Tom Booth's Blog

For anyone interested in getting into picture books, or learning a bit more about my process and what inspires me, check out my livestream interview with Maria Russo at The New York Times Facebook page.

Take me to the interview!

Thank you to Matthew Winner and the great team at ALL THE WONDERS for inviting me on their podcast to talk about DON’T BLINK! In any other podcast I would be embarrassed for overusing the adjective “wonderful,” but, in this case, I think it fits.

Take me to the ALL THE WONDERS podcast!

I’ve been informed that ‘DON’T BLINK!’, or ‘NIET KNIPPEREN!’, has been warmly received by the Netherlands, so I want to just say DANK JE to my Dutch fans for all your support!

To celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday, the incredible team at Workman Publishing asked to share my Harry Potter fan art.

Take me to the fan art!

I just had to share this photo the wonderful team at Feiwel & Friends put together for our first book. Look at this team!

When I think back on all the hours spent working towards getting a book published, and then the meeting with the glorious people in this photo when they shared their vision for Don’t Blink! in our first meeting… I… I…

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Thank you, Cindy Pereira!

Kids can test their staring contest skills with the characters in “Don’t Blink,” a new children’s book coming out in June. Pennsylvania native and Brooklyn resident Tom Booth is an author and illustrator who will be at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair on June 6 at 3:30 p.m. for a storytime and a book signing.

Take me to the full article at USA Today!

“Parents, don’t even think of packing up the beach bag without having at least one of these titles tucked inside.”

Thank you, to the team at Bookish for selecting Don’t Blink! as one of the mist-reach picture books of summer 2017! I’m honored and excited for parents and kids to strengthen their staring contest skills in the summer sun (with sunscreen, of course

5 Questions with a 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 sentence response. I share my favorite book from growing up, some of the challenges of making DON’T BLINK, and some advice for budding book-makers.

Take me to the full interview with Colby

I’m honored to announce that Don’t Blink! received a starred review from Publishers Weekly! Of course, making books is what it’s all about, but knowing the book-loving community enjoys your work is truly the icing on the cake. See below for a snippet of the book review, and to find a link to the full review.

The staring contest: it’s a refreshingly low-tech competition, and Booth (Who Wins?) captures the silly thrill of it all. His story opens with a bright-eyed girl sitting cross-legged in a minimally rendered outdoor setting. She looks straight at the reader, shouts “Go,” and assumes a fixed (but always amiable) gaze. Animals trickle onto the scene, politely ask to join, and are welcomed to do so—“Just don’t blink,” the girl reminds the newcomers. Within a few pages, nearly a dozen creatures have joined this battle of wills, each assuming a goofy, glassy look. “Don’t blink, don’t blink, don’t blink, don’t blink,” shouts the girl as weary eyes begin to narrow, but something’s eventually got to give.

See full review at Publishers Weekly

Thank you, Pamela Kramer, for interviewing me about my debut as an author and illustrator. See the result of said interview with Pamela, and a link to the full interview below:

In “Don’t Blink!” Tom Booth takes a childhood game of staring and cleverly has the main character in the book, a cute girl with huge brown eyes (appropriate for staring), engage in a staring contest with not only many wild animals, but the reader of the book.

Yes, the child to whom this book is being read (or who is reading it alone) is part of the story. The animals join to girl one by one, and finally there is a large group all staring at…the reader.

Full article on Huffington Post