News of the David

Moving to Facebook

2010-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, please catch me on Facebook. I will be posting my news there.

Love,
David

Send a Nice-O-Gram for Valentine's Day

2010-02-04T14:57:00.001-08:00

For a limited time only, you can send someone you love a gift wrapped copy of The Nice Book, inscribed with your personal message and signed by me.

For those who don't know, The Nice Book is all about ways to show someone you love them, as demonstrated by lots of cute and colorful animals—A gift that you can curl up with and read together.

To order, CLICK HERE.

See you in the clouds,
David

DES on Facebook

2010-01-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

I now have a fan page on Facebook! You will soon be able to find out about upcoming books and events and see artwork in progress. No biggie. Come say hi.

David

Fuse #8 Review

2009-12-23T09:18:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Bird over at A Fuse #8 Production (and NY children's librarian extraordinaire) has written a very astute review of Pouch!

While you're there, check out her many other excellent articles on all things kid lit. She is truly an preeminent blogger in her field. (And she was the only reviewer so far to notice Pouch!'s snazzy endpapers!)

See you at the circulation desk,
David

A Best Book of 2009

2009-12-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

Pouch! has been named a Best Book of 2009 on The Book Case, the blog of BookPage.

See the list here.
(Scroll down to Best Picture Books.)

Pou-ooooooch!

(PS–this image was an early style idea for the book.)

Profile on Finding Dulcinea

2009-11-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Finding Dulcinea just ran a very thoughtful and comprehensive feature on my work. It begins:

David Ezra Stein's children’s books celebrate joy and simplicity, eschewing flash in favor of genuine introspection. His subtle interweaving of lessons in self-sufficiency and acceptance of change is neither intimidating nor heavy-handed. Themes of friendship and nature, seen in “Pouch!” and “Leaves” and “Monster Hug!” appeal to an international audience.

It was written by Sarah Amandolare. Read the rest HERE.

See you in the blogs,
David

Fall Met Drawings

2009-10-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Top to bottom: Bis poles, New Guinea; pig mask, Borneo; Sea Bear mask, NW American Indians; a capella group on steps of Met; wooden figure, New Guinea; Mask, Solomon Islands.

I Made an Owl

2009-10-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Look! Look what I made! An owl!

Ghouls & Gourds Photos

2009-10-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day at the botanic garden!

As usual, Ghouls & Gourds was a blast. I met lots of families and got to connect with fellow author/artists. There were hordes of cute babies and kids in costume, amazing stilt walkers, and catchy music. And some long-lost friends came to visit.

See all the photos HERE.

I will be at the Early Childhood Center of Park Slope on Nov. 11
and The Brooklyn Museum on Nov. 21.

See you at the next one!
David

Ghouls & Gourds '09!

2009-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey all you Halloweensters,

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Ghouls & Gourds Festival is this weekend! (Sunday at 12 in the Cherry Esplanade.) Parades, music, kids in costumes, and of course a fantastic crop of local authors and illustrators sharing their books. Hope you will join us! I will be reading Pouch! and I will have my trusty kangaroo cut-out for funny photo ops!

INFO

See you in the garden,
David

PS- There is a chance we could have our baby in the next few days, so. . . I might have to ask you how it was!

Pouch! at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

2009-10-12T15:03:00.001-07:00

"Pou-oooooooch!"

WHY I LOVE BOOKS

2009-10-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Holding them, chewing them, turning the pages: Even the littlest people can get something out of a book!

. . . As shown by this 2-year-old little guy at the CMOM event last Saturday. He was telling the story to mom, with "POUCH!"-es and everything. This kid is into books! (Well, his mom is a librarian.)

He is doing a great job of showing the pictures, by the way. Took me quite a few readings to learn how to do that.

More pics of this event to come!

Bookishly yours,
David

CMOM Reading Tomorrow

2009-10-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The hickory nuts are falling here in Forest Park, which means it is time for fall book events!
And the very next one is tomorrow at Children's Museum of Manhattan. Swing on by at 11 AM for a reading and wacky kangaroo photos, and leave with a freshly signed copy of Pouch! in your pouch.

MORE INFO

See you in the museum!
David

Hooray for Book Blogs!

