Why kids love author visits

Had a great author visit yesterday at Parkside Elementary in Menlo Park, CA. Here I am with Jamie, Brianna and Maya, winners of the "have lunch with the author lottery." Great school and great kids; everybody had a blast—especially me!

I try to imbue my school visits with a stand-up comedy concert vibe. It's been years since I did real stand-up comedy, but doing author presentations is amazingly similar. Kids love hearing about my goofy kids and I love making them laugh. I think it makes a real and lasting impact to meet the author or illustrator behind a book; we're not odd creatures (maybe odd people, but not odd creatures!). They learn that authors and illustrators are just regular people like them, and perhaps they too can do something as amazing as writing a book. (Hey, if Mr. Dave Keane can do it, maybe anybody can do it!)

And not only do kids love the break from routine, but I think the teachers enjoy a nice break for once, too!

It's been horribly slow on the school visit front these days, mostly because California has budget woes that could only be fixed by King Midas himself. But luckily some schools manage to procure the funding and I get the chance to entertain kids with stuff like where ideas really come from and how they can create a new character in 25 seconds or less. Best of all, I know when I leave there are roughly 450 kids who are newly interested in reading books. I guess that, after all, is my job.

Manless Pants?

Here's a recent sketch I did. Not sure what it's supposed to mean, but it does prove that not all the ideas a writer has are good ones!

Also, for fans of picture books and for the parents who read them, this New Yorker article is a must! I think the notion that picture books reflect current societal trends concerning children, parents and child rearing in general is really interesting.

Joe Sherlock: International Man of Mystery!

Whoa! Joe Sherlock is now an international man of mystery! Check this outl: the first book in the Joe Sherlock: Kid Detective series in Korean! I wonder what it says? I have no clue how they translated the runaway goofiness of the world's most unlikely kid detective into another language... I need a translator! Can't wait to see the Belgian version!

Fun Day Speaking at KidQuake Yesterday!

Had a great day yesterday speaking at KidQuake, the kids' portion of the weeklong literary celebration called LitQuake. I spoke on a panel with other authors and illustrators to a packed house of third and fourth graders at the Koret Theater, located in San Francisco's impressive new main library. I must say, it's always inspiring and insightful to hear others speak about pursuing the challenging, creative, and sometimes maddening endeavor that is children's books.

This photo shows moi and the other speakers on the panel: Cynthia Chin-Lee, M. Sarah Klise, and Scott Morse; a collection of cool cucumbers if there ever was one, no?

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!

Creativity vs. Education

During my long journey through the educational system, I always felt like a round peg in a square hole. Although I could never put my finger on what the problem was exactly, I always felt like I was at the wrong school, as if there might be another school across town that was meant for me. Looking back now, I realize that the root of the problem was that I was more "creative" and "artistic" than I was a "memorizer" and "regurgitator," which were the type of skills that were most highly rewarded in the school "system." Art was considered a way for us kids to "blow steam." Creativity was frowned upon, whereas following the strict, rigid guidelines was rewarded. Memorization was king; it was everything. And, sadly, it still seems that way today.

Now as an adult, I find that when I encounter someone who understands this "disconnect" that I experienced, it's very exciting. I just happened across a video by Sir Ken Robinson at the TED conference, which takes place in Monterey, CA. His 20 minute presentation made my hair stand on end. Funny. Clever. Insightful. Redemptive. I felt like doing cartwheels when I heard him say this:

"Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not, because the thing they were good at at school wasn't valued or was actually stigmitized."

If you are a teacher, a school administrator, a parent, a kid, or have ever met a kid, you should watch this short talk here.

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!