This week, Jennifer Garner gets into character with the help of a furry friend; Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker have a fang-tastic launch; Nina LaCour has a virtual tour to watch; and HarperCollins throws an Alley-oop.
Monkeying Around with Birdie
Actor, producer, and entrepreneur Jennifer Garner took to Instagram to act out scenes from two-time Caldecott Honoree Marla Frazee’s latest wordless picture book, The Farmer and the Monkey (Beach Lane), a follow-up to The Farmer and the Clown. Garner recently narrated the events of the book to her Golden Retriever, Birdie, and dressed them both up as the titular characters. “Taking a ‘picture walk’ through a book with your child empowers them to see and tell stories based on their own observations, helps your pre-reader focus on illustrations’ little details…, and teaches your little one to deduce story from subtleties of expression and body language,” Garner said in her post. “Picture walks erase language barriers, thumb their nose at illiteracy, and create a cozy conversation between reader and child.”
A Bloody Successful Launch
In a September 22 virtual celebration hosted on Crowdcast by Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, Kans., co-editors Zoraida Córdova (bottom r.) and Natalie C. Parker (top c.) launched their YA anthology Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite (Imprint), speaking with contributors Tessa Gratton (bottom l.) and Dhonielle Clayton (top r.). The authors discussed a number of topics, including which vampire turned them onto vampire fiction, how the anthology came together, and which vampire talent they would want to possess.
Watch and Learn
Printz Medalist Nina LaCour recently embarked on a virtual book tour for her latest YA novel, Watch Over Me (Dutton). Pictured here, LaCour spoke with Brandy Colbert (The Voting Booth, Disney-Hyperion) in a launch event hosted by Main Street Books in St. Charles, Mo., in partnership with the St. Charles Public Library. The duo discussed worldbuilding, research, and flexing into a new genre with one’s writing. Another event on the tour, on September 16, featured Tiffany D. Jackson (Grown), hosted virtually by San Francisco Bay Area chain Books Inc. to celebrate LaCour and Jackson’s latest books, which shared a release date. Finally, on September 17, hosted by Florida bookstore chain Books & Books, LaCour had a chat via Instagram with Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), where they discussed ghosts, gaslighting, and the 1940 film Gaslight, which starred Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman.
Right Up My Alley
On September 24, HarperCollins threw a launch party for HarperAlley, its new graphic novel imprint. Moderated by PW comics editor Calvin Reid, the event drew more than 800 guests. Reid kicked off the night in conversation with Andrew Arnold, editorial director of HarperAlley. He also interviewed several of the imprint’s author-illustrators, including Harvey Award nominee Robin Ha (Almost American Girl), pictured here, and Jerry Craft (Class Act), whose debut New Kid was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal. Attendees had the chance to win a HarperAlley tote bag and other prizes provided by HarperAlley authors.
