On Wednesday, October 21st at 10:30am, we’re excited to welcome bestselling author Alexandra Day (real name: Sandra Darling) to the store. She’ll be at Island Books for our new and already popular Storybook Corner, along with a very special guest–her dog!
For those unfamiliar with her children’s book series about Carl, everyone’s favorite babysitting Rottweiler, these are delightful children’s picture books told mainly through lush, wordless spreads, Carl and baby Madeleine go on all kinds of adventures–to the park, through a department store, to a masquerade party and more–and always make it back before Mother knows they’re gone. The various books feature birthday and Christmas celebrations, fun in the sun, a snowy day romp, and more. Wherever Carl goes, there’s sure to be goodhearted fun.
Sandra was born in 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to a large and close-knit family. Painting was a popular family recreation, and almost every family excursion included one or more easels and a variety of sketch pads, chalks, paints, and pencils. For four years, the family lived on a hundred-acre farm in Kentucky. Here young Sandra grew especially fond of riding and training horses, and became a dog owner for the first time. Her own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the model for the book’s main character. Since then, other family Rottweilers have posed as Carl in the seven sequels.
Sandra lives in Seattle with her husband, Harold. She took the time to chat with us in anticipation of her store visit. Read on to learn more about her and her work ... continued