Walter Dean Myers, whom Jon Scieszka called a cross between “Darth Vader and Pat the Bunny,” was inducted yesterday as the new ambassador of children’s literature. The event was held in the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building. (That’s the building you’ll see pictured in the dictionary next to “hallowed halls.”)
Here’s a quick snapshot of Myers with previous ambassadors Scieszka and Katherine Paterson, all looking at someone else’s camera, taken from far away and without a flash. And yet I still managed to give them red-eye!
Okay, so I’m not a photographer. That’s still a lot of awesome in one place, no?
Myers’ platform for his two-year term is “Reading isn’t optional.”
And saving the world. And world peace. Which would both require an element of reading, I think — of children’s books in particular.
You want to know what else could encourage readers, aside from the writings of our ambassadors, past and present?
That’s right: Cookies!
My friend Rachael took this picture of me as fangirl. I wasn’t planning to go the fangirl route, actually, opting instead to catch up with friends and try the food at the Museum of the American Indian’s cafe. But I’m not above wanting to impress my kids.
Thanks, Jama. Yep, the cookies were a nice touch, I think. And re charisma: I wonder if he rents it out?
How exciting!! Awesome overload. Met Jon S. once at Books of Wonder. That man oozes charisma. Happy to know cookies were involved too. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. You look adorable.
Hmm. I will have to think about how I’d like to be described! (That would make a good blog or FB post: Describe yourself as a cross between a Star Wars character and another character from kidlit…)
Oh, and I forgot to add: I love your smile in that picture, too. Congratulations to all the ambassadors of children’s books–official and otherwise.
Or your friends! I love his little smirk in that picture. Thanks for the update on what looks like a fantastic event–and YUM on the Mitsitam Cafe, too.
There’s a whole lot of fabulous in this post, Madelyn! Love ALL the photos. I saw Katherine Paterson speak once and she was the best. I would kind of like to be described as a cross between DV and PTB, but I might be more R2D2/Horton the Elephant.