California Bound

I'm excited to be headed to the Bear state this weekend! (That's what California's called, right?) On Saturday morning at 10:30 I'll be at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla reading, signing, and drawing.
Please come watch a New Yorker hiss at sunlight and draw bears!

A Brooklyn sidewalk snow bear

Subway Storytime

The Transit Museum event was wonderful. It was amazing to be back in this subway car, sharing the book, surrounded by friends and family.

A write up of the event appeared in Publisher's Weekly here, and there are more photos at the Transit Museum's flikr stream here.
This was such a great experience. Thanks so much to everyone who came out and special thanks to Virgil Talaid and the staff of the Transit Museum for planning the event.

Transit Museum Event!

I'm really excited to be doing a very special event at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn this Saturday. I'll be reading 'Subway Story' inside the subway train car where I first heard the true story that inspired it!
If you haven't been to the Transit Museum yet, it's an amazing place. The turnstiles alone can keep me endlessly occupied...

Train fans, New York fans, picture book fans - Please join me for a very special event!

Here's what Lee Magill of Time Out New York Kids has to say about the event:

"It's not every day that a visit to a museum inspires an undertaking as enormous as writing, illustrating and publishing a picture book, but that's just what happened to Julia Sarcone-Roach at the New York Transit Museum. It was there she learned about the subway car recycling program that sparked her Subway Story (Knopf, $17; ages 5 to 9), a tale about a 1960s-era MTA car named Jessie who flourishes as the newest and brightest train in the fleet, is abandoned in a railyard after decades of service, then begins life anew on the bottom of the ocean as a manmade reef in which shellfish, coral and fish slowly take up residence. Author-illustrator Sarcone-Roach's colorful, evocative images draw out the magic in the already remarkable true story... as though she'd dreamt the tale up herself. It's fitting that the artist is returning to the museum to share her book with her intended audience: adventurous kids with a passion for trains and serious love for the environment."   

 Thanks Lee!


So please come for the story, and stay for the turnstiles!

all ages welcome

More information on the Transit Museum is here.
Corner of Boerum Pl and Schermerhorn St.

Come hear Subway Story this weekend in New York!

This Saturday, November 19th, I'll be reading at the New York Book Fair at noon at the Goddard Riverside Community Center (593 Columbus Ave., New York, NY- at 88th St.) I'm also looking forward to hearing Selina Alko read from her great new book, Everyday Dress-Up at the festival too!

Proceeds from the Book Fair support Goddard Riverside Community Center, which provide services annually to 17,600 people from Manhattan’s Upper West Side and Harlem. The agency manages 600 units of affordable housing. It advocates for justice and enriches community life with recreational, cultural and arts activities. More information about the book festival can be found here.

------------------

Also, this Sunday, November 20th at 11 am, I'll be reading and signing Subway Story as part of an event with my friend Meghan McCarthy, who will be reading from her new book, Balto, at BookCourt in Brooklyn. (163 Court St  Brooklyn, New York) Please stop by and say hello!

Release Party at Hooray For Books!

On Saturday, I was delighted to return to Hooray For Books in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia to celebrate the release of Subway Story. Thanks to all my friends and family who came out to support me. It was great to see some familiar faces! And to my Mom who provided many delicious treats and Adam, for the cake collaboration. 

Many thanks to Meghan, Megan, Patrick and Trish at Hooray For Books for such a great event, and I look forward to returning soon!

Jessie in cake form.

Beautiful cookies from Mother's Macaroons, thanks to my own mom!

Some enthusiastic audience members helped me spot Milo's sneaky feet in The Secret Plan.

It's hard to hide an elephant in a cats' house!

Author and friend Marc Tyler Nobleman stopped by!

Thanks to Mitchell Schneider and Adam Kesner for the photos.

Big Weekend for Subway Story

On Saturday I'll be celebrating Subway Story with an event at Hooray For Books in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia at 2pm. Join me for a reading, signing, and refreshments!


And this Sunday, Pete Hamill's wonderful review of Subway Story will be in the New York Times Book Section here. The article is great, and I'm honored and humbled by the kind words from such an amazing New York author.

The picture above accompanies the article, and is actually a self-portrait of my boyfriend Adam and I. I was painting this page as we were baking a wedding cake for a friend. (Incidentally, he and I will be carrying cake down to Virginia from Brooklyn for the Hooray for Books event.) I had such a delightful time when I was there last for The Secret Plan release party, I'm looking forward to returning and hope to see some familiar faces tomorrow!

Please come for books, and stay for cake!

Subway Story at PowerHouse Books!

This Sunday, October 9th at 4pm - I'll be reading and signing Subway Story, two days before it's officially released at an event at powerHouse books in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY! See Subway Story early and be the envy of your friends and neighbors!
I'll be there with authors Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter who will be presenting their delightful book 11 Experiments That Failed. And Meghan McCarthy will also be reading and signing her great new book, The Incredible Life of Balto. She will also be raffling off some original drawings at the event.


Here's the first glimpse of Subway Story in powerHouse's window!

Thanks to Jesse Zryb for the photo.

Book Launched!

Thanks to everyone who came to Hooray For Books for the launch party for The Secret Plan!



It was a great turn out and a lot of fun. I think the reading, drawing, signing, (and the cookies) went over well and a good time was had by all! Thanks to everyone who came from far and wide to celebrate the book with me. It was really wonderful to see some familiar faces.




Thanks to Trish Brown and everyone at Hooray For Books for a great event and to Mitchell Schneider and Adam Kesner for the excellent photography. And extra special thanks to my mom who threw a spectacular party!



Awesome elephant and cat cookies hot off the radiator from Mother's Macaroons!

The Secret Plan Launch Party!

Come celebrate the launch of The Secret Plan this Saturday at 11:30 am at Hooray For Books in Alexandria, Virginia. I'll be reading, signing copies and there will be some party snacks!

Society of Illustrators Original Art Show

The Secret Plan was chosen for inclusion in the Society of Illustrators Original Art show! I'm completely thrilled. It's always a fantastic show and I am so excited that my book is included this year!

I was happy to find my picture in a Team Rodeen cluster next to two wonderful pieces by Lauren Castillo (That's Papa's Way) and Peter Brown (Curious Garden) too!

The show includes original art from 125 books as well as several amazing real, live works by Chris Van Allsburg (and at the opening there was real, live Chris Van Allsburg himself too.) There's a great piece from Brian Floca's beautiful Moonshot (which won a Silver medal!) And one of my favorite paintings from Shaun Tan's stunning Tales From Outer Suburbia is on display too. The show is up until November 25th (and free to get into) - I encourage everybody to stop by!