Never abandon imagination- enter new worlds with Tony DiTerlizzi
Riverbank Arts Centre, in association with Children's Books Ireland and Kildare County Library Services, is delighted to present this very special reading event for 8-12 year olds.
Meet Tony DiTerlizzi, co-creator of the international bestselling series, The Spiderwick Chronicles. He has illustrated numerous picture books for children, including Ted, G is for 1 Gzonk and the critically acclaimed The Spider and the Fly, which won the Caldecott Honor.
This September sees the release of a major publishing program from Tony DiTerlizzi including a relaunch of the bestselling SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES series and his critically acclaimed novel THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA, in paperback.
Visiting Ireland for a short time only, this is a great opportunity to hear Tony DiTerlizzi read, ask questions and meet the man himself with a book signing after the event.
Note to Teachers:
Event Duration: 11am to 12.30pm
Want to know more about Tony DiTerlizzi?...
Tony lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with his wife, Angela, and their baby daughter, Sophia.
Revealing Questions
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
A. A dream come true. (Did it in four!)
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. Never abandon imagination
Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
A. Having all the time in the world to do all the things your heart desires.
Q. What’s your greatest fear?
A. Not living life to the fullest.
Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A. With my wife and daughter.
Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
A. Arthur Rackham -- especially the insane demands and deadlines, but he was much mroe famous.
Q. Which living person do you most admire?
A. Kermit the frog.
Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
A. Dude, Cool, Awesome...you'd swear I was a surfer from southern Cali, but I'm not.
Q. What do you regret most?
A. Not holding onto my old Star Wars toys when I was a kid.
Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A. Time travel.
Q. What is your greatest achievement?
A. Being a pretty good dad.
Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
A. I obsess over things...especially my book projects. It can be very time consuming.
Q. What’s your best quality?
A. I think I've got a decent imagination. I hope some of my stories inspire other young imaginations.
Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A. I'd love to be an astronaut. I bet you get a better understanding of our planet seeing it from a distance.
Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
A. I'd like to think I've got a good sense of humor.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A. Peter Pan.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A. Darth Vader.
Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A. I would have loved to have met the late Jim Henson. His imagination and
ambition really had a tremendous impact on me.
Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
A. Dirty dishes.
Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A. I've been taking macro-photographs of insects for the last few years. I really enjoy examining nature at close range.
Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
A. Rock star.
Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A. Sense of humor, taking your life seriously, but not yourself.
Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A. Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream. I'd be the size of a truck, but I'd be a happy truck.
Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
A. In no order: "Golden Slumbers" by the Beatles, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "One" by U2, and "World" by Five for Fighting
On Books and Writing
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
A. Sir James M. Barrie, Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Roald Dahl, Kenneth Grahame, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo to name a few.
Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" "Watership Down" "The Lorax" "Peter Pan & Wendy"
Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
A. Watership Down...I read it every 5 years. It is so rich.
Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
A. Write everything that flutters into your mind - good or bad.
Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
A. How long have I been making books? And that would be since I was a kid in grade school. I made a book on dinosaurs, one on insects and one for a mysterious island full of fantastic creatures.
Q. How did you come to write Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You?
A. I made a field guide to dragons, goblins and other fantastical monsters when I was 12 years old. I never forgot about that guide, drawn in markers in a 3-ring binder, and it was the spark for the Spiderwick Field Guide.
Q. How did you come to write Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You?
A. I made a field guide to dragons, goblins and other fantastical monsters when I was 12 years old. I never forgot about that guide, drawn in markers in a 3-ring binder, and it was the spark for the Spiderwick Field Guide.
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