(I haven’t figured out how to include captions, so, starting from top: Bernie Most and me; me drawing in a customer’s book – don’t worry, it’s my book 8-); here I am with my table partner, Cherise Mericle Harper; me and Gail Carson Levine; Eric Velasquez in front of Washington Irving’s home on the Hudson; me and Karen Romano Young).

Well, once again I was a guest at Celebrate Children’s Book Day, an annual festival of guess what? You are so clever if you guessed books for children. First of all, I think it’s very smart of the organizers, Beth Vetare-Civitello (DandyTales, New Canaan, Ct) and Susan Brandes of S&B Books (I think in Florida?) to hold it at Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s historical home in Tarrytown, NY. It has been sunny – to a fault – every year. They were very considerate to provide giant sun shading umbrellas this year. (I am proud to brag that I brought a beach umbrella one year, and ever since, they’ve suggested to the authors to prepare for the sun.)

And what a glorious day it was! How could it NOT be – you’re going to cry when you see who you missed:

Tony Abbott
Nora Raleigh Baskin
Alyssa Capucilli
Judith Caseley
David Gavril
Jean Craighead George
Joan Elizabeth Goodman
Charise Mericle Harper
Yumi Heo
David Johnson
Alan Katz
Chris Kubie
Gail Carson Levine
Alice Low
Jean Marzollo
Barbara McClintock
Florence Minor
Wendell Minor
Lloyd Moss
Bernie Most
Pat Schories
Phyllis Shalant
Stephanie Spinner
Jean Van Leeuwen
Eric Velasquez
Monica Wellington
Karen Romano Young
Richard Brenner
Nick Bruel
Raul Colon
Bruce Degen
Jules Feiffer
Kate Feiffer
Dan Greenburg
J.C. Greenburg
Christopher Hart
Arthur Howard
Susan Jeffers
Peter Lerangis
Rafe Martin
Wendy Mass
Jim McFarland
Lyn Rossiter McFarland
Jamison Odone
Karen Kaufman Orloff
Gloria Jean Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney
Susanna Reich
Marisabina Russo
Todd Strasser
Mark Teague
Tim Tocher
Lee Welles
Howard Fine
Gloria Koster
Michael Rex
Roni Schotter
Peter Sis
Mara Van Fleet
Matt Van Fleet
Ed Young

But don’t cry, because you can come next year. And maybe you’ll let me take some shots of you, too.

See you soon,
Katie