Welcome to Library Lions Roar. The amazing author/illustrator, Dana Sullivan is here to share his library love with us. Take it away Dana!

I’m Dana Sullivan. I’ve doodled and drawn all my life and writing and illustrating picture books professionally for the last ten years.

As a kid, I dreamed of being Maurice Sendak. I also wanted to be a polar bear, but that’s another story. I used to try to check out more books than were allowed at our local library. Since I obviously couldn’t count, I probably couldn’t read either, but I could skim a book pretty fast while my parents waited.

I’ve always loved librarians. They seem to know EVERYTHING and always help me find just the right book. I have NEVER heard a librarian shush anyone. In fact, their own enthusiasm for all the things a library has to offer can get pretty loud, which I think is swell.

In November, I had the great honor and fun of presenting to the Southwest Florida Library Network in Fort Myers, Florida. A bunch of my favorite people in one room! People who love and defend books! Figuring these guardians of the first amendment deserved some appreciation, I put together a list of my librarian heroes. Here’s that list, in no particular order:

Have you ever read a book to a bunch of librarians? What a kick! They know just when to laugh, when to lean in and coo in dismay, when to yell back and how to make you feel like the best storyteller in the world. If you make children’s books, I highly recommend reading one to some librarians.

I was overjoyed that my Florida librarians could be the test audience for my yet-to-be-released book, My Red Velvet Cape. Of course they were lovely, I knew they would be. But what I hadn’t anticipated was what a GREAT audience librarians are! I learned a few things about actively reading a book that day, especially about timing and tension and audience participation for the grand reveal of my actual red velvet cape (lovingly sewed by my stepmom). I also learned librarians are suckers for a cape!

After reading My Red Velvet Cape to this catalog of librarians (yes, “catalog” is one of the accepted collective nouns for a group of codex curators), I asked if any of them wanted to pose for selfies wearing the cape and wielding my Pencil of Power. Oh yes, they did. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my act together, so I only have photos and quotes of two of them. But I learned my lesson and have since added to my collection of local SeattleOpolis Super librarians. And here they are, again in no particular order.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Last Red Cape Roar!
I truly adore librarians. They love books, of course, but they love kids even more and can’t wait to get the perfect book into their little hands. School librarians make my visits so special, not only by welcoming me, but demonstrating the extreme care, hard work, and love they show their students. They are truly my Superheroes!

To see more of Dana’s work, please visit www.danajsullivan.com

Thank you, Dana Sullivan, for the Mighty Library Lion’s Roar!