Mr. Pig Live . . . with Parker Bell!

Hello, friends! It's time for an all-new episode of MR. PIG LIVE -- a talk show of scintillating interviews with your favorite children's book characters, hosted by moi, MR. PIG!

Today, we have a special guest joining us. Please give a warm welcome to the STEMtastic star of Cynthia Platt's chapter book, Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship. It's budding scientist . . .

Parker Bell! 

<<applause>>

Welcome to the Cottage, Parker Bell! Let's get started. What one word best describes you?

Mad Scientist! Okay, I know that’s two words, but one word really isn’t enough to describe my scientific know-how.

We don't have many human characters on the show. Do you have a belly button?

I didn’t hatch from an egg, and I’m DEFINITELY a human (I’ve done tests to confirm this already), so I have a belly button. 

What is the best thing about being you?

Having Cassie Malouf, coding and fact-remembering genius, as my best friend. We fit together like complimentary angles.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

You don’t need a superpower when you’re an engineer. You can build a superpower for yourself. But I guess flying would be kind of fun.

What's in your pocket right now? 

One Ultra-Megabot eraser, seven paper clips (you never know when you’ll need them), four guinea pig pellets, and a pencil.

Fascinating! What is your pet peeve?

Can a pet peeve be a person? Or more than one person? Then mine would definitely be my nemeses, the Dempsey Triplets. Aidan, Braidan, and Jaidan a.) tell bad jokes and b.) don’t care about science. Enough said.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring? (Certainly not the Dempsey Triplets.)

Obviously, I’d bring my guinea pig, Algebra. And a desert island wouldn’t be the same with my BFF Cassie and some of my dad’s world famous chocolate chip cookies (I guess I’d bring my dad and my mom along, too!). 

What is your favorite word?

ROBOT. Isn’t that the best word ever? It has a long O and a short O, and sort sounds like what it means. Also, I love to build robots, so it would probably be my fave even if it didn’t sound so fierce.

What is you least favorite word?

I have six least favorite words: “Parker, you’re going to be late!” I hear my parents say them an awful lot. 

What is the worst thing about being you?

My mom really doesn’t understand my fashion sense. She also doesn’t like it when I do things like take apart the toaster to see how it works. I am very misunderstood in my own family.

1. 
   
   What are you reading right now?
   I just read Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker and Dow Phumiruk, which I loved. And I took Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, Winifred Conkling, and Laura Freeman out of the library, so that’s up next. I’m OBSESSED with Katherine Johnson right now! I might need to get a poster of her to put up in my bedroom next to my Mae Jemison and Jane Goodall posters.
   
   
   What is your favorite sound?
   The sweet sound of a guinea pig squeaking.
   
   
   What is your least favorite sound?
   Did I already mention my parents telling me I’m going to be late? 
   
   
   If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be?
   Tricky question, but I’d expect nothing less of you, Pig. I’d want to have lunch in my dad’s bakery with Ramona Quimby, Jasmine Toguchi, and Narwhal. Not that a narwhal could really stop by for lunch. Or that it would eat food from my dad’s bakery. Maybe I should have picked someone who was more of a scientific possibility for lunchtime?
   
   
   
   
   
   What was it like working with Cynthia Platt? 
   I was a little worried at first because she dresses super-casual like my mom does, but it turns out she’s really into science. She’s even edited lots of nonfiction books, and has a daughter who’s really into science and engineering, too. So she got me.
   
   She's a lucky writer. And I'm lucky to meet you. Thanks for coming, Parker Bell! We can't wait for your new book -- coming in May! 

Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship

by Cynthia Platt
illustrated by Rea Zhai
(Clarion Books, 2019)

In this fun young-middle-grade novel with STEM appeal, Parker really wants to win the school Science Triathlon—but first she’ll have to figure out how to keep her BFF from being stolen.

Budding scientist Parker Bell really wants to win the school Science Triathlon and follow in the footsteps of her idols, chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall and astronaut Mae Jemison. She’s sure that if she teams up with her trivia whiz BFF, Cassie, they will dominate the Science Bee, Egg Drop, and Animal Adaptation Presentation. When Cassie invites her new friend, Theo, to join their team, Parker is worried—that Theo won't help them win and might steal her best friend. As the three work together, Parker learns that you don’t have to be the best to be a real scientist and a good friend.

Cynthia Platt is a children’s book editor as well as a writer. She’s the author of three picture books: Panda-monium, A Little Bit of Love, and Grow. Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship is her middle-grade debut. Cynthia lives in Massachusetts with her husband (who is a middle school science teacher), daughter (who loves engineering), and guinea pig (who is very unscientific). Visit her online at cynthiaplattbooks.com, on Twitter @cynplatt, and on Instagram @cynthiaplattbooks.

