Cats and Wolves and Sharks - oh my!

     What a weekend! No social life for weeks and then it all hits at the same time! Friday, hubbie and I ran into friends for an impromptu dinner date. Saturday was his office Christmas party. And then Sunday . . . well, Sunday was just Awesome!
     First, we saw China's Terracotta Army at the High Museum. It was truly amazing. If you're in Atlanta and can make it by - I recommend it.

     That afternoon we headed to Little Shop of Stories to help friends, Matthew Jeffirs (Creative Director and illustrator), Donna Bowman (author), and Robyn Hood Black (author) celebrate their new books, SHARKS, BIG CATS, and WOLVES! Here they are showing off the interior pop-up spreads. Click to see the image larger.

     Kids are going to love these books. They're kind of like Dragonology or Wizardology but non-fiction. The books are filled with cool facts, interactive pop-ups and sliding mechanisms. If your kid is into Sharks or Wolves or Big Cats - they are a must buy. (I would have LOVED them when I was young!)
     Even better, if you get the chance to see any of the creators talking about thier books, it's worth the trip. Matt brought real sharks' teeth and did a demonstration drawing. What a talented guy - his sharks look so real! Donna had replica skulls of a domestic cat and a Sabre Tooth Tiger and did a cool magic trick! And Robyn had replica skulls of coyotes and wolves and shared fantastic photos of her experiences hanging out with wolves at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve. Yes, this is real...Juno wanted her own copy! (Photo by Alison Womack.)

     And Robyn said one of the wolves actually growled at the pop up!
     Note: Matt doubles as the Creative Director of Dalmation Press and may be talking at our next Portfolio Workshop!
     It was no surprise, they sold and signed tons of books:

     Support from fellow children's book creators is a big deal in this business and several of us made sure we were there. Why? Well, both Donna (one of our RAs) and Robyn are tireless volunteers for our Southern Breeze region of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). It's so nice to see these two reap rewards from all their years of hard work - and what stunning books they've created! We are so happy for them!

(From left: Matt, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Donna, Robyn, Yours Truly, and Liz Conrad.)
     A few of us hung out at The Brick afterwards and raved about what a great book signing it had been. Truly, I'm so happy for my friends. These are books to be proud of!
     And the Sunday party didn't stop there! Hubbie and I headed to a Peruvian dinner with friends from my Spanish class: here are Raquel, Mark, Me and Melissa. They told us all about their immersion Spanish trips abroad. How cool!
(The Peruvian food was delicious although some was quite salty. I look like a puffer fish today... And where the heck were my glasses? No wonder I couldn't see!)

     So, like I said, what an awesome weekend!! I'm such a party animal - ha!