Children’s author Jan Brett to sign books at VBT Hall

Jan Brett, a world-renowned children’s author/illustrator, will be at the Van Buren Township Hall from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3, to sign her new book “The Turnip” along with her other titles.
“Hedgie” the Hedgehog, who will actually be a local volunteer in a huge hedgehog costume, will be on hand for photos. Hedgie is Brett’s favorite character.
Brett has written 36 books and has 40 million books in print combined.
Her tour bus is decorated with large drawings from her books and has a sign: “Reading takes you places …” It will be parked in front of township hall starting at 4 p.m., also so families can take pictures.
Brett will give a 10-15-minute drawing demonstration of one of her characters in a location in the Recreation Department, yet to be determined.
Barnes and Noble of Ann Arbor will be on hand to sell copies of the book that will be released Nov. 3, as well as her other popular titles. “The Turnip” is a hardcover picture book for ages 3-5 at a cost of $17.99.
Brett will sign the books purchased that day, along with books purchased earlier in the day at Barnes and Noble (with receipt). If time permits, Brett will sign Jan Brett books brought from home.
The first 100 families in line at the book signing will receive a free, signed Jan Brett poster.
Also, there will be Jan Brett story-themed crafts, games and story time. A fan and three friends can win lunch with Brett on her bus. Contest information is on her website www.janbrett.com and also on her Facebook Page.
Brett kicks off her 2015 U.S. book-signing tour of 23 stops in November in New Hampshire and gets to VBT on Dec. 3. Then she heads to Saginaw for only the second stop in Michigan.
This all started when Jennifer Zaenglein’s sister, who teaches elementary school in northern Michigan, went to a Brett book-signing and bought a book for Zaenglein’s daughter.
Zaenglein, deputy director of the VBT Parks & Recreation Department, had other Brett books, but hadn’t paid too much attention to the author.
She said her daughter liked the stories because they were fun and the illustrations were in great detail. Zaenglein signed up for Brett’s email newsletter and that’s where she heard about the book tour. If you wanted Brett to come to your town, you could write a proposal. So, Zaenglein wrote a proposal last spring and recently found out it was accepted. Van Buren Township was on the list of stops.
Zaenglein said the books will make great Christmas gifts and she already has several purchases planned.
Zaenglein said Brett’s husband Joseph Hearne plays in the Boston Symphony Orchestra and they currently are in Europe where she is researching her next book. They live in Massachusetts.
She traveled to Russia to research “The Turnip” and this resulted in Russian folk-style clothes on the animals and folk-art patterns in her signature borders.
The story is about eight animals struggling to pull up a giant turnip from the garden as winter sets in. Badger Girl finds the giant turnip in the garden, but she can’t pull it up alone. The story goes on until the turnip is uprooted.
Brett is best-known for her children’s books, but she also is an award-winning breeder of ornamental fowl (playing classical music in the chicken coops for her fancy chickens) and a marathon runner.
For more information, call Zaenglein at VBT Parks & Recreation Department, (734) 699-8921.