Summer Reading

Picture Book has temporarily expanded it’s set up inside HudCo to add a table dedicated exclusively to summer reading for your elementary and middle school kids. With nearly 80 new titles of chapter books and graphic novels added to the table guided by recommendations from prestigious awards, local summer reading lists, and The Week Junior’s “50 Books Kids Love the Most” your kids are sure to find something they’ll love for this summer. Not all titles are on the website, so please come in to HudCo in person Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, or email me if you need something delivered locally instead. The additional table is only up for a limited time, so hope to see you in the shop soon!

Hudson Lab School Book Fair

It was a wonderful day to put on a book fair at Hudson Lab School! It was our first school fair and it was a blast to see the kids get excited about all the reading options.

50 Books Kids Love the Most

Did you catch local Mindy Walker on the Today Show??? She introduced The Week Junior magazine’s list of “50 Books Kids Love the Most.” Check out the clip below!

Picture Book is thrilled to collaborate with the magazine and has FREE copies of their latest issue available along with a broad selection of the books on their list for your elementary and middle school kids. Stop by HudCo Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm to pick up a copy and your summer reading stacks! We have much more in person than is on the website, but you can check out a selection here

In the Press: Sara Davidson’s Dream of Opening a Bookstore Couldn’t Be Stopped, Not Even by a Pandemic

Friend and author of Don’t Just Sit There, Do Nothing, Jessie Kanzer interviewed me for the wonderful Zibby Owens blog “Moms Don’t Have Time to Write.” I love to talk about how books are tools for empathy and that community and collaboration have been a great gift to me on this journey. Visit Mom’s Don’t Have Time to Write for the full article


Sara Davidson’s Dream of Opening a Bookstore Couldn’t Be Stopped, Not Even by a Pandemic

An Interview with the owner of “Picture Book” in Dobbs Ferry, New York

[Picture Book, currently located at HudCo — a workspace in the Rivertowns]


There’s one thing that always seems to go by the wayside as we navigate the pressures of adulthood, start families, “settle down” or whatever. I’m speaking about our dreams, of course.

We all have them when we’re younger. Some aren’t exactly realistic, but we revel in our imaginations. Then, responsibilities take over — caring for kids and pets and bills, and by the time we reach the end of the day our only dreams are the ones that break through our much-needed slumber.

But if you read enough books, watch enough films, live long enough, you realize true dreams have a way of making their way back to you in their own time. They take on a life of their own and show you what you are supposed to do. This is what happened to my neighbor Sara Davidson, who I knew as a book lover before anything else.

Everyone in my little town by the Hudson River knew that if you needed a book recommendation, you asked Sara. So, it made sense when she opened her own indie bookstore called Picture Book a little over a year ago.

Well, maybe not total sense —because the world was in the grips of a pandemic. Below, Sara and I discuss her path to owning a bookstore and what she’s looking forward to reading this spring.

 

[Sara setting up her display — photo by Memories By Ana Photography]

Sara, your bookstore is such a boon for our town — that I can attest to. But what in the world made you decide to set up shop during the pandemic?!

Opening a bookstore in the Rivertowns was a nagging dream I had for a while, and I had worked out a business plan and done lots of research by connecting with other booksellers, but it never seemed to be the right time to take the leap. The perfect puzzle that every family has to put together, containing each parent’s career and childcare, seemed too precious to disrupt. But having it all upended by the pandemic with remote school, furloughs, and remote work shook up our life enough to feel like it was worth risking. It might be now or never to realize my dreams and I didn’t want to waste more time doing work that didn’t feel like my true calling anymore. I made it official in August of 2020 and had my physical shop open for business in Dobbs Ferry in October 2020.

Sometimes a crisis is the best impetus to get us moving. Still, I imagine that running a bookstore is challenging, especially in our uncertain times — but do you feel like this venture fulfills something in you? Are you gratified by spreading some book love in the world?

Bookselling fulfills me personally and is my tiny contribution towards making the world a better place. The state of the world can be overwhelming and it is frustrating to feel so powerless against the broader issues and injustice. I decided I want to amplify what is good as a small act of resistance. To get to share excellent literature and art is a privilege and a joy. I hope to provide diverse books that can serve as either mirrors to reflect the readers’ own life, or windows into the lives of others. Honestly, many adults would benefit from the lessons in picture books. Books are tools for growing empathy, and they provide connection.

Can you talk a little about your former career in the art world? It’s so interesting that you were once a curator and now you curate books for your community.

