Bobby Bramble Loses His Brain—It's Out!

I couldn't be more proud than I am about the release of my first picture book, Bobby Bramble Loses His Brain. Here's what the critics are saying so far:

“Keane keeps the pacing as quick as the wit. Truly, a no-brainer.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“The raft of brain-related wordplay and the rueful musing on the fact that Bobby doesn’t have that much upstairs at the best of times add zing to the already zippy silliness of the story.”
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, June 2009

“This will be a huge hit with children who find it hard to sit still for very long—though they’ll sit still for this tale.”
— Jim Trelease, author of the Read-Aloud Handbook

“It’s not every day you read a book that climaxes with a boy riding his own brain down the road like a bucking bronco. But such freakiness is exactly what makes Keane’s take on the importance of using your noggin so refreshing.”
— Booklist, June 15, 2009

Friday was the book launch party and we had a crowd of roughly 100 show up; sold 55 books, too—not bad in this belt-tightening economy. Also had an enthusiastic and sizable crowd on Saturday in the "bubble room" at the San Mateo Public Library. Many kids skipped out with new books clutched in their hands—what more could a children's book author ask for?

I'd like to say thanks to everyone at Clarion for making this book a homerun—especially my word-loving editor, Marcia Leonard. And mega-kudos to the books maestro of an illustrator, David Clark. And, of course, to Linda Pratt, for making it all happen. And a special thanks to Christine, for her steadfast encouragement and endless insights. And, dare I forget, thanks to Sutter for the endless inspiration his non-stop noggin provides.

This book is about a kid whose head cracks open and his brain runs off, as if it had a mind of its own. Then the entire neighborhood and Bobby's entire family join forces to catch Bobby's wandering mind. Okay, so it's a bit of an autobiography, but it's truly funny, clever and smart. If you'd like to buy a copy, I say: BY ALL MEANS! You can order one here.

Thanks to all for making this dream come true!

A fun way to waste 10 minutes

Okay, times are tough. People are miserable, broke and losing their jobs and homes. Hey, it's hard to be upbeat when you're eating your shoes. I'll give you that. But sometimes you run across something so wonderfully stupid and silly, you start snickering and you feel just a little less stressed. So...I've just got to share.

See that handsome Simpsons character? That's me! At least that's how I created my avatar at the The Simpsons Movie website. This avatar widget has been up for over a year, but I finally got around to creating myself. I couldn't quite get the hair right, but that's part of the fun.

So shake off the downturn doldrums, and go here and make yourself a Simpsons character—just click on "Create Your Simpsons Avatar." It only takes a minute and it's bound to make you laugh at yourself. Oh, and try the ginormous lipstick lips--it's hilarious!

DOH!