ABC Group Members Invited Into Illustrators’ Studios During BEA

On Wednesday, May 29, from noon to 3:45 p.m., during this year’s BookExpo America, the Children’s Book Council and the ABC Children’s Group at ABA will be taking booksellers on a tour of children’s illustrators’ studios to give them a behind-the-scenes peek into the creative lives of today’s top talent. The tour is open to ABC Group bookstore members only. There is no fee to participate, but space is limited. Registration for the event will open next Thursday, March 28, along with the popular ABC/CBC Tea With Children’s Authors and Illustrators and the ABC/CBC Speed Dating Lunch With Children’s Authors.

Small groups of about five booksellers each will be welcomed into up to three studios for half-hour sessions with illustrators. Groups will be provided with personalized itineraries but will be responsible for their own transportation.  The event is limited to two booksellers per ABA member business, regardless of the number of store locations.

Participating illustrators include:

• Sophie Blackall
• Paulette Bogan
• You Byun
• Nancy Carpenter
• Elisha Cooper
• Brian Floca
• Valerie Gorbachev
• John Green
• Brett Helquist
• Eddie Hemmingway
• Tad Hills
• Paul Hoppe
• Vincent X. Kirsch
• Betsy and Ted Lewin
• Anita Lobel
• John Bemelmans Marciano
• Chris Raschka
• Matthew Reinhardt
• Sergio Ruzzier
• Daniel Salmieri
• David Ezra Stein
• Javaka Steptoe
• Katie Yamasaki

The tours are made possible thanks to the support of the following publishers: Bloomsbury, Candlewick Press, Disney-Hyperion, HarperCollins, Holiday House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Little, Brown, Penguin, Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster.

Booksellers who have questions or would like to join the ABC Children’s Group at ABA should contact ABC Group Manager Shannon O’Connor via e-mail.