Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014
You're Invited!
BOOKMOBILE Unveiling
A special Holiday Event
on December 20th
at Ames Public Library
More than a year ago, I was asked by the folks at the Ames Public Library if I would design and create the artwork for a new bookmobile they were planning. Though it was daunting to think of creating artwork for the side of a bookmobile that's nine feet tall and thirty feet long, it was an exciting challenge. Ames Public Library is a very special place to me. I grew up in Ames, Iowa and spent many hours at the library getting lost in books of all kinds. Ames Public Library is where I saw an author speak for the very first time.
I spent most of the summer and fall designing and creating the artwork that wraps around the new bookmobile and we're going to unveil it in Ames on December 20th. If you're in Ames, Iowa or if you're traveling there for the holidays, please come by and say hello. I'm going to be showing some fun, behind-the-scenes pictures of the creation, there will be books available for purchase (signed books make the best holiday gifts for young readers). And of course, we'll be unveiling the brand new bookmobile for the very first time...
Saturday, December 20th
10:00 am
Ames Public Library
515 Douglas Avenue
The presentation will begin at 10am,
followed by the unveiling.
Books will be available for purchase and signing
See you there!
Monday, November 24th, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, August 29th, 2014
.jpg)
HOT ROD HAMSTER: MONSTER TRUCK MANIA!
is announced as a "2014 Best Books for Children"
title by the American Booksellers Association
The American Booksellers Association announced the titles for the 2014 ABC Best Books Catalog this week and a certain speedy Hamster made the list! Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania! is featured as one of the Best Books for 2014 in the "Picture Books" category.
Many thanks to the American Booksellers Association for including our furry Hamster Hero on their list!
Go Hot Rod Hamster!
For the rest of the titles on the list, click Here.
Tuesday, August 26th, 2014
.jpg)
A Brand NEW HOT ROD HAMSTER book
is out in the world!
There's a brand new book in Hot Rod Hamster's universe and it's out today! When our editor at Scholastic Press first approached Cynthia Lord and me about continuing Hamster's adventures in a new series of books, we had to think long and hard about it.
Hot Rod Hamster was first published in 2009 to great acclaim, earning a spot on Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year list and collecting a nice round of awards including a Parents' Choice Award, the South Carolina Picture Book Award, Wyoming's Buckaroo Award, Mississippi's Magnolia Award and spots on award master lists in Colorado, Ohio and Iowa. Hot Rod Hamster quickly became a favorite character in the world of young readers with two additional adventures, Happy Birthday, Hamster and Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania!
Hot Rod Hamster, Dog and those mischievous mice are very special to me, but these books are incredibly time consuming to illustrate and my schedule is rapidly filling up with fun new characters, stories and books. The folks at Scholastic suggested bringing on another illustrator that would learn to create Hot Rod Hamster and the details of his world for the interior illustrations in these new books. It wasn't easy to find the right illustrator for the job, but we did. His name is Greg Paprocki.
Cynthia Lord continues to write and I will paint the covers for each new book in this series of Hot Rod Hamster early readers. However, I'm stepping into more of an art director role for the interior work. Greg has done a fabulous job of capturing and continuing Hot Rod Hamster's world.
The first in this new series is called Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race! and I think you'll find it to be a fun, exciting new addition to Hamster's fast-paced, high octane, pedal-to-the-metal universe. Fasten your seatbelts, another new Hot Rod Hamster book will be coming in January!
Thursday, May 29th, 2014
Derek Anderson speaking to students at Indian Creek Elementary in Marion, Iowa
Even MORE Fun with School Visits
(and Bookstore Events)
~ Part Three ~
Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania! was published by Scholastic Press on March 25th. This book took longer to create than any book I've made before. I spent an entire year creating the sketches and paintings. There's a lot to look at and experience in this one- we really packed in the fun. So it has been a great book to speak to groups about.
In early April, shortly after Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania! was published, I was off to Ames, Iowa (my hometown) to speak in the schools and at the Iowa State University Bookstore.
