Empire State Building lit in Yellow

If you look this week at the nighttime skyline in NYC, you may notice the Empire State Building is lit up in yellow.

Why? Mayor Michael Bloomberg has officially declared May 5–12 to be Project Sunshine Week (their logo is yellow like sunshine), in honor of the 10-year-old nonprofit organization that connects hospitalized children worldwide with visiting volunteers, celebrities and others. And one of the group’s new programs, the Project Sunshine Book Club, is who I worked with when I visited the Lincoln Hospital.

And there's an article all about it in Publisher's Weekly (plus a photo of How To Be A Baby: By Me, The Big Sister and me and Markell at the Lincoln Hospital) which you can read here.

Otters Holding Hands

what about these two??

charity: water mothers' day gift

here's a great way to send love to a mother you love, give the gift of water and support a great charity at the same time.

Click here to find out how to buy a bracelet, send an e-card, more.

Reading in Bryant Park

This coming Saturday, May 10th, Children's Book Week 2008 kicks off in New York's Bryant Park from 12-5pm. The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka will give the welcome and there'll be readings, activities, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George and everyone!

PLUS... I'll be reading from the gloriously silly hysterically brilliantly incredibly outrageously enjoyable book of all time in the whole entire universe EVER: How To Be A Baby: By Me, The Big Sister. (Well, actually there are loads of other great books being read all day long by lots of supremely fabulous authors and illustrators.) If you're in the 'hood, stop by. We'd love to see you! I'm on at 4.30PM with a book signing afterwards.

more info at The Children's Book Council.

best book recommendation ever

Did you hear about this? A book that kept a woman from getting run over?

An SUV crashed into her yard, The Salem News (Beverly, MA) reported a week or so ago. But Judy had gone indoors.

"Because I'm old, I came in to take a break from raking and sat down with a book," Judy Powers said. (Summer Light by Luanne Rice.) Minutes later, "I heard the brakes squealing for what seemed like forever."

Powers told a reporter after the accident that "she hadn't been able to reach her insurance agent and didn't know how extensive the damage was. She did, however, recommend the book . . ."

the night sky

there was a wonderful piece in The New York Times last week by David Brooks.

He talks about how a short essay (on the way people in the Middle Ages viewed the night sky) has been sitting on his desk beckoning to him, from the gloom of presidential campaign-attack-ad-tracking-poll-renouncing-mania, like a "refreshing dip in a cool and cleansing pool".

The essay, C S Lewis and the Star of Bethlehem by Michael Ward (Chaplain of Peterhouse College, Cambridge), appeared in Books & Culture.

And Dr Michael Ward himself will be appearing in NYC on May 27th at Socrates In The City to speak about his book Planet Narnia.


To register for the event, click here.

Mr giant leaf-tailed gecko esq. of madagascar

what about him? isn't he good. kind of makes a great start to the day.

(he only lives in Madagascar and is endangered.)

(In other news: it's true. You were totally misled. Tuesday wasn't Grandparents day at all and just a plain, old regular one. By the time I realized my error I couldn't very well send out a "Happy Not Grandparents Day" everyone. Besides, when you think about it, shouldn't every day be Grandparents day? And, after all, the book is IDEAL for mothers day... stop her... somebody... please)

grandmas and grandpas

Happy Grandparents Day!

Did you know there was one? Did you know it was today?

And what better way to celebrate it than to read (published on this very day) the authoritative text on the subject: The Ultimate Guide To Grandmas and Grandpas: an instruction manual for children on the nurture and care of grandparents, filled with expert advice, helpful pointers and useful tips.

What an invaluable resource to us all.

Do you need this book? Does someone near to you need it? Of course. But don't wait! Rush right this instant to the stores and get your copy today before it sells out.

Or else just, click here.