2009-09-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all, did you know last week was Book Blogger Appreciation Week? Well I just found that out on a blog called On My Bookshelf , where there is a lovely review of Pouch! today.

Thanks to Holly for the write-up and for the heads-up.

And Pouch! was recently a Pick of the Day at Hooray for Books.

I for one appreciate the attention of children's book bloggers such as Just One More Book, 7-Imp, Fuse #8, Hip Writer Mama, and now On My Bookshelf. . . and Hooray for Books.

Hooray for Blogs!
David

Pouch Party!

2009-09-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last night lots of lovely folks hopped over to Books of Wonder for the Pouch! Publication Party. We read the story, yelled "pouch!", learned how to draw Joey, and took our pictures as kangaroos. There were delicious cupcakes from the Cupcake Cafe and lots of books to sign.

If you missed out, you can still get a signed copy at the store, or order on their web site.

See you at the hop,
David

POUCH!:The Trailer

2009-09-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dear folks, in conjunction with the release of Pouch!, here is the trailer for the book.

I have been trying to get this up on YouTube, but due to ongoing file incompatibility woes, I will have to settle on posting a link here for now. Enjoy!

VIEW POUCH BOOK TRAILER

Happiest of Autumns,
David

PS- Remain on the lookout for Pouch!: the lunch box, Pouch!: the pull toy, Pouch! the breakfast cereal, and Pouch!: the pouch.

An Interview in The Q Note

2009-09-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

Hey all, Alia Akkam (founder and editorial director) ran a nice piece on me in The Q Note yesterday in honor of the release of Pouch!. The Q Note is a newsletter of life in the borough of Queens.

You can read it HERE in its original location.

See ya in the borough,
David

Pouch! Starred Review

2009-08-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Booklist has honored my forthcoming book Pouch! with a starred review.

Since I don't subscribe to Booklist, I can't link to the review, but here's an excerpt:

. . . Neatly embodying the way a young child’s drive toward independence seesaws with fear of the unknown, the panicky little kangaroos are vulnerable, appealing, and funny. The short, pithy text tells a story young listeners will immediately understand, right down to its heartening conclusion. . . . The artwork has a fresh, energetic quality that suits the story well. Stein, who won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award for Leaves (2007), once again shows his talent for creating a fresh story in a few well chosen words and illustrating it with humor and verve.

School Library Journal also wrote a very lovely review, and here are some tidbits as well:

Stein continues to create deceptively simple yet very affecting picture books. . . . Stein’s choice of easily identifiable animals (a bee, a rabbit, and a bird) is particularly apropos, giving the book universality. . . . The repetition will appeal to the intended audience, as will the chance to identify each animal Joey meets. The subtle sophistication of the story gives it broad appeal. . . .

Thank you Reviewers!
David

Award

2009-08-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Back in February I wrote and illustrated a wee reader called Tim and Sam for Hooked on Phonics' total revamping of their Learn to Read program. In doing so, I was pleased to join the company of such children's book stars as Rosemary Wells and Michelle Knudsen.

I was assigned the kindergarten level, and given a list of a hundred or so 3-letter words with which to write a compelling story. This resulted in Tim and Sam, the tale of a race between a fox and a bulldog. It is based on the sentence, "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." I had a lot of fun with the vocabulary challenge, and with letting the art speak the volumes that the text couldn't.

So now iParenting has awarded HOP with their Media Award for Outstanding Products. My book is a small part of the total package, but I'm glad to have been involved. Congrats to HOP.

[Thanks to Amy Kraft for the last two photos used here. (They are from the HOP blog.)]

See ya at the races,
David

Three Years On

2009-07-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

It's my third anniversary as a published author! Yes, my very first book, Cowboy Ned & Andy, came out July 11, 2006. Which seems like forever ago.

Yesterday, I handed in the art for my EIGHTH book, Interrupting Chicken! It will come out next summer.

In three years as your author, I feel I have learned many things. One was to lose the hat.

See ya in the book-o-sphere,
David

We Have a Chicken in Progress

2009-06-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

After a little time off to recalibrate the ending and iron out some things, Interrupting Chicken is underway again. Luckily the weather has been pretty uninviting, so I am happy to stay in and work! Cutting stencils, putting down watercolor, scribbling with crayons—fun.

