifton-Brown has illustrated many imaginative children’s books, including Big Bouffant (Carolrhoda Books). She is also the author and illustrator of Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza (Andersen Press USA). Holly lives in London. You can visit her website at www.hollycliftonbrown.co.uk.

I was very lucky to be paired with Holly Clifton Brown for these books. I especially love the depth of her illustrations.  I think she achieves this richness by doing a lot of her work by hand before scanning it into the computer and manipulating it. She also uses many interesting textures like fabric and paper bags, but she integrates them seamlessly so that they do not distract the reader. Her sense of whimsy was just right for Big Bouffant and Big Birthday, and her palettes and patterns speak for themselves. If you are interested in learning more about how Holly works, check out her blog: hollycliftonbrown.blogspot.com.