It was a very busy Friday! I spoke to students at Sawyer Elementary school. Kirsti Minion, the media specialist there, really went out of her way to make this visit happen.
This was the display case just outside the school office at Sawyer. It was great to see all the students' designs for their own hot rods!
I spoke at Meeker Elementary later that same morning. This was Media Specialist Lisa Dolan's first week back. Thanks, Lisa, for another fun morning at your school!
And in the afternoon I spoke at Fellows. Thanks to Nancy Kever for putting together a really nice visit.
And I spoke to a nice crowd at the Iowa State University Book Store on Saturday morning. Here, the always-fabulous Amy Delashmutt, Marketing & Customer Service manager at the store is doing a nice introduction.
I traveled to Marion, Iowa (near Cedar Rapids) the next week where I was featured as part of their Stories Alive program. I spoke in seven elementary schools in two days. The first was Indian Creek Elementary where I spent time with the fabulous Sally Reck.
The students made these amazing, giant versions of my characters for their library. On the wall behind me you can see (from left) Gladys, Little Quack, Farmer and Dog from Story County and Hot Rod Hamster.
Hot Rod Hamster coming through!
I had a great time with the teachers and students at Novak Elementary.
This is at Bowman Woods Elementary. I like to engage the kids from the very beginning of my presentation.
One of the most common things I hear from people trying to take pictures at my speaking events is that I never stand still long enough to get a good photo. I get very animated when I speak, it's just part of putting on a good show.
Still the same day... speaking at Echo Hill Elementary in Marion, Iowa. The goal of these presentations is not to just get kids excited about reading and books. It's to inspire them to create- to get them excited about the possiblities in this world.
I try to bring a fresh perspective to creativity and the imagination. The imagination is such an exciting place to visit. Though kids are naturally creative, they can't always get there when they want to. Sometimes students just need a little inspiration to help them find their way.
I got a bright and early start at Wilkins Elementary the next morning.
On the move again, this time at Linn Grove Elementary.
I speak in all kinds of spaces. Really, it's wherever they can fit the students. I've given presentations in libraries, classrooms, auditoriums, rotundas, gymnasiums, and cafeterias. They have a really nice sized library at Westfield Elementary, but there were so many students they ended up sitting between bookshelves and around tables at the very back of the room. It ended up working just fine.
The art teacher at Westfield Elementary had the students draw and paint Hot Rod Hamster and Little Quack before my visit. The halls leading into the media center at Westfield were lined with them. This is such an incredible exercise for students. They learn so much about the characters and, more importantly, they learn about their own abilities and what they're capable of.
I loved all of them. Every painting is unique and I'm not exaggerating when I say this- they're absolutely brilliant!
Many thanks to Sally Reck, Cynde Duncan, Carla Clanin, Katie Merulla, Tiffany Miller, Melissa Alexander, Deb Wegmann, and all the principals, teachers and volunteers at the schools in Marion, Iowa for your hospitality and the warm welcome.
I returned to the Twin Cities just in time to do a fun book launch at Red Balloon Bookshop for Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania! Thanks to Amy Oelkers, the fantastic folks at Red Balloon, and everybody that came that day.
.jpg)
In late May, I flew to Midland, Texas to speak at Emerson Elementary's Reading Rodeo. It was so much fun!
When Librarian Susan Harmon explained to one of the younger groups that I'd flown all the way from Minnesota, one asked how I'd gotten the easel (that I was using for the drawing demonstration) on the plane. I love how kids think!
Susan Harmon hosted a terrific dinner the night before our big day at the Reading Rodeo. It was great getting to know the teachers. Here, I'm posing for a quick pic with the kindergarten teachers at Emerson- Claire Rhodes, Caitlin Shults, Sarah Chesworth, (that freakishly tall fellow in the middle is me) Jody Garmon and Paige Shaw. Paige knows how to serve up one mean glass of lemonade.