This book probably looks a lot different than my previous work, but there is a logical progression. I used crayon in The Nice Book as an accent. I used stencils to get sharp edges with watercolor, and more crayon in Pouch! (coming September 2009). Then I used complex multi-color stencils and more crayon in a book I did for Hooked on Phonics in the beginning of this year.

When Chicken came around, I decided to use multi-color stencils for the characters, and build the backgrounds out of a dark wash (working dark to light). Crayons take a much more central role. And I don't mean Crayolas—I am using Caran D'Ache water soluble crayons. It is a real joy to build up areas of light; I feel like I am really starting to paint. (Come to think of it, I always was a big fan of Degas's pastel work. . . .)

See you in the studio,
David

A Good Book for Kids

2009-06-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

The blog Good Books for Kids has a new review of The Nice Book. It includes suggestions on how to use the book in working with children. Very nice.

So why is there a strawberry with a face up there? Well, it looks like a nice strawberry, doesn't it? It looks like this strawberry has read my book, doesn't it! So there you are.

Click here to read the review.

See you in the classroom,
David

State Prizes

2009-06-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am officially on the short list for two State prizes: in Ohio for Monster Hug!, and in South Dakota for Leaves! Also there is some buzz about Cowboy Ned and Andy in Arizona. . . . I will keep you posted!

DES

SPRING DRAWINGS

2009-06-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

The weather is great and that means I've been out drawing! Babies, gardens, friends, family, pets. . . . While these drawings may look very different from my book work, they are really at the core of it. All the observation, color, and light carries over. And (to paraphrase a quote I recently heard about meditation) drawing cultivates love of, and interest in, the world.

See you in the sun,
David

Seconds of Chicken

2009-05-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

DES Studio is filling up with pictures of a little red chicken!
Here's another sneaky-peeky preview. (Just a detail.)

Signing off from under a snow of art,
David

Chicken in Progress

2009-05-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hi!

For the last month or two, I have been working on the final art for Interrupting Chicken, forthcoming next year from Candlewick. This is without a doubt the most complex book I've done so far. Things are going well, but I am still pecking away. Here's a sneak peek while I shirk work (for a moment)!

See ya in the studio,
David

Just One More Book Interview

2009-05-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Back in November I was glad to be part of a really lovely conversation with YA author Jeanne Birdsall, illustrator Jane Dyer, and author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka, at Jeanne's house. It was moderated and recorded by Mark Blevis of Just One More Book.

We all talked about our love of books and how we got into the business, shared some laughs (and ate some delicious pound cake). Now it's been edited, snazzy jazz has been added, and you can hear it here! [Just scroll down to April 14 (Rock Stars of Reading 7).]

Listening brought back warm memories of a cold night in Massachusetts.

See ya in the podcasts,
David

'Roo the Day!

2009-04-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, my new book Pouch! (the saga of a young kangaroo who takes his first hops) is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It won't be shipped till September, tho'. But just thought I'd let ya know.

See ya in the meadow,
David

Ohio Kids Love Monster Hug!

2009-04-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring,

I just found out Monster Hug! (Putnam, 2007) has been nominated for the Buckeye Book Award. School children in Ohio do the nominating, so it truly is a people's-choice type of award. Way to go Monster Hug!

I feel like my books are my children, and MH!, ya done me proud. True it's up against four very fine books in the k-2 category. But just being nominated is great—it means kids all over Ohio will be reading the book so they can vote for a winner.

Read about the award and nominees here.

Read about buckeyes here.

See you under the buckeye tree,
David

BRINGING NICE BACK!

2009-03-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hello me hearties,

Just got a heads-up from Ellen Shave, one of my favorite librarians, about a really fun review of The Nice Book in the School Library Journal blog. It's written by Diane Chen, and is entitled "Bringing Nice Back." Great title. Apparently the book turns little boys nice. And builds kids' vocab. Wow.

Thanks to Diane and to Ellen!
Nice.

See ya in the nice column,
David

SHPIEL!

2009-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, gang!

Just finished a new play poster for The National Yiddish Theatre, Folksbiene. They've even gone so far as to animate it for their banner. Very cool. They are the oldest and preeminent Yiddish theater in the US. The new show features 3 brand-new short plays by Oscar-and-Golden-Globe-nominated author Murray Schisgal, who wrote "Tootsie". Learn more on their web site!

