The lovely and talented Julia Denos has posted many tantalizing images on her blog, including this small moment from our upcoming picture book, DOTTY (Abrams, Fall, 2010). DOTTY is the story of a girl named Ida and her imaginary friend, Dotty, who has no intention of being outgrown. The characters depicted here are Max, a classmate of Ida's, and his imaginary friends, Pete and Repeat. I love how Julia has interpreted all of the characters in this book and I can't wait to see the final product!

Dear Amazon Customer Service:

My suggestion pertains to the "Categories" search and ratings feature. I am writing to suggest that a new category be added to the list under "Books - Children's Books - Animals - " to honor an overlooked, yet beloved, children's book animal: the chicken.

Currently, there's a category called "Ducks & Other Waterfowl" and one called "Birds" but there is no separate category for "Chickens." I think it would be terrific if a new "Chickens" category were added, since there are many excellent children's books about them (full disclosure - I am the author of two of them: CHICKEN BEDTIME IS REALLY EARLY and CHICKEN BUTT!, both from Abrams) and, I've found, many people who base their purchases on the presence of their favorite animals in the story. The new "Chickens" category could exist on this same tier, just like "Rabbits" does even though rabbit books can also be found in the "Mice Hamsters Guinea Pigs & Squirrels" category.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how many excellent chicken books for kids there are: THE LITTLE RED HEN, THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY, CHICKEN LITTLE, BIG CHICKENS, CITY CHICKENS, CHICKENS TO THE RESCUE, LOUISE THE STORY OF A CHICKEN, all the books about MINERVA LOUISE, CHICKEN SOUP, CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE, PHILADELPHIA CHICKENS, CHICKEN SUNDAY... and this year alone, CHICKEN BUTT, CHICKEN CHEEKS, CHICKEN DANCE and TILLIE LAYS AN EGG joined the flock!

Thanks for considering this suggestion!

All the best,

Erica S. Perl
erica@ericaperl.com
www.ericaperl.com

Step One = Eat whatever is put in your bowl. Tonight, leftover hamburgers (cold, yummy) and broccoli (undercooked, challenging)

Step Two = Go for a jaunty leash-free stroll, forget which house you live in, get retrieved from neighbor's front walk

Step Three = Dramatically upchuck dinner.

Step Four = Sniff messy good-smelling pile. Hello, have we met?

Step Five = Be rudely subjected to an intervention while attempting to reinhale dinner.

I don't know about the rest of you, but this vintage cuteoverload.com image really speaks to me. If there's a penguin in my next book, you'll know why.

It give me great pleasure to present the video that fellow children's book author Ayun "Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo" Halliday and I made during our "No Butts About Reading!" book tour (which we pulled together in typical seat-of-our-pants fashion with more than a little help from our families and friends!).

Extra-special thanks to the charming staff and patrons (and lions) of the New York Public Library, who didn't blink an eye at the two of us busting rhymes while hauling each other around on library carts. No butts about it, we particularly love to read at the library. Guaranteed!

Please enjoy this profile, courtesy of the good folks at my alma mater, Hampshire College:

Erica S. Perl

Did you also know that located on the Hamshire College campus is the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art? Nestled in an apple orchard, it makes for a dandy fall destination!

I swear the alumni office folks who profiled me did NOT put me up to saying that.

Happy Birthday to me.
I'm a hundred and three.
But the lady next door
Is a hundred and four!

My dear cousin Lucy (not to be confused with my dear dog, Lucy) just spotted CHICKEN BEDTIME IS REALLY EARLY in the coolest place: the blog of design and fabric maven, Anna Maria Horner!



I've never checked her site out before but I am now officially in awe and in love. So if anyone wants to get me a gift for my (hint! hint! next month!) birthday, look no further.

Meanwhile, I will be dropping her a fan note to tell her what a lovely site she has (and what excellent taste in kids' books her children have!).

I just received the galleys (bound, paperback Advance Reading Copies, aka "ARCs") for my first young adult novel, VINTAGE VERONICA, plus some nice glossy covers like the ones that will go on the actual hardcover book! Yes, it seems early (the book doesn't come out until next Spring), but I am NOT complaining. Thought I'd share my excitement about them with all of you here:







Love that cover! Love that spine!

Oops! Just noticed that two books over from mine is WEARING VINTAGE, which I believe I borrowed from Alison Morris while researching the book and never returned. Hmmm... probably should have remedied that before posting these...