Given the myriad connections to the children's book world here at Smudge Ink, it’s no surprise that all of us have been very excited about the highly anticipated debut of Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color. This charming new picture book is authored and illustrated by Emily's good friend, Julia Denos.
(image: Julia signing books for Abigail and Avery)
In the book, Swatch is a fierce, creative color tamer. She finds shades like Bravest Green and In-Between Gray and directs them to dance and do magic. And although she runs wild with the colors, she soon learns to trap and collect them. But what will Swatch do when she finds a color that doesn’t want to be tamed? Go get a copy of Swatch and find out! It is a beautifully written tale filled with riotous swaths of color and unexpectedly quiet moments of kindness.
(image: Emily, Ari, and George having fun in the Swatch photo booth)
Last Friday Porter Square Books hosted Julia’s book launch party, complete with face painting and a photo booth. Following a reading, Julia took us behind the scenes of creating the book, a long process that ultimately hinged on the story finding Julia. My favorite part of the presentation was Julia’s reminder to be open and to listen to what the world is telling you because that is how stories find us. And, in what was certainly a nod to Swatch and her love of color, there was a downpour minutes before the event that resulted in a beautiful double rainbow visible from the bookstore.
(image: a real reading rainbow!)
Congratulations to Julia, and best wishes to Swatch on many more adventures full of color!