See ya in the front row,
David

Better than Rocky, As good as Karate Kid

2009-03-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

Howdy snow angels,

While we're weathering the storm here in the Northeast I thought I'd post this very funny and star-studded video. My pal Jarrett J. Krosoczka created and stars in a story of writers block, struggle, and ultimately, triumph. Enjoy!

BOOK BY BOOK: the making of a monkey man from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.

See you in the snowdrifts,
David

Drawn Out: at the Met

2009-02-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

What a fun time I had drawing at the Met. I wandered amongst the sculptures, from African wood to Italian ceramic. Light, shadow, form! Each took about 25 minutes. I am always amazed that only 20 minutes in to drawing something do really begin to see it! That's what is so useful about drawing: it is really about seeing.

See you in the galleries,
David

Out with a Fox

2009-02-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

If being an artist is all about making things and saying, "Look what I made!", then, "Look what I made: a fox!"

This is my first real attempt at a stuffed animal. It took me most of January, working in my spare time. Thanks to Miriam, Grace, and Isabel for their stitching advice! No sooner was he finished than we had a beautiful, wet snow, and being new to the world, the fox wanted to get out and have a look.

See you in the hedges,
David

Send a Nice-O-Gram

2009-02-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

This Valentine's Day I'm with Cupid, 'cause I teamed up with children's book store Books of Wonder, and for a limited time only (see link for details) you can send a Nice-O-Gram to someone you love. "What is a Nice-O-Gram?" you ask.
It's a specially gift wrapped, signed copy of The Nice Book, you can send to someone at the click of a button!

CLICK HERE

The Nice Book is full of little animals who teach you how they show their love for someone. This is a great gift for a grandchild, child, niece or nephew, a friend's new baby, a sweetheart or crush, or even someone you think needs to learn how to be a little nicer!

You order it, I personalize it, Books of Wonder wraps and sends it.

This service ends February 11 (earlier in some places), so get your order in soon.

CLICK HERE

As always, thank you for your support,
David

SketchCrawl NYC

2009-01-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I had a great time drawing out for SketchCrawl. Thanks to Sunil for inviting me. Folks all over the world were getting out and drawing, and we went to Grand Central to draw the ebb and flow of humanity through that great space. Fun, food, folks, and art. What a great time!

So here's result of a couple hours' drawing.

See ya in the sketchbook pages,
David

All the best in this new year

2009-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Winter Wallpaper

2008-12-18T14:18:00.001-08:00

In response to Hwa Young's comment, a special fox paper for winter! Wishing you warmth & light, inside and out.

See ya in the snow,
David

Theater Poster

2008-12-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I created a poster for the musical play Gimpel Tam (Gimpel the Fool), based on a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, that is currently running in NYC at the National Yiddish Theater. I went to the premiere and it was quite a powerful, moving work. Highly recommended! Thanks again to Motl, Ashley, and all the folks at Folksbiene. It was a pleasure to work on the poster & I look forward to the next one!

See you in the orchestra seats,
David

FallPaper

2008-12-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

I made wallpaper for fall. Just a few things that remind me of autumn: squirrels, owls, oak leaves, gingko leaves, bare trees, acorns, mushrooms, shriveled old apples. Enjoy!

See ya in the woods.
David

DES Interview at 7-Imp

2008-10-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I've been interviewed by Jules from the wonderful children's book blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. She asked some interesting questions and I sent lots of pictures. Get a sneak peek of next year's book, Pouch! (from Putnam). See a never-before-released picture from Leaves. Leave a comment for posterity.

Check it out here.

See ya in the blogosphere,
David

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

2008-10-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I am still aglow from yesterday's Ghouls & Gourds Festival at the BBG. The garden is one of my favorite places ever ( I used to catch frogs there and hide under trees as a kid) and it was such a pleasure to meet and greet kids and parents, sign books, and talk with fellow authors on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. There was a surplus of cute kids in costumes, a parade, and great music.

Here are a few pics.
Thanks to Anita Jacobs and Paul DuBois Jacobs for inviting me and for organizing the day!

See ya in the leaves,
David

NICE BOOK RELEASED!

2008-10-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today's the day: The Nice Book is out in the world. Here's hoping it injects some "nice capital" and "kind liquidity" into the system!

