The Cockatoo, Too Trailer has launched...

I’m thrilled to announce that the trailer made its debut on Mr. Schu’s fabulous blog yesterday! Please head on over there to watch the trailer and read a few words about the book. As usual, I must thank my very talented brother for the music and my two daughters for the voiceovers.

written and illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia Available January 5th, 2016 Pre-Order Your Copy Today! http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781499801026?aff=PublishersWeekly Cockatoo, Too uses only twelve words to tell a tongue-twisting, wordplay-ful tale of cockatoos, toucans, tutus, and more. It's a whole lot of fun with words and birds. Kirkus, in a starred review, says, "It's all delightfully hilarious.

All of this means that the countdown is on...in less than one month, Cockatoo, Too will be unleashed on the world. January 5th, which also happens to be National Bird Day, is the publication date.

And, there’s a really wonderful launch event for Cockatoo, Too in the works. If you are local (or in need of a vacation), please join me on January 9th at 11am. l’ll be at the lovely, cozy Diesel Bookstore (Larkspur Landing) with tutus, boas, music, crafts, and a real live cockatoo to welcome this book and its wacky dancing birds to the world. 

In the meantime, I’ve been busying myself making a paper mache cockatoo. I find it both meditative and soothing, and especially in the wake of so much tragedy in the world, I feel the need to be creating/making/putting good things out there. It keeps me moving forward. And, this little bird makes me smile every time I encounter it in the house. Wishing a peaceful, joyful December to all.

It’s November! And that means...

I can talk about my new Christmas book! The Best Parts of Christmas was released over a month ago, but who wants to hear about Christmas in September?!? Now that it’s cold and raining and I find myself dreaming about long underwear and slippers, it’s time.

We have a small collection of Christmas picture books that I read to my girls—The Christmas Quiet Book, The Christmas Magic, and Olivia Helps With Christmas. I love these books because they celebrate the simple pleasures of the holiday season. I wanted to write that sort of book. It also dawned on me that I’d never read a Christmas story that chronicles the entire emotional journey of the holidays. Taking down the tree in our house really does seem like this:

So, I made the tree the centerpiece of this story. It’s brought into the house, decorated, loved, and encircled during all of the family’s special moments. When the time comes to take it down, our protagonist finds a way to keep the holiday spirit going. Many thanks to Candlewick Press and my editor, Kate Fletcher, for bringing this story to life. Here’s one of my favorite images from the book:

Fritz and his family from I Feel Five are back again in The Best Parts of Christmas.

Fritz and his family from I Feel Five are back again in The Best Parts of Christmas.

There’s also a parent/bookseller/teacher guide to go along with the book. That can be downloaded from the activities section of the book page. It includes discussion questions as well as suggestions for a few simple ornaments that can be made by hand. This only seems appropriate since Fritz creates all kinds of great decorations for his Christmas tree.

I’ll be at Diesel Bookstore in Larkspur on November 28th in the morning if you’d like to have one signed for a child (or adult) in your life!

And finally, my October school visits continue to pay dividends as I receive letters from students. These are my favorite packages to find in the mail. I’m including a few art highlights below—many are based on my drawing presentation. They’re inspiring, uplifting, and sometimes, brighten my day with a good laugh. To that point, please see the recommendation that I write more nonfishin books. I will definitely take that into consideration.

Happy November!

School Visit Season (Subtitle: two weeks of amazing potlucks)

October has been school visit season for me, and I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with students in schools from San Francisco to Humboldt County. I’m guilty of not taking as many photos as I should, but that’s because I’m usually distracted by the awesomeness of the schools, teachers, and students (not to mention the unbelievably yummy potlucks that are often also part of the deal).

I had a lovely time at the Tenderloin Community School in SF a few weeks ago with an amazing crowd of authors (photo below). Then last week, I headed north to the Humboldt County Author Festival. It’s only my second time participating, but these people know how to do it RIGHT—maybe because the volunteers have been organizing this incredible event since the 1970s. Wow. There are so many highlights between the two days of school visits and reader’s theater, but I think the Friday night dinner is my favorite part. Each author speaks for three minutes—it’s such a fun way to learn about people. And after returning to the Bay Area, I had the pleasure of visiting Jefferson Elementary School in SF for the first time—great authors, great teachers, great students, great questions, and AGAIN, great food. I'm truly blessed.

I'll be back soon with exciting news and info about upcoming appearances and books. It’s shaping up to be a busy fall/winter, and I can hardly wait. In the meantime, I’ve collected some photos below, a few of which are mine. The rest have been borrowed from people who actually remember to take pictures. 

