The Hickory Stick Bookshop hosts Children's Book Signing with Lane Smith & Randall de Seve

Children's author/illustrator Lane Smith and author Randall de Seve will sign their books at The Hickory Stick Bookshop on Saturday, December 1st at 2pm. Lane Smith's latest book is Giraffe Problems (Random House, $17.99), the sequel to Penguin Problems, both written by Jory John. Randall de Seve's latest book is Zola's Elephant (Houghton Mifflin, $17.99), illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski.

Penguins aren't the only animals with problems. . . . A second hilarious collaboration from picture-book superstars Lane Smith and Jory John!

Can you guess what's making this giraffe self-conscious? Could it be . . . HIS ENORMOUS NECK?? Yes, it's exactly that--how on earth did you figure it out?

Edward the giraffe can't understand why his neck is as long and bendy and, well, ridiculous as it is. No other animal has a neck this absurd. He's tried disguising it, dressing it up, strategically hiding it behind bushes--honestly, anything you can think of, he's tried.

Just when he has exhausted his neck-hiding options and is about to throw in the towel, a turtle swoops in (well, ambles in, very slowly) and helps him understand that his neck has a purpose, and looks excellent in a bow tie.

Jory John and Lane Smith have truly outdone themselves in this companion book to Penguin Problems.

"Never one to let an opportunity for caricature go to waste, Smith stretches Edward’s neck to comical length... That it’s just right for a giraffe is a notion that Edward, not to mention young readers with self-consciousness issues of their own, will have no trouble swallowing."—Bookliststarred review

“With this and Penguin Problems, John is clearly setting out to catalogue animal angst continent by continent, and audiences won’t want to miss the trip.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s BooksReview, July/August 2018 issue
 
“Smith’s artwork is eye-catching and expressive.”
—Kirkus ReviewsReview, August 15, 2018

LANE SMITH (also the illustrator of Penguin Problems) has written and illustrated a bunch of stuff, including Grandpa Green, which was a 2012 Caldecott Honor Book; It's a Book, which has been translated into over twenty-five languages; and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! Four of his books have been New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year. In 2012 the Eric Carle Museum named him an Honor Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's books." In 2014 he received the Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award. Lane and book designer Molly Leach live in rural Connecticut. Visit him on the Web at lanesmithbooks.com.

Illustrated by two-time Caldecott-honor winning artist Pamela Zagarenski, this tender, witty friendship story of imagination gone wild, by New York Times bestselling author Randall de Sève, shows how assumptions often cause us to misjudge—and miss out. But with a little courage, new opportunities and new friendships can be made.

When Zola moves into the neighborhood, her new next-door neighbor is too shy to go over and introduce herself. Plus, Zola already has a friend to play with—an elephant!

What we imagine is not always true, as the little girl discovers. Luckily, she also discovers that being brave can lead to new friendships—and even richer imaginary worlds—in this heartwarming book about friendship, moving, and the power of imagination by New York Times best-selling author Randall de Sève and Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator Pamela Zagarenski.

"De Sève's well-paced telling is charmingly abetted by Zagarenski's layered multimedia paintings. The artist's Klee-esque colors and signature symbols—stars, crowns, houses, bees and more—will provide fertile ground for young readers' own imaginings...A lovely, nuanced collaboration."--Kirkus, STARRED review
 

"Zagarenski’s textured and detailed illustrations will capture children’s imaginations, and will have them enthralled as they follow the many smaller animal familiars through the pages. A must-purchase."--School Library Journal, STARRED review

"The text’s dive into social paralysis gives this depth beyond the usual new-friends story."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Randall de Sève is the author of New York Times bestseller Toy BoatThe Duchess of WhimsyMathilda and the Orange Balloon, Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball and A Fire Truck Named Red. 
 
Randall spent many fun-filled years teaching young children at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY, where she now lives with her husband, two daughters, a very wicked dog named Henry Biscuit, and his feline archnemesis, Cleopatra. She also contributes to Redbook Magazine online. Visit her online at randalldeseve.com.

This event is free and open to the public.  If you are unable to attend this event, you may reserve a signed copy of Giraffe Problems and/or Zola’s Elephant by calling The Hickory Stick Bookshop at (860) 868 0525. For further information about this event please visit www.hickorystickbookshop.com or email books@hickorystickbookshop.com

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Submitted by New Milford, CT

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