If
you've ever wanted the award-winning husband and wife team Mark Greenwood and Frané
Lessac to come to your school to speak to your students, now is the time to
book them. This Australia-based couple will be coming to the U.S. in October to
celebrate the publication of their new books, THE GREATEST LIAR ON EARTH and
THE DRUMMER BOY OF JOHN JOHN.
In
their picture book, THE GREATEST LIAR ON EARTH (Candlewick), they tell the
story of Louis de Rougement, a penniless Frenchman who claimed to have been a
castaway who survived a terrible shipwreck, slain fantastical creatures, and
discovered whole mountains of rubies and gold. His tales caused an
international media frenzy, but soon his credibility was brought into question.
Was this man, who was eventually reduced to become a homeless street vendor,
really a great adventurer or merely a fraud? Living now in a time of
"instant" fame and celebrities' rapid falls from grace, Mark and Frané
believe de Rougement's story is as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.
"THE GREATEST LIAR ON EARTH is, on the surface, an adventure story.... But
beneath the surface it is the "true" story of an unusual character,
perhaps an overly enthusiastic dreamer, perhaps a charlatan, who is forced to
confront the consequences of his storytelling," says Mark.
THE
DRUMMER BOY OF JOHN JOHN (Lee & Low), also coming out in October, brings
readers to Carnival in Trinidad, the most significant event on the island. Numerous
cultural events lead up to the music-filled street parade filled with
costume-clad revelers. With Carnival coming, the villagers of John John,
Trinidad, are getting ready celebrate with music, dancing, and a parade of
their own. Best of all, the Roti King has promised free rotis—tasty fried
pancakes filled with chicken, herbs, and spices—for the best band in the
parade. Young Winston dreams of feasting on those delicious rotis, but he’s not
in a band! Wandering through the village junkyard trying to figure out what to
do, he discovers something that may help him achieve his goal. With ingenuity
and some friends’ help, Winston drums his way to victory and wins the tasty
prize. Sun-drenched paintings and musical text joyously transport readers to
the Caribbean, and to this exuberant story inspired by the early life of Winston
“Spree” Simon, a pioneer in the development of the steel drum. Here are just a
couple of Frané Lessac's illustrations for the book.
Here
is the couple’s most current U.S. tour schedule:
OCTOBER
6, 2012
125
West Bay Road
Amherst,
MA 01002
telephone
413-658-1100
OCTOBER
10, 2012
10
Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn,
NY 11238
telephone
718-230-2100
OCTOBER
13, 2012
Autographing
at this Soho bookstore:
52
Prince Street
(between
Lafayette & Mulberry)
New
York City, NY 10012
telephone
212-274-1160
Frané
and Mark will be in the New York Metropolitan area (New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut) the week of October 8-13, 2012. As they visit the U.S. only twice
a year, now is the time to book tie-in school visits around these dates. For
further information about their school visits, please visit Balkin Buddies and contact Catherine Balkin to
book them.
