Children's Author
|
April
Pulley Sayre Children's Author |
| My Story | Talks & Seminars | Writing Advice | What's New | CMPForum |
| Books & Reviews | Educators' Corner | Order Books, Magazines, CDs | Links | Home |
| What's New 2008
Time for a happy dance and quick update! VULTURE VIEW was just named a Theodore Geisel Honor book by the American Library Association. This relatively new award is named after Dr. Seuss and it honors both the text and illustrations of books geared for children beginning to read. I am thrilled. I will be attending ALA national conference in Anaheim to accept the Honor Award. I hope to see many of you there. Please also come to my session at IRA in Atlanta in May, where I will be giving a talk as a featured author. Also, I will be speaking at the Illinois Reading Association conference in March. In between I'll be in schools all over the place--from IN to OH to SC. Vulture View received many other wonderful honors; see the book page. In a few months, you will find an overhauled version of this site. The new version will be much easier for me to update with book news, nature experiences, writing tips, and photos from school visits. I can hardly wait to share the backlog of photos and fun with you. Look for my new book TROUT ARE MADE OF TREES, coming from Charlesbridge in February, 2008. I love this book and I hope you will love it, too. I can only tempt you with a review quote from Kirkus: "An unusual blend of narrative, poetry, and science, this is an appealing introduction to the food web. Sayre's lyrical prose describes leaves falling..." Also, I am excited to announce a CONTEST for TROUT ARE MADE OF TREES. Classrooms of students grades K-3 are encouraged to enter their environmental projects and art to compete for prizes, including a free school visit from me! The contest is open to classrooms all over the U.S. Charlesbridge will pay my travel expenses and I am donating the visit. So I will be seeing some of you in 2009! Full information on the contest can be found in the books section on the page about TROUT ARE MADE OF TREES.
What's New 2007 2007 promises to be a big year, packed with school visits, conference appearances, and three yummy new books: March Release: HUSH LITTLE PUPPY, illustrated by Susan Winters (Holt) This is a beautiful bedtime book about a little boy trying to get his puppy to sleep. The art by British illustrator Susan Winter is just perfect in mood and color. Her puppy is so lovable you just want to reach out and hug it! October Release: VULTURE VIEW, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Holt) I am so excited about this book. The art is spectacular. All cut paper collage. Caldecott Honor winning illustrator Steve Jenkins has outdone himself with this one. His wife even made the paper specially for this work. October Release: BIRD, BIRD, BIRD: A CHIRPING CHANT illustrated by Gary Locke (NorthWord) Gary created art that is laugh out loud hilarious. I'll put a cover photo up as soon as I have one so you can see how wildly creative it is. This year, look for me at the Butler University Conference, the Dublin Literary Festival (OH), and teacher inservices in Warren TWSHP, IN. My schedule is packed with young author conferences, school visits, and other adventures around the U.S. I am now booking into 2008 although I do have a few spaces in the summer and fall of 2007. Last year was so busy I didn't even update my page. So here is a recap: in 2006 STARS BENEATH YOUR BED won a big award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It was in conjunction with Science Books and Films and Subaru. Jeff and I traveled to St. Louis to accept the award for Best Science Picture Book of the year! The ceremony and entire weekend gave us a chance to meet terrific educators, authors, reviewers, and scientists. It really was one of the highlights of my career. The Bumblebee Queen won the John Burroughs Award for nature nonfiction for kids. Hurray! In 2006 I visited many of you at schools and conferences in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas. I loved presenting to teachers and librarians at ISRA, CYPD of ILA, Purdue Literacy Conference, the Picture Perfect Science Workshop in Ohio, and other events. We enjoyed visiting schools and relatives in Winchester, VA. We slipped in a visit to the Dismal Swamp while out on the coast. Look for a whale book that may come out of a chance meeting with a photographer when I was whale watching near Boston! On our San Antonio trip Jeff and I witnessed the amazing Snout butterfly migration. We love Texas and have so many other things to see and people to visit next time! |
|
What's New 2005
Watch out, world. The sequel to TROUT, TROUT, TROUT: A FISH CHANT is coming. Look for Trip Park's wild and wonderful art in our new book, Ant, Ant, Ant: the Insect Chant (Fall, 2005). This year I've finally faced it: I may have a new career as insect lady. Two of my books this year involve insects: THE BUMBLEBEE QUEEN and ANT, ANT, ANT: THE INSECT CHANT. These two books join my other insect-related titles: Army Ant Parade, If You Should Hear a Honey Guide, and Home At Last. Really, I keep trying to write about cute, fuzzy mammals but somehow I end up writing about insects or things like dust. Also released this year was STARS BENEATH YOUR BED: THE SURPRISING STORY OF DUST. I love the meaning of this book--the way the dust from us and dirt and dinosaurs creates the sunset and sunrise colors. This book is deep and about connections.
