Rob & Dave Visit Garden City Park Elementary with Alphabert!

Rob and Dave kicked off their author school tour (okay, it’s just one school so far) with Mrs. Cipolla’s 2nd grade class at Garden City Park Elementary, sharing their first children’s book collaboration, Alphabert! An A-B-C Adventure! 

The kids loved listening to Rob read the story and show them the (awesome) illustrations, but even more, we think they liked telling us about the crazy and cool things they can imagine, and the adventurous things they’d like to be when they grow up. Like a scientist AND a ballerina all in one!

Then Dave showed them how to draw Albert’s face, and these kids turned into mini Leonardo DaVincis! I mean, check out this drawing!

About Alphabert! An A-B-C Bedtime Adventure!

Me and my brother Dave have teamed up again – this time with our very first children’s book! Alphabert! An A-B-C Bedtime Adventure is the story of Albert, a kid – like all kids – who just doesn’t want to go to bed. Using the alphabet and his vivid imagination, Albert embarks on various adventures, learning that nothing’s really better than a good night’s sleep.

You might remember the last time we collaborated, on the goofy-but-strangely-popular anti-self-help book, Unleash the Sloth! 75 Ways to Reach Your Maximum Potential By Doing Less. It’s the self-help book you’ve always wanted. The one that tells you you’re fine just the way you are – and that you can probably get away with doing even less. (Oh, and you can buy a copy here.)

And you probably already know a bit about me, that I’m the author of the science fiction novels Where the Hell is Tesla? and The Wrong Unit, and a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America). And that I’ve co-owned Dircks Associates (an ad agency) with Dave for over twenty years.

But how much do you know about Dave? 

Dave Dircks is an illustrator and creative entrepreneur (and member of SCBWI – The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) whose work has been featured in books, magazines, album art, and advertising for over thirty years. In addition to commercial art, his paintings have been exhibited in New York City and his native Long Island. His first collaboration with Rob was a Super8 movie they shot in junior high school. Since then they’ve worked together to produce award-winning advertising, the number one acoustic podcast on iTunes,™ award-winning documentaries, as well as their latest venture – novelty and children’s books. Dave is a graduate of NY’s School of Visual Arts with a degree in Illustration.

Wanna see how we made the book?