Rea Zhai is an illustrator based in Bejing, China, where she lives with her husband and their three cats. When not working, Rea is a bass player in a small blues band. Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship is her first book for children. Find her online at reazhaiart.com and on Instagram @zhazhazhaart.com

Mr. Pig Live ... with Magique & Hugo Fromage! PLUS AN UNCANNY GIVEAWAY!*

Hello, friends! It's time for an all-new episode of MR. PIG LIVE -- a talk show of scintillating interviews with your favorite children's book characters, hosted by me, MR. PIG!

Today, we have TWO special guests joining us. Please give a warm welcome to the colorful characters of Kara LaReau's latest Bland sisters adventure (out today!!!), The Uncanny Express . . .

Magique and Hugo Fromage!
<<applause>>

Thanks for visiting! I must say, you two are my most mysterious guests. Will you reveal your full names? 

M: Magique, darling! Or, if you like, you can call me the Queen of Magic.

H: I am the great detective, Hugo Fromage. *bows* So pleased to make your acquaintance, Monsieur Pig.

What three words best describe you?

H: Brilliant, perceptive, and of course, humble.

M: Mysterious, marvelous, and of course, MAGICAL. 

I hope this isn't too personal, but ... do you have a belly button?

M: I prefer to leave that a mystery, like just about everything else about me.

H: Excuse moi?

All images copyright Jen Hill.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?

M: My Disappearing Cabinet, in case I need a change of scenery.

H: A magnifying glass. Hugo Fromage is always on the case!

When do you feel the happiest?

M: When I’m pulling off a really good illusion. And of course, when I’m hearing applause.

H: When I am able to bring the guilty to justice!

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? (Or can you already fly or be invisible?)

H: I would prefer to be a fly…on the wall, to truly observe my suspects.

M: I can do both, darling. I am a magician, you know!

All images copyright Jen Hill.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now? 

M: Magicians never reveal what’s in their pockets, or up their sleeves!

H: I do not carry anything in my pocket, mon petit lardon. Everything I need is up here, in what I call my brain stew. *taps a gloved finger against exceedingly-round head*

Do you have any siblings?

H: There is no other Fromage but Hugo. When they made me, they broke the mold, as they say.

M: Hmm…I don’t like to reveal spoilers, so you’ll have to read THE UNCANNY EXPRESS to learn more!

All images copyright Jen Hill.

What was it like working with Jaundice and Kale Bland?

M: I’m afraid they don’t have a dramatic bone in their bodies, the poor dears. But they were surprisingly effective as my assistants.

H: I must agree with you, Mademoiselle, Magique. In the end, they proved themselves worthy of my esteemed company.

What was it like working with my cottager roomie Kara LaReau?

M: Talk about a magician — she conjures characters and stories out of thin air! Though she really could use some flair in her wardrobe. I’d suggest more capes, caftans, and turbans.

H: Much like a good detective, Mademoiselle LaReau keeps her eyes and ears open. 

M: And she was the one who brought you and me together. Let’s not forget that. 

H: Her instincts are, as they say…uncanny.

M: I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Thank you for making us the first stop on your tour, Magique and Detective Fromage! And for those of you at home, the fun doesn't end here. Add a comment below to enter to win an uncanny . . .

* GIVEAWAY!!! The prize includes signed copies of The Uncanny Express and the new paperback of The Jolly Regina with snazzy bookmarks, a pack of Jolly Regina postcards, and an official Hugo Fromage mustache!
Winner announced on Tuesday, January 16.

************

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters
The Uncanny Express

by Kara LaReau
illustrated by Jen Hill
(Amulet, 2018)

An inventive story in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, The Uncanny Express has all the whimsy and humor that readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure will love.

"Fans of Dame Agatha’s whodunits will enjoy catching the sly riffs." -- Booklist

"LaReau has a lot of fun with her Agatha Christie homage, filling her book to the brim with requisite gags and puns...Move over, Holmes and Watson. There's a new detecting pair in town, and the name's Bland." -- Kirkus

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters
The Jolly Regina 

(Amulet, 2017)

In the spirit of A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters will captivate middle-grade readers looking for humor, hijinks, and a swashbuckling good time. Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Together, they patiently await the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and have never returned.

"LaReau serves her humor dry, adding some serious swashbuckling for good measure...Meanwhile Hill's pen-and-ink cartoons give the book precisely the right strange and silly tone." -- Kirkus

"Filled with puns, intrigue, and ample evidence that women make excellent—and ruthless—pirates, it’s a promising introduction to the Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters series." -- Publishers Weekly

"Replete with puns, gags, and life lessons, this transgressive voyage may “ketch” fans of envelope pushers like Barry Yourgrau, Alan Katz, or Roald Dahl." -- Booklist

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of picture books such as UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové; an award-winning chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill.  Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their cat.

