New Partnership!

I am very excited to announce my new partnership with Emily van Beek at Folio Jr!
Emily and I met a few years ago and am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her again. She is a consummate professional, incredibly intelligent, and just about the nicest person that you could meet.

I am always hesitant to say "my agent". Working with a representative of any kind, I think, should be a partnership. One that has an open line of communication, that is flexible, and one in which we work for and with each-other.

I receive many emails from illustrators asking if they should have an agent. While it does help with some things, I always say that it depends on the people and the relationship. Publishing can be tough but when you can work with an agent as a team, you can more effectively steer the course of your career and have a better chance of making books that you can all be proud of for years to come.

So if you are an editor or an art director  and have a really special book on your desk- give her a call. I love working with Emily and I know that you will as well.

Cheers,

Chris

Publishers Weekly reviews Following Grandfather!

Following Grandfather

Rosemary Wells, illus. by Christopher Denise. Candlewick, $14.99 (64p) ISBN 978-0-7636-5069-8

In a brief, tender story with quiet charm, Wells (On the Blue Comet) celebrates the bond between a mouse and her grandfather, while exploring a child's ability to cope with loss. Wells depicts an enticing society of anthropomorphic mice who live and cavort in tucked-away parts of human habitats. Jenny explains how her grandfather stowed away on a ship sailing from Italy to Boston and opened a restaurant in the attic of an Italian eatery, "featuring daily specials from the kitchen downstairs." After he retires, the loving mouse devotes his time to his granddaughter and encourages her to hold her head high despite her humble status and to embrace life: "Grandfather said hello to the world. I learned to say hello, too, in that way that made the world smile back." Jenny's connection to Grandfather after his death—she repeatedly thinks she sees him, and perhaps finally does—is poignantly conveyed through her ingenuous voice and Denise's (If I Could) filmy halftone illustrations. Avoiding overt sentimentality, Wells's reflections on love and memories are more pensive than somber. Ages 6–9. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Illustrator's agent: Elena Mechlin, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)

Reviewed on: 10/22/2012

New website for my most excellent agent!

http://www.pippinproperties.com/

The Pippin Blog is also up and running! Be sure to add it to your bookmarks!