Have you introduced your kids to the work of Daniel Pinkwater? From his picture books like The Big Orange Splot and Doodle Flute to his young adult novels such as Young Adult Novel and The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, Pinkwater writes for, and about, people who are not ashamed to look at life a little differently. Many of his 100+ works incorporate sci-fi elements (including my favorite, Borgel; the Reading Rainbow pick Tooth- Gnasher Superflash; and Fat Men From Space). His Blue Moose trilogy, featuring a chowder-loving forest creature with a propensity for exaggeration, was made into an opera last year. And this past summer Pinkwater released his last epic novel, The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization, in weekly serial form on his website six months before its publication so that fans would get to enjoy and discuss among themselves.
I got to meet the big man at lunch last week, together with his wife and sometime collaborator Jill Pinkwater and his two most recent illustrators, DB Johnson and Calef Brown.
He graciously agreed to let me record this video greeting to my kids. Don’t let it scare you off, though! His books are awesome.
Kathy Ceceri keeps track of what her kids are learning in science at Home Chemistry.
