Occasionally, often at inconvenient, unexpected or irksome times, we happen upon magic.

It happened again Tuesday night. I was in New York City to visit my daughter, Lexi. It was late for a weeknight dinner—close to 9.  Lexi, her beau, Ryan,  and I were hungry, tired, and wanting dinner. It was one of those evenings after a long day for all of us: I had just ridden in on the train from Baltimore, after spending a delightful few days with my writer bud, Barb Crispin, racing through the ALA Convention in Washington, DC; Lexi had put in a hard day at the office; as had Ryan, who’d been up and at it since 5: 30. If we were smart, we would have ordered in. But it was a spring on the brink of summer eve where everyone on the streets seemed joyful. Pretty girls in short, flirty skirts and tall shoes pranced; suited men with ties fluttering had bounce in their step–a night begging to be enjoyed–a “Puck” night.

We chose Italian, because there are several al fresco cafes on 6^th Ave between Bleeker and Spring,  and agreed to meet there. Unfortuanately for us, everyone else was similarly possessed. Every café with open air seating was packed with waiting lines, more aptly,  rings of anxious diners hovering, willing those at tables to “shut up, eat up and leave so we can have your spot.”  Ryan and Lexi arrived before me. They were sitting on a bench, motioning at me with their cell phones and eyebrows raised in that “we’ve been calling you, why didn’t you pick up” way. I was rushing toward them when it happened.

Play me! Try me! Make Music...Make Magic

The piano caught my attention immediately. Angled jauntily, splashed with Technicolor  it beckoned “Play Me I’m Yours!” and they did! Everyone who had ever taken a piano lesson, or banged out Chopsticks, stopped to tickle the ivories—Magic!

The piano is one of 60 mysteriously deposited all over New York City by Sing For Hope, “an ‘artists’ peace corps’ that mobilizes more than 600 professional artists in our volunteer service programs that benefit schools, hospitals and communities.”  From 9am-10pm each day, June 21-July 5, 60 pianos are/were scattered throughout NYC, inviting passersby to play a ditty.

“Play Me, I’m Yours” is an artwork by British artist Luke Jerram who has been touring the project globally since 2008. (He’s posted a street piano webcam viewed through his website: http://www.lukejerram.com/ site.)

If you’re in NYC, you have one more day to experience this musical magic in person. And, thanks to that tech magic called Internet, Play Me I’m Yours videos, stories and photos can enthrall us all. Click on: http://www.streetpianos.com/nyc2010/

This musical magic continues! 20 pianos strong, Play Me I’m Yours hits Grand Rapids on September 22^nd—where else?????

Magic Happens…. Keep your eyes and ears open!

Girls Gone Piano!

Jazz Anyone??? Care To Sing Along?

Author, Anita Silvey, renowned for her encyclopedic knowledge of children’s books and elegant hats,  questioned 100 people to select noteworthy childrens’ books when writing Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book. She asked them to answer this question: “What children’s book changed the way you see the world?”

According to the “Authors Guild Bulletin”, winter 2010, quoting from PW, Maurice Sendak replied: “Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon is just immense fun. Harold does exactly as he pleases….Books shouldn’t teach. They shouldn’t give lessons. Kids should feel that they can do what they want and no one will punish them. They can just be kids and enjoy reading and looking at a book.”

I’ve been riding a hot air balloon the past few weeks. Thanks to my publicist, Rebecca Grose, my schedule is packed with events promoting my new books. This is the season for DAD AND POP and YOUR DADDY WAS JUST LIKE YOU, but DANCE Y’ALL DANCE has had it’s share of attention, too. TV and Radio Interviews–including one where I came on right after this song, and a report about a box of human heads found on a plane–books signings, readings, storytimes. I’ve visited Bank Street Books and Books of Wonder. Both well-respected book stores have long been touchstones for me. I’d slide in like a thief, trying not to look suspicious as scoured the shelves looking for my books, only to slink back out with my tail tucked–no such luck. Well not anymore! I’ve read my books in those stores (never mind that only a few fistfuls of people listened), I’ve met the owners and they love my books and seem to like me and asked me to sign all the copies so they could feature them in their “autographed books” section. And…if that’s not enough: I made it past the stone lions guarding the entrance to the New York Public Library and down into the hallowed “Children’s Center”. And best, after my presentation, the John Peters, the department head, took Lexi, my daughter and I on a tour, of this marvel. And, while we didnt’ get to “touch” they collection of Christopher Robin’s stuffed animans in “Poo Corner” we did get to press our noses against the glass and gaze upon them for as long as we wanted.

All this was warm up for yesterday. The news arrived a few days ago, YOUR DADDY WAS JUST LIKE YOU was going to be in USA Today. Then, Monday, the news got even richer, DAD AND POP was also going to be featured. Yesterday dawned bright and hot in Houston. I rose early and jumped on the whirlwind of events scheduled. IAfter the “human head” 5 minutes of Radio Fame, in between rushing to the Blue Willow Bookshop, reading and singing with about 50 preschoolers, a stop at CostCo to buy 2 carts of party food for Amy, Lexi’s BFF’s Engagement Party, A run through Specks for Party Drinks, and dash over to Katy Budget Books for an afternoon signing and reading and lovely chat with my friend Stacy Morris, the event organizer there, I remembered it was Thursday (it was on my schedule…) and the USA Today issue was in my mind. But there were veggies and meats to buy, party lanterns to hang, table clothes to iron–and my friend Joy, who had loaned me her house to hold the event–was busting her rear right along side me to get everything ready, so neither of us really had time to sit down and read a newspaper, let along go out a by one.

Then Max called from Wyoming. He’d taken time to get USA Today, and open it and read the entire HALF PAGE devoted to Father’s Day Picture Books–50% of which were mine. Then, out friend Marty called, she was making a late night store run to scoop up all the copies she could find. When Marty arrived, Joy and I retired our dustmops, wash clothes and cutting boards long enough to POP! open a bottle of bubbles, flip open the USA Today and give the marvelous, brillintly written and designed Father’s Day Book Roundup it’s fare due! As thrilling as it is to see my books, my babies featured in USA Today, we couldn’t linger long. The food still isn’t ready, the backyard is a mess, we need more ice, the garbage needs to go out, and the dishes aren’t done….

And frankly, I don’t give a hoot! Yeah USA Today! Go Dad! Go Pop! Go Daddy Go!