Denver Mayor Michael Hancock
Reads Hot Rod Hamster!
In May, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock took some time out to read Hot Rod Hamster to students at Garden Place Academy in Denver, Colorado. Our Hamster man is a big fan of any Mayor that gets behind literacy. Great job, Mayor Hancock, it looks like a rip-roaring time!
A Dragony Christmas
Making books is a pretty cool job. There's nothing else like it... and nothing more satisfying than seeing those books being enjoyed by young readers. Blaise (above left) and his twin brother, Ronan McDowell, received a copy of Waking Dragons for Christmas. We've been hearing from their father how there's been a lot of talk about dragons in their house these past weeks. It's a thrill to hear that Waking Dragons has sparked their imaginations.
Thanks to Ryan McDowell for forwarding on these photos!
A New Review for
WAKING DRAGONS!
ChicagoNow (A Chicago Tribune website) posted a terrific review of Waking Dragons by blogger Shari Schmidt.
Shari says, "The story moves quickly as good stories for young readers do..."
And here's what she has to say about the pictures in Waking Dragons, "...Artist Derek Anderson created illustrations worthy of a picture frame. You know how home design shows like to pull apart books to frame and hang the pages as art? These pages are so beautiful they could be hung on your walls."
Thanks to Shari Schmidt for a beautifully written review!
To read the full review, click HERE.
Hot Rod Hamster
is Making New Friends!
One of the coolest things about making books is hearing that they're read and loved by kids everywhere.
Garcelle Beauvais, the actress who stars with Denzel Washington in the new movie "Flight" answered some questions about her twin boys for People.com. When asked about the books her boys love, she says, "There are a lot of books that they can't get enough of. I cannot tell you how many times we've read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Curious George and Hot Rod Hamster."
I'm so glad to hear Hot Rod Hamster is making more friends out in the world! Thanks to my Hamster pal, Cynthia Lord, for sending this along!
To read the article, click HERE.
WAKING DRAGONS
in the Wall Street Journal
Waking Dragons was written up in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, October 12th. The dragons were mostly awake, thankfully, so they were on their best behavior. The folks at WSJ called Waking Dragons a "rhyming romp" and "...a cozy dragondom depicted in vivid colors." The article appeared in both the print and online versions of the newspaper.
Thanks to the Wall Street Journal for not upsetting our fire-breathing friends (and vice versa)!
To read the complete dragony article, please click HERE.
Storytime on the Excelsior Trolley
Derek travelled out to Excelsior, Minnesota in July to read and sign on the Excelsior Trolley. Trolleys were the public transportation system in the Twin Cities in the early 1900s. This particular car, more than a hundred years old, is still operational on a small stretch of track near Lake Minnetonka. This event was great fun- they rode the trolley up the track and then parked in a nice shady spot where Derek read and drew for his audience of young riders and readers.
Many thanks to Excelsior Bay Books for inviting Derek. And special thanks to all who came out. It couldn't have been a more perfect summer night!
Fun with Hot Rod Hamster!
Three cheers for Meg and her family in Washington. They fashioned a race car for Meg's entry into the Girl Scouts' upcoming Pinewood Derby race. Anyone that has ever sculpted anything knows this isn't easy, at all, to do.
Meg's car looks very speedy! If you've read the book Hot Rod Hamster, you'll know that the details are spot on! Dog and the three mice in the pit crew would be proud of this very impressive effort. Go Meg!
Happy Birthday, Hamster
is a Bank Street College
Best Book of the Year!
Hamster is having quite a year! His new book, Happy Birthday, Hamster has been selected by The Children's Book Committee, a division of Bank Street College of Education, as one of the Best Children's Books of the Year for 2012. The committee reviews over 6,000 titles each year before making it's final selections.
Endless Hamster thanks to our friends at Bank Street College for including Hamster's new birthday book on their list!
Derek Has a BRAND NEW
Creative Journal!
Is it a blog? We don't know. Is it a journal? Who can tell the difference these days. Call it a fun, new 'show and tell.' Derek has some things to show you and tell you about writing and illustrating books. Just click on over and see for yourself. It's easier than reading us ramble on...
Buckle your seatbelt and click HERE!
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