Meet Popular Authors & Illustrators at Island Books

Adults and children are invited to meet two popular authors during free events at Island Books in Middletown, Rhode Island in June. No purchase is necessary. Island Books is located at 565 East Main Road in Wyatt Square where there is plenty of free parking.

Sailors and landlubbers alike will enjoy hearing the true story revealed in Sloop: Restoring My Family's Wooden Sailboat--An Adventure in Old-Fashioned Values at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4th when the book’s author Daniel Robb makes a brief presentation during a reception and signing.

Willow Buds #1: The Tale of Toad and Badger (Willow Buds) As Daniel Robb set out to rebuild a deteriorating Herreshoff 12½ that had been in his family for three generations, he couldn't have anticipated what he was getting into. Although Robb was a skilled carpenter, boatbuilding required a specialized set of skills. Plus, this wasn't just any boat; it was a classic wooden sailboat that had sailed for years out of the author's boyhood home in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Restoring the sailboat was both an act of respect and reverence to a way of life that is in jeopardy of disappearing. Sloop is the captivating story of Daniel Robb's education in boatbuilding, peopled by an eccentric cast of characters -- lumbermen, boatbuilders, and local artisans -- who are part of a changing and perhaps dying world. By turns charming, meditative, and wonderfully quirky, Sloop is homage to a sense of place and to old-fashioned values.

Island Books is pleased to welcome back Providence based author and illustrator Mary Jane Begin at noon on Saturday, June 7th for a special children’s story time for ages 4 to 8. Mary Jane will read from her brand new book Willow Buds: The Tale of Toad and Badger. She will also answer questions children have about her lively characters and autograph copies of her book. Tea and biscuits, as enjoyed by Toad and Badger, will be served.

This event is part of a year-long celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Wind in the Willows, the beloved children’s classic by Kenneth Grahame in which the Toad and Badger characters originated.

Mary Jane Begin is an award-winning illustrator known in particular for her acclaimed and much-beloved children’s picture books. Among others, her portfolio includes the bestselling R is for Rhode Island and A Mouse Told His Mother.

The June book for Island Books’ monthly discussion group is Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. This novel, new in paperback, is based on real letters between Frank Lloyd Wright and his lover Mamah Borthwick Cheney. It is sure to provoke lively discussion at the store on Thursday, June 5th at 6:30. Adults are welcome to attend free of charge.

Call 401 849-2665 for more information on any of these upcoming events.