Artist Road Trip to Chicago

This was awhile back but I hope you’re jealous 

So..’m not going to apologize for taking time out of my busy life and driving off to Chicago with two of my good friends. – I’ve been busy – but hey, the guys need a road trip once in awhile. Poor Wayne stayed home there just wasn’t room for the little guy.

Famous children’s book author Rick Walton, the man who wrote Gary’s place, Illustrator Guy Francis, and I drove to the American Library Association Conference back there. We went to promote ourselves to librarians since they recommend books for awards and consumers. It’s an amazing conference/Expo – anything and everything that is used in a library, and a lot of stuff that is not, is being pitched, sold, recommended, hucked, and pushed. From furniture to books it’s all there – and so were we.

We stayed with Eric Rohmann and Candy Fleming in the suburbs the first night – thanks guys for being such wonderful hosts – they invited publicists, editors, authors, librarians, and a few illustrators to a party – Rick gave schmoozing demos.

Rick put Eric’s Caldecott to good use – it was just collecting dust after all.

The view from our hotel – thank you Albert Whitman for putting us up.

We found Laura Seeger signing her books. She is awesome!

My cat allergy wasn’t that bad in Chicago.

Guy finally found a hat that fit.

Rick was almost arrested for public intoxication – we convinced the authorities he was writting a book about poles – a sequel to Holes.

I got to sign in the Albert Whitman booth.

We found Kristyn’s book and took a really stupid picture with it – I don’t really know what the purpose was other than to look really stupid – sorry Kristyn – we un-cooled your cool book. But hey, we pulled off stupid.

If your in Chicago go here – you can start out your day feeling like you just had breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Why did we go here on a Sunday? and stand in front of this sign? To get our picture taken, why else.

This is why we didn’t have any women in our group!

I got to sign again at a party.

At the Caldecott banquet we heard from Beth Krommes and Neil Gaimon – great speaches on their medals.

Me and Beth – She asked me what I thought of her limited palette – WOW – she….asked me! I hope I said something lever yet intelligent.

Neil was very excited to have yet another photo taken with two strangers – PUT UP WITH IT NEIL!!! HAHA.

Me and Uri Shulevitz….WOW!

We came, we conquered, ….we stopped for nothing!!! NOTHING I TELL YOU!!!

(It’s 1:30 AM)

We thought we had seen it all – then on the drive home…….