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Books of Wonder for the release party last night. We wrote a really amazing story together (to give you an idea, it starred "Harry, the Normal, Hairy Man," whose hobby is "to visit the Ice Age"), drew pictures, and shared our thoughts about some nice people we know.

If you're in NY, you can see original art from The Nice Book at The Original Art Show at Society of Illustrators. Click here for details.

Be nice,
David

Drawn Out

2008-09-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

On a misty Saturday, I visited the Met see the New Guinean and African sculpture on exhibit. I could simply stare at these works for hours. I find many of them to be among the best examples of figurative design I know.

NICE Review

2008-09-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hi hi and happy nearly-almost Fall!

My new one, The Nice Book, releases October 16. Hope you will check out the PARTY at Books of Wonder on the 15th! We'll write a nice story together, and a mean story; You can nominate someone you think is nice to win a free book; and we'll find out, HOW NICE ARE YOU?
This is going to be, well, for lack of a better adjective, nice!

Anyhoo, in the interim, here's an excerpt of the first review of this cute lil' book, from Kirkus:

. . . A variety of animals from bugs to elephants practice what it takes to be nice. . . . There’s plenty of humor here. . . . The images were created with a mix of acrylic paints, ink and china marker, combined digitally—the effect is beautifully childlike. . . . Nice indeed.

Toodle-oo,
David

Painting Journal: Cape Cod

2008-07-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a week in Cape Cod, where I was slowly but furiously browned by the sun. It was sweet. Here are some paintings I did there.

Painting Journal: Summer in NYC

2008-07-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Just finished this sketchbook and thought I'd post some fresh art! This was all drawn around NYC.

Drawing Out

2008-05-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearly here, and the weather has been fine for drawing outside! Here are some recent sketchbook pages from Union Square and Tribeca. In Tribeca, I was drawing in a garden and a hundred little green bugs crawled all over me: It was very tickly! But I persevered.

Ezra Jack Keats Award

2008-05-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm mighty proud to say that I just received the 2008 Ezra Jack Keats New Author Award, for my third book, Leaves. This award is given once a year by the New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation to one new writer and one new illustrator of picture books. I shared the spotlight on Thursday May 15 at the Donnell Library with Jonathan Bean, the very talented illustrator of The Apple Pie That Papa Baked, among others.

The evening was filled with warmth, coming from the wonderful children's book folk and guests who were present. I am always pleased to be part of this community of creative and loving people. And to be honored by them. . .well!: Heaven on earth.

My thanks again to the jurors and supporters of my work, my editor and art director, and the New York Public Library and Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.

Click here to visit the EJK Foundation's web site.

(Above: Me and Jonathan Bean with Doctors Deborah and Marvin Pope of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.)

Cowboy Ned-The Play!

2008-05-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I just recently had the treat of seeing 4 original plays written and performed by 2nd and 3rd graders at the Muscota New School up in Inwood. And guess what? Two of them were based on my book Cowboy Ned & Andy. One of them even had me and the Mrs. as characters. I thought the acting and writing were simply exceptional. Thanks to librarian Ellen Shave for inviting me, Dana the drama teacher, and all the other teachers for encouraging creativity in their students!

Keep up the great work, y'all!

Best Book for Young People

2007-12-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post named Leaves as one of its Best Books for Young People, 2007, and called it "The most engaging lesson ever on the seasonal cycle." Yow.

See you at the newsstand,
David

Robert's Snow Auction

2007-11-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

You can bid on your very own piece of original art by a professional children's book artist at the auction at
Robert's Snow. My snowflake, "The Mane Event," is on the auction block right now, along with many other wonderful snowflakes. Best of all, the proceeds go to benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Center, for cancer research. Place your bid now! A perfect gift for any children's book fan.

See ya at the auction,
David

DES at New York Hall of Science

2007-11-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

Well folks, the leaves are finally showing their glorious color here in the city, and what better time to announce that I am privileged to be doing three days of Leaves-based readings and crafts this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadow, Queens. Come make leaf crowns, hear (and buy signed copies of) Leaves and Monster Hug!; celebrate the season!

For more info, visit the NYHOS homepage and click on the picture of the dancing bear.

