Dallas Museum of Art

BooksmART

Me with Clete Barrett Smith

The Dallas Museum of Art has an annual BooksmART Festival where teachers, librarians, kids, parents, and grandparents can meet authors and illustrators.  The authors and illustrators discuss the writing process and give their fans an opportunity to ask questions and interact with them. 

This year's BooksmART event had Bluebonnet Award nominee Clete Barrett Smith, brother and sister team, Matt and Jennifer Holm, Eileen Christelow, Chris Raschka, and many more.  I had the opportunity to hear Clete Barrett Smith discuss how he got his idea for writing Aliens on Vacation and the sequel, Aliens on a Rampage.  He was even kind enough to take pictures with his fans, young and old.  If you're wondering how he got his idea...it was from his daughter. She asked her father, "Are aliens ticklish?"  That my friends got the series rolling! 

Me with Matt and Jennifer Holm

After listening to Clete Barrett Smith and then having him sign both of my books, I had the opportunity to have Matt and Jennifer Holm sign my Squish and Babymouse books.  Jennifer Holm is also the author of Turtle in Paradise, a Newbery Honor book.  Matt and Jennifer Holm were both so much fun.  After they signed books for their fans, Matt and Jennifer presented at the Methodist church across the street.  They discussed how they began writing and illustrating graphic novels and even did an illustration demonstration.

Deborah Hopkinson doing a reading

Listening to Deborah Hopkinson, the author of the nonfiction book Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, was fascinating.  She discussed how she researched her book and how long it takes her book to go from idea to print.

If you were unable to go to this year's event, you definitely will want to go to next year's.