Bedford Author to Participate at Children's Book Fair Sept. 19

Bedford resident Katie Davis will be one of the 50 writers and artists participating in the thirteenth annual presentation of "Celebrate Children Day at Sunnyside."  

The book fair will be held on Sept. 19 at Washington Irving's home and grounds in Tarrytown. The day's activities take place from noon to 6 p.m. 

Davis will sign books at the authors' table at Daffodil Hill from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Born in New York  City, Davis was raised in Westchester County where she attended Edgemont High School. She majored in photojournalism at Boston University and spent her junior year at the American College of Paris on an exchange program.

Following graduation, she worked for CBS for about a year before joining a Manhattan advertising and public relations firm. That job gave her a unique opportunity to work on projects with award-winning illustrator Milton Glaser, founder of Push Pin Studios and a pioneer of Madison Avenue contemporary advertising art.

Seven years later, Davis started her own company called Dirty Dishes, to design and sell hand-painted ceramics—Macy's department stores was a customer. She also wrote and illustrated a couple of books for kids but was unsuccessful in finding a publisher.

Encouraged by her husband Jerry Davis, she attended a conference in 1996 conducted by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and returned inspired to travel a new career path. "I came back convinced this was something I was meant to do," said Davis.

With the help of an agent, her previously rejected manuscript for Who Hops—with revised copy and art—was successfully represented to a publisher. Acceptances followed for eight more books including I Hate to Go to Bed (1999), Who Hoots (2000, 2004), Scared Stiff (2001), Mabel the Tooth Fairy (2003), How She Got her Job (2003), Kindergarten Rocks! (2005) and her first novel: The Curse of Addy McMahon (2008).

Davis has been busy. Earlier this year, she launched a podcast called Brain Burps About Books and a monthly newsletter as vehicles to provide information about children's literature. She has also appeared monthly on the television program Good Morning Connecticut.  Davis children's literature writing to inmates at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women  (a maximum security prison), and is a member of the Honorary Advisory Board for the Brooke Jackman Foundation.

Her newest work is a collaboration with her husband, called Little Chicken's Big Day; he wrote and she illustrated. It's not off press yet but can be pre-ordered at www.amazon.com.

The Sunnyside program provides a treasure trove of children's literature for book buyers and an opportunity for readers of early ages to meet and mingle with a large assembly of writers. "No where else have I seen such a heavy concentration of luminaries in the children's book world gathered in one place," said Nick Bruel, a Tarrytown author.

The Sunnyside agenda includes book readings, demonstrations, magic tricks, live music, and book signing at author tables.

Bonus for attendees: Free tour of Washington Irving's home

As an added incentive to attend the Children's Day event, all registrants will be offered free tours of the Sunnyside estate's cottage. Washington Irving was the writer of two of literature's most famous short stories: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle; he also wrote The Life of George Washington and A History of New York—the latter under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker.

Celebrate Children's Day was produced by Beth Vetare-Civitello and Susan Brandes and is sponsored by Sunnyside Federal Savings and Loan of Irvington.

Picnic food will be offered for purchase at the fair, provided by Geordanes, a food basket specialist with a shop in Irvington.

The admission cost is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for children 5 to 17, and free for children under 5 and Historic Hudson Valley members. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.hudsonvalley.org. 

Washington Irving's Sunnyside, a Historic Hudson Valley site, is located on South Broadway (Route 9) at its intersection with West Sunnyside Lane in Tarrytown, approximately one mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge. 914-631-8200.