. . . well, so to speak. This past weekend, illustrator Greg Christie and I launched our new book, It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw, at the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was held on Mother’s Day, and it rained all day. But we still attracted a nice crowd.

Before the event, I spent time in the gallery area where Bill Traylor’s art was on display. It was the largest exhibition of his work to date. Seeing Bill’s actual art for the first time, I experienced many emotions. But mostly I felt pride — pride for Bill. Dude, look at you all up in the High Museum, I thought. Look at you, Bill Traylor. I also felt sad. When Bill died, he was probably penniless. However his work sells for thousands of dollars today. I wished he could have reaped some of the benefits of his fortune. But then I remembered the point of my book: Bill didn’t create art to get rich or famous. He created art for himself, to enjoy the memories of his life.

Bill Traylor didn’t fuss over the details of his art. He used simple lines, shapes, and color. Yet each piece is anything but simple. So much is revealed. Below is one of my favorite pieces (Greg points to the piece). It looks like a couple of fancy people all dressed up for a night out on the town. But before the party begins, they argue with one another. A fierce argument, fingers pointing at each other. What married couple can’t relate to that! The piece made me laugh, same as Bill often laughed when he observed his own work.

We began by signing our books in the gift shop. Then we moved into the gallery area where museum patrons and Bill Traylor fans gathered to hear our talk. I spoke about what inspired me to write the book. I even got a bit of applause at one point when I talked about how, after many years, I became comfortable with my writing voice. It was an enthusiastic group.

Greg did a wonderful job leading the group around the gallery, explaining the book making process. Then he led a brilliant discussion about Bill’s art.  It was a wonderful day, and we have plans to do more museum signings together.

Below are a few pictures from the event:

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Last week, Kelly Starling Lyons and I presented a program at the International Reading Association conference. Our session, Windows to the Past: Using Nonfiction and Historical Fiction Picture Books to Teach Black History was a bit hit. Kelly discussed her books and what inspires her stories. And she offered great tips for using picture books in the classroom. I talked about my path to becoming a published illustrator and author, illustration styles among African American themed picture books, and I talked about some popular African American picture books. I had a great time in Chicago. Here are a few photos:

Following the discussion, Kelly and I pose with our newest books. Don’t we look happy!

Another highlight is when I finally got to meet my Penguin/Putnam editor, Stacey Barney. Kelly and I, and Stacey are currently working on a book together that will publish later this year.

Kelly signs a book for a fan.

I pose with my Duke Ellington book following my signing with Charlesbridge Publishing.

This past February and March, I visited several schools in Alexandria, Virginia. I had a wonderful time, Alexandria is a beautiful city. In between visits I jumped on the Metro and visited the National Mall. I loved The Smithsonian Museums. I visited the history and art museums. I only wish I could have seen more of them.

Before I left Alexandria, some of the children left a list of questions for me to answer. But I got really busy producing my next book, and I’m just now able to address their questions. Here are a few below:

How many books did you write?

I have written many, many books. My computer hard drive is filled with early, unfinished drafts. One of these days I will polish off a few and revise, revise. Then I’ll try to sell my stories to a publisher. As of today, however, I have one book that I have written that is published. It’s called It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw.

What sport did you play?

When I was a kid, I played little league baseball. My position was usually in the outfield, and I hoped no one would hit the ball out that far. I knew I’d never catch it. I wasn’t very good at sports and I didn’t enjoy playing much.

What is your favorite movie?

I’m not a movie watcher and I don’t watch much TV. Boring, huh? When I was a teenager, I loved horror movies. My favorite back then was Halloween. I also loved King Kong and Planet of the Apes. I also love Titanic, Alien, The Green Mile, to name a few.

Do you have a puppy dog?

My son has a dog. Her name is Bella. She is a mixture of many breeds, I guess you’d call her a mutt.

What was your best book when you were a kid?

The Better Homes and Gardens Illustrated Medical Encyclopedia.

What is your favorite food?

I love a good hamburger. I don’t eat them very often because I know they aren’t good for me. If it weren’t for maintaining my health, I’d eat hamburgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No onions, though. Yuk.

Are you rich, and do you have a big house?

No, I am not rich by any means. But I do have a fairly big house. Not rich  + big house = bad combination.

Why do you write so good?

If in fact I am a good writer, it’s because I practice. Have you heard the saying Practice makes perfect? The saying is not true. Practice makes you better. Copy editors make you perfect! Editors examine all of my words to be sure I’ve spelled things right and that they make sense.

Do you like being a bodybuilder?

I haven’t competed in natural body building in about 15 years. My muscles are all sagging now. Natural bodybuilding means that I did not take any drugs to make my muscles bigger. My muscles got bigger from working out with weights and eating nutritious foods. A natural bodybuilder tends to be skinner/smaller than other bodybuilders.

