Maxwell Eaton III - Children's Book Author

And they're off!

2012-01-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hey gang!

The first two books in The Flying Beaver Brothers graphic novel series are officially available! Here's what people are saying:

"Funny from the first panel." - Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will almost be able to feel the wind whistling past." - Booklist

"...you best get in at the ground floor." - 100ScopeNotes.com

And what a blurb from fellow graphic novel guy, Jarrett J. Krosoczka!

"The Flying Beaver Brothers has everything a kid could want in a comic--high-octane action, laugh-out-loud humor, and evil penguins. These books will be flying off the shelves! (Get it? Flying?!)." -JJK

And to top it all off, both books are Junior Library Guild selections!

Find out more about each book and preview some pages here!

Find out where you can buy THE EVIL PENGUIN PLAN here!

Find out where you can buy THE FISHY BUSINESS here!

And see my Evil Penguin Preparedness Get-up here!

I hope you enjoy these two characters. Let me know what you think!

Your bud,
Maxwell

Exclamation Point Count: 11

Win a copy of The Flying Beaver Brothers!

2011-12-15T10:01:00.003-07:00

Hey gang! If you’re on Twitter be sure to retweet this post from the good folks at Random House Kids (@randomhousekids) for a chance to win an advance copy of THE FLYING BEAVER BROTHERS!

2011-12-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

An intro page from The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan.

One month and one day until the first two Flying Beaver Brothers books hit the shelves! Pre-order today and along with exactly what you ordered you'll receive the smug satisfaction of having locked in at the 2011 price (exactly the same as 2012 price)!

The Flying Beaver Brothers

2011-10-31T15:25:00.001-07:00

Whoa gang! The FedEx guy just dropped off a doozy of a package from 1745 Broadway. My first set of final Flying Beaver Brothers copies! They won't be officially released until January (luckily, just in time for Benjamin Franklin's birthday), but you can take your best sneak peek yet along with some stunning shots of the author's left thumb.

The Evil Penguin Plan

Note the blurb by fellow picture book and graphic novel aficionado Jarrett J. Krosoczka who was kind enough to lend a good word! Be sure to check out his Lunch Lady graphic novels and latest picture book!

The Fishy Business

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Might be a good night to read...oh, I don't know... THE MYSTERY?!

Wells Memorial Library Fundraiser

2011-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Don't forget! This Saturday evening from five to eight The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, NY will be hosting a fundraiser for the nearby Wells Memorial Library, which was swamped by Hurricane Irene. There will be readings by authors Kate Messner, Jon Katz, Erin Dionne, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Amy Guglielmo, and artist Laura Hamor. There will also be a silent auction with tons (50) of autographed books and even some artwork by Mercer Mayer, Matt Phelan, Tom Angleberger, and the guy typing this blog post (see art below). And to top it all off, owners Marc and Sarah will be donating 20% of the evening's sales (as well as 100% of auction proceeds obviously) right to the library. Here's a link with all of the stats!

This little number could be hanging in your bathroom.

Pinaleno Mountains

2011-10-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

Kristin and I spent the weekend with our two mutant animals in the Pinaleno Mountains here in Arizona. A perfect mix of desert, creeks, and uncharacteristically tired dogs.

Filtering water with Zeeba.

W. Martinez is done.

Zeeba is done.

Grasshopper/toad/grasshopper/toad

Searches that brought people to this blog...

2011-10-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

manatee slippers

Javelinas

2011-10-04T08:01:00.001-07:00

A few visitors while reading the paper outside this morning...

Wells Memorial Library Silent Auction

2011-09-15T15:20:00.001-07:00

Looking to help the recently flooded Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay, NY and wouldn't mind walking away with an original Maxwell Eaton III drawing of two beavers and a bear? What an eerie coincidence! The above drawing of two beavers and a bear will be part of a silent auction event to help raise proceeds for said library (see original post) in late October. More on the event as details are made available.

Little Free Library

2011-09-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

This is awesome. Here's an article. Here's the Little Free Library site

Wells Memorial Library

2011-09-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

If you live on the right hand side of the continent and happened to stick your head out the window last week to maybe yell at a squirrel or stare down the neighbor's approaching dog then you might have noticed a hurricane or remnants of a hurricane passing through. Such hurricane or remnants of a hurricane hit my old stomping grounds of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York pretty darn hard. And one place that got it good was the Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay, NY. The whole building flooded knee deep. And what books does one tend to find in the shin-region of the leg-measuring scale? Yes, probably a lot of old National Geographics. But I'm talking about kid's books. They lost their entire children's book section!

Luckily, this loss has not gone unnoticed. Author Kate Messner is doing something about it along with the good folks and former employers of your author at The Bookstore Plus. They'll be organizing an event in October to raise funds for the library, and they'll also be holding book and monetary donations in the meantime. So if you've got a hankering for philanthropy or are just trying to buy back some good karma for not letting me merge into your lane at the corner of Speedway and Euclid in Tucson yesterday (white Honda Civic with California Plates) then give the bookstore a call.

