Authors, Books, and Brews (ABC’s) - it doesn’t get much better than this! JOIN ME outdoors in Seward with Chapters Books and other local authors for a fun books & beer event.

I’m VERY excited to be visiting Kindergarten - second graders at Orange Elementary soon. Hooray - we’re going to have some fun!!

Isn’t this the COOLEST hallway symbol EVERRR?? (must be some mighty bright folks there)

I have the extreme honor of addressing and encouraging 85 marvelous young individuals from NW Iowa who won their Short Story &Poetry Contest! The event will be held in Boyden, Iowa, at 7pm. These treasures will go on to receive recognition later in the summer at the statewide event. Hooray for their marvelous word-stringing!!

We will get to hear from Laurent Linn, Art Director for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, andSarah Lynn Baker, board member and Director of Illustration & Artist Programs at SCBWI and book designer guru. They are ACTUALLY giving feedback on our character designs!

I can hardly wait - it promises to be an extraordinary event! PLUS, I get to visit with some cute little grand-babies nearby - yay!

It's the first Happy Mamas book signing! December 3rd, Barnes & Noble (Crossroads Mall, 7400 Dodge Street, Omaha) from 12-3pm! This is timed with an elementary school book fair and an Educator Discount day - so lots of folks coming! I will have several scheduled book readings, and hand out bookmarks and coloring pages (perhaps cookies, too!). Come on down!

Ruth is honored to be among a fabulous list of session speakers at the 40th celebration of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators "Letters and Lines" fall conference! She will host two sessions - 1) Watercolor Nitty-Gritty - a hands-on play-along for illustrators not comfortable with the medium, and, 2) Eat the Elephant - tips to break down a nerve-wracking amount of creative tasks when schedules are mountainous.

An illustration from the Kissing Hand was selected for an exhibit at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT.

The exhibit is titled Wild Reading: Animals in Children’s Book Art and will be open from March 26, 2016 through July 3, 2016. The Bruce is an art and natural history museum with an extensive collection of taxidermy animal specimens. This exhibit will pair taxidermy mounts with examples of the animals as they are depicted in original children’s book art. Each label will compare taxidermy specimens with the original art work to discuss each animal’s specific features. See: brucemuseum.org/site/exhibitions_detail/wild-reading-animals-in-childrens-book-art

The Kissing Hand illustrations captured the attention of curators for "their realistic, yet sweet, depictions of raccoons."

What an exciting Honor! I hope many little kiddos get to enjoy all the art! And I hope someone sends me PICTURES of all that :)

Sunday Aug. 31, 9am - 1pm: The Denver City Park Alliance invited me to read both The Kissing Hand and Sassafras in the City Park - Sponsored by The Tattered Cover Book Store and Fresh Markets. 

Location: Lawn in front of the Farmer's Market - E. Colfax Ave. & Columbine St. (in front of East High), across the street from the Tattered Cover Book Store. Carmela LaVigne Coyle will also be there to read her award-winning books.

I will bring -

• Coloring pages from The Kissing Hand
• Bookmarks
• A portfolio of fun art - including a sneak preview of two of my next books - 'Happy Mamas' (by Kathleen Pelley) - and my first story 'Oliver Didn't Notice'. 

I'm SOOOPER excited! See you there!!