My entire career before this was in the contemporary art world. I was a gallery director, worked in the contemporary art department of an auction house, and most recently was an editor for a publisher owned by an art gallery. I think I take some of the curator’s eye with me when selecting books, making careful decisions, and thinking about how the books speak to each other conceptually. In my display, both online and in-person, I lean more towards a gallery feel than a traditional overstuffed bookstore. Those are great too, but I wanted to offer something different and authentic to my own vision. The name Picture Book, a nod to the Kinks song, is about providing picture books for kids that are beautiful in both content and illustration, but also giving that same joy to adults finding their own “picture books” in art books, gorgeously photographed cookbooks, and great fiction that inspires them.

In the art world, I often felt that female artists and artists of color were not as well funded or promoted as they deserved, so it’s a thrill to just be able to make my book selections with a strong representation of diverse female artists and authors.

Sara curating Picture Book’s selection, photo by Living Notes Photography

How else has running this bookstore changed your relationship with books? Have you had to expand what you read? Have you changed the way you “consume” books?

I do feel pressure to read more books than I normally did, but I don’t want to lose the joy of reading. One way I have upped is by adding audiobooks into the mix so I can continue to read while I exercise or run errands. Thankfully the company Libro.fm offers a platform for independent bookstores to sell audiobooks, and I love devouring their new releases each month. Audiobooks are not the soporific books-on-tape of my youth. They have high production value, celebrity narrators, and sometimes even full-cast narration. I highly recommend adding audio to your reading diet!

You have become such a supporter of local authors like myself (Picture Book hosted my Book Launch on March 3rd!) Who else has your shop connected you to? How does it feel to become more entwined with your community?

I’m very glad that I opened up my bookshop inside another business. I’m set up inside a gorgeous co-working space called HudCo, so I’m a part of a built-in community of people who are working remotely and the wellness providers and their clients who use the space. The spacious location allows me to host big events for authors, including your book launch. I also curate book selections for other shops including a coffee shop and a cute clothing boutique, and getting to work with these other women-owned businesses has been incredible. I love that all of this is about collaboration rather than competition and I think that is the future of small businesses.

 

Sara, Jessie, and a friend chatting at a book launch hosted by Picture Book (Poto Cred: Laru Foto)

What hopes do you have for your indie bookstore this coming year?

My goal for this year is to hold fast to the joy of undertaking my dream, and to continue to learn and grow.

Now, here’s a question I know you’ll enjoy answering: tell us what books you’re excited to get your hands on!

This is always my favorite question, but one I have difficulty narrowing down! This month I’m digging into To Paradise, Hanya Yanagihara’s first novel since A Little Life, which absolutely wrecked me. Coming up on my tbr list are The Books of Jacob by Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk and When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East by Quan Barry.

For kids, I’m excited about follow-up books to 2020 hits, Oona and the Shark by Kelly Dipucchio and illustrated by Raissa Figueroa and Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero. This spring, I’m looking out for Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change by Angela Garbes, a new art book on Lorna Simpson is coming out from Phaidon, and the latest books from Emily St. John Mandel and Emma Straub.

Sara hosting author Jenny Rosenstrach for the launch for her bestselling cookbook, The Weekday Vegetarians (Poto Cred: Laru Foto)

Jessie Kanzer is the author of the newly released Don’t Just Sit There, Do Nothing

Women's History Month for Kids

Here are some great picture books to read with your kids in celebration of Women’s History Month. These books are all available locally at Picture Book inside HudCo, 145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, New York 10522.

For further books on Women’s History for kids and to ship nationally, see the curated list on the Picture Book Bookshop..org site: Women’s History Month for Kids

Jessie Kanzer's Book Party

We had a wonderful time celebrating Jessie Kanzer’s new book Don’t Just Sit There, Do Nothing . Enjoy the photograhs by Arielle Joffe below to relive the fun. I’m grateful to HudCo for continuing to be the greatest community hub for hosting my store and the event. Thank you Jen Vagios for grounding the event with a sound bath to start. Yummy treats were catered by Charlotte’s Home Kitchen and Aya Hummus.

If you need another copy of the book, you can reserve one on the website, ship one to a friend via Bookshop.org, or check out the wonderful audiobook read by the author on Libro.fm.

The Pleasure of Reading in Bed Together

This Valentine’s Day, make sure you and your partner are stocked up on good books to read in bed together.

