Rock-n-Romp Summer Kick-Off Show!

Are you a Mom or Dad lamenting the loss of your concert-going days? Never fear! Rock-n-Romp, a totally genius and hip Boston organization, is beginning their summer series of toddler-friendly rock shows where "kids must be accompanied by an adult and adults must be accompanied by a kid." We especially like the picture book readings included on the slate for each evening's show. This week The Main Drag and The Sterns are joined by DJ Michael Savant and Scott Magoon, illustrator of Rabbit and Squirrel: A Tale of War & Peas. Check our Rock-n-Romp on MySpace for upcoming acts and more information.

Hot off the press: the Coraline graphic novel, new Warriors, and lots more!

We've been impatiently awaiting the Coraline graphic novel for months, and we're thrilled to say that it's arrived at last! While it's hard to beat Dave McKean's original images for sheer creepy-crawliness, P. Craig Russell has done an amazing job adapting author Neil Gaiman's text to a sequential art format. We love Coraline's feline companion, whose dry humor is eloquently captured in Russell's illustrations. Look for the hardcover edition on the chapter book room new titles display and in the graphic novel section.

Erin Hunter's immensely popular Warriors series continues with the next installment of Power of Three in September. (In case you missed Outcast, the third in the Power of Three saga, hit our shelves a few weeks ago.) Never fear -- two new Hunter books will tide you over until fall! Cats of the Clans, a beautifully illustrated companion to the Warriors novels, provides clan legend and lore. The Quest Begins is the first in a brand-new series called Seekers. This new series will follow the journeys of three young bears who find their separate paths converging towards a frightening future.

It seems authors (and their publishers) are well-prepared for series summer reading needs. The latest arrivals:
Kate Thompson's The Last of the High Kings (sequel to The New Policeman)
D.J. MacHale's Raven Rise (book nine in the Pendragon series)
Michael Scott's The Magician (book two in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series)
John Flanagan's The Battle for Scandia (book four in The Ranger's Apprentice series)

The Wave review in "Shelf Awareness"

We receive the daily bookseller mailing "Shelf Awareness" to help us stay current with book news. Friday's edition had a great review of a recent picture book we're very excited about, Suzy Lee's The Wave. The review reads in part,

If it is possible to capture in book form a child's first flirtation with the sea, Lee (The Zoo) does it here. Because there are no words to describe that initiation, Lee uses none. Instead, her charcoal pencil depicts a girl on a vast beach running from her mother's side to the water's edge. . . In 40 wordless pages, Lee captures the fascination, awe and ongoing sense of wonder that the ocean inspires in each of us, no matter how old.

The Wave is currently in our summer display -- we think you'll be as enchanted by it as we (and Shelf Awareness writers!) are.

Welcome to the Blogosphere!

We're thrilled to announce that our favorite dog portraitist and CG staff member Jess has just created a blog to keep the world up-to-date on her artistic adventures. Go visit The Golden Briard to see her amazing paintings! (Curious George is bursting with creative staff members -- we write poetry, plan birthday parties, journal, print on letter presses, bind books, sew pajamas, illustrate magazine articles, bake cupcakes, make buttons, paint, take pictures, belly dance, blog, collage, screenprint, edit manuscripts, and more. Support our other resident visual artists Julia, Emily, Laure, and Lee!)

Tasha Tudor 1915 - 2008

Beloved author and illustrator Tasha Tudor died at her home in Vermont on Wednesday. We love her illustrations for The Night Before Christmas as well as puppy picture book Corgiville Fair and the adorable board book 1 is One. She lived a fascinating life and illustrated nearly 100 books. Read more about her here.

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards announced!

So totally crashing the award ceremony. Just saying.

Non-Fiction: The Wall by Peter Sis
Fiction and Poetry: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Picture Book: At Night by Jonathan Bean
Special Citation: The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Check out more detailed descriptions and cover images of the winners and honor books at The Horn Book website.

Everyone's a critic...

You know you can always check Notes From the Hut for reviews of new and noteworthy books, but we at Curious George are upping the recommendation power in-store with on-shelf staff picks. Staff picks will provide you with the age range, genre, and brief summary of a book while you have it in hand to better inform your book selection. Our knowledgeable staffers are busily choosing their favorite reads from our vast array of chapter books to share these books with you! Look for staff picks in our chapter book room soon.

Oh, Jo!

An update to last week's J.K. Rowling news! JKR contributed a story postcard to non-profits England PEN and Dyslexia Action for a charity auction. The card, which raised £25,000 (nearly $50,000), features an 800-word vignette of teenaged Sirius Black and James Potter doing what they do best: managing mischief. Read this story and more by some of our other favorite authors -- including Lauren Child, Michael Rosen, and Neil Gaiman -- here. The postcards will be collected in a limited edition anthology with all proceeds donated to charity.

Harry Potter and the Harvard Commencement

Harvard was lucky enough to conjure up Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to speak at this year's commencement ceremony on Thursday. If, like us, you were not able to sneak in, console yourself with the video and transcript of her entire speech at Harvard's website. They've also posted a great article about the event here.

If you haven't already, make sure to take a peek at JKR's official site. In addition to catching up with her latest activities, visitors can uncover secret sections and solve puzzles (thanks to the magic of excellent web design!).

Contest Winners!

See all of the award-winning artwork and writing submissions from this year's Curious George Just For Kids art and writing contest HERE.