|
Wow, what a time it has been since I last updated my website. I have visited some terrific schools in Richmond, VA; Marion, IN; Greenville, SC; Turkey Run, IN; New Carlisle, IN; LaPorte, IN and so many other towns. In January I visited my old middle school, League Academy, in SC. There I met with some fine young authors as well as with some former teachers of mine. I also spent time in Mississippi interviewing relatives about life in the early 1900s. Jeff and I had a wild adventure driving all the way from Indiana to Death Valley, CA, and back. We went to see and photograph the spring wildflower bloom. On the way we saw petroglyphs, the Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon. Perhaps I will see you at ALA in Chicago or at NCTE in Pittsburgh, where I am speaking during the author strand. Or come learn about writing at the Wisconsin SCBWI conference where I will be speaking this October. This summer I will also be giving a workshop for teachers about integrating literature with science. Please drop by any of these events and say hello! I love to reconnect with folks, especially from schools I have visited. Let me know how YOU are doing. Drop me an email with your news. Oh, and about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker being rediscovered...we are overjoyed! |
| What's New 2004 |
|
FISHY SILLINESS! SCHOOL VISITS GO DIGITAL |
ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB has been a huge hit. It's been translated into Japanese, Dutch, and French and it's done well in Britain. Teachers are loving this for math for grades K-5. Yes this book really does work at the older grades. See my Educator's Corner for what various grades have done with it. SECRETS OF SOUND was also lauded by CCBC as one of 40 books that were outstanding in their depiction of science and scientists. Adventures in Nature!
|
| What's New 2003 |
| SAYRE MATH! Look for a May release of my new picture book, coauthored with my husband Jeff: ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB. It has hilarious illustrations by Randy Cecil (Candlewick Press.) This book is not your average counting book?it goes all the way to 100, which makes it perfect for 100th day celebrations. It can also be used in studies of odds, evens, and base ten counting, base six counting, and so on. For snail math sheets, click here after May 2003. This year I?ll be visiting lots of schools and libraries in Indiana and South Carolina. I?ll also be signing at ALA in Toronto. Also, Jeff & I will be speaking about hummingbirds and native plants at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. |
What has happened since our last update? |
| What's New 2002 |
 It's been an exciting year. This spring, I was in a
nonfiction television program produced by RIFNET, for Reading Is Fundamental
volunteers. I've been out and about, visiting Virginia, South Carolina, California, and Panama. I
spoke in my home state, at the South Carolina Association of School librarians. While in SC, I was interviewed for a program
about writing produced by SCETV. Also, Noodle Man: the Pasta Superhero was read on the
South Carolina Public radio station, for a program called READING WITH RACHEL. Wow, the state of South Carolina sure knows how
to welcome home its own! |
In March, Jeff and I were in Panama. We had great views of toucans, anteaters, and monkeys. We can't wait to return. We're getting involved in projects to preserve rain forests in Central America. So we've added an ordering section to this site where you can buy products, with the proceeds going to fund rain forest preservation. To us, rain forests are the most joyful places on Earth. I hope all of you are continuing with your reading, writing, and nature studies!
|
| Spring 2002 |
| April
Pulley Sayre Children's Author E-mail: april@aprilsayre.com (Please give your email a specific, book-related subject line. Otherwise it may be accidentally deleted as junk mail.) |
In June, 2004, NorthWord press is releasing my book TROUT, TROUT, TROUT: THE FISH CHANT, illustrated by Trip Park. This book goes into new and wacky territory, combining lilting language, rhyme, rhythm, informative endmatter, and gorgeous cartoonish illustrations. It's a great gift book for nature loving children and adult anglers. It's a hilarious read aloud for libraries—practically a performance piece. Nowhere else will you find such a joyful celebration of North American Freshwater Fish. Park's watery illustrations are beautiful and goofy at the same time. I LOVE THIS BOOK!
In February Jeff and I had a great adventure in the Amazon rain forest in Peru. We saw giant otters, parrots, macaws, pink river dolphins, and a HARPY EAGLE! We rode in dugout canoes and fished for piranha. We were in a wild part of the Amazon, far from civilization and city lights, so the stars were magnificent at night.
Recent
BCCB Article