WHO WE MET!
Jon Klassen!
What a DUDE. It was so much fun to be with Jon at the start
of his tour in Ireland and the UK and it was also the first time we’d ever hear
him speak at an event. Being a double-Caldecott winner and having one of your
books currently sitting on New York Times Children’s Picture Book Best Sellers list for its 32nd
week has certainly not gone to Jon’s hat-clad head. In fact, his
generosity of spirit, his excellent sense of humour and the way he spoke so
smartly about books made him a huge hit wherever he went!
THE GREAT BITS
Jon Klassen at the Scottish Book Trust
On top of his
fantastic CBI talk (to a teeming auditorium of Hat books enthusiasts!) I was
very lucky to see Jon’s event with the Scottish Book Trust in Glasgow – his first big event for children on his UK
tour. A not unsubstantial 400 children, aged 4-5 Years old, packed into the
beautiful Mitchell Theatre, all geared and ready to hear a very laidback Jon
Klassen (“400 kids? Pffft.”) speak about his books. During this event, Jon
did a projected live drawing on his laptop – which is the first time he’s ever
done that – and the kids went wild. They were completely entranced and
utterly charming in themselves. When Jon asked them if they were afraid of the
dark, they uttered a very firm, Glaswegian “NOOOO!” They were tough kids. He
spent at least an hour and half signing books afterward and taking special
requests for drawings.
THE BOOKS!
I Want My Hat Back
This is a perennial
favourite for everyone in the office. What we learnt from Jon’s awesome CBI talk
was that he imagines the characters in this book as actors … who think they’re
too good for this movie. So they’re reading their lines “No, I have not seen
any hats around here.” in very deadpan voices, they’re TOTALLY unamused and
they want to get to the end of the story already. It changes the way you think
about the book and it’s pretty funny, too.
WHAT WE ATE!
Beef jerkey, to keep
energy levels up.
Mc Donald’s (and
we’re not ashamed either).
WHAT WE DRANK!
Well, that’s a whole
other story!
