Children's book illustrators at Asheville area events
While the writer shapes the story in children's books, the illustrator sparks the imagination. Three children's book illustrators will share the secrets of their processes in two upcoming events.
• Halloween Storytime with illustrator Annette Simon. Author-illustrator Simon recently moved to Asheville from the Raleigh area. She’ll host a storytime on Oct. 29 aimed at chidlren ages 3-7 at Spellbound Children’s Bookshop, featuring her stories “Robot Zombie Frankenstein!” and “Robot Burp Head Smartypants!”
Both books feature bright colors and drawings that rearrange familiar shapes to create new "creatures." To get children in the Halloween spirit, there will be face painting and costumes are encouraged.
Simon's event will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 29 at Spellbound Children’s Books, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. To learn more, visit spellboundbookshop.com or call 828-575-2266.
• Great Illustrations: Kids Create Characters with Constance Lombardo and Laura Boffa. Local author-illustrators Lombardo and Boffa will demonstrate how they work and let children give illustration a try at this event Nov. 6 at Firestorm Co-op. The authors will discuss how to sketch a character into life and how to create scenes or interactions between characters. The authors will help children brainstorm characters they’d like to create and provide markers, pens and paper.
Lombardo is the author and illustrator of the Mr. Puffball series of middle-grade illustrated novels, which include “Mr. Puffball Stunt Cat to the Stars” and “Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat Across America,” released last month. Her whimsical characters include Mr. Puffball and his idol the cat movie star El Gato.
Boffa is the author of the picture book "Writing Home: The Story of Author Thomas Wolfe,” released earlier this year. Boffa accompanied the text with watercolor illustrations, inspired by scenes from Wolfe’s life.
The event is at 11 a.m. Nov. 6 at Firestorm Co-Op, 610 Haywood Road, Asheville. To learn more, visit firestorm.coop or call 828-255-8115.
UNC Ashville author events
UNC Asheville will host Lucy Corin, author of two short-story collections, “One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses" and “The Entire Predicament,” and the novel “Everyday Psychokillers: A History for Girls.” Corin will read from and discuss her works at noon Nov. 8 in the Laurel Forum of Karpen Hall.
As part of its visiting writer series, the college will host Leigh Ann Henion, the New York Times best-selling author of “Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World,” at noon Nov. 10, also in the Laurel Forum of Karpen Hall. Henion, who now lives near Boone, is a 2000 graduate of UNCA and will read from and discuss her work with fellow alum Wiley Cash, the college's 2016-17 writer-in-residence, who graduated the same year. Cash is the best-selling author of "This Dark Road to Mercy" and "A Land More Kind than Home."
For more on the Corin reading, contact Lori Horvitz, of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, at lhorvitz@unca.edu or 828-251-6590. For more on the Henion event, visit english.unca.edu.
