One of the perks of being a children’s author is having the opportunity to read to kids.

I just got back from the Austin/San Antonio area where I did story times at two wonderful independent bookstores. First I visited The Twig in San Antonio whose talented story teller, Anastasia McKenna, draws in dozens of kids each week.

I waited for the crowd. Was anyone going to come?

Someone else waited, too.

Here’s Miss Anastasia showing me the ropes.

They came. In droves. Kids love Miss Anastasia’s story times.

After I read TAKE ME TO YOUR BBQ, I couldn’t let the kids leave without protection from the aliens. Soon the place was awash in tin foil and out of this world hats!

Here is a sampling of the amazing hats:

The next day I headed over to the BookPeople in Austin which has an knock-your-socks-off children’s section and wonderful Saturday story times.

Afterwards even some grown-ups made hats!

Austin has an incredible writing community. So much talent concentrated in one place. Is it the water, or what? (I drank a lot of it, just in case.) I was delighted that some of these talented writers and friends came to my story time!

Greg Leitich Smith, Cynthia Levinson, Susan Holt Kralovansky, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and me

Susan Holt Kralovansky, Cynthia Levinson, me, Donna Bratton, Carmen Oliver, Lindsey Lane

(Cory Oakes Putnam was off somewhere making foil hats for her two adorable children.)

After the kids departed, the tin foil was cleaned up, and we all said goodbye. Glen (my husband and photographer) and I enjoyed the warm Texas afternoon on South Congress.

Perfect!