
January 2012
Sunny news on a grey day in Maine! BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY garnered the Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational book published in the United States. Thank you to the Sibert Committee, family and friends, bloggers and writers who gave me such words of encouragement. I am honored and blown away.
January 2012
Many thanks to everyone at NCTE for awarding Balloons Over Broadway the 2012 Orbis Pictus Award. It is an honor and congratulations to all the honorees. I’m smiling as wide as this tiger!
Happy New Year 2012
Looking Forward to speaking and giving workshops at the SCBWI conference in Seattle in April. For more information click here.
December 2011
This magnificent zebra was made by the youngest person at the Society of Illustrators puppetry workshop in early December.
December 2011
Thank you to Kirsten Cappy of Curious City for these great photos. A good time was had by all.
11/20/11 See you today at Macy’s Herald Square and the NY Historical Society:
11/20/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, The New York Historical Society celebration for the opening of their newly renovated children’s room, 11:30am
11/20/11:Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, MACY’S Herald Square!!! 2-3pm
Here is the Balloons Over Broadway Activity Kit!
Once Upon a Time in New York City…
November 13, 2011, the New York Times Book Review by Pete Hamill of Balloons Over Broadway along with 2 other wonderful titles about New York City.
11/1/11
A very auspicious day and Balloons Over Broadway is released! That’s Tony Sarg looking up at Bil Baird painting a character balloon.
First Snow! 2011
Just back from the Society of Illustrators Show in NYC. So much beautiful art in one place. The Ezra Jack Keats show at the Jewish Museum was a stunner, too. Made me want to come home and make a collage.
Upcoming Events November 2011
11/5/11: Booksigning, Balloon Twisters and cake to kick off the publication of Balloons Over Broadway! Rockport Opera House from 10am to11:30. Thanks to the Rockport Public Library and the Owl and Turtle Bookshop.
11/6/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway at the Maine Coast Bookshop, Damariscotta ME at noon. 11/19/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, Children’s Book World , Philadelphia, 2pm.
11/20/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, The New York Historical Society celebration for the opening of their newly renovated children’s room, 11:30am
11/20/11:Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, MACY’S Herald Square!!! 2-3pm
11/26/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, Greenlight Book Store, story hour, 10:15am
11/26/11: Booksigning for Balloons Over Broadway, Books of Wonder holiday kick-off Illustrator Event, 12-2pm
…the leaves are coming down… 2011
Balloons Over Broadway has a piece in the Original Art at the Society of Illustrators in NYC. It’s always amazing to see so much great art. Don’t miss it!
breezy fall day 2011
Thank you to BookPage for a fun way to present an interview. I wish I could illustrate every interview. See more here at BookPage.com.
Autumn 2011
Less than 2 weeks until Balloons Over Broadway is officially out, but it’s in bookstores now.
Looking forward to 11/1/11!
This is Tony Sarg clowning around in the Goodyear hangar. circa 1920′s
Autumn 2011
Balloons Over Broadway has received 5 *starred* reviews! hurray!
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade poster will be on their shopping bags for the month of November in Macy’s flagship stores. See more about Tony Sarg and Balloons Over Broadway at Macy’s website.
Early autumn 2011
The poster for the 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is done! It will be on the streets of New York City soon and the art will also be on the Macy’s shopping bags in November. Here’s a snippet from the poster–a touch of Balloons Over Broadway in the style. AND the Activity Kit for Balloons Over Broadway can be downloaded here!
Summer 2011
The reviews for Balloons Over Broadway are starting to come in and the first is a *starred* review from Publisher’s Weekly !
Summer (is not almost over!) 2011
Children’s Book Fair By the Sea in Camden, ME
This is always a great event for the kids (and book collectors!). I’ll be bringing Balloons Over Broadway posters.
For more information and a list of the amazing authors attending, visit the Camden Public Library
I’ll be reading from the Sleepy Little Alphabet and showing the kids how to draw these rascally letters.
Children’s Book Illustrators art opening at the UNE Portland, ME
A great chance to see original art! for more info: The Maine Drawing Project
Summer 2011
Back from Italy…buongiorno…
to Venice and the Biennale…
…then to Tuscany and the village of Collodi, the medieval town where the author of Pinocchio is from…
…the best souvenir? My sketchbook:
Ciao!
Spring 2011
Rubia and the Three Osos…fabuloso!
Rubia and the Three Osos is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a 2011 Notable Children’s Book. Bueno!

Art from Rubia as well as from Charlotte in Paris will be included in the show: Tell Me A Story: Folktales and World Cultures at the University of Southern Maine, June 17-August 12, 2011.
Spring 2011
It won’t be long before until Balloons Over Broadway is here!
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has created an amazing downloadable Activity Kit for Balloons Over Broadway. It’s a parade in a box! Thanks to Erin Wallace for her photo of Elisabeth with some of the new puppets.The Activity Kit will be available from this site soon.
Hello and welcome to the new site!
Stay tuned for more of what is happening in the studio.
Copyright 2011 :: all content is retained exclusively by Melissa Sweet. For permission to reuse anything on this site please contact melissa@melissasweet.net

























