The Monster in my Basement

I love this time of year - cool nights, leaves turning colors, and monsters being born! Yes, you heard me right! MONSTERS. I say monsters being born because I just finished my 5th picture book.  It's a book about a monster. I have been working on it for a year now, with the last 6 months being the painting of the artwork, so in a way you could call it a creative birth. :)

I turned the artwork over to the publisher on Monday and now I get to tell you about it. We don't have an official title for it yet, (that's the publisher's job) but it's about a 4 year old boy who discovers a hungry monster in his basement. So, I am calling it "The Monster in my Basement".

This monster is really hungry! And really big!

What should the boy do?

Maybe the monster wants some fruit or tuna fish? Chicken or a hotdog? Or ice cream in a dish? How about spaghetti or sweet potato pie?

Or just maybe... the monster wants something else? (GULP!)

If you want to find out what the monster DOES EAT you won't have to wait long! The book will officially launch fall 2020, but I will have several dozen advance copies for my collectors this holiday season! First-come-first-serve basis. Come see me at one of my holiday shows or contact me on e-mail through my website: www.heatherlynnharris.com

Fall 2019 Show Schedule

November 11 WNY Childrens Book Festival Buffalo Convention Center

November 22 - 24 Rochester Holiday Bazaar Rochester Science Museum

December 7 - 8 Roycroft Christmas Show Roycroft Campus, East Aurora, NY

December 13 - 14 WNY Book Arts Center Buffalo, NY

Western New York Children's Book Expo

Where else can you find 40 amazing children's book authors and illustrators in one place during National Picture Book month? Only at the Western New York Children's Book Expo!

This amazing event was put on by local children's book seller Monkey See Monkey Do and lasted an entire week, with book sales in schools, author visits, and illustrator demonstrations. The week culminated in a massive free event at the Buffalo Convention Center where all 40 authors were present to sign books for the children who attended.   

    

For a quick recap of the event, check out the video that was put together for last year's Expo. 

The list of authors and illustrators that were included looks like a best selling children's book store section, as you can see by the pictures above.  And I was incredibly honored to be included:)

  

And I made some new friends including:

Caldecott winning illustrator E.B. Lewis, artist and Syracuse University professor James Ransom and his wife Lesa Cline-Ransom, Bad Kitty author and illustrator Nick Bruel, local friends Matt Chandler, Elizabeth Leader, and Rachel DiNunzio, David M. Schwartz, Laurel Snyder, Christopher Lloyd among many, many others!  Below is a picture of us all at the event. 

If you want to learn more about these authors, here is a link to their books and a quick bio on each one.  Meet the Expo Authors  

Children's books help make us who we are:

The important thing to note about this group of people is that each one is passionate about children and children's literature. So many of them remember how tough it was to be a kid and they draw on personal experience to tell stories that children can relate to. Children are drawn to stories that resonate with the challenges they are facing and these authors deliver with enduring themes such as overcoming adversity, enduring tragedy, finding a kindred spirit, relying on wit, gaining new powers or knowledge, and just plain having fun. 

This is the stuff that translates into life lessons and lasting memories for young readers.  It's the stories and the pictures of our childhood that inspire and motivate all of us.