Thursday, March 11, 2021

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer talks about his latest book, A NEW DAY!

     photo credit: Michelle Watson, Catchlight Group



A rambunctious and big-hearted story about the power of gratitude and kindness from bestselling author Brad Meltzer and award-winning illustrator Dan Santat 

A NEW DAY by Brad Meltzer
and illustrated by Dan Santat

Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of Ordinary People Change the World, and Dan Santat, Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle, have teamed together to present A NEW DAY (Dial Books for Young Readers; on sale 3/2/2021). This funny, big-hearted story, which marks a storybook debut for Brad Meltzer, is the perfect tool for teaching kids about the value of kindness. 

Sunday quit, just like that. She said she was tired of being a day. And so the other days of the week had no choice but to advertise: "WANTED: A NEW DAY. Must be relaxing, tranquil, and replenishing. Serious inquires only." Soon lots of hopefuls arrived with their suggestions, such as Funday, Bunday, Acrobaturday, SuperheroDay, and even MonstersWhoResembleJellyfishDay! 

Things quickly got out of hand, until one more candidate showed up: a little girl with a thank-you gift for Sunday. The girl suggested simply a nice day--a day to be kind. And her gratitude made a calendar's worth of difference to Sunday, who decided she didn't need to quit after all. 

"This is the only book I ever dreamed. I literally woke up, the idea fully formed. I know that sounds nuts. But it's true. And I think it came from a need –a need the entire country is seeing right now. With all the chaos in the world, we all can use...A New Day. Plus, we got the master, Dan Santat, to bring it to life." 


Filled with colorful, busy scenes with eye-catching details, the moral of A NEW DAY is easily relatable: when we appreciate each other a little bit more, all the days of the week can be brand-new days where everything is possible. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Heroes for My Son, Heroes for My Daughter, a dozen suspense novels like The Escape Artist, and nonfiction books like The Lincoln Conspiracy. He is also the host of the History Channel television shows Brad Meltzer's Decoded and Brad Meltzer's Lost History (which he used to help find the missing 9/11 flag). 

He is the co-creator of the PBS Kids show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum –and of course, the inspiration for Brad. He lives in Florida with his wife and their three children. 

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR 

Dan Santat is the author/illustrator of more than one hundred titles, including the Caldecott Medal winner The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. He graduated with honors from the Art Center College of Design and is the creator of the Disney animated hit The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

A NEW DAY by Brad Melzer and illustrated by Dan SantatDial Books for Young Readers ▪ March 2, 2021 ▪ 9780525554240 ▪ Hardcover ▪ $17.99▪Ages 3-5

Coming up 4/17 at 9:30am - CEO Glenn Gray and Dr. Alissa Deming, VP of Conservation Medicine & Science, sat down with me to talk about the Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Today’s show is a little different. If you think you hear strange noises during the show, well they are not actually strange at all. They ar...