By Audrey Wood

Compiled by Heath Uliasz

September 2000

Issue #18

Dear Friends,

As we sit here in our comfortable studios, poised, once again, on the brink of a major coast-to-coast expedition, it seems like a good time to review the most common questions we are asked on tour.

Q: Don’t your hands get sore?

A: (Audrey) A two-hour signing is like eating chocolate cake. It’s delicious! Everyone tells you how much he or she loves your books, and you leave the store feeling exhilarated and ready for another signing later in the day.

A: (Don) People don’t realize how easy it is for us to sign 500 books or more. However, at some outrageous signings of six to eight hours’ duration, we definitely get sore hands.

A few years ago we were asked by Harcourt to visit their warehouse and sign books. We started at 8 AM in the morning and signed until 5 PM. for five days straight. There were had two full-time helpers, one for each of us. It was like a factory production line. The helpers opened the books and laid them flat around a long table. We walked around and around the table for eight hours signing and drawing a picture in each book. It was like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Every time we signed our way back around the table, there was a new set of unsigned books waiting. Occasionally one of the helpers would hail a forklift and it would carry away a pallet of signed books, and bring a fresh pallet of unsigned books. After five days we had signed 18,500 books.

A: (Audrey) It was challenging. Don and I competed with each other to see how fast we could go. Every half hour we thrust our hands into a large cooler filled with ice to keep the swelling down, (ahhhh! What relief!) and I took an anti-inflammatory every four hours on the dot! Harcourt was fantastic. I requested a masseuse each night after work, and they agreed. After 8 hours of continuous signing, I don’t think I could have gone back the next day without the help of my masseuse!

Q: I know people tell you how much they love your books. Don’t you get tired of hearing that all the time?

A: (Don and Audrey) No.

Q: What is the most memorable signing you’ve ever had?

A: (Don) Two signings come to mind – the first was at Hicklebees in San Jose, California, in 1985, for our book, KING BIDGOOD’S IN THE BATHTUB. We gave a short presentation outside in their parking lot under a huge tent, then moved inside to sign while sitting in a bathtub under a stairwell for six hours. (Hicklebees was a small store then. They have since expanded.) Every group of customers took a number, and over 350 were passed out. Many customers had 10 or more books. Families went away to play entire soccer games, or go to the movies, and came back, only to find that they were not “up” yet. We took two carts full of books up to our hotel room that night, and signed until 1 AM. The second most memorable signing was in Bakersfield, California, before anyone discovered that area as a major children’s book market. The library there had a fund raiser and asked us to appear and sign books. We walked in the door, saw an entire truckload of books, and our hearts fell. No one could sell that many books. Someone was going to be very disappointed. Soon a large crowd assembled, and no matter how many books we signed, the crowd always stayed the same size. All three local networks showed up to cover the event. We signed 7 hours and sold out of nearly every title.

When we were finally done, the wonderful librarian who had organized the event walked in to the signing room. Audrey and I will never forget the look on her face. She was carrying a huge cardboard box overflowing with thousands and thousands of dollars. With tears in her eyes, she held the box out to us, and said, “Here, take some. You’ve earned it.” We declined, but that image remains one of the most gratifying of my career.

Q: What is the best thing about going on a new book tour now?

A: (Audrey) New technology! We can reach more of our fans on the world wide web and let them know if we’ll be in their town, and how they can get an autographed, personalized first edition of our latest book.

Q: Is it fun going on a book tour?

A: (Audrey) It’s exhilarating, but more work than you can imagine. Our day usually starts at about 5AM, and ends at midnight. Why? Because we have to sign all day, then travel from one town to another at night. We visit bookstores, schools, and libraries, usually several in one day.

Q: Why do you keep going on book tours?

A: (Audrey) When I go on a book tour I always tell myself to remember to collect my audience. By that I mean, when I am writing a story, I like to think about certain people I am writing for. Usually those people are about 3 to 8 years old. When I sit down to write, I see these children that I have collected and I write directly to them. For instance, I recall a three year-old child who came up to me and proudly recited, by heart, the entire text to my book, SILLY SALLY. She stopped the show. The line of buyers burst into spontaneous applause. You can bet when I sit down to write a book in that genre, that precocious three-year old will be in my mind.

