The Business of Writing

Somehow it turns out that I need to get new business cards made every year. I’m never exactly sure why since I haven’ t moved in a long time, but invariably my website or my blog site or my phone number or something needs to be changed so I’m at it again.

This time, I’ve decided to put both of the major characters I write for on one card. Over the years, I have written for cats, dogs, monkeys, bears and Disney Princesses, but the two characters nearest and dearest to my heart are The Cat in the Hat and The I Believe Bunny so here they are, together for the first time. I can’t wait to see who ends up on my new cards next year!

Mystic Book Signing

Last week I signed some of my children’s books in Mystic Connecticut at a one-of-a-kind book store called Bank Square Books. I often wander into book stores to take a look at their children’s section and I remember the first day I walked into this welcoming store. The books were beautifully arranged and you truly could see everything. There was a fantastic variety of titles to choose from and I especially noticed the local authors that were featured and, as I was getting ready to move to the neighborhood, this was very good news. Leon (pictured with me here) is the children’s book buyer and I was immediately impressed by the number of children’s titles he had and it was fun to watch the kids as they took time deciding which book to buy. This store almost makes you wish for a rainy day when all there is to do is curl up with a good book. The sign in the store window says “Eat, Sleep, Read,” so to thank Leon and everyone at Bank Square Books I offer this:

At Bank Square books
You see “Eat, Sleep, Read”
With a book from this store
That is all that you need.
Thanks Leon!

Love that Fan Mail!

I love getting fan mail. Often after a visit to a school, I get a big packet of letters from the students and teachers. One little girl drew a picture of me that looked just like me! Another boy wrote,
"Please come back again and visit us soon. We're here in school till the middle of June." Another one wrote, "I loved your singing. You sound just like my mom." A lot of the kids add drawings and one little boy drew a picture of The I Believe Bunny perfectly! I'm going to try and remember to encourage the kids to write me at the end of my presentations so I can grow my collection of favorite letters. They're priceless.

Turning a Poem into a Book

When I first created The I Believe Bunny I was excited by the fact that as an author as soon as you've created a character and the world he lives in, the possibility for stories is truly endless. Last Christmas I wrote a Christmas poem for The I Believe Bunny and sent it out to fans and family. At Easter time, I sent out another poem, both illustrated by the amazing Frank Endersby. What I soon learned was that both poems can easily be expanded into full books by giving more detail and "setting the stage" for what happens in each story. I'm planning on creating two new books from these poems with more to come. So far we have The I Believe Bunny and his friends Skunk, Little Mouse, Squirrel and Racoon. Now, I'm looking forward to working with Frank to create Bunny's Mommy and Daddy Bunny, just as soon as we can.

Oklahoma Friendliness

A few months ago I had the honor of visiting a large school in Sperry, Oklahoma and it was a wonderful experience. I'd never been to Oklahoma and was amazed as we drove through the flat farm lands and then suddenly- there was a school! I was touched by the lovely hand made banner they made to welcome me and presented The I Believe Bunny to hundreds of students in grades K-5. The kids sat in bleachers in the gym that reached to the ceiling and at first I wondered how I could reach so many kids at one time, but they were an amazing audience. When I left they gave me a school T shirt, a wonderful thank-you note and this picture and I will cherish it always.

From Children's Songs to Rap

I have been doing school presentations for years, but my children were in college by the time I started, so neither of them has ever seen me in a classroom. That was changed last week when my son Johnny, who is 21 and a junior at Ithaca College School of Music (where I went!) came to see me present my books at a third grade classroom in White Plains, N.Y. It was fun to get his insights into what I do and, because he is a music education major and spends a lot of time with kids, I was able to get his input on things that went well and which could have gone better. I sing a song with the younger kids in grades K-2 and he had an idea for a rap song for the older grades. We wrote it together so here for the first time is the Reading and Writing Rap!

The Reading and Writing Rap by Johnny and Tish Rabe

When you get an idea don't try and reject it
You can write a story when you least expect it
Write down your ideas there's no right or wrong
You can write a story, a book or a song
Keep reading and writing and when you do
You'll find out you're a writer too