*****************

Mr. Pig LIVE... with Splatypus + a Literary Lunch!

Hello, friends! It's time for an all-new episode of MR. PIG LIVE! I'm your lovable and dapper host: MR. PIG.

Today, we have a very special guest joining us. Please give a warm welcome to the semi-aquatic star of Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen's new picture book...

SPLATYPUS!
<<applause>>

Welcome, to the Cottage. Let's get started. What is your full name? 

I’m easy. Just “Splatypus.”

What one word best describes you?
SPLAT.

Do you have a belly button?
I’m a mammal, so I should. But because I was egg-raised, I don’t actually have a belly button.

What is the best thing about being you?
That I’m willing to try new things, even if I land on my behind.

What is the worst thing about being you?
Bruises.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
A satellite phone.

What is your idea of the perfect day?
It might start in any number of ways – running, jumping, or flying, for example. But it would end in the water, swimming and splashing with whomever is around and wants to enjoy life.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I can already sense electrical impulses and I have poison spurs, so I’m ahead of the game with respect to superpowers. But if I could have another, it would definitely be the ability to fly.

What are you reading right now?
Advance copies of PURRMAIDS chapter books.

What is your favorite word?
Semi-aquatic.

What is you least favorite word?
SPLAT.

Share one thing that most of our readers don’t know about you.
I’m a classically trained ballerina.
No, really.

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be?
The first two would be Tyrannosaurus from Tyrannosaurus Wrecks and Moose from Duck Duck Moose. I like a kindred spirit. The last slot would go to Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, because I need to know how it ends!

If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for?
Opposable thumbs.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now? 
I have a duck bill, a beaver tail, some otter feet, and waterproof fur. But, alas, I have no pockets.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Shrimp-and-larvae pancakes and trout egg pancakes. You would have loved it.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
I think it was when I got the bright idea that I could fly with fruit bats…

Ouch. What is your pet peeve?
Messy people.

What was it like working with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen? 
She’s just as clumsy as I am, so that was great. But she doesn’t have a tail, which is a little bit of a problem. The tiebreaker is that she will happily watch animal YouTube videos for hours, looking for new adventures for me. So overall, it was a great experience.

I know what you mean. My roommates don't have tails either. Sometimes it's awkward. But we manage. Anyhoo, I hope you're hungry. Nina from Mamabelly's Lunches with Love has made a special Literary Lunch in your honor. It's no shrimp and larvae pancake, but I'm certain you will find it just as tasty! 

(Scroll down for a peek at Nina's bookish bento creation.) 

Follow me to the kitchen while we roll the credits...

Splatypus 
by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
(Two Lions 2017)

Lonely Platypus wants to play, but where should he go? Should he jump with the kangaroos? Leap with the possums? Fly with the bats? Every time he tries to find out—skipping, hopping, dipping, dropping—he winds up going splat instead. Can a SPLATypus find a place where he belongs? This rhyming, rollicking story is perfect for reading aloud.

"An amusing tale, ready for reading aloud, of finding “the perfect place. " —Kirkus

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an award-winning author whose books include Duck, Duck, Moose!, Chicks Run Wild, Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!, Orangutangled, the Merida chapter book series, and more than forty other titles. Her books have been named to the Junior Library Guild, the CBC Children’s Choices finalist list, the California Readers Collections, the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list, and the Amelia Bloomer list. She lives in New Jersey. Learn more about her at www.sudipta.com.

*****************

A LITERARY LUNCH for SPLATYPUS!

Meet SPLATypus! All he wants to do is play but somehow he does not seem to fit in anywhere. This adorable new book by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Jackie Urbanovic follows this little lonely platypus trying to play with someone. Come find out who his new friend will be!

Nina from Mamabelly.com packed a lunch to fit:

• blue water jello to splash in
• a cheese stick friend to play with
• sandy beach cereal
• and of course a SPLATypus sandwich

Nina | Mamabelly's Lunches with Love web: www.mamabelly.com facebook: www.facebook.com/MamabellysLunchesWithLove twitter: @LunchesWithLove

Mr. Pig Live . . . with the Bland Sisters! Plus a non-bland LITERARY LUNCH!

Ahoy, mateys! Welcome to my hit talk show, Mr. Pig Live! Today I'm interviewing the reluctant stars of THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS, a three book middle-grade series written by my roomie Kara LaReau and illustrated by Jen Hill. The first book, The Jolly Regina, is out this month! 