A: (Don) When you work at home, like we do, it’s easy to become isolated from your audience. Drawing and writing in our backyard studios, we never see the people for whom we are working. That’s why tours are so important, They put us in touch with the people who read and use our books.

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A RUSH ON WISHES!

Hi there! I was at a book fair about 3 weeks ago that was set up at my new teacher orientation. I saw JUBAL’S WISH on the shelf, and the illustrations on the cover of the book had me sold even before I opened the book to see what was inside. I showed my new treasure to some of the other teachers, and they immediately went to the bookshelf to get one, too. In about 3 minutes, all of the JUBAL’S WISH books were sold.

- Marla Wills

Hi Marla!

I love the internet! In the past Don and I would wait for months to get any feedback from teachers. Thanks for the thumbs up on Jubal's Wish.

Warmest Regards, and thanks for passing the good word on Jubal.

- Audrey Wood

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CREATIVE CONTEST ANSWER!

Mrs. Laws was not one of the luck winners of our JUBAL’S WISH contest, but she certainly submitted the most creative contest answer. Here is her submission, slightly edited for length.

The character in question is Captain Dalbert Lizard who is tired and depressed, but the real question is, Why is the Captain sitting so tattered and torn? Is he forlorn? Jubal wears the winning smile, to save the day he'd walk a mile. Singing, dreaming, on his way, who was it he met that very fine day?

In a rhyme made new from old, this is what young Jubal told:

Jubal this and Jubal that,

Jubal met a man in a wizard's hat.

Jubal this and Jubal that,

in the man's hand, Jubal sat.

Wish Jubal Wish

make your dreams come true!

If you wish to know the truth, tiny Jubal's heart was true

for his size his mind was bold-

in October you need to get a hold

of the book Jubal's Wish to see the story unfold-

to feel the warmth of discovery

as you uncover Captain Dalbert's mystery!

Capture the adventure about a true friend

read it excitedly to the end!

Share the magic with someone dear

Enter the contest and have no fear!

For if you don't get this wonderful new book

Your teacher will put it in the library reading nook.

She'll read it aloud first to win your heart

and then you can sit and delight in the artist's art.

Reliving the day that young Jubal made his wish through and through

until all the characters are your friends too!

For all you do to inspire my young students to write and draw and dream and scheme and smile with your web site, books and creative energy!

I hope my rhyme put a smile on your face for you have certainly done that for so many of my students and the children at the Family For Literacy's (Adult Literacy Program) story hour. THANK YOU!!!!

Laura Lea Laws (first grade teacher)

Waldo Rohnert Elementary School

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INTERNET TIP!

You can use almost all the most popular search engines (Yahoo!, Excite, Google, etc.) on the Web to search for a phrase, if you place all the words in quotes. For instance, a search for the words: children’s books will bring results for the individual words. If you submit the words: "children’s books" you'll get results on the entire phrase. This will help to narrow down your search results.

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AND THE WINNERS ARE...

*Congratulations to Alecia Marcum of Bowling Green, KY!

*Congratulations to Rachel Carter of Calhoun, GA!

*Congratulations to Donna Scheffel of Brighton, IL!

They each won a free autographed copy of JUBAL’S WISH from Audrey and Don Wood!

THE AUGUST CONTEST QUESTION WAS:

ANSWER: A lizard!

Thanks for all of your entries!

Due to the number of entries we received for the August Contest, we thought it only fair to award 3 autographed copies of JUBAL’S WISH

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER CONTEST!!!!!!!!! JUBAL’S WISH!

This month one lucky person will win an autographed copy of Don & Audrey Wood’s newest book, JUBAL’S WISH. You will find the answer to this month’s question inside The Audrey Wood Clubhouse web site!

To enter the contest go to the CLUBHOUSE at http://www.audreywood.com and click on the "Monthly Contest" link. If you answer the question correctly you will be entered into a random drawing. The winner will be drawn at the end of the month.

Good Luck!

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NEW SUBSCRIBERS!

Check out our past Smart Piggy's Newsletters! Enter THE CLUBHOUSE at http://www.audreywood.com and click on the "Parents and Teachers" link, then click on "Smart Piggy's Newsletter Past Issues" link.

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Keep your questions and suggestions coming!

Warmest Regards,

Audrey Wood