City Lit Books, Chicago

I had a great time at City Lit Books in Logan Square, Chicago this weekend!

Families joined us for a special flowery story time that started with a reading of Kevin Henkes’ Chrysanthemum. Reading two books is a story time tradition at City Lit Books, and the kids really enjoyed it. I was so excited to read this one since it’s a personal favorite and a great thematic match for my book, The Fanciest Flower, which I read next.

Reading both books back to back gave us lots of opportunities to talk about different flowers: chrysanthemums, lily of the valley, delphinium, hibiscus, carnation, marigold, and tulips all came up. It was certainly a flower-filled morning!

After a few questions about what materials I like to draw with and how I come up with ideas, I did some super silly drawings on my whiteboard based on suggestions from the kids. We came up with brand-new goofy flower ideas, like lion flowers, tiger flowers, and even a fire truck flower!

Then we dreamed up some crazy new characters together. One of the favorites was Old Mr. Sparkle Lady, a high-heeled-boot-wearing pug. Some of the kids were so excited by the whiteboard that they lined up at the end to draw on it themselves. What a great way to end a super fun story time!

Thanks for having me, City Lit!