Flying High at ALA 2025
We couldn’t believe the incredible energy throughout the weekend at ALA in Philadelphia as we spoke with librarians and educators from across the country (and beyond!). We were honored that you all showed Torben Kuhlmann so much love after he flew from Hamburg, Germany to the US (like the mouse in his book Lindbergh) to meet you.
Read on for a recap of our time at ALA in Philadelphia.
We had a beautiful corner booth with an eye-catching banner featuring Earhart. Our design and marketing team created some wonderful give-away materials, and YOTTOY made sure the Rainbow Fish was present in the booth with their adorable plush.
Torben Kuhlmann traveled from Hamburg, Germany to Philadelphia, PA (just like his flying mouse in Lindbergh!) to attend the ALA and celebrate the publication of Earhart and ten years of the Mouse Adventures series. NordSüd co-CEO Nina Grünberger also came from Zurich, Switzerland to attend the conference for the first time.
At the Look of Books stage, (from left) Jason Chin, Torben Kuhlmann, and moderator Kathy Short discussed using hand-drawn illustrations to illuminate science topics in their picture books. Both artists work in watercolor, but as Kathy noted, they are able to manipulate the medium in different ways to produce unique and captivating illustrations.
We hosted some wonderful book signings in our booth during the event, including Torben Kuhlmann signing Earhart and Baptiste Paul signing Climb On!. Baptiste was honored to be asked to sign a fan’s book tote, and to make it on another attendee’s hand-selected list of authors to meet. Fans were delighted to receive signed books from Torben, who personalized each copy with a small mouse silhouette.
We had a delicious dinner at The Mulberry to celebrate Torben Kuhlmann and the publication of Earhart. Thank you to all the guests who spent their Saturday evening with us! Torben did have to split his time between two tables, but luckily there were three courses to do so!
The Newbery Caldecott Banquet is always a time for reflection, celebration, and togetherness. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to our esteemed guests for joining us!
(Left image; back row) Ellen Myrick, Baptiste Paul, Torben Kuhlmann, Gelsey Phaneuf, Brenda Dales
(Left image; front row) Claudia McLinn, Andie Krawczyk, Alisha Niehaus Berger, Nina Grünberger, Desiree Thomas
We would be remiss not to mention that simply showing up at ALA is an act of resistance and solidarity for librarians. We have a simple message for librarians, as you head back to your communities and continue to fight for the freedom to read and for everyone’s access to books: Thank you! We could not do our work without you. We look forward to seeing everyone in Chicago next year for the 150th anniversary of the ALA!
Sincerely,
Andie, Nina, Gelsey, and Alisha
NorthSouth Books