Two Photographs

I was sorting through some work photos and came upon these two. The first photo is from an author visit in Montreal. No, I'm not yodelling. I'm teaching the kids a pirate song from the book "Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas." The first verse goes like this:
"We don't like washing behind our ears, or doing our multiplication.
When our noses drip we wipe on our sleeves, and we spit for relaxation."
Pretty catchy, no? (By the way, that instrument I'm playing is a 1937 Martin mandolin.)

The second photo is from the launch of "Valentine's Fall" at the Gladstone Hotel. That's my buddy Gary Clement trying to make me look as if I know what I'm talking about. Gary was the artist on our picture book "Ten Old Men and a Mouse" and we're going to be doing another one together.

Teaching time

Well, it's teaching time again. On Monday, January 24 my evening class in writing picture books begins at the University of Toronto. I always get a great group of enthusiastic people who love picture books and want to find their own stories. If you're interested, you can see the course here:

http://2learn.utoronto.ca/uoft/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=1150416

Or call 416 978-2400.

Hope to see you in class!

A boy and his banjo

Here is a look at the cover of my next book for kids, a novel called "Banjo of Destiny."

Jeremiah falls in love with the sound of old-time banjo music and wants to learn to play. But when his wealthy (or, as Jeremiah's best friend Luella says, "stinking rich") parents won't let him buy one, he decides to build a banjo himself. Or (to quote Luella again), to listen to his "inner nerd."

It's funny, it's dramatic, it's touching, it's romantic. Okay, maybe not romantic.

Closer to publication date I'll try and get around to publishing a picture of the banjo that Jeremiah (with some help from the author) builds.

The book will be published in March but is already up on Amazon and the other online book sites.

Happy New Year, everybody.