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I’m having a submissions day. This is true: a manuscript that is only in a drawer or only a file on your computer will not sell. It’s only when you send out a manuscript to an editor that you get a contract, a sale, a publication.

Last year, I talked about reevaluating my career and the market place and how that led to a new picture book, Prairie Storms. It’s a story about a year on the prairie and how the wildlife survives the prairie storms.

Coming August, 2011

I’m excited to say that Sylvan Dell will be publishing a companion book, DESERT BATHS. This follows desert animals through a 24-hour period and shows how they take baths. The same illustrator, Kathleen Rietz will be working on this story. Look for it in 2012.

Meanwhile, a sale doesn’t mean that you STOP submitting. Here are some other tips on submissions.

1. Why Rejection Should be Your Goal
2. Are You Still Submitting Before Revising?
3. Are You Still NOT Submitting?
4. Are You Still Submitting Blind?
5. Are You Still Singly Submitting?
6. Are You Still Not Tracking Submissions?
7. The Biggest Mistake in Submitting a Picture Book
8. 8 Sources of Market Info
9. Test Submissions
10. How To Contact an Editor
11. Q&A: How Do I Find an Editor’s Name for Submission
12. 10 Ways to Deal with Rejection

NonFiction BookBlast Sunday, June 26, 2011. 8-10 am. ALA Conference in NOLA.

Eve Heidtmann of Portland, Oregon is the lucky winner of our FREDDY THE PIG giveaway, sponsored by Overlook in honor of Children's Book Week. We have a dazzling collection of Freddy books, including Freddy and the Perilous Adventure, in the mail to Eve, who plans to share the joys of Freddy with her great-nieces, who are in first and third grade. Congratulations, Eve, and thanks to all those who entered the contest; we had a terrific response from Freddy fans all over the country.

In honor of Children's Book Week, The Overlook Press will give away a starter collection of Freddy books to one lucky, Freddy-lovin' winner. Enter to win by email, sending your name, mailing address, and the title of your favorite Freddy book to [email protected] using "Freddy the Pig" in the subject line. The winner will be selected on Monday, November 19. To learn more about Freddy the Pig, visit Friends of Freddy.

A beautiful hardcover edition of Emil and the Detectives, featuring a new translation by W. Martin and an introduction by Maurice Sendak, is now in bookstores. This lavish volume of Erich Kastner's classic story is the perfect gift for Children's Book Week, or for the holidays. Originally published in Germany in 1929, Emil and the Detectives has been translated into over 60 languages and been the subject of many films, including the famous 1964 Disney pic. "Emil is a little masterpiece," writes Sendak. "It shows us the heroic nature of children, how they stick together and accomplish wonders without the help of inept grownups. What a marvelous gift! Read it and you will be happy."

The Overlook Press is the proud publisher of one of the true landmarks in children's literature: Freddy the Pig. Freddy and his fellow animals were the subject of 26 books by Walter R. Brooks, a New York advertising man and a staff writer for the New Yorker, that appeared between 1927 and Brooks's death in 1958. The Freddy books were illustrated by Kurt Wiese, who deftly brought to life hundreds of hilarious events throughout the books. The 26 volumes in this remarkable series contain more than 250 humorous characters. Today, Freddy is championed by his own fan club, Friends of Freddy, who produce the Bean Home Newsletter.

This week, November 12-18, is National Children's Book Week. A celebration of the written word, Children's Book Week introduces young people to new authors and ideas in schools, libraries, homes, and bookstores. Sponsored by the Children's Book Council, this week-long promotion promotes children's books and reading awareness through a wide variety of activities.

Beginning tomorrow and continuing through the week, The Winged Elephant will feature some of the best children's books published by The Overlook Press over the last 35 years.

The Brookeshelf has moved. Here is the new address—http://brookeshelf.wordpress.com/

Found at Paradise Found: Here is a post with a list of Prizes from Robert’s Snow Illustrators. It includes links to the blogs that are offering the prizes. (Thanks to Jules of 7-Imp for this link.)

I am offering this limited edition giclee print of an illustration from Grace Lin's book Robert's Snow as a Blogging for a Cure prize!

Cynthia Leitich Smith has an author interview with Sylvia Vardell of Poetry for Children. Sylvia talks about her book Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library. Sylvia is also the author of Poetry People: A Practical Guide to Children’s Poets.
Jules and Eisha have added a new page to their blog Seven Impossible Things. The new page has a comprehensive list of the Blogging for a Cure snowflake and illustrator features. It’s updated daily.

The last day of Book Week and so, sadly, the last day of my special Book Week story time. I thought I would end the week on a high, and so chose something the little toys could really have fun with.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is not only funny, it’s also interactive. SO, while I read the text, which is mostly spoken by the pigeon, the little toys got involved by saying no to the pigeon’s repeated pleadings to be allowed to drive the bus. Their ‘no’s got louder and louder as I read. It was great fun!

So, Book Week draws to an end, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop reading to the other toys. Primula will do her part, too, in making sure the others toys get to experience the joy of great children’s books.

2007 Children's Book Week Poster

The fifth day of my story sessions in honour of children’s book week. Today I thought I’d have a little fun and read my life story to the other toys. See, Pemberthy Bear isn’t just a story about me – it’s also about all the other toys as well, because they’re all there, in the beautiful pictures that my friend Jacqui painted of us. So, in a week where we are sharing and celebrating books, what better book than to share than one in which we all appear?

Anyway, I had a bit of fun with toys. They were all gathered for story time and I had hidden the book under a cushion before they got there. Then I made them guess which story I’d chosen. I gave them hints. ‘It’s a tale of a beautiful heroine overcoming overwhelming odds,’ I hinted. ‘It’s almost too sweet to bear,’ was the next hint. It took a while but eventually Robbie Robot guessed. Then I read them the story, and they all wondered anew at seeing themselves brought to life in the lovely illustrations.

It really was a lovely story session. It’s wonderful that we all have this book to share and remind us of how blessed we are to have each other. And of course I must admit that I love being the star of the book. How lucky am I to have a friend like Sally, willing to write my story down and share it with the world, and a friend like Jacqui who was able to portray me so beautifully in her illustrations.

I’m a lucky bear!

Yay! It’s BookWeek! There is a great buzz here in the toyroom. Yesterday I downloaded the free colouring page from the CBCA site, and Primula and I set up a colouring corner for the other toys. Soon, everyone was busy with their textas and pencils.

When they had finished I used the coloured pages as decorations for the special reading corner I’ve set up in honour of Children’s Book Week. I put the posters on the wall and set up lots of cushions and mats for the other toys to sit on. I’ve moved a pile of my favourite picture books onto a nearby shelf so that I can run my daily story time sessions. It really is a cosy nook I’ve created.

Clocky, the clockwork mouse, was especially excited because the colouring page has a mouse on – she swears it’s her cousin. Maurice. I’m not so sure, but hey, let her believe it – it adds o the magic of the week.

So, this afternoon I held my first story time. Primula helped out by making sure everyone was comfortable and could see. I chose to read The Little Crooked House, by Margaret Wild. It’s lots of fun – and there’s a mouse in it, so Clocky was rapt. All the toys enjoyed joining in on the repeated refrain of Yippee-yi-yay!

I had such fun sharing story time with my friends. Book week is great!