A Handful of Carrots

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of arriving home from school and running to my room to see if my mom had left anything special there.  These memories might be why I adore Pinkwater's newest book, Bear in Love.  Perfectly illustrated by a gentleman I have had the pleasure of meeting, Hillenbrand's artwork somehow manages to infuse a giant brown bear with a quirky, genial nature.

This is a story about the excitement of finding a surprise left for you, but also about how enjoyable leaving something special for someone else can be.  The "mailbox" in this narrative is a flat rock and the special somethings start out as carrots and go on to include some honey, a daisy, a paw-ful of blueberries, a cookie and a scavenged candy bar (with only two bites missing!).  In the end, a meet cute unites the mystery friends and they sit "side by side in the clearing, singing songs as the sun went down."

If socializing with the delightful Will Hillenbrand sounds even more exciting than a scavenged candy bar (with only two bites missing!), consider coming to A Tasting with Friends on September 13th where he'll be one of our guests!  This is an opportunity to leave the little ones at home and enjoy some grown-up conversation over books and beverages.  You could even bring home a signed copy of Bear in Love as an extra-special surprise.  That's certainly more exciting than a handful of carrots.

Back Stage Pass

Famous athletes, movies stars, and musicians are used to posing for pictures and having eager fans ask for an autograph. Authors and illustrators, especially of children’s books, have recently gotten a taste of this type of fame. Think J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter series, or Jeff Kinney, author of the wildly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. We are lucky enough to have a fabulous children’s illustrator visiting us in two weeks and we’d like to give him a rock star welcome. Will Hillenbrand has illustrated many children's books, the most recent of which, Don’t Slam the Door, has gotten rave reviews for its hilarious illustrations and boisterous rhymes.

So, if you’ve got a budding author or illustrator at home, or just a child who loves to read, bring the whole family to see Will on August 11th from 2pm-3pm at the Centerville Library. I’ll be the one jumping up and down in line waiting for his autograph.