Princesses & Art: A Signing with Julie Fortenberry

On Saturday, October 25th, Alazar Press and Flyleaf Books hosted a wonderful celebration!

Julie Fortenberry, author-illustrator of The Artist and the King (Alazar, ages 3-7), read her book aloud to a bevy of darling little girls. They sat rapt as she read about young Daphne, an artist to the core, who is punished by the king and made to wear a dunce cap. Creative, inventive Daphne turns the cap into a princess hat and starts a fashion trend. Facing banishment for her second act, Daphne is supported by the most of the kingdom (including the king’s daughter). As they unite to fight for the right to make art, they sway the mean king who sports his own hat at the book’s end.

After the reading, the little girls who attended created their own darling princess hats from a table filled with fabulous embellishments.

One of my children’s book students had Julie sign her book and I convinced her to take a picture of her adorable little princess with the author.

Princess Ila and Julie Fortenberry

This is a practice I learned long ago from Jody Fickes Shapiro who was then the owner of Adventures for Kids in Ventura, CA. Sadly this marvelous children’s book store is closed. But thanks to Jody, who told me, “Take a picture of your children with an author and glue it in the book,” we have a marvelous collection of heirloom books. Below see pics of Emmy at 2 weeks old with grande dame of the industry Charlotte Zolotow and Ben and Emmy all dressed in red for a Valentine’s day signing with Aliki.

I only wish little Catie could have been there, she would have adored it and I would have adored having her there. Still, by next week, my grandchildren will have a signed copy of The Artist and the King to add to their collection.