The Pleasure of Reading in Bed Together

from The School of Life

“A bedroom at around 9pm. It’s quiet, save for the rustle of the leaves in the garden outside.

We’re side by side, each absorbed in a different world. One of us might be in a submarine beneath the arctic ice floe, the other is flitting through the salons of 18th-century Paris. Every so often our toes touch momentarily but without raising notice.

We might briefly stretch a hand to touch the nape of the partner’s neck before turning a page.’

…

“We tend to be so much aware of the troubles, we sometimes take the peaceable moments for granted, failing to appreciate their underlying achievement. It may lack glamour, but being able to read in bed together with someone is a major milestone; and a sign of deep affection. We may be doing better than we think.”

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Here are some special Valentine’s Day gift ideas for local shoppers. Fill your galentine, palentine, or valentine’s shelves with love with the books below available for pickup at HudCo or delivery within Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, and Irvington. To buy to ship, see Picture Book’s gift suggestions on our shipping partner Bookshop.org’s website.

LOVE

ART

FLOWERS

FINISHING TOUCHES

New Year's Sale

it’s a new year and I want to move some old books out to make more room for the new books coming out in 2022. So I’m having a very rare (this is the first one ever!) sale on some of the hardcover fiction and non-fiction that came out in the past couple years. All sale items are for in-store pick up only. Some of the books have been handled on the table and are not in pristine condition, but they are still new books ready for your home.

The sale includes hardcover copies of bestsellers including The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins, and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The sale runs January 7-February 7th.

Use code: NEWYEAR at checkout

Enter sale site here

Author Visit: Kyle Lukoff

Trans author brings message of belonging to district

By Rita Walton, The Rivertowns Enterprise, Friday December 24, 2021

https://www.rivertownsenterprise.net/dobbs_ferry/trans-author-brings-message-of-belonging-to-district/article_98b03c4e-65fb-11ec-8388-8b348e1a92b2.html

How to Find Picture Book

 

Come Visit!

Picture Book is located inside the beautiful co-working space HudCo in the Hudson River Landing building (a former beer bottling factory and bible printing press!) right along the Hudson River at 145 Palisade Street, Suite 200, Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Look for the little circle sign that says HudCo and enter through the glass door on the left side of the building.

Photo by Laru Foto

Picture Book is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm with occasional special events on weekends. Follow the instagram account and sign up for the newsletter to make sure you hear about all the happenings.

I am on site to help you out in person during the local school hours, and beyond that there is an option for self-service checkout on my Square credit card terminal. If you run into any problems, the super HudCo staff are there to troubleshoot. I can be reached through email picturebookny@gmail.com or instagram DM.

photos by laru foto

Masks for Small Businesses

PRESS ALERT: Westchester County distributing masks for retailers to the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce today at 3:00 p.m.

Date: December 21, 2021 at 11:08:51 AM EST

To: Chamber President/Director <info@rivertownschamber.com>


Hello-
I am the president of the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce and I am writing to let you know that Westchester County will be handing off masks today for the chamber to distribute to local retailers in Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Ardsley, and Irvington. The Westchester County Executive has arranged for masks to be made available for all retailers who need them.
The event will take place at 3:00 p.m. at HudCo in Dobbs Ferry (145 Palisade Street, Suite 200, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522).
In attendance will be Shari Ascher (Westchester County Director of Policy and Programs for Small Business and Chambers of Commerce), Ellen Hendricks (Westchester County Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations), Shannon Horan (Community Manager at HudCo), Sara Davidson (Owner, Picture Book pop-up retailer at HudCo), and myself (Michelle Adams, Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce President),
After the event the masks will be available for pick-up at HudCo by Rivertowns retailers, while supplies last. The county will also have packages of masks and information for businesses to post in their stores, available at the Department of Emergency Services in Valhalla. Retailers can email the chamber at info@rivertownschamber.com to request that masks be made available for pick-up in Valhalla. We will need to know the following:
Business nameHow many masks (figure 2 per employee)Who will pick them up and when would they like to pick them up

Thank you,

Michelle Adams

Holiday Trolley

Picture Book was proud to be a sponsor of the Rivertown Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Holiday Trolley!

Thank you to our fellow sponsors HudCo, Bloomy, Insurance on Hudson, Alan Block Insurance & My Sherry & More. Event details available on the Chamber of Commerce website here. Event photos below!

Holiday Gift Guide

Here are some special books to gift this year that you can pick up from Picture Book in HudCo. Email picturebookny@gmail.com if you would like more personalized recