A Sick Day and a Visit with One of My Favorite Authors: Just What the Doctor Ordered

I've been feeling very overwhelmed, tired, and rundown lately. So it's probably no surprise that has resulted in a compromised immune system and me trying to fight off a cold for an entire week. Every day I kept telling myself, "Tomorrow I'll feel better." But tomorrow never came so on Friday I decided I needed a day to do nothing and try to recover. I took a sick day and just sat around the house, cuddled with my two pugs, and read books.

Books & pug cuddles: my sick day Rx

That proved to be just what the doctor ordered because by late afternoon, I was starting to feel human again. And that was lucky because one of my all-time favorite author/illustrators, Adam Rex, was coming to town to do an event at Nicola's Books for his new book School's First Day of School and I had made plans to meet up with him after his school visits were over that day.

And so, my friend Mitch Nobis, a fellow Adam Rex fan, along with my husband met up for tapas and drinks at one of my favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor and had a lovely evening discussing everything from picture books (what REALLY happens at the end of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole?) to politics (how do we help students to think critically when everyone seems to be getting their news through a partisan lens these days?). And suddenly I'm reminded yet again why I love living in Ann Arbor.

Great conversation and great company over tapas

Oh and Adam even came bearing gifts. :)

Barf bag art. It's a thing.

On Saturday Adam along with Christian Robinson, who illustrated School's First Day of School, held their author/illustrator event at Nicola's Books. Adam is an illustrator himself, but decided he wanted to try something different by just writing the book and finding someone else to do the illustrations. I'd say he hit the jackpot with the newly crowned Caldecott honor illustrator Christian Robinson.

Reading from School's First Day of School

Christian reads from Gaston, a book he illustrated and Michigan author Kelly DiPucchio (who was in the audience) wrote.

Christian and Adam drawing Pikachu and The Hulk playing football

So despite the fact that most of this past week has been rather rough and tumble for me as I've tried to resurrect my compromised immune system, it turns out that a sick day, pug cuddles, books, and conversations with friends new and old over dinner was just what I needed to return to the land of the living. Thanks Adam and Christian -- and of course Macmillan -- for bringing your book tour to Michigan and to Nicola's Books.

So ummm yeah... I got a lot of books signed

Read my reviews of Adam Rex books:
The True Meaning of Smekday
Chloe and the Lion

Read my interview with Adam Rex back in 2011 for The True Meaning of Smekday

And who could forget this amazing and hilarious gesture Adam did for my students back in 2012: 


Read my review of Christian's Caldecott honor book (and also Newbery medal-winning):
Last Stop on Market Street