And if you're a children's book illustrator but lack the kind of publisher-in-your-pocket, despot-like buying power that inherently comes with your title, then how about donating a piece of art for the upcoming event? You can do so by contacting the above organizers. I'll be donating a piece. You should, too. Let make peer pressure work for good! And use leer pressure to keep that neighbor's dog out of the yard.

Your bud,
Maxwell

Road Trip

2011-08-08T11:25:00.004-07:00

Just got back from a much needed 7000 miles on the road.

New favorite region: western Kansas.

(Although, New Mexico's rest stops can't be beat.)

Junior Library Guild Selection

2011-08-08T10:23:00.006-07:00

Good news, gang! The Flying Beaver Brothers have been selected by the good people at Junior Library Guild!

I can only imagine they were taken with the herculean efforts that went into naming characters...

Anyway, I couldn't be more thrilled! And just to prove it I've used five exclamation points within the body of this blog post!

Remember to keep an eye on those library shelves this spring!

Blogging

2011-07-04T16:41:00.002-07:00

By the way, I'll be simultaneously posting here on my new tumblr page. Not sure whether I'll move officially, stay with blogger, or keep doing both. But in the meantime if you're on tumblr be sure to follow!

Your bud,

Maxwell

Books and Slippers

2011-06-29T17:26:00.004-07:00

I just got a package in the mail from my new best buds at Rich Frog Industries, a Vermont-based company that designs and manufactures toys and gifts for kids. Among other things, they've got a fantastic assortment of slippers that they like to pair up with picture books, and a recent addition to the pack is The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Superheroes with their own superheroes slippers!

The truth is, I've got someone working on the inside (it took decades of planning) who might have nudged the pairing along. My old pal, Seth. And I'm obligated to mention his name just to keep him happy. He's got some career-ending stories from college that he keeps pretty close to the vest...

Anyway, thanks Rich Frog! You just solved my 2011 Halloween dog costume woes!

Flying Beaver Brothers ARC

2011-06-21T10:09:00.003-07:00

The advance reader's copy (ARC) of both Flying Beaver Brothers stories just arrived! This is the promotional copy that will be sent to reviewers, book buyers, and librarians, so to make life easier both stories were bound back to back. When the real Flying Beaver Brothers stories hit the shelves in January 2012 they'll be separate books.

By the way, both The Evil Penguin Plan and The Fishy Business are now available for pre-order from your favorite retailers!

Searches that brought people to this blog...

2011-06-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

exploding robot children

Cover Proofs

2011-05-26T09:11:00.003-07:00

Cover proofs for both Flying Beaver Brothers books just walked in the door!

Children's Books for Graduates

2011-05-24T10:23:00.003-07:00

Looking for a picture book about bullying for your recent graduate? Well, that's a little odd, but here's a good one.

Purchase TWO DUMB DUCKS today!

Flying Beaver Brothers Teaser

2011-05-24T10:17:00.004-07:00

I shouldn't waste all of my promotional material this far out of the books' release, but I thought I'd share one of the Flying Beaver Brothers teaser pages that appear on the inside of the front cover before the title page.

Celestino Piatti

2011-05-19T13:55:00.002-07:00

Fantastic.

From The Happy Owls by Celestino Piatti.

George Catlin

2011-05-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Catlin portraits.

Goats

2011-05-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Goats on pasture at Consider Bardwell Farm.

Two Dumb Ducks

2011-05-13T11:18:00.004-07:00

I was attempting to organize all of my art this morning and came across my Two Dumb Ducks illustrations. This is what a penciled-in page looks like before I scan and color it.

Before.

After.

Click here to purchase said book!

David Barth

2011-05-10T19:29:00.002-07:00

These are fantastic. Check out the artist's bio.

via David Barth

Pennant

2011-05-10T09:58:00.002-07:00

My friend Charlie recently found this pennant from my previous hometown in an antique store here in Tucson. It's always funny how these sorts of things make their way west.

A fantastic addition to the office wall.

Pencil

2011-05-08T12:37:00.003-07:00

I realized the other day that I've used the same Faber Castell 6H pencil on all drafts, revisions, and final art for Two Dumb Ducks and both Flying Beaver Brothers stories. That's probably somewhere in the neighborhood of eight hundred pages! Granted it's a very light pencil that I only use on the initial sketched lines of each page which I later darken with a softer pencil or ink, but it's still a workhorse.

Bob Wallace

2011-05-08T12:30:00.002-07:00

Lotus Fore and Aft - via George Eastman House

Writing

2011-05-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

A very productive morning on the back porch.