These two firecrackers have just returned home after being kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They were unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might have lead them one step closer to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents. Let's find out more!

Welcome to the show and thanks for leaving your house to visit me! What are your full names? 

J: Jaundice Bland.

K: Kale Bland.

From The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Jolly Regina. Illustration copyright 2016 by Jen Hill.

What three words best describe you?

J: Serious. Resourceful. Almost-always-right.

K: Tidy. Reluctant. [Consults dictionary.] Articulate.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?

J: My smock. As long as it contained at least one cheese sandwich, preferably on day-old bread.

K: My trusted dictionary and loyal companion, Dr. Snoote.

From The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Jolly Regina. Illustration copyright 2016 by Jen Hill.

 

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? (Or can you already fly or be invisible?)

J: Neither.

K: Frankly, they both sound exhausting.

What is your favorite sound?

J: The delicate plink-plink-plink of our ficus tree dropping its leaves. We’re not terribly good with plants, I’m afraid.

K: My sister reading the dictionary to me. In the evenings, we read the dictionary to each other, then we stare at the wallpaper until we fall asleep. 

J: It’s really quite tranquilizing.

What is your least favorite sound?

J & K: A knock at the door.

If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

J: To never have to leave our house.

K: To know where our parents are and when they’ll be coming home.

J: Right. That, too.

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now? 

J: I have innumerable pockets in this handy smock, which I made myself [models proudly]. Right now, I am carrying

-a teabag, only slightly used

-a roll of masking tape

-a small ball of tin foil

-a shoelace with several knots tied in it

K: I don’t have any pockets, but I do have a backpack. That’s where I keep Dr. Snoote.

What is your pet peeve?

K: Mine is when Jaundice forgets to empty her smock-pockets. I’m the one who has to do the laundry, after all.

J: Mine is when anyone or anything touches my toes.

K: She really is quite sensitive about them. All in good fun, I once brushed her big toe with the tip of a feather, and she wouldn’t speak to me for days.

J: I’m still not sure I’ve forgiven you for that.

What was it like working with Kara LaReau?

J: You might say she’s breathed new life into us. Honestly, I just don’t feel like myself when she isn’t here, tap-tap-tapping away at that funny little machine she calls a “laptop.”

K:: [Nodding] And she wears muted colors, which is nice, since bright colors hurt our eyes. She drinks too much coffee, though.

J: Any coffee is too much, in my opinion. [Holds up slightly-used teabag] She’d be much better off with a nice cup of weak, tepid tea. 

K: True. Jaundice is almost always right.

SCROLL DOWN FOR 
THE BLAND SISTERS LITERARY LUNCH!

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS

THE JOLLY REGINA

by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Jen Hill

Published by Abrams, January 2017

Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Together, they patiently wait the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and have never returned.

One day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They're unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents. 

With whimsical illustrations and Roald Dahl-esque wit, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters is the visually stunning, laugh-out loud funny start to a new series for readers who are looking for anything but a bland adventure. 

"LaReau servers her humor dry, adding some serious swashbuckling for good measure ... Meanwhile Hill's pen-and-ink cartoons give the book precisely the right strange and silly tone." --Kirkus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of picture books such as UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové; an award-winning chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and the middle-grade trilogy THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS, illustrated by Jen Hill.  

Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their cat.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Jen Hill is the illustrator of DIANA'S WHITE HOUSE GARDEN by Elisa Carbone, DOING HER BIT: A STORY ABOUT THE WOMAN'S LAND ARMY OF AMERICA by Erin Hagar, SPRING FOR SOPHIE by Yael Werber, and BE KIND by Pat Zietlow Miller. She is also the author and illustrator of PERCY AND TUMTUM: A TALE OF TWO DOGS, a book she wrote about a Pomeranian and a Dachshund, two dogs she one day hopes to own.

Jen is a graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design. You can find her in Brooklyn, NY, where she's either doodling away at her studio in the Pencil Factory, or at home in Cobble Hill with her husband and her cat.

THE BLAND SISTERS LITERARY LUNCH!

Nina from Mamabelly made this non-bland lunch:

Jaundice and Kale Bland are the careful heroines of Cottager Kara LaReau's new book THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS. The two sisters avoid excitement at all cost and stick to their routine. One day, a knock on the door changes their boring, bland lives forever. Having been kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates, the Bland sisters are off on unintentional adventures!

Nina from Mamabelly.com made a bland pirate lunch to match:

• bland white pirate yogurt with a pirate skull
• kale and strawberries with Jaundice and Kale's initials
• bland crackers with the Jolly Regina planks
• and two Kale and Jaundice sandwiches

Want more fun literary lunch ideas? Follow Mamabelly here:
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* twitter: @LunchesWithLove