New Mexico State Library

National Book Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2017

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The New Mexico State Library has chosen The Wolves of Currumpaw, written and illustrated by William Grill, published by Flying Eye Books, as the book which will represent New Mexico in the Pavilion of the States at the 2017 National Book Festival. Mr. Grill is a London based illustrator whose main interest lies in narrative illustration and publishing. He draws most of his inspiration from the natural world, and enjoys working in colored pencils and relief printmaking. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into more than 14 languages. Mr. Grill said, “What an amazing surprise! I am so pleased. I am so happy to have been chosen and I’m so glad The Wolves of Currumpaw has been positively received by the New Mexico State Library.” 

 

Ernest Thompson Seton’s 1898 story, “Lobo: The King of Currumpaw”, is the basis for this beautifully designed and powerful book which relates how Seton’s experience with Lobo transformed him from a hunter into an avid conservationist. Mr. Grill spent time drawing the wolves at Wild Spirit Wolf sanctuary near Ramah in preparation for The Wolves of Currumpaw. Then he went to Clayton where he met Seton historian David Witt and visited Capulin Volcano and Rabbit Ear Mountain so that he could get an idea of Lobo’s roaming grounds. He also spent time at the Philmont Scout Ranch and the Seton Memorial Library where Lobo’s pelt is still on display.

 

The National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, is now in its seventeenth year.  This popular event celebrating the joys of reading and lifelong literacy will be held on Saturday, September 2nd in Washington, D.C.  Lori Thornton, the Public Services Bureau Chief, organizes the New Mexico State Library’s participation in the National Book Festival and Deanne Dekle, the Youth Services Coordinator will represent the State Library at the Festival.

  

The Pavilion of the States represents the reading and library promotion programs and literary events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US trusts and territories.  When people enter the Pavilion they pick up a Discover Great Places Through Reading map of the United States which they can take around to each state, trust, and territory in the Pavilion to be stamped or stickered.  The map includes a “Great Reads about Great Places” list of books on the back.  Each state selects a work of either fiction or non-fiction about the state or by an author from the state which is a good read for children or young adults who are the primary audience for the Pavilion of the States.  The Pavilion is always very popular and is a celebration of books and reading throughout the country.

 

The Pavilion of the States is organized by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. For more information about the National Book Festival and the Pavilion of the States, please visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/. For more information about the New Mexico State Library, please see http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/.

 

 


Related Photos

The Wolves Currumpaw

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