The Evil Penguin Plan

2011-05-02T15:16:00.006-07:00

I just got my first full set of proofs for The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan(available this January). Here's a sneak peek of a spread:

And here's a creepy rabbit that was staring at me through my office window all morning:

Teacher Day at UA

2011-04-30T09:41:00.004-07:00

I forgot to mention that I'll be hanging out at the University of Arizona today for Teacher Day at UA (right next to the Department of Redundancy Department). I'll be at Worlds of Words in the College of Education Building from 1100 (I've got to get going) to 200 showing off Two Dumb Ducks artwork and signing books. The event is free for teachers. Here's the info.

Self-Portrait

2011-04-21T07:36:00.002-07:00

A new portrait for my author bio in The Flying Beaver Brothers books.

Searches that brought people to this blog...

2011-04-20T07:39:00.001-07:00

chicken coop pictures in woods

Electro Books

2011-04-20T07:17:00.005-07:00

The eBook edition of The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Best Buds is available starting today! Click here to find it at your favorite online store! And if bald kids and talking pigs balancing on rocks in ponds makes you nervous then preview a few pages here!

Of course, Two Dumb Ducks is available as an eBook as well. Click here to find it at your favorite online store.

And, as eternally always, all of my books are available in solid, upstanding, ow-it-poked-me-in-the-eye hardcover. Click here to see them all and link to your preferred local-brick-and-mortar or online retail establishment!

The Grounds

2011-04-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

A little weekend visitor.

Drawing Machine

2011-04-18T11:44:00.003-07:00

I usually can't stand these things, but I do like the mechanics of this one.

Searches that brought people to this blog...

2011-04-14T15:45:00.003-07:00

who is maxwell eaton the third?

(so existential!)

Shelves

2011-04-13T16:59:00.002-07:00

via The Selby

Ants

2011-04-13T14:41:00.001-07:00

The Moon

2011-04-12T08:26:00.003-07:00

"A Magnificent Desolation."

via George Eastman House

Public Libraries

2011-04-11T19:17:00.003-07:00

Check out this fantastic series of photographs of public libraries by Robert Dawson.

via Biblioklept

Work Work Work

2011-04-11T08:27:00.003-07:00

Busy this week finishing up final cover art for the two Flying Beaver Brothers books. Also getting some sketches together for a future picture book. Plenty of writing in between.

Strange fog over the weekend:

The Flying Beaver Brothers

2011-04-03T12:32:00.005-07:00

Free at last! I recently sent two finished Flying Beaver Brothers stories packing to New York. That's two sets of final art in two months. Or 192 pages, 584 panels, 902 beavers, 135 penguins, 114 fish, 36 seagulls, and 1 polar bear.

The titles are...

The Flying Beaver Brothers and The Evil Penguin Plan

and

The Flying Beaver Brothers and The Fishy Business

You'll get to see them both this coming January 2012. In the meantime, there's more work to be done!

(a page from The Flying Beaver Brothers and The Fishy Business)

eBuds

2011-03-31T14:22:00.004-07:00

I just learned that The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Best Buds will be available as an e-book April 20th. So for all of you who have been putting off its purchase for the last four years because of concerns about sharp corners, paper cuts, and the global bookshelf shortage, your time has arrived! For the rest of you, the hardcover edition is available as always!

Fish Decoys at the Smithsonian

2011-03-31T08:14:00.002-07:00

Maxwell Eaton III - Children's Book Author

And they're off!

Win a copy of The Flying Beaver Brothers!

The Flying Beaver Brothers

Happy Halloween!

Wells Memorial Library Fundraiser

Pinaleno Mountains

Searches that brought people to this blog...

Javelinas

Wells Memorial Library Silent Auction

Little Free Library

Wells Memorial Library

Road Trip

Junior Library Guild Selection

Blogging

Books and Slippers

Flying Beaver Brothers ARC

Searches that brought people to this blog...

Cover Proofs

Children's Books for Graduates

Flying Beaver Brothers Teaser

Celestino Piatti

George Catlin

Goats

Two Dumb Ducks

David Barth

Pennant

Pencil

Bob Wallace

Writing

The Evil Penguin Plan

Teacher Day at UA

Self-Portrait

Searches that brought people to this blog...

Electro Books

The Grounds

Drawing Machine

Searches that brought people to this blog...

Shelves

Ants

The Moon

Public Libraries

Work Work Work

The Flying Beaver Brothers

eBuds

Fish Decoys at the Smithsonian

Working frantically! (but almost out of the woods)

Chicken Coop

Searches that brought people to my blog

Working feverishly!

Jonathan Zawada

Bikes

Working Furiously!

Loons

Edward Lear's Birds

Reads

Pinaleno Mountains

The Grounds

Michael Light

Eleazar Albin

Searches that brought people to my blog

Consider Bardwell Farm

The Grounds

Carpenter Collection - Library of Congess

Bookshelves

Stockholm Public Library Proposal

Kyo Koike

Francois Le Vaillant

Tucson Festival of Books

Richard Giralt Miracle

Consider Bardwell Farm

Ti-Jean Goes Lumbering

The Bear and the Mouse

Tucson Festival of Books

Buffalo Tale

George Catlin

George Edwards - 1743

People

Buffalo

Kids