Pirate Profile #1

The book has arrived in the New World! So naturally let's introduce the hero of our tale Baltazar and the Flying Pirates.

Baltazar loves listening to the wild pirate tales that his grandpa tells. But does he really believe the far-fetched rumor that he is distantly related to the infamous scalawag Greybeard, the scourge of peaceful sailors and the plunderer of valuable fortunes?

Well, he's about to find out! Now the characters from old yarns come to life, as the legendary pirates known as the Corsairs decide to pay Baltazar a midnight visit. Led by their beautiful Captain Redlocks, this crew makes the flying galleon known as the Cutlass ship-shape. But can this boy make the grade and help these brigands find Greybeard's long lost treasure chest?

Find out!

Bringing the Show to Sonoma on September 19th

We've decided to attend the Sonoma County Book Festival on September 19th, from 10 am to 4 pm at Old Courthouse Square. This will be our first foray into the wine & dine country for this annual California fair. We haven't done many events in the north country before, so we hope to meet new readers and make them into fans.

We haven't gotten our booth number yet (or location) but we're confident that people (estimated 6-7K) will find us well enough. We'll bring our new table, chairs, and displays, the combination of which is an evolving booth presence.

Given the state of the economy, we know it is important to reach out and tell the public who we are and what we do. There is no substitute for our showing our own books when stores don't do so. Wherever we display, our book covers grab people's eyes and attention. We know the stories and art inside are even better, so we owe it to our adventures to share them as often as we can.

So if you're in Sonoma in September, feel free to stop by. We'll be in the town square, showcasing Baltazar and the Flying Pirates for the first time! Get an autographed copy for your little swashbucklers.

Displaying at Bay to Barkers

This Sunday, August 2nd, we rejoin the 12th annual celebration Bay to Barkers, sponsored by the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society. This year, dog owners from around the Bay will convene at the parking lot of the Golden Gate Fields horse racing track in Albany, CA. There they will walk with their pooches a mile (or more) to raise money on behalf of the good work of the BEBHS.

We first learned of this event back in 2006 when Immedium published The Year of the Dog, the first book in our Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series. We thought dog owners would appreciate our hero Daniel the dog - and we were right! Now that we have another dozen children's books under our belt, we're glad to share them with these animal lovers. Naturally proceeds from our book sales at the event benefit the BEBHS!

We'll be at table #52/53 (on the bay side of the rectangular event area), near the concession booth. Registration starts at 8:30 am and the event is from 10 am to 1 pm. Come out and enjoy (hopefully) a warm and sunny day by the bay and some friendly barking as well.

A Sunny Day in Carmel

Today, we stretched the outer limits of our day tripping, and headed south to scenic Carmel, CA, to teach another "how to make your own comics class" to interested youth.

Before arriving, we did some sightseeing and visited the Point Lobos State Reserve a little south of the town. Armed with a basic AAA map, it is easy to follow a few hiking paths through the forest to the undulating shore. There lie rocks streaked with webs of tidepools interspersed with pebbly beaches tucked into tiny coves. In the light mid-morning fog, there were a surprising number of travelers who scurried up and down the craggy coastline like the little crabs they were searching for. An impromptu picnic was in order, as seals barked from mysterious hideouts nearby.

Soon the haze would burn off, and yield a picture perfect postcard day, ideal for the bustling tourist trade in shopper friendly Carmel. The librarians were appreciative and prepared hosts who kindly saved a primo parking spot and called the police to watch our car on our behalf - most essential as street parking is now "electronically" monitored with a new $70,000 GPS enabled system where meter maids can take photos of your license plate and time you as your 2 hour limit expires. This branch is a cute nook dedicated to youth and a little oasis of the imagination amidst the galleries and restaurants. The kids (younger and older) were game as well, ready to draw and write and create their own fantastic tales before their various weekend and vacation plans. Next time, we hope to enjoy a long weekend in this little slice of heaven.

Menlo Park Library reserves a seat on Baltazar and the Flying Pirates

Today we received a most appealing invitation from the warm staff at the Menlo Park Library (California) to come read our upcoming book Baltazar and the Flying Pirates. Marke ye calendars for October 5th at 6:30 pm for a hearty family story time, arr!

They kindly informed us that the young readers down there really like their pirates, so they certainly have a deserving treat coming to them (as do the folk at the library in Pinole, CA on September 19th).

Meanwhile on the East Coast, illustrator Justin Roth is making his own dates to read this tall tale and show kids how to draw their own animated buccaneers. So far he's scheduled to present at the Children's Museum of Manhattan on September 27th and the Long Island Children's Museum on November 11th, with more venues to come.

The book is currently at the printer and due back in its finished glory later in August. This summer, countless families will enjoy their vacations at Disneyland, Great America, and Six Flag's - when they go back to school, they will relive their exciting memories with Baltazar!

In the meantime, we'll be sharing previews of the colorful cast and crew...so keep your eyes peeled on the fun just over the horizon.

Meomi and SKAFFS get Cute and Dangerous

Aficionados of the art of kawaii flocked to the debut of the group show Cute and Dangerous at the Seven Degrees Gallery in Laguna Beach, California this past weekend.

A headline attraction was the artist SKAFFS who was painting "live" on the wall and sharing his new illustrated book Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy.

Also featured was the art of Meomi, the authors of the increasingly popular series The Octonauts. From the plethora of colorful fan photos, it is clear that a swell time was had by all. The exhibition runs till August 31st, so take a gander if you're nearby in Southern California and you'll get some smiles to last awhile.

Catch our Welcome to Monster Isle story time at MOCHA

If you're in Oakland, California tomorrow (Saturday, June 6th), visit the Museum of Children's Art downtown (www.mocha.org) at 1 pm and enjoy a fun story time. Author Oliver Chin will read Welcome to Monster Isle and kids will make their own monster in an arts & crafts activity afterward.

The picture on the left captures the book's artist Jeff Miracola next to his furry buddy the Yowie, who is one of the creatures featured in this wild adventure.

While you're at the MOCHA, enjoy the current gallery exhibition "Once Upon a Time: Children's Book Illustrators Then and Now." This popular annual exhibit features the current work of children’s book illustrators alongside works created by the artists when they were children! Naturally Jeff is one of the participating artists and has contributed the drawing on the right: he was 10 years-old when he created this Unicorn and Rainbow piece.

This show inspires kids to keep drawing and being creative, just like pros such as Jeff.