Festival of Hope

My buddy Steve Vernon (blog here) made a great comment at the Forest of Reading ceremony at Harbourfront this week. He called it a "Festival of Hope" because of all the great readers in the crowd.

He's 100% right, and not just about the next generation of readers and writers.

Just check out the next generation of illustrators!

Yesterday, Lois (who's just 12!) gave me this amazing present at the Silver Birch party in Whitby.

And she had a whole sketchbook full of equally great artwork.

Wow.

Perhaps my fave letters ever....

I recently took a trip down through New York and New Jersey to get some buzz for the Neil Flambe books. I visited a number of schools and have previously gushed about how great Mary and Tricia at Books, Bytes and Beyond were as hosts. Wow.

After I visited Coolidge School, the kids went back to class and made (apparently of their own volition!) thank you cards for the bookstore. Look at the detail!

Inside were some amazing messages. My faves are "Dude, Kevin Sylvester is awesome!"

And "he was not boring at all"!

It was one of the best days I've ever had as an author.

The further adventures of Neil Flambe!

Just back from a whirlwind tour of New York, New Jersey, Phoenix, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay!

The "Flat Neil" I took along was posting on my twitter account the whole time (@kevinarts).

Here's a pic that we took while strolling along the banks of the River Saskatchewan. This is Neil with some trees that Beavers gnawed off completely. Neil thinks they would have tasted better with some seasoning.

And a new one from the NYC subway. Neil thinks it's named after him.

After such a long (and incredible) trip, I need sleep and Neil needs to retire... or at least be re-glued.

This week we'll be at the amazing Forest of Reading celebrations in Toronto!

Ideas

One of the questions I get asked the most is "where do you get your ideas?"... 

My answer is always "from everyday things that make me wonder 'what happens next?'"

Here's a good example and a challenge for any wanna-be writers out there. 

I was walking to the great Bank Street Bookstore yesterday and passed this abandoned, and pretty expensive looking, running shoe on the sidewalk, outside a different bookstore and next to a big, black empty SUV. 

How did it get there?

Who left it? 

Didn't they notice they only had one shoe?

What happened?

What happens next?

New York City!

I'm heading to the Big Apple and will be stopping by Books of Wonder at noon on Saturday and then Bank Street Books 12:30 on Sunday.

Here's a pic I've done of Neil Flambe as some kind of statue. I will give it to the first person who visits me at the NYC bookstores (I'll do one for each day) and says the magic word. ATOMIC AVOCADO (You'll need to read Neil #4 to get the reference!)

 Remember... ATOMIC AVOCADO

another pic!

From today's visit at Terryberry Library in Hamilton.

Project Bookmark!

Want a chance to win this original Neil Flambe cartoon? Signed and autographed? AND A BOOK TOO!

All you have to do is donate today to a great cause. 

Project Bookmark Canada! 

Just donate $20 (or more!) to help mark literary places in Canada and you get entered into today's draw for the cartoon and a copy of Neil Flambe #3!

Become a Page Turner today and keep reading!