Meet the King

Now that Doodle Mail is just about two years old, I’d like to reintroduce myself. Hello! My name is Gina Perry. I grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts. I was the first in my family to graduate college (Syracuse University) and moved to the seacoast of New Hampshire more than twenty years ago. I have been illustrating children’s books since 2006. My next book, THE KING OF BOOKS (Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan) comes out in July of 2025. And I can finally share the cover!

It’s Book Day, everyone!And the King of Books cannot wait to show off all the things that he can do with his magnificent collection.He can make dizzying book towers, fearsome book-quakes, and even handy book trays for his meals. Much to the horror of his trusty advisors, though, it seems that the King of Books is oblivious to their original purpose.But when a fearsome Moat Monster takes exception to the King’s antics, the King of Books has to unlock the full potential of reading in order to save the realm.Gina Perry has crafted a comical story with friendly and bright art that treats all of her subjects with grace and compassion, and showcases the power of the written word (and also that books are much easier to read when you hold them the right side up).

I really cannot wait for everyone to read KING, but I will settle for the excitement of revealing the cover. And I will be sharing more behind the scenes as we get closer to book release next year, of course.

My new author photo was shot in Prescott Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The fountain in the background is the same one I referenced in my debut picture book SMALL. I am so grateful to photographer Danielle Mackey of Dee Renee Photography for being so lovely to work with (on something that I find very scary!)

And now on to this month’s How-to-Draw subject: little penguins! And no, I don’t just mean small penguins. Eudyptula minor are also known as fairy penguins, little blue penguins, and kororās. I hope your students and children enjoy drawing and learning about these tiny flightless birds. I’ve linked a video below to see just how small and adorable they are!

I’ve been busy with small assignments, new picture book dummies, and also… I recently volunteered at the NH Book Festival. This was the inaugural year for the event and I wanted to support my state and the hard work of the organizers in any way I could.

On Friday, Kate DiCamillo spoke to about 1400 NH elementary students. They were all huge fans, of course, so the auditorium was filled with excitement. Plus, the kids found out they were each getting a copy of her newest book to keep (thanks to the generosity of the Judge Family Foundation)! Kate spent a lot of time taking questions from the kids, and it was so fun to learn more about her and her stories. Flora & Ulysses was a special read-aloud with my daughter, so I loved hearing a bit about the inspiration behind her story about a poetry-writing squirrel with super powers.

On Saturday, I enjoyed listening to several new-to-me authors speak as well as some I’ve heard and enjoyed before. It was just a picture-perfect fall day listening to thoughtful, funny, and meaningful discussions about books and writing. The organizers created a spectacular event for New Hampshire that I hope will continue to grow each year. I’ve linked to each author shown below - you will find signed copies of their books at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. There are links to each author’s website in the captions.

Reading: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast. I devoured this graphic novel memoir in one evening. I will be recommending it to friends with aging parents - despite the horrors and ugly truths, it’s still a beautiful, funny, and sensitive book.

Listening: Everyone’s Business but Mine with Kara Berry. If you watch reality TV, Kara covers all of it, so far as I can tell. I also adore that her signoff is “Thank you for listening. Thank me for speaking.“

Watching: Penelope on Netflix. This felt like My Side of the Mountain for teens, with a splash of Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Like white space on a page, they held room for nature here - with long stretches of quiet. If you’ve watched it, I’d love to talk about it.