NCIBA Weekend

I love the NCIBA tradeshow. Every year, I completely forget that I love the NCIBA tradeshow until the middle of the first day (I probably said the exact same thing last year, too). I love it because I get to see old friends that I only see once a year, I get to strengthen relationships with people I have met recently, and I get to meet new people. And I'm sure I've said this before, but book people are the nicest people you'll ever meet.

This year, I caught up with:

-All the fine staff of Linden Tree Children's Books in Los Altos, California, where I worked from 1996-1999. A whole bunch of them came by my table; four or five of them were my coworkers way back when-- they are still there!

-Walter the Giant Storyteller. He was walking down the aisle perpendicular to mine. I said, "Psst! Walter!" and waved him over. I showed him our upcoming title, The Wakame Gatherers by Holly Thompson, and he immediate wanted a copy to show at his "best books of fall" talk in November.

-Kathryn Otoshi, who I finally met just this past Thursday at a children's book publishing event. And then on Saturday, there she was again! I know that Kathryn is an illustrator (Marcello the Movie Mouse), but I have heard that she is a woman of many hats. I will get to the bottom of this.

-Sales reps Nancy Suib, Howard Korel, Dan Skaggs, and Jim Caretta. All really great people.

-Edna Cabcabin Moran, who I just met a few weeks ago at another book event. She is the author and illustrator of The Sleeping Giant: A Tale from Kauai. We chatted for a while about reaching the Hawaiian market and the need for more books about Filipinos. I'm not in the habit yet to take lots of pictures for the blog, so the only picture I have is of Edna and me!