The Watermelon Seed is in stores today!!!

Here it is in a B&N - it was face out already I swear!

Such an amazing feeling to walk into a store and see the book on the shelf - and face out no less! Please consider getting one from your favorite local bookstore, or if you'd prefer to order it online, check out Powell's at http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781423171010-0

Many thanks!

Book Trailer for The Watermelon Seed

Check it out! The book trailer is here! Many thanks to Jimmy Simpson and Christopher Sean Powell for the animation/direction and music. In stores May 14th!!!

Another *starred* review for THE WATERMELON SEED

Feeling very lucky and thankful! Hope to see some of you at The Print Center on May 4.

Here's the full review from School Library Journal:

THE WATERMELON SEED ê [STARRED REVIEW]

Author: Pizzoli, Greg

Illustrator: Pizzoli, Greg

Review Issue Date: May 1^st, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4231-7101-0

Children will love this hilarious book. Crocodile has devoured watermelon since babyhood and eats it every chance he gets. One day, however, he swallows a seed. This sends him into a panic. Will it grow inside him and come out of his ears? Will he grow larger and turn pink? The poor crocodile is so worried until he burps up the seed. He vows to never eat watermelon again, but will he be able to resist? The illustrations of the reptile’s fear about what might happen to him are very funny and the oversize font on those pages reinforces the emotion in the story. The artwork was created by screen print in pink, green, black, and brown. This simplicity allows readers to fully appreciate the changes in the croc’s facial expressions, which artfully contribute to the humor. The story has broad appeal, making it a great first purchase.–Amy Shepherd, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Saturday May 4!

Hey guys,

I have a feeling between my work, planning my wedding and the book coming out, I will get even worse at updating this blog in the next month . . . so I just wanted to remind you to come to the book release party on May 4 in Philadelphia!

It's at The Print Center (1614 Latimer) from 3-6pm. Come on out! And if you pre-order the book through them you'll get a signed copy of the book as well as a silkscreen by yours truly.

Thanks much, and hope to see you there.

Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly

Yesterday was a great day.

I got the first real hardcover copies of THE WATERMELON SEED, and while I was on the phone with my editor talking about our next book, she got an email with my first review.

Some people have told me not to read reviews. I think that's probably a good idea. But I've read this one about twenty times:

The Watermelon Seed

Greg Pizzoli. Disney-Hyperion, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4231-7101-0

Classic kid fear: accidentally swallow a watermelon seed, and the result will be a botanical version of what the zombie virus does to folks in The Walking Dead: vines will come out of your ears, and pretty soon you’ll turn pink and wind up a morsel in someone else’s fruit salad. In this first book from Pizzoli, the goal isn’t to assuage readers’ fears, but he does defuse them with help from an adorable bug-eyed crocodile who’s hooked on watermelon (“Ever since I was a teeny, tiny baby crocodile, it’s been my favorite. CHOMP! SLURP! CHOMP!”). Pizzoli’s ostensibly simple cartooning is actually quite clever: he plays with framing and scale to gently spoof the crocodile’s horror-movie imaginings (“It’s growing in my guts!”), while the limited but luscious palette (watermelon pink and green, of course) and a subtly pulpy texture make each spread good enough to eat. It’s an expert debut, and one with a valuable lesson, to boot: a hearty burp can brighten even the darkest hour. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May) Reviewed on: 03/11/2013

The original review on the PW site is here.

I'm feeling thankful, and very, very excited.

Bon Voyage!

I'm off to Paris for a week, and when I get back I'm going to be a better blogger. Really.

For now, here's a sketch of a harbor:

Book Pre-Order with Screenprint!

As I've mentioned a million times, my first picture book is coming out this May. It's a 32-page picture book about a crocodile who LOVES watermelon, until the unthinkable happens and he swallows a seed. Gulp!

Here's what the publisher, Disney*Hyperion has to say about it:

With perfect comic pacing, Greg Pizzoli introduces us to one funny crocodile who has one big fear: swallowing a watermelon seed. What will he do when his greatest fear is realized? Will vines sprout out his ears? Will his skin turn pink? This crocodile has a wild imagination that kids will love.

So obviously I'm super excited and want to share the book with everybody. And even though it doesn't come out until May, I am teaming up with The Print Center in Philadelphia to do a pre-order of sorts. Here's how it works:

If you buy the book from them for a cool $20, they will hold a book for you to have signed at the book release party in Philadelphia on May 4, and you'll get a 3-color screen print by yours truly. The prints will come with a acid-free backing and wrapped in plastic.

If you don't live in Philly and won't be able to make the party on May 4, we will mail you a signed book and print - shipped flat. You just have to pick the "with shipping" option at checkout. Also, if you choose this option and want the book dedicated to someone, please indicate that in your checkout note.

Here's the link: http://printcenterstore.myshopify.com/products/the-watermelon-seed

And here's an image of the easy to frame 8x10" silkscreen that will be available exclusively through The Print Center promotion:

And here's the book cover!

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope you'll consider picking up a book for yourself or someone you know who loves picture books, crocodiles, or watermelon.

Thanks!

Greg