Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hans, the Blog Tour

Yep, I'm doing a blog tour for my new picture book, Hans My Hedgehog, pub date right this very day, January 24th. (Woo-hoo!)

I am very pleased that Hans has garnered four great reviews, two of them starred (Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly). In addition, it was featured in a New York Times Book Review, along with two other prickly books.

Thanks very much to all my kind bloggy hosts. I will list the tour schedule for you here, adding the specific links as they come in. That way, you can learn more about the retelling of Grimms' fairy tales in general and my work in particular than you ever thought possible, all in about a week!

Monday, 1/23Interview by Sybil Nelson at The Enchanted Inkpot

Tuesday, 1/24Review and interview by Heidi Grange at Geo Librarian

Wednesday, 1/25Review and giveaway by Linda Gerber at her cool YA author's blog; review by Jennifer Wharton at Jean Little Library

Thursday, 1/26Interview by Jennifer Wharton at Jean Little Library

Friday, 1/27Review by Anamaria Anderson at Books Together Blog

Monday, 1/30Interview by Miranda Paul at her author's blog

Tuesday, 1/31—Author Anastasia Suen spotlights Hans and asks just 3 questions at Booktalking


Thanks also to Charlotte's Library for her post about Google Analytics and hedgehogs, including Hans. Check out the darling baby hedgehog photos!

Here's an intriguing tidbit about urchins and hedgehogs at Children's Literature Network, Snipp Snapp Snute by Lise Lunge-Larsen. She likes the look of Hans.

This post at VoVatia is from last August, but it has some excellent additional "Hans My Hedgehog" art and insights, not to mention a very nice comment from Amy about my then-upcoming book. (Link through if only to see Maurice Sendak's version of Hans.)

A note on Hans's size, which the VoVatia post questions: One of my editors did point out that Hans had to be small enough to ride a rooster, but large enough to dance with a princess. My response was that the story was originally told orally, without illustrations. I'm guessing the size issue slipped right past most of those long-ago listeners! (Except for some smart-aleck kid. There's always one in every village.) I also said, with rather callous accuracy, that the illustrator was going to have to use perspective and other art tricks to make Hans's size work in the book. And he did!

Note: Back to our regular programming this Saturday with picture book reviews.

13 comments:

Linda B said...

Great fun for you, & congratulations again on the book! I'll look for each one!

Bigfoot said...

I see HANS got a starred review from Kirkus. Congratulations! Enjoy your book release day!

Geo Librarian said...

Kate,

I'm not going to be able to get my review up today. Your publisher sent me the wrong book. The right one is on the way, but I haven't received it yet. I'll get the review up as quickly as I can.

Thanks,
Heidi (Geo Librarian) :)

jama said...

Happy Book Birthday!

Bill Kirk said...

Congrats on landing the Kirkus review. Pretty special for a terrific book. Well done.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your publication date! The book looks wonderful, can't wait to read it.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

Book Birthday--what a great concept. Congratulations!

KateCoombs said...

Thanks, everyone!

Magdalena Ball said...

Fantastic book reviews - well done! I hope the tour is mega successful.

Jacqueline said...

Just read Hans and I have to say it's my favorite version so far.

KateCoombs said...

Thank you, Jacqueline!

Esme Raji Codell said...

I am so excited, this is one of my favorite fairy tales...it was so terrifying when my mom read it to me from THE JUNIPER TREE! Please have your folks send me a copy at PlanetEsme.com, I'd love to review... Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

KateCoombs said...

Thanks very much, Esme! Yes, it's a weirdly cool story. (Though I'll admit I took out some of the more gruesome bits.) I'll check with my peeps about getting you a copy. :)