Picture books are amazing works of literature, and spectacular works of art! As a member of the Gaithersburg Book Festival committee, an elementary school librarian, and a mom of four kids, I love to read books. Love. Love. Books! Lots. And lots. of. Books. I love the words, and I love the illustrations. I love to hold the books in my hands and feel the pages when I turn them. When I read picture books, my students and I analyze and discuss the artwork as much (and sometime, more than) the actual words on the pages. We discuss the cover art, the colors and art on the end pages, the title page, and all of the pages that follow. My students and I experience the books using the Whole Book Approach described in detail by Megan Dowd Lambert in Reading Picture Books with Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking about What They See.
In this blog post I am focusing on four talented author/ illustrators that are coming to the Gaithersburg Book Festival on the May 20th. I hope you will take time to come see these four, and many other authors and illustrators and a variety of other activities and for all ages.
Brian Floca and Chris Van Dusen share thoughts about Friends Misbehaving in the Jim Henson Pavilion, 12:15-1:05 pm.
Featured Children’s book illustrator
Presentation: Friends Misbehaving
12:15-1:05 pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion
From Candlewick Press: Princess Cora is sick of boring lessons. She’s sick of running in circles around the dungeon gym. She’s sick, sick, sick of taking three baths a day. And her parents won’t let her have a dog. But when she writes to her fairy godmother for help, she doesn’t expect that help to come in the form of a crocodile—a crocodile who does not behave properly. With perfectly paced dry comedy, children’s book luminaries Laura Amy Schlitz and Brian Floca send Princess Cora on a delightful outdoor adventure — climbing trees! getting dirty! having fun! — while her alter ego wreaks utter havoc inside the castle, obliging one pair of royal helicopter parents to reconsider their ways.
Brian Floca’s website: http://brianfloca.com/princess-cora-and-the-crocodile.html
All the Wonders Interview http://www.allthewonders.com/?s=princess+cora
Locomotive (2014 Caldecott Honor Book): http://brianfloca.com/locomotive.html
Locomotive Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18-XZ7SB6I
Featured Children’s Book Author/Illustrator
Presentation: Friends Misbehaving
12:15-1:05pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion
From the publisher: Hattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she grabs her life jacket and paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song on her way. When her singing draws up from the depths a huge mysterious beast, everyone in town is terrified — except Hattie, who looks into the creature’s friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster. So Hattie sneaks out at night to see the giant — whom she names Hudson — and the two become friends. But how can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn’t scary or dangerous at all? Chris Van Dusen brings his colorful, perspective-bending artwork to this satisfying new story about acceptance, friendship, and sticking up for those who are different.
Chris Van Dusen’s website: http://www.chrisvandusen.com/
Video Interview with Chris Van Dusen: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/vandusen
Joining forces on the How to Illustrate Humor in the Jim Henson Pavilion are Brian Biggs and Tom Lichtenheld.
Featured Children’s book Author/ Illustrator
Presentation How to Illustrate Humor
11:15am-12:05pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion
From the publisher: It’s a noisy night in this city building! The residents of each floor can hear their neighbors above them, and are wondering what’s going on above their heads. Climb floor by floor and page by page to find out whose singing, dancing, cheering, and cooing are keeping a grumpy old man awake.
With innovative split-level spreads that offer the feeling of climbing an apartment building floor by floor, this clever and colorful collaboration between New York Times–bestselling author Mac Barnett and gifted illustrator Brian Biggs offers an irresistible investigation of one noisy night.
Mac Barnett -TED Talk – Why a Good Book is a Secret Door
Noisy Night Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMh0OOhigKo
Featured Children’s book Author/ Illustrator
Presentation How to Illustrate Humor
11:15am -12:05pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion
From Chronicle Books: At last—here from the team behind the beloved international bestseller comes a companion to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. Al
l of our favorite trucks are bac1k on the construction site—this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small! Down in the big construction site, the crew faces their biggest job yet, and will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Working as a team, there’s nothing they can’t do! The millions of fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are in for a mighty good time!
Library of Congress presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jInkwtDkrjg
Mighty, Mighty Construction Site Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCsia3xndoA
All the Wonders podcast Interview: http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/sherri-duskey-rinker-and-tom-lichtenheld-all-the-wonders-episode-327/
Good night, Good night, Construction Site: http://www.tomlichtenheld.com/childrens_books/goodnight-goodnight-construction-site.html
Cloudette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxXhqXTmIs
Exclamation Mark! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWnPSLYO9aM
Sing! http://www.tomlichtenheld.com/childrens_books/sing.html
About the Festival:
In its 8th year, the Gaithersburg Book Festival was originally conceived and introduced by (then City Council member and now Gaithersburg Mayor) Jud Ashman with the support of the mayor and City Council, and the Cultural Arts Advisory Committee. GBF is produced by a core committee comprised of city staff and a dedicated group of volunteers who donate their time and talent. For more information about the Gaithersburg Book Festival, please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org
About Melissa:
Melissa A. McDonald, MLS, is a School Library Media Specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools and Children’s and Teen’s Workshops Coordinator for the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Melissa writes the blog The Creative Librarian – Adventures in School Librarianship. She is also a proud mom, animal lover, avid reader, and volunteer extraordinaire who lives in Maryland.
The 
The Creative Librarian 