Mexico

Here are a few sketches and paintings from my recent excursion to Mexico. I brought along a little set of travel paints, the sweetest little Moleskine watercolor pad, and some new markers. Waking up at sunrise with my daughters to paint and watch the colors of the ocean change was one of the highlights of my trip.


School days

My daughters are gearing up for school in a few weeks. Their anxiety and excitement about teachers and friends brings me right back to my own school days. I often find myself reflecting on all of the amazing teachers I’ve had over the years, especially those that had the ability to bring diverse classes together. I think I learned some of my most important lessons from them. 

A few months ago, Scholastic asked me to do an illustration about a favorite teacher for their Reading Club calendar, and I jumped at the opportunity. You’ll find me in September—and I’m in great company as you’ll see from the thumbnails on the front of the calendar. See/read about one of my very most favorite teachers below.

Scholastic Reading Club Calendar
Bethanie Murguia, Scholastic Reading Calendar

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Sausalito Edition)

Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite authors, and serendipitously, I live in the town where he did much of his writing in the sixties and seventies. So, this summer, we decided to do a survey of the local sidewalks, hoping we might find the end that inspired him. After all, the book was published while he lived here. 

I know, I know...metaphor, you say, it’s just a metaphor. Moreover, are any of the sidewalks the same now as they were in the sixties? It’s true, some things have changed. One of Shel Silverstein’s close friends gave a presentation here not too long ago, and he mentioned a Sausalito gas station that sold gas, guns, ammo, and a variety of not-usually-over-the-counter drugs. I can say with a decent amount of certainty that such an establishment no longer exists. But the condition of some Sausalito sidewalks gives me hope that maybe not everything has changed in the past 50 years.

Our criteria: sidewalks terminating at roads and crosswalks do not qualify since they're not really ends. And sidewalks that stop at driveways also don’t have the “end” quality we are seeking. Everything else is fair game. 

Without further ado, our tour of Sausalito sidewalks and their ends—check out our Google Map if you want to visit them yourself and/or add any we’ve missed: 

A precipitous end...

A precipitous end...

Is that grass soft and white?

Is that grass soft and white?

An unremarkable end, in my opinion.

An unremarkable end, in my opinion.

Any signs of the moon-bird?

Any signs of the moon-bird?

...the children, they know

...the children, they know

Arrows. But not chalk-white arrows. Maybe we're close? And if not, the sidewalk that runs into a fence certainly gets points for originality.

Arrows. But not chalk-white arrows. Maybe we're close? And if not, the sidewalk that runs into a fence certainly gets points for originality.

I don't remember anything in the poem about sidewalks that end at jaguars.

I don't remember anything in the poem about sidewalks that end at jaguars.

We shall walk a walk that is measured and slow. Or, spin around the parking sign.

We shall walk a walk that is measured and slow. Or, spin around the parking sign.

Where the sun burns crimson bright? Or at least, bright. 

Where the sun burns crimson bright? Or at least, bright. 

Plenty of asphalt. No flowers. 

Plenty of asphalt. No flowers. 

Chalk? Maybe? This is a job for the special binoculars.

Chalk? Maybe? This is a job for the special binoculars.

And the winner is...this lovely sidewalk that runs along the bay. Not only did we smell a hint of peppermint on the wind, this sidewalk also magically disappears when the tide is high. And when the tide is just right, it ends in the bay. S…

And the winner is...this lovely sidewalk that runs along the bay. Not only did we smell a hint of peppermint on the wind, this sidewalk also magically disappears when the tide is high. And when the tide is just right, it ends in the bay. So, from where I stand, it's THE ONE.




May update

In the spirit of spring renewal, I’ve renovated my website. Please have a look around the new aquapup.com. Finally, everything lives in one place...my blog, events, book information—all of which makes me very happy. (Please let me know if you encounter any problems.)

And, I have a few fun bits of news to share:

Lists, lists lists: Zoe’s Jungle is on the Bank Street Books Best of the Year list and I Feel Five is on the Cooperative Children's Book Center Best of 2015 list. Thank you, both!

Audiobooks: Very soon (May 26th), all three of the Zoe books will be available as enhanced audiobooks/cds. 

Events: I’ll be speaking at a number of events in June and beyond—please have a gander and do come say hi if you’re in the vicinity. I’ll be at the Bay Area Book Festival, Laurel Bookstore in Oakland, Copperfield’s in San Rafael, and more.

Cockatoo, Too won’t be available for purchase until January 2016, but the little birds will be making their first public appearance at BEA this week. Please stop by the Little Bee Books booth (#2641) where they will have giveaways including signed F&Gs, the world’s most adorable (okay, maybe I’m biased) tote bags and other goodies!

totes.jpg