See you at the Hall,
David

Leaves a School Library Journal Best Book 2007

2007-11-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to SLJ's 63 best book picks (out of the 4500 books they received this year!). You might notice a familiar title about a familiar bear under "S" for Stein.

Happy turkey,
David

Leaves a Publishers Weekly Best Book

2007-11-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Leaves has been named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly! It is also a Kirkus Best Book of 2007 and a New York Public Library Best Book of 2007. Hey, ya write three books in '07 and you have that much more of a shot at it!

See you in the magazine aisle,
David

Leaves is a NYPL Best Book 2007

2007-10-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest News of the David:

1. Come visit me and authors like Arthur Yorinks and Elise Primavera at Books of Wonder this Sunday, Oct 28, from 1-3 PM for a special Halloween author event!

Books of Wonder

2. Vivian Lee Mahoney (a.k.a. "hip writer mama") has interviewed me in depth for her blog. It will be posted this Friday, the 26th.

hipwritermama

3. Leaves has been selected by the New York Public Library as one of their best books of the year. Art from it will hang in the central children's library. I will give more details when I know them!

Happy Wednesday,
David

Leaves review by Karma Wilson

2007-10-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Fabulous children's book author Karma Wilson (Bear Snores On, Frog in a Bog, and many more) has reviewed Leaves on her blog:
Good Karma

Apparently she brings it to schools as a companion book to her bear books. We love this. This is absolutely a very sweet thing to do. Hooray for Karma!

See you in the classroom,
David

LEAVES at Society of Illustrators

2007-10-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

Hi! I am pleased to announce that artwork from my book Leaves will appear at the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan as part of their Original Art show. This is a juried exhibition of original picture book art, where you can view quite a concentrated amount of extraordinary imagery under one roof. The show opens October 18.

See ya in the gallery,
David

Painting Journal 9/10-9/14

2007-09-15T08:45:00.001-07:00

This week, I had a chance to paint in Central Park and at the Riverdale train station. It was a race against darkness and the arrival of my train. I also did some squinting and scribbling in my own kitchen and bathroom.

David

South Street Seaport

2007-09-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today I went drawing at the South Street Seaport. Here is my painting journal for the day.

Cape Cod

2007-09-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a painting journal of my recent trip to Cape Cod.

Leaves: 4th starred review

2007-08-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

This one will be in the September 1 issue of Booklist, a magazine of the American Library Association. I won't run the whole thing here till then, but here is a tiny excerpt:

Leaves. Stein, David Ezra (Putnam 9780399246364)
"Wonderfully simple and simply wonderful for sharing with children."

*Please note that these reviews are unedited; the final reviews will appear in the issue stated above.

-DES

Two huge reviews

2007-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Leaves has done it again. A few days before its August 16th release, it has garnered a third starred review, this time in Publishers Weekly, and a very sweet review by Elizabeth Ward in the Washington Post!

Here are links: Washington Post review
Publishers Weekly review

Wow. I gotta go take a cold shower or somethin'.
David

August BOOK PAGE interview

2007-08-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, just thought I'd drop a line to let you know I'm in this month's Book Page magazine/web site. They have a special way of interviewing artists, and I had a blast doing it!

You can pick up a hard copy at your local library or bookstore, or just:

CLICK HERE FOR INTERVIEW

All the best,
David

Time Out NY KIDS interview published

2007-07-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was the first time I actually dreamed I was giving a book signing. Yep, the past few months have been all about publicity, and here's something that ought to help a great deal: I'm in Time Out New York KIDS this issue (August)! Carolyn Juris has written up a sweet little interview in which she covers all the books and delves into my mysterious past. And future.

So run out and buy a copy. I think I might get a new copy, too -- the cat walked on mine.

Cheers,
David

http://www.tonykids.com/

LEAVES: second starred review

2007-07-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Leaves has just garnered its second starred review, this time from School Library Journal. Here it is, in all its glory. Yippee!

