The Insecto-Files and What's the Big Idea? Are Launched!

How can flies walk on the ceiling without falling onto your head? More than 30+ kids and countless adults ('coz I didn't count 'em!) got the chance to find out at yesterday's very buzzy book launch at McNally Robinson in Toronto. It was my first book launch ever, so I was just a tad excited - and a little nervous. I knew friends and family that had never witnessed me in action would get to finally see what I get paid the big bucks for - acting like an idiot.

Friend and fab author Patricia Storms took these  pictures. What, you ask, is hanging from that plastic cup? It's a paper fly, which kids cut out from photocopies of a page from The Insecto-Files. By dipping their feet in "miracle stick solution" - aka ordinary tap water - the flies were made to stick to the cup and "walk" upside down. A little adhesion magic for the under 12 set!

We also asked invention trivia questions, ripped from the pages of What's the Big Idea?, and winners names went into a draw for prizes.

Here I am demonstrating the magic of water with my big mouth in its natural state - open!

Everyone left with a chocolate ladybug thank you, a wee bag of popcorn, sample issues of Owl magazine, and signed books.

Many thanks to author Helene Boudreau (Acadian Star, Nimbus) (pictured at left) for bringing the cuties in costume, and author Jennifer Lanthier (Hazel Frump series, HarperCollins) for her scissors skills!

We also enjoyed visits from the creme de la creme of Canadian kidlit - Mahtab Narsimhan (Silver Birch Winner for The Third Eye) and Debra Kerbel  (Girl on the Other Side)  - and parenting poobah Kathy Buckworth (The Blackberry Diaries).

Also, shout outs to Kendal Gerard from Owlkids who masterminded and organized everything, and the wonderful staff at McNally Robinson, Don Mills, for hosting the event.

 
Giving out handmade chocolate ladybugs from Toronto's Chocolate Concepts.