My body building days were some of the most enjoyable of my life. I got to meet some very interesting people. Many competitors of natural body building are people who spent many years abusing their bodies, but who decided to change and make their lives better, healthier. My bodybuilding friends were inspiring. I miss those days.

What college did you go to?

I attended a two year college and learned a trade. Des Moines Area Community College, I studied commercial and advertising art.

Who was your first grade teacher.

Believe it or not, I can remember my first grade teacher. His name was Mr. Wells. I remember he was very nice, and he looked like a hippy. He looked like John Lennon  of the Beatles.

Are you a vegetarian?

No. Not with my love of hamburgers.

What do you do in your free time?

I don’t have much free time. In fact, since I visited your school in late February, I have had no free time at all. I’ve visited many other schools, and completed illustrations for my next book. Not good, I’m ready for a long vacation.

How many fights have you been in?

That’s a good question. I’ll leave the answer to your imagination.

Below are a few photos of a very fun visit with Alexandria students:

My time at TLA (Texas Librarian Association) was short and sweet this year. Typically I like to spend a few days with the librarians. But this year, with my book deadlines, I had to get in and out and back to Austin.

(Pictured left: Me with one of my favorite librarian friends, Ms. Painter)

I missed our Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels reception on Wednesday. I left in plenty of time to be there, but I had a rental car snafu that put me into Houston 2 hours later than planned. I ended that evening having dinner with my friend and future collaborator Chris Barton, and a librarian friend.

On Thursday I delivered a keynote presentation at the Black Caucus Round Table Breakfast. And guess what, they truly do eat breakfast at round tables! (As seen above.) My presentation lasted about 20 minutes, and I sure had a lot of fun delivering it. I shared the stage with DORK DIARIES creators Rachel Renee Russell and Nikki Russell (who illustrates the books). During their keynote, Nikki “dorked” me out, creating a cartoon of me in their signature stick-man style (below). DORK DIARIES is a family affair. Nikki Russell is the daughter of Rachell Russell, and there was even talk about bringing on a second daughter to help in the book business. Really nice people, I enjoyed my time with them.

In the above photo, Nikki Russell sketches a picture of me. Funny thing is, I took the picture because it was cool watching her draw. I had no idea she was drawing me. As she sat there, she probably thought, “Sit down, man, and put the camera away, so I can finish drawing you.”

And then they presented the drawing to me and other audience members that Nikki had ‘dorked.’ As Nikki said, “It’s cool to be a dork.” Sure is!

Immediately following the keynotes, I signed DUKE ELLINGTON’S NUTCRACKER SUITE with Charlesbridge. Wasn’t a huge signing, but there was a steady trail of librarians and friends who dropped in to visit with me. Austin’s writing community is so supportive.

The photo above, compliments of author Greg Neri, was taken at an evening reception.

That afternoon I participated in a panel discussion entitled BOOKS, BOYS, AND BOXING: MOTIVATING BOYS TO READ. Panelist included authors Greg Neri, Charles R. Smith, Mat Johnson, Joseph Anthony Rivers. This was such a distinguished panel. Folks often kick around the word ‘humbled,” so much that it loses it’s meaning. But with this group, I. WAS. TRULY. HUMBLED. As defined: Lower in dignity or importance. These guys, their comments and discussion was smart, articulate, inspiring, well-informed. Me, not so much. But it was still an honor to be included.

That evening the Black Caucus held a reception for us authors. It was elegant and we were treated like royalty. Thank you Black Caucus Roundtable.

I ended the evening sharing dinner with author Charles R. Smith Jr. at the House of Blues.

I’ll keep this simple: Educator Debbie Gonzales rocks!

I recently hired my friend Debbie Gonzales to create a discussion and activity guide for my book IT JES’ HAPPENED: WHEN BILL TRAYLOR STARTED TO DRAW. Debbie’s name kept popping up as the best activity guide creator in the business. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Debbie delivered way beyond my expectations.

Debbie studied my nonfiction picture book. But she didn’t stop there. Debbie did her own research on the subject. I could tell because the questions and activities in the guide included more facts and information not included in my story. This was nice because as a picture book there was a lot that I had to cut. The guide includes some of those lost details.  This teacher’s guide is definitely a valuable companion to my book. Teachers are gonna love it!

So, what are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE!

Ever wonder how an author feels when they receive a copy of their printed book? Kinda looks like this:

I’ve spent the past two weeks in Irving, Texas. I have one more day left to what I’ve been calling my North Texas Tour — 18 schools. I’ll post more about my visits to Irving schools later, but today I wanted to post about my visit to Acton Elementary in Duncanville, Texas. I think some of the students might come visit today’s blog post, so I wanted to give them a shout-out: Hey ya’ll, you rocked!