Posing for a pic with the super-fun Caitlin Shults and her color-coordinated kindergarten class.
Here's Principal Lina Baiza and Emerson's terrific Librarian, Susan Harmon. Susan is so energetic and is an absolute joy to be around. She took care of every last detail of this visit. She made my job easy- all I had to do was get up and speak.
Many thanks to all my new friends at Emerson Elementary in Midland, Texas!
This has been one of the busiest speaking years I've ever had, and I've loved every minute of it. Thank you to all the teachers, media specialists, librarians and principals in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Texas for the time and energy you took to bring me in to speak to your students. Your endless enthusiasm and commitment to books, reading, creativity and the imagination is making a difference in the lives of your students.
Friday, May 16th, 2014
Derek Anderson demonstrating how to draw Hot Rod Hamster for a group of students in Hastings, Michigan in March
More Fun with School Visits
in Minnesota, Michigan and more!
~ Part Two ~
As I said earlier, I've been visiting a lot of schools this spring. Luckily, I have an excellent booking agent (Jean Dayton) that helps with planning and all the details. Between deadlines and speaking engagements, I don't have a lot of extra time these days.
In late February I visited Zimmerman Elementary School. I had such a great time with Sarah Montplaisir (on the left in the picture below) and all the teachers and students there. The teachers had gotten thick, fancy black glasses like the ones I wore as a kid and wore them to my presentations. Sarah and the other teachers looked great in them!
Sarah Montplaisir (left), Derek and Becky Gamm at Zimmerman Elementary
Hey, that guy looks familiar! Teachers use so much creativity when they invite authors and illustrators in to speak. This fellow (my head on a race car driver's body) was hanging up in the media center at Zimmerman Elementary along with a "Hot Rod Reading" track. It was such a smooth transition from my head to that driver's body, it took me a minute to figure out how they dressed me in a racing uniform without me knowing about it!
I always love to receive drawings of my characters by young readers. This drawing of Hot Rod Hamster is by Alex Vassar who is in kindergarten, lives in Minnesota and is already an excellent artist. Way to go, Alex!
In March, I visited Countryside Elementary in Edina, Minnesota. You never know what the weather in Minnesota is going to do that time of year. It could be sunny and mild or we could get a foot of snow. Believe me, both have happened. We lucked out with the weather and I ended up having a great day with Laura Mestler and the students at Countryside.
The next week I flew off to Michigan. I spent four days in Hastings speaking in all the elementary schools there. I've only been to Michigan twice, the last time was in 2011 to speak to librarians at their annual Spring Institute in Lansing. Peggy Hemerling, an amazing youth services librarian, invited me back for this visit. She's such a great host and did a terrific job of coordinating the schools and my presentations there.
I started my week on St. Patrick's Day. I always make sure to wear green when I'm speaking in schools on that particular day. Students take wearing green very seriously and I don't want to get pinched!
The principals in Hastings were great- they're all so dedicated to their students. Many of them introduced me and stayed for all of my presentations. This picture is from Northeastern Elementary in Hastings, Michigan. It was taken by Principal Don Schils. Many thanks, Mr. Schils, for introducing me and hanging around to take pictures during my presentations.
Here I'm speaking about the cover of Hot Rod Hamster and some of the details that I used to bring the character and the picture to life.
I always love to answer questions from students. Their curiosities are wide and varied depending on the age of the group I'm speaking to. They generally ask about ideas, where they come from and how I create my characters. I've been doing this for years and I'm always surprised by a question or two in every group. One student in Michigan asked, "Have you ever accidentally made anything perfect?"
Teachers, librarians, and media specialists go to an enormous amount of work to bring in authors and illustrators. The very best visits are a result of the teachers taking some time, in the days and weeks before my visit, to speak with their students about my books and what authors and illustrators do. That preparation makes a huge difference. It creates excitement and curiosity and the students get so much more out of the experience when they've escaped into the worlds of my characters and want to know more about them.
Coming next, Part Three!
