National Book Tour Comes to Cape Ann
Meet the author and illustrator of BIG MACHINES: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton

“From the start of my becoming an author, I dreamed of paying homage to Virginia Burton’s vision, talent, and enduring characters, and hoped to introduce her work to a new generation of readers. Truly, the release of BIG MACHINES will be a dream come true.” – Sherri Rinker, author

Join BIG MACHINES author Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrator John Rocco for a talk about their inspiration and the artistic process behind their tribute to Virginia Lee Burton. Books will be available for sale in the Museum Shop and a book signing will follow the presentation. This program, geared towards adults, is free and open to the public. Space is limited. First come; first served. For more information please call 978-283-0455 x10 or email [email protected].

Two of today’s best-selling picture book creators collaborated in a loving tribute to the woman behind some of the world’s most iconic children’s books. In BIG MACHINES: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton (Pub date: 9/5/2017; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing), Sherri Duskey Rinker and John Rocco celebrate Jinnee, as she was known in her Folly Cove neighborhood, and her classic books, including The Little House and the beloved Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Burton has a unique role in contemporary culture – not everyone knows her name, but most know her books. For generations, her stories about big machines with friendly names like Mary Ann, Maybelle, and Katy have delighted readers. Her books have sold over 4 million copies in 15 languages worldwide, and a documentary of her life, Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place aired on PBS stations nationwide (available in the Museum Gift Shop and online here).

Rinker’s breezy, child-centric language chronicles the spark of Jinnee’s creativity that led to each character and story, while at the same time highlighting her love of her own, most special creations: her sons. Rocco’s innovative illustrations depict Burton working on her art in a whirl of activity, almost as if dancing through the process with her trademark grace; with his own distinctive style, he has captured the timeless look and energy of Burton’s books. The impeccable design of BIG MACHINES is an elegant homage to Burton, as well, with an abundance of white space and room for artfully placed text.

Sherri Rinker, a former graphic designer, is the author of the number one best-selling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site; Mighty, Mighty Construction Site; and Steam Train, Dream Train, among others. Her own childhood love of The Little House, along with her sons’ obsessions with Mary Anne, Maybelle, Choo Choo and Katy, led her to writing children’s books, so it is fitting that she has now written this biography. Rinker does numerous school visits around the country each year to show children the power that books can have. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, a professional photographer, and sons. Find more at sherririnker.com.

John Rocco is a New York Times best-selling author of many acclaimed books, including Blackout, a Caldecott Honor recipient, Wolf! Wolf!, and the young adult novel Swim That Rock, which was a New England Book Award finalist. He is the illustrator of the covers for Rick Riordan’s internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. A former art director in the entertainment industry, Rocco has worked with and done projects for Dreamworks, Walt Disney Imagineering, the Newsroom in Washington, DC, and Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington. Find more at roccoart.com.

Image courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.