In the morning I presented to the entire student body in two groups. They listened well, responded to my stories enthusiastically, asked great questions. Of course everyone wanted me to draw a cartoon of them, but unfortunately I couldn’t. Had I tried, I’d have been drawing all day and late into the night.

In the afternoon, I greeted the kids in a reception line. Yes, all 600 or more of them, individually! Yes, my vocal cords are on fire. But it was worth the pain. The kids were excited and it was a pleasure to see the excitement in their eyes.

The teachers and librarians at Acton were outstanding. Their love and care for students really stood out. A few teachers and parents were so excited and supportive, they picked up their kids from other schools and brought them in to meet me.

Barnes and Noble sold my books the entire day, and they sure sold a lot! I don’t think I’ve ever sold more books at a school event. My publishers are gonna love Acton. Here are a few photos of the day.

My first group, pre-k through 2nd grade. They were good listeners, too!

These are student ambassadors. They look nice, wouldn’t you say. They dressed up for the occasion! The ladies wore pretty dresses, the guys wore nice slacks and dress shirts. The very sharp kid in the center wore a tie. It was the job of the ambassadors to greet me as I entered the school, and to introduce me to all of the teachers. The even helped exercise crowd control during the presentations. They displayed great manners, spoke up clearly so I could hear them, served as perfect role models for other students looking on. All signs of great leaders.

Now this guy here, above, is one of the most impressive students I’ve ever met on a school visit. And I’ve visited a lot of schools! Following my presentation, he got busy on his laptop. In about an half an hour, he conducted more research on me over the internet and put together an impressive Powerpoint presentation. It included photos of me, my son, a lot of my art, thoughtful captions, and animation. What a great honor!

Here’s a closeup of his handy work. Click a button, and more images jump onto the screen. Keep in mind, the kid is 9-years-old. I was quite moved.

I only had a month to deliver the first six illustrations of my next book to Penguin, when I received an email from a librarian in Irving, Texas. She offered me an opportunity to present at 17 schools in a two week period. No way I could deliver the illustrations and go to Irving. But no way was I turning down the opportunity either. I accepted the invitation and took my paintings on the road with me — art supplies, lamps, chair, reference books. I converted my hotel room to an art studio. I worked on my illustrations about 4 hours each night after the presentations.

In between presentations on the first day, librarians at Britain, John, and Elliott served me a rocking’ pizza lunch prepared by iFratelli Pizza. Yum! Librarians know how to treat a guy.

On Thursday during a talk at the University of Dallas, I had a Rick Perry moment. I blanked out and totally lost my thoughts. Not really a highlight, more of a downer. This went on for about a minute or so. I closed my eyes and tried to get my thoughts back, but nothing. I started over. Nothing. Then I apologized and moved on to my slide presentation (Powerpoint failed). I continued the presentation but never really recovered. Junior students were great about it, though.

On Thursday, following my freak-out presentation, I headed off to Hanes Elementary. I entered the library to a huge applause. The kids clapped and cheered, which made me feel much better after my failed attempt at UD.

On Friday I met and got to hang out with Tina Berumen, the tweeting librarian. She inspires her students to read and tweet about the books they read. Don’t ya love librarians like this? She also took these great photos of me durning my presentation at her school.

During a creative problem solving, drawing exercise, one kid upstaged me by drawing better than I ever could!

A  student at Lee Elementary slipped me this wonderful note. She even drew a cartoon of me.

When I returned home on Friday, I received a few fan emails from students, one who said: “You kinda look like Usher.”

My tour continues next week.

This is a teaser for my upcoming book, IT JES’ HAPPENED: WHEN BILL TRAYLOR STARTED TO DRAW. This is a short teaser, the longer trailer will be released next month, closer to book publication.

So far, the main question has been: Who provided that wonderful voice. Well, that’s my brother, Timothy. He’s an elementary music teacher back home in Des Moines, Iowa, a popular actor in community plays, and an overall Gospel singing star.

I couldn’t be happier about all this.

Recently I asked my son what kind of books he’d like to see published. I was fishing for ideas that I could use to write my own series of chapter books. Surprisingly he said, “I like books where I can learn a life lesson.” Well, I’ll work on that. In the meantime, here’s a new series of early chapter books that I illustrated for Magic Wagon, an imprint of ABDO, an educational publishing company. The series is written by Thalia Wiggins.

Life is full of making choices and these character education chapter books examine the different choices made by two cousins—the McNairs. Greg the Good is hard working and honest. Three books follow Greg as he makes choices that earn him money, respect, and a good reputation. James the Rock, on the other hand, makes the choice to join a gang and lie, cheat, and steal to get by. Three books follow James and show the consequences that come from choosing that path.