Reflecting On A Month of Book Events
The trials and tribulations of my first few book events for "The Book From Far Away"
Hello Sketchbugs,
Happy October! Sorry I’ve been so busy the last few weeks. I was off traveling to local bookstores to host events for The Book From Far Away, balancing freelance projects, and juggling other work on the side. This September was a month filled with harrowing new experiences that taught me a lot about hosting book events, from advertising to public speaking. Here are some little moments from all three events. Thank you again to Minerva publishing, specifically Deborah and Linette, for helping set these events up and the bookstores, The Big Blue Marble, People’s Book and Books of Wonder for providing the space and time!
The Big Blue Marble
The first event was September 10th at 11:30AM at the The Big Blue Marble. It’s a wonderfully charming bookstore nestled in Mount Airy/ Germantown, Pennsylvania.
As my FIRST EVER book event, there was so much pressure on how the event would go, from the turnout to the activities available. Luckily, Linette (the social media wizard at Minerva) reminded me beforehand to make interactive handouts for teachers and educators who might want to read the book in class. I printed these handouts out and bought some crayons and markers. This ended up being a great addition as it allowed for people to color as they listened to the reading and powerpoint presentation. The staff was truly lovely in helping me setup a projector and chairs for everyone. The turnout was great and filled with some wonderful friends and family friends. While the group who came skewed towards the older side, talking about The Book From Far Away rekindled a love for looking at picture books for the whole crowd.
People’s Book
The second event took place September 17th at 9:30Am at People’s Book, a lovely new bookstore and community haven located in Tacoma, Maryland. The staff coordinates children’s book events with the local farmer’s market every Sunday, so the turnout was amazing! I would estimate that there were more than 25 people, mostly families of very young children that lined the seats.
Because the group skewed mostly to very young children, many of whom were under 4, I tried to take a more direct approach in the reading halfway through. They really loved the activity sheets though, and a few parents came up to me afterward at the farmer’s market to talk about how cool it was to have a wordless picture book. Out of all the events, I think this one made me learn the most about how different age groups can effect the pace of the event. Plus I got some really good yogurt and olive bread so that was awesome!
Books of Wonder
The last event of September was on September 24th at 12pm at the cornerstone of children’s books, Books of Wonder. This event was a BIG DEAL because it included not just me and author Bruce Handy (the first event we’ve done together) but also some renowned authors and illustrators such as award winning author/illustrator/co creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles Tony Diterlizzi, award winning, educator turned author Valerie Bolling, award winning author/illustrator Brendan Wenzel, and award winning, NYT bestseller Susan Verde. We were all there to talk about our new books and hearing each person’s introduction and favorite parts of their own books was so rewarding. Here is the list of books that were being highlighted:
A Very Cranky Book (2023) Angela and Tony Diterlizzi
Together We Swim (2023) written by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by Kalyani Juanita
The Book From Far Away (2023) concept by Bruce Handy and illustrated by me, Julie Benbassat
Every Dreaming Creature (2023) Brendan Wenzel
Who Am I (2023) written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Even though the weather was rain and slush, the turnout was an amazing mix of families and young adults wanting to get into making children’s books. I mean considering the star power in the room, it’s not too surprising but it was super neat. A bunch of my friends came as well which was super lovely (some from south Jersey)! While I was starstruck the entire time, I felt like watching these book veterans explain their book and read them to the crowd with zeal and charisma made me understand how much practice and love for the craft goes into every event. It was super humbling but also dang inspiring. I don’t know what Bruce was feeling but let’s just say I was a nervous wreck anytime it was our turn to share haha.
Before the event ended, Valerie made this great speech about how important it is to fight the rise of book banning and encourage diversity in books, so children and adults can become more emphatic to those different from them. The whole store was filled with awe and agreement, erupting in applause when she was done. She is such a charismatic speaker and every word just hit the core of what we all have been feeling in the last few years with the rapid book banning across the country. The owner of the store, Peter Glassman, seconded Valerie’s rousing speech with one of his own about the beauty of children’s books. Not only was the room filled with star author and illustrators, it was also a room filled with people passionate about education, empathy, and the right for children to be able to read books about themselves and others.
Speaking of Books of Wonder, I also got the chance to decorate a little part of the store with characters from The Book From Far Away! If you go into the store anytime BEFORE Halloween, you will be able to see this lovely setup and snag a signed copy of the book! You should get one fast as they keep running low from the demand! Thank you again Deborah (Minerva’s chief of promotion) Rosalind, and the rest of the team at Books of Wonder for organizing this whole thing! Look out for an upcoming substack post about the process of making the setup!
Speaking of events….we have one more event scheduled for October 8th at 1pm at Children’s Book World in Haverford PA! For info on the event, look HERE
We will have the legendary author, illustrator, and master of wordless picture books, David Wiesner as a special guest! There will be signings, readings, presentations on how the book was made and much more! If you have nothing else to do that Sunday I recommend stopping by! You might get some little goodies too with your signed copy!
If you want to support the book and have already bought one, please consider giving it a rating on Goodreads and/or Amazon! More engagement means more possible alien books in the future (or even frog backpack merch!)!
Also, if you liked all the event stuff I’ve been sharing but live in an area that’s outside of NJ, PA, and NY, then please consider mentioning our book to your local bookstores and reach out to me by email at mail@juliebenbassat.com
Who knows, I might be able to travel to you! And bring some fun event activities along the way!
EXTRA EXTRA: It’s been a while, so let me catch you up on all the other things that have happened…
First off…I started teaching! Specifically, as an adjunct faculty at the University of the Arts (UArts for short) in Philadelphia! It’s been an interesting ride so far and definitely brings a new perspective. I will have more to share on that once the semester is over.
Now that we’re in the Fall, I think it’s only right to mention how many cool books are coming out this season! Here are some of my favorites from really cool people!
Of Thunder and Lightning (2023) a graphic novel by illustrator Kim Wang that is sure to dazzle and amaze.
Stories of the Islands (October 31st, 2023) a stunning graphic novel by illustrator and animator Clar Angkasa that shows a variety of feminist retellings of Indonesian folktales. Preorder it now!
Deephaven (2023) a haunting graphic novel by Ethan M. Albridge that includes mystery and great drawings.
Oh, Olive (2023) a witty and fun children’s book by iconic substacker, author and illustrator
that is sure to bring some color to your day.Mr S, A First Day of School Book (2023) one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time by the amazing author, illustrator Monica Arnaldo.
Lastly, I’m not the biggest fan of the Japanese manga Jujutsu Kaisen but my partner has been keeping up with it for a while now. For all of you who have read up to 236, all I can say is I hope you have some good soup to soothe your aching soul.
It’s rough out there for manga readers
Congrats on your book launch and teaching at UArts! I graduated from there with a BFA in Painting. Your book tour sounds like it was very successful. I am envious you get to do an event with David Weisner, who I consider a god.