*STEIN, David Ezra. Leaves. (Putnam 978-0-399-24636-4)

Simple, declarative sentences and expressive small-scale pictures blend beautifully in this sweet story about a young bear experiencing his first full cycle of seasons. Bamboo pen and earth-toned watercolors are used to great effect to depict the setting of a tiny island with a few trees. The serene scenes and streamlined story line reflect perfectly the gentle passage of time. The bear dances gracefully and happily as he picks flowers and absorbs the warmth of the sun: “Everything was going well.” Then the first autumn leaf drops, and he asks it, “Are you okay?” As leaves continue to fall, he leaps around trying to catch them; he even tries to reattach them to the branches. When he becomes sleepy, he carries a bunch of leaves to a hole and uses them to cover the entrance while he hibernates. Snow falls and blankets the ground; a fox trots by and a white rabbit peeks over the hillside. As yellow tones return to the sky, birds scratch for food in the melting snow. The bear looks out of his warm den and, when he sees the new green buds on the trees, he jumps out crying, “Welcome!” This introspective little gem exudes joy.

Can't wait till this comes out on August 16th!
– David

Cowboy Ned & Andy on iTunes

2007-07-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

Howdy, buckaroos! Now you can hear Cowboy Ned & Andy, narrated by voice actor Ed Sala, right in your iTunes! Just go to the iTunes store and search for David Ezra Stein. It's too easy.

See ya round the ol' mp3 waterin' hole.
David

LEAVES gets starred review

2007-07-03T08:45:00.001-07:00

My editor, Nancy Paulsen, just sent word that Kirkus Reviews has given LEAVES a starred review!

Here's the review in its entirety (from the July 15, 2007 issue):

*STAR* Stein, David Ezra. LEAVES. (Putnam 9780399246364)

A young bear observing his first autumn is captivated by the leaves as they change color from golden to amber. His exuberance and wonder change to worry and consternation when he is unable to replace the first leaf and those that follow to the bare branches. Instinct overtakes him as he gathers a paw full of leaves, finds and fills a hole and burrows in for the winter. When he awakens the following spring, he observes, to his relief, that the leaves have returned to the branches. Seasonal change and animal behavior are simply and freshly conveyed through a young child’s perspective with single-phrase captions and direct, vibrant watercolor illustrations. Bowed, listless branches echo little bear’s down-turned curved shoulders and eyes as he gives up his battle to replace the fallen leaves. Stein does not tread on ground where others often do in over explaining a complex concept. He understands and honors the young, curious mind and allows readers to share the joy of a discovery in text and illustration.

Woo hoo! Now I have to go out and hug some trees to thank them for their inspiration.

See ya in the woods,
David

Star-Studded Evening Featuring Cowboy Ned & Andy!

2007-06-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

I have been invited to the American Academy of Arts and Letters next Monday, June 25, 2007 at 7 PM to have my book Cowboy Ned & Andy read to me by Chris Chalk, an actor from Philip Seymour Hoffman's LAByrinth Theater Company.

The evening also features Jules Feiffer, Sonia Manzano ("Maria" from Sesame Street), and master puppeteer Marty Robinson, also from Sesame Street.

At some point during the evening, I will be called to the stage to show how I draw "The Emotions of Cowboy Ned, as Demonstrated by His Mustache."

The event is part of a benefit for the Hamilton Heights School, an elementary school in West Harlem/Washington Heights.

It's bound to be a thrilling evening!

August Interview in Time Out NY Kids

2007-06-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

Hi folks. Mighty glad to report two upcoming interviews that will hopefully create some buzz around my three new books coming out this year!

Look at the August issue of Time Out New York Kids for an interview with yours truly, moi.

And check out the August issue of Book Page, a children's book review site to see my handwritten (and drawn) answers to their questionnaire.

Vive la buzz!

http://www.tonykids.com/
http://www.bookpage.com/

Cowboy Ned & Andy at Pottery Barn Kids

2007-03-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pottery Barn Kids stores are now carrying Cowboy Ned & Andy alongside books by Eric Carle and other notables.

The Manhattan location is:

1311 Second Ave
(69th Street and 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 879-4746

There's one in Westchester:

125 Westchester Ave.
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 949-4947

And Long Island:

Roosevelt Field Mall
1 Old Country Road
Garden City, NY, 11530
(516) 739-2688

For more locations, click here

Cowboy Ned & Andy Audio Available

2007-03-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!
A company called Recorded Books has produced an audio version of my first book, Cowboy Ned & Andy. It is read by voice-over artist Ed Sala.

To purchase a CD, click here

Ed has a good hardboiled-cowboy voice. Can't wait to get a copy myself!