A tour bus from Mazza Museum of Picture Book Art in Findlay, Ohio arrived at my studio in Vermont in late June…with a picnic on the village green…a visit to the general store…and a visit to my studio…
42 children’s book enthusiasts and an elephant in my studio all at once. Tons of fun!
If you haven’t been to the Mazza Museum of Picture Book Art…absolutely worth a trip…and another…and another… they’ve a wonderful collection of original picture book art!
Thank you Mazza!!!
….I wasn’t the only author in the room!
Here’s ELEPHANT’S STORY made by the young authors and illustrators in Mrs. Meehan’s First Grade. It’s wonderful.
Here is a story quilt by Mrs. Charbonneau’s Kindergarteners….very cool.
Drawing Elephant Letters for the classrooms!
…There was even Elephant Cake…yum!
Mrs. Flickinger shares her library with a GIANT Bob…made a few years back…and still hanging out in the library…..a rooster that’s bigger than an Elephant!
I thought I was cool because I found an Elephant scarf…But Cally Flickinger was wearing of the t-shirts I designed for Shelburne Farms….very cool.
Thanks to Cally, Traci and everyone at Champlain School for making author visits fun!…I had a wonderful day with the kindergarten and first grade classes at Chamberlin School in Vermont….tcp
Celebrating Poetry Month with Elephant and Robert Frost…
Robert Frost’s Snowy Woods…with help from Elephant and Gracie…
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
…and fill
…and fill
…and fill
…and fill
My little horse must think it queer
That Spring will never visit here
Between the woods and frozen lake
The longest winter I do fear.
We give our heavy coats a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of gusty wind and heavy flake.
The woods are snowy, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
Please… a sign of Spring before I sleep,
Please… a sign of Spring before I sleep.
–Elephant, Gracie with help from Robert Frost and Tracey Campbell Pearson
The original (below) from Robert Frost works well December through February!
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost
Elephant says…Don’t forget to set your clock on your head before you go to bed!
It was my introduction to Ungerer’s work by Sendak…
that lit the spark…
that kindled the fire…
that changed my course…
and made me see…
a life and career that I could build.
Thirty years later…another spark from Ungerer became a book. (Link to The Story of ELEPHANT’S STORY below)
Tomi is back…
in film…
in an e-mail from Brad…
in response to questions…
I answered for a blog…..
Brad thought…with my connections to Sendak and Ungerer…I might be interested in his film: FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY
Absolutely!!!!
I saw it as soon as it was released. After reading about the film in the NYTimes last Spring….I planned my trip to Chicago for ALA around it’s screening at the GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER last June.
Loved it.
I’m thrilled to know that I can now download it on iTunes and/or see it on Netflix.
Now I can see it again….and again…
Thank you, Brad!!!…for making such a wonderful film…for capturing Tomi (and Maurice) and sharing them with the rest of us.
Links below…explore…enjoy…tcp
note that this is not a film for young children…but do read them Tomi’s books…and if you can find the early animations from Weston Woods…The Three Robbers is one of our favorites…delicious!
ps.…I found the ticket stub while I was cleaning my studio…just after I responded to Brad’s e-mail…hmmmm…
http://www.traceycampbellpearson.com/books/elephant/about-elephant.htm
The Elephant in the Room: 3 questions with Tracey Campbell Pearson
http://www.faroutthemovie.com
http://cornerofthecave.com
The snow won’t keep Elephant and Gracie away from the Norwich Bookstore’s event at The Norwich Public Library!…in Norwich, VT…just across the river from Hanover, NH.
Join us for reading….drawing…and tons of fun making Elephant Valentines…We’re back in VT and ready to play!… See you there…tcp
http://thebookjamblog.com
READ With Your Elephant from ELEPHANT’S Story by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Published by Margaret Ferguson Books by Farrar Straus Giroux
Elephant and Gracie have been having fun visiting bookstores and reading to kids…(no monkeys….yet!)
Thanks to all of the amazing independent booksellers we’re meeting in our travels.
Not only are they passionate about books…they don’t even blink when I bring an elephant into their stores!
We’ve been posting when we can on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/traceycampbellpearson
As well as Elephant’ Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elephants-Story-by-Tracey-Campbell-Pearson/509037329153223
Visit the EVENTS page on my website to see when they’ll be in your area.
If you missed them…they’ve left a trail of autographed books!
http://www.traceycampbellpearson.com/events.htm
I’m back in my studio for a few days….Elephant and Gracie are resting up….getting ready for their next visit….something about meeting a “Brown Dog” in VT this weekend?
http://www.browndogbooksandgifts.com
We’re getting our sketches…photos…and videos together…fun Elephant News…check back soon!…tcp
Elephant’s Story will go on sale on Oct. 22nd.
The books have arrived!
Elephant and Gracie will be visiting bookstores…
to see if they will be in your area…visit my website.
www.traceycampbellpearson.com and click on the Events page
Hope to see you here…there…or somewhere!….tcp