Don’t miss these exciting upcoming events with Michael Slack!

Tomorrow, Friday May 4th from 6pm-6:30pm, Slack will be participating in a pajama party at Diesel Book Shop in Larkspur, CA. Kids are invited to put on their PJs and listen to Slack read them a bedtime story- he’ll even sign your copy of the book when it’s over! Click here for more info about this fun event.

Additionally, on Saturday May 19th, Slack will be attending the Turn the Page Children’s Book Festival at Children’s Fairyland Oakland, CA, where children can meet the him and enjoy read-alouds and art activities with their favorite picture book authors and illustrators. Click here for more information.

Arlene’s Artist Materials store will open a unique exhibition featuring work done by Albany artist and illustrator Elizabeth Zunon on May 3rd to May 26th in their newly christened R Gallery. Elizabeth will be displaying original book illustrations and oil portraits- in her favorite art supply store for materials that make her artwork come to life!

Opening reception is tomorrow, May 3 from 5:30-7:30pm.

Here’s a Facebook link to the event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1766977849989087/

The wait is over! You can now purchase the adorable picture book I Am a Bird, written by Dana Walrath and illustrated by Jaime Kim. Released yesterday, this book celebrates the bonds between fathers, sons, and nature. A father and son spend a day at the beach, exploring connections and relationships between themselves and the nature that surrounds them in this poetic picture book debut.

Get your copy of I Am a Bird here.

Happy book birthday to the Lily D V.A.P. series, written by Madeleine West and illustrated by Joanie Stone! Lily D is a very busy girl. She does ballet on Mondays, tap on Tuesdays, acrobatics on Wednesdays, singing on Thursdays, and drama on Fridays. But drama is her absolute favorite. It’s Lily’s dream to become a performance artist when she grows up and  thinks of herself as a VAP (a Very Amazing Performer).

Lily understands that success requires hard work and respect, neither of which can be achieved overnight. In each book in the series Lily ‘goes method’ to inhabit a theatrical character and learns something about the lives of others and her own along the way.

Grab your copies of this charming series here!

Congratulations to Ashley Spires, whose picture book The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do has been selected for the Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2018 list in the Age 5-9 category! This delightful picture book teaches young kids about courage and resilience, with endearing artwork and laughs along the way.

Check out the full Age 5-9 list list here and all categories here.

Happy book birthday to Gordon: Bark to the Future! by Ashley Spires! The junior graphic novel is the latest installment of Spires’ popular P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) series, and stars Gordon, a genius dog who must use his super intelligence to combat aliens and save his friends (and his humans). But when his plan to travel back in time goes wrong, will Gordon be able to help after all?

Gordon: Bark to the Future! has already received a handful of great reviews, preceding its release. Kirkus Review calls it “wry, dry, and adorable,” insisting that newcomers to the series “will want to start at the Binky-beginning when done” and championing Spires’ “hilariously deadpan narration.” Booklist describes it as “ridiculous in the best way and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.” School Library Journal remarks that “Spires once more offers strong writing, and her adorable and quirky cartoon illustrations are well composed.”

Don’t miss out on this laugh-out-loud funny book- grab your copy of Gordon: Bark to the Future! here today.

Get ready to meet your new favorite, friendly, carrot-seeking bunny, LaRue! Michael Slack‘s Bunny Built hits shelves today, and readers – along with LaRue – are in for a BIG treat. Find out what happens when a community of common-sized critters find a colossal carrot in this sweet tale about friendship.

Grab your copy of Bunny Built here.

Happy book birthday to Constance Lombardo‘s Mr. Puffball: Escape from Castaway Island! The third book in Lombardo’s Mr. Puffball trilogy, Escape from Castaway Island follows the final adventure of everyone’s favorite feline. Chock-full of drama, jokes, and stunts galore, Mr. Puffball’s escapades on his road to Hollywood stardom are sure to delight readers. In this eagerly anticipated conclusion, Mr. Puffball dives headfirst into the thrilling world of reality TV.  Will this be his ticket to the red carpet?

Grab your copy of Mr. Puffball: Escape from Castway Island here today to find out.

Since its surprise release on March 18th, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo has garnered non-stop attention and praise. Illustrated by EG Keller aka Painted Words’ very own Gerald Kelley, the book was the #1 most sold book on Amazon Charts for two weeks in a row, and still remains in the top 5 this week. It’s currently #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list for picture books, and has been posted about on prominent news outlets such as People, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, where it’s currently #10 on the fiction best-selling book list. John Oliver appeared on The Ellen Show to talk about the book, as well as Late Night with Seth Meyers, where Meyers commented on the “gorgeous illustrations” by Keller aka Kelley.

Show some more love for Marlon Bundo and the two great charities (The Trevor Project and AIDS United) that benefit from your purchase by ordering a copy here today.

Happy book birthday to Exotic Fruit by Huy Voun Lee! Exotic Fruit is a board book that introduces kids to nine varieties of fruits that aren’t indigenous to the United States. Going beyond mere apples and oranges, this vibrant picture book both informs and entertains, with colorful drawings that reveal the inside and outside of each fruit, as well as their origin and alternate names.

You can grab your copy of Exotic Fruit here.