Mr. Pig Live... with Evie, Simon and Father

Hello, friends! Today, we have not one, not two, but THREE special 

Mr. Pig Live!

guests joining us. They are the stars of a very civilized new picture book: No Slurping, No Burping! A Tale of Table Manners, written by the Cottage's own Kara LaReau and illustrated by Lorelay Bové.

What is your full name?
E. We’d rather not give out our last names, if that’s all right. I’m Evie.
S. I’m Simon. Nice to meet you!
F. And I’m Father. When do we eat?

What three words best describe you?
E. Polite, Thoughtful, and Kind
S. Polite, Helpful, and Generous
F. Hungry, Loved, and Hungry. Did I mention Hungry?

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
E. Silverware, plates, and napkins. One always needs to be ready to entertain.
S. Pots, pans, and utensils for cooking and baking. Oh, and our dog!
F. FOOD!

Copyright 2014, Lorelay Bové. Courtesy of Disney-Hyperion

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now?
E. My To-Do list. I always carry it with me.
S. A peanut butter sandwich, just in case someone needs a snack when we’re out and about.
F. [No response. Too busy eating Simon’s sandwich.]

When do you feel the happiest?
E. When I’m sharing a meal with people I love.
S. When I’m cooking or baking something really good.
F. When I’ve just eaten something really good. (Thanks for the snack, son!)

Copyright 2014, Lorelay Bové. Courtesy of Disney-Hyperion

What is your favorite word?
E. I have three: “Please” and “Thank you.”
S. I have three, too: “Whisk” and “Bon appetit.”
F. Dessert. (Hint, hint.)

What was it like working with Kara LaReau?
E. I like that she’s a big fan of manners, and that she loves to entertain.
S. I like that she loves to cook and bake. We shared a lot of recipes.
F. I like that she’s a big fan of chocolate-coconut cake. Do you think if I called her right now, she’d make me some?

I'm sure she would. Kara is an excellent baker; she bakes us treats in the Cottage all the time. But in the meantime, our other top-chef, Nina from Mamabelly's Lunches with Love has prepared us a delicious lunch! Read all about Kara LaReau and Lorelay Bove, then scroll down and take a peek!

Kara LaReau is a former children's book editor and the author of several picture books, including Ugly Fish, Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story, and Otto, the Boy Who Loved Cars and the "Rocko and Spanky" series. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband, young son and their two cats--all of whom have very good table manners. Visit Kara at her web site, karalareau.com.

Lorelay Bové was born in Spain and raised in the Principality of Andorra between France and Spain. She moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was 14 years old and is fulfilling a childhood dream of being an artist at the Walt Disney Animation Studios.

She has worked on The Walt Disney Animation Studios’ musical comedy The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, as well as Tangled Ever After short, on the short The Ballad of Nessie, Winnie the Pooh, Prep and Landing, Wreck it Ralph and was the lead designer in Sugar Rush.

Her inspiration includes her father who is an artist in his own right, as well as her tight knit family, Disney classic films, old Hollywood movies and her native Spain and travels. Bove has also illustrated the Toy Story picture book, The Princess and the Frog  Little Golden Book, the Wreck it Ralph Little golden book , the Monsters University Fearbook picturebook, and Disney Animation Studios Artist showcase series: No Slurping, No Burping. Learn more about Lorelay at her website: lorelaybove.com

A Very Civilized Celebration — and a gift for your table!

Yesterday the Cottagers gathered at Barrington Books in Barrington, Rhode Island for a most delicious occasion—a book party to celebrate Cottager Kara LaReau's brand-new picture book, NO SLURPING, NO BURPING!: A TALE OF TABLE MANNERS.  

Mr. Pig (when not lurking by the refreshments) snapped some photos of the big day. Take a peek! Then scroll down to the bottom to find a gift for YOU from Kara.

Kara next to the snazzy signing: "Join us for a VERY civilized celebration!"

The author, ready to greet her fans. Congratulations, Kara!

Kara's biggest fan is first in line.

He's first in line for Kara's homemade chocolate-raspberry cupcakes, too. Yum!

Er, Mr. Pig took a LOT of photos of the cupcakes.
 

The Cottagers on our best behavior: Kristen Tracy, Kara, Anika Denise, and Jamie Michalak. (Mr. Pig was suspiciously missing. As were all of the cupcakes.)

If you weren't able to make the party, don't fret. You can still order the book, get a free signed bookplate, and download Kara's gift for your table — a handy place-setting diagram. Print it out, color it in, and stick it on your fridge — you’ll always have a guide handy at dinnertime! 

NO SLURPING, NO BURPING!
A Tale of Table Manners

by Kara LaReau
Illustrated by Lorelay Bové

Walt Disney Animated Studios (March 2014) 

ISBN 978-1-4231-5733-5
 

"In a twist on common expectations, two kids must teach their parent how to adopt an appropriate tableside manner. Their father’s a sweet fellow, but each day at dinner, Evie and Simon must work to correct his less-than-sterling conduct. . . . A list of suggested table manners graces the end of the book. Parents hoping to instill good behavior in their own offspring will clamor for this title." —Kirkus Reviews

For more etiquette advice, visit Kara's new tumblr account called Ms. Civilized, where she shares her thoughts about manners and courtesy, along with some of her favorite images, quotes, and helpful hints on how to move through life with grace. 

Cottager News!

A quick round-up of what we've all been up to, when not bloggin' for The Little Crooked Cottage. :)

New Book Deals. . .

Cottager Kara LaReau just got a two-book deal for a chapter book series called THE INFAMOUS RATSOS! The books, about mischievous brothers (who happen to be rats), will be published by Candlewick Press. Read the deal announcement in Publishers Weekly. Congratulations Kara!

Anika Denise's MONSTER TRUCKS, a picture book about a Halloween race with monster trucks of every kind and a little blue bus that may not be what she appears to be, was acquired by Harper Children's. The talented Nate Wragg has signed on to illustrate. Read more about the deal on the Folio Jr. website. Congtratulations Anika and Nate!

New Representation. . .

Cottager Jamie Michalak has signed on with the fabulous Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary! After twenty years on the editorial and publisher side of the business, Victoria has recently jumped the fence and opened her New York City-based agency, and we can't be more thrilled for her. You can read all about Victoria Wells Arms Literary here! Congratulations Jamie and Victoria! 

Upcoming Publications. . .

HUNG UP by Kristen Tracy will be released in hardcover on March 4th, 2014 (Simon Pulse).

Can you fall in love with a voice? This witty romance, told entirely through phone calls, chronicles the tale of a wrong number gone right.

It all started with a wrong number. The voicemails Lucy left on James's phone were meant for someone else - someone who used to have James's digits. But then when James finally answers and the two start to talk, a unique bond forms between the two teens.

Gradually Lucy and James begin to understand each other on a deeper level than anyone else in their lives. But when James wants to meet in person, Lucy is strangely resistant. And when her secret is revealed, he'll understand why…

NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners by Kara LaReau; illustrated by Lorelay Bové will be released March 4th, 2014 (Disney-Hyperion).

Evie and Simon always mind their manners. But sometimes, they have to mind their father's, too! In this humorous spin on manners books, two kids teach their father everything he needs to know about mealtime etiquette. Everything is going well, until a surprise visitor arrives for dinner! Will Father be able to remember all of Evie and Simon's lessons?

Awards and Reviews. . .

Jamie's latest Joe and Sparky book, JOE AND SPARKY GO TO SCHOOL, is a 2013 Cybils finalist in the Early Reader category! 

http://www.cybils.com/2013-finalists-easy-readers.html

Congratulations to Jamie and to all of the amazing finalists! (You can find a list of them here.) Winners will be announced next month.

HUNG UP by Kristen Tracy
March 4th, 2014 (Simon Pulse)

"In a narrative rendered entirely in voice mails, text messages and transcribed phone conversations, James and Lucy gradually go from strangers to romance.

Lucy starts it off by calling what she thinks is the customer-service number of a company she's ordered a plaque from, but it's actually James' new phone number. The company is defunct, and the order Lucy placed with such care is never going to arrive. Both Lucy and James live in Vermont and go to high school; Lucy's in Montpelier, and James lives in Burlington. Once they get past the initial confusion, their conversations are full of teasing, casual and funny. As the back and forth continues, more serious subjects gradually arise, and eventually they become confidants, more candid with each other in this mediated relationship than they might be in person. However, each of them has something that they hide from the other that their friends already know. And each does something that the other might consider unforgivable. How the friendship heals while the characters remain true to themselves is conveyed in the continuing encounters.

Appealing characters stand out in a quick read that is a lighthearted look at how real friendships develop, grow and deepen."

Finally, we'd all like to congratulate Mr. Pig on his well-deserved PIXIE for hosting Mr. Pig Live!  If you haven't heard of the PIXIE AWARDS, let's just say they're like The Golden Globes of The Enchanted Woods, which, as you know, is where The Little Crooked Cottage is located.

Mr. Pig's been a little hard to live with after winning this award... he wears sunglasses all the time and keeps calling everyone "babe," but we'll let him have his Hollywood moment. Congrats Mr. Pig!