Catie and Zach’s Baba and I have a plan. Their maternal grandmother has found a wonderful bookstore nearby that has author signings, an Unlikely Story (http://www.anunlikelystory.com/). We both watch events and I tell her when I think the kiddos would enjoy a signing. (Naomi, if you’re reading this, Marty Kelly ought to be really fun on April 18th!)
We got psyched when Jarrett J. Krosoczka was to come in January. I turned Naomi onto his amazing Ted Talk, “How a Boy Became an Artist” (link below) https://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_j_krosoczka_how_a_boy_became_an_artist?language=en
He’s famous for his Lunch Lady graphic novel series (Knopf, ages 6 and up)and the superhero lunch lady who proclaims at the end of each “Justice is served.” (See his link about that: https://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_krosoczka_why_lunch_ladies_are_heroes?language=en) about the School Lunch Hero Day.
I’ve been watching Krosoczka ever since I read Baghead (Dragonfly, ages 4-6), the story of a boy who spends a school day with a bag over his head…a puzzling mystery right up until the resolution reveal.
The plan I’m hatching with Naomi/Baba is to take the children to signings and take pictures of them with the authors/illustrators. This is an idea that I began for my children thanks to Jody Fickes Shapiro who ran a bookstore in Ventura, Adventures for Kids. She suggested (and I came to believe) that children own books in a new way when their picture with an author is glued into the front. I have a whole collection of these books and lots of memories–Charlotte Zolotow at 70+ holding 2 week old Emmy; Ben with James Marshall after the author talked him down from a fit because I wouldn’t buy him a puppet; the Valentine’s Day we all dressed in red to meet Aliki.
At any rate, Naomi planned to take the kiddos to see Jarrett Krosoczka, only the signing landed on the day of Catie’s birthday party. Still it prodded my memory of how wonderful his books are for younger children and I sent his Good Night, Monkey Boy (ages 1-5) for Zach. The very simple story tells of a boy who’s just as active as Zach.
Imagine my delight when Ben sent a wonderful video of Catie and Zach caught in delighted sharing of this book. They’re putting into practice something I think of as book heaven which occurs when an older sibling on the verge of reading shares a book with a younger sibling who loves listening. Here’s proof and evidence of a wonderful new tradition Ben is bringing to his family! (Follow link below)
