Grace Lin's Blog, page 15

So, I'm super excited (and nervous)  that I will be one of the presenters at TedxNatick on Jan 23rd! I'm writing and polishing a whole new speech--"The Mirrors and Windows of Your Child's Bookshelf"--I am really hoping it will be good. If you love Ted talks, here's your chance to go to one and hear some awesome speakers--tickets are on sale now!



Did I mention I was really nervous about the speech? So, since practice makes perfect, I'm doing a dress rehearsal of the speech at an event at the Eric Carle Museum on  Saturday, January 16, at 1pm! Constructive criticism and encouragement welcome!

Hope to see you!

"I am Rudolph and these are my extra noses," she says, "I need them in case my old nose runs out of batteries."

Don't miss this beautiful, beautiful book! I HEART it and am buying up lots of copies to give away this holiday season, and I'm not the only one.

WNDB has started a #DrumitUp campaign to help get this book the attention it deserves.  So please spread the word and purchase a copy (or two or three!) yourself! You'll be spreading some beauty into the world, which is just what we all need--don't you think?

Drum it up!

Rain Dragon: This is me!
Me: I like how you are happy!
Rain Dragon: of course.

I'm having a book event as a fundraiser for Rain Dragon's school! Please come (there's free frozen yogurt, too!)!

Saturday, Dec 5th
10am-noon
GoBerry
80 Main St, Northampton

Hope to see you!

On my desk today is a copy of the newspaper article featuring my week of school visits in Iowa! It was a great trip--I plan to write up more about it later--but in the meantime you can read the article HERE! Thanks so much for having me, Iowa City Schools!

Rain Dragon: I am in a cage. It is feeding time at the zoo.

I had hoped to revive our pumpkin carving party tradition this year, but fate was against us. I had gotten rid of our old dining table and ordered a new one but  the shipping company somehow lost it. We have been using this red bench as our table for the last five weeks:
I finally just canceled that table and ordered another from somewhere else. Crossing my fingers the new one makes it!A pumpkin party without a table seemed rather inconvenient, so we carved solo again this year. And again, we themed them to her current obsession. Right now,  she is in love with Curious George. She started with the books but now prefers the TV show. I know, sacrilege!!

But she likes better that "the man catches him" (and George doesn't break his leg) in the TV episode and she is never satisfied with my answers when she asks, "Why did he open the ether bottle? Why did they have to put George in the cold shower to wake him up?" when I read the book(!). And, I've kind of accepted it because the TV show is a bit more contemporary with characters of different races and women working. In fact, Rain Dragon is so interested in the female firefighter that it was one of the characters she chose for the pumpkins:

Hundley (or Pretzel, she always makes me change the name when I read that book), Lady Fireman (that's Rain Dragon's name for her) and, of course, George
In the years past, I mainly used a plain kitchen knife. But this year we bought some new carving tools and what a difference! So much easier!


And they come out so much better too! I think these are our best pumpkins, yet:

I know Rain Dragon thinks so!
       

The Ling and Ting: Together in All Weather magnets have arrived! Would you like one? You'll get one with your book when you order an autographed copy of the book at my local bookstore! All the info HERE!

a carousel of shoes
Me: What is this?
Rain Dragon: A merry-go-round, of course!

Duck is on the brown horse, by the way.