now appearing on a christmas album

Hold on to your hats. Yes, The Jesus Storybook Bible is appearing in a Christmas Album near you. It's in the wonderful Sara Groves' latest Christmas Album (she's wonderful and so is her music). It's read beautifully by 5 year old Toby Groves, in the song "It's True" and it's an exerpt from "The Light of The Whole World" story. I just listened to it and I love it. It reminds me of Charlie Brown's Christmas when the little boy at the end recites the christmas story. Listen here. Album available here on CD or mp3.

I'm reading on Winter's Eve, Lincoln Square

On Monday, December 1, 2008 it's the Ninth Annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square - NYC's largest holiday festival and I'm lucky enough to be reading. WHEN: Monday, December 1, 2008, 6:30 PM WHERE: American Bible Society Bookstore - Broadway at 61st Street WHAT: reading from HOW TO BE A BABY, HANDBAG FRIENDS, THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS and more. And signing books afterwards (what an ideal time for purchasing gifts!) more info here or call: 212 408-1201. More about Winter's Eve: Winter's Eve features free entertainment, food tastings, in-store activities and shopping around and about this colorful and vibrant neighborhood. Stores, restaurants, cultural organizations and public spaces in the district will be buzzing with activities for both children and adults. At the same time, sidewalks along Broadway from Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle to 68th Street will be alive with performers, street musicians, jugglers, stilt-walkers and more, making for a festive fun-filled stroll through the streets of this dynamic Upper West Side neighborhood. Celebration begins at Dante Park, Broadway & 63rd Street, with a neighborhood tree lighting featuring Grandma from the Big Apple Circus and others! Festivities continue along Broadway from Time Warner Center to 68th Street. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please call 212.581.3774

healing souls

"The soul is healed by being with children." Fyodor Dostoyevsky One of the great privileges of being an author is going into public schools with Authors Read Aloud of Learning Leaders. I get to go to PS 27 in Red Hook Brooklyn and read to the children in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes. It is a highlight of my year. Whatever I think I'm giving, they give back 100 fold. This photo shows me with my favorite class (and they're ALL my favorites). I'm reading Handbag Friends to them. After reading to them (having been into outer space, rescued some baby handbags, tamed a monster and sung a song and saved the day), here's what happens, it seems without fail. They rush up to me and give me a group hug. Something about this moment, points me to the core of why I am writing for children. It's that joy at the center of the experience of telling a story to a child. That's what I want to be about. Lately, in the class, we've even had time for questions. Last time, in the middle of various questions like "how long it takes to write a book?", "where you get your ideas from?", etc. A little girl put up her hand. "Yes," I said. "What's your question?" Still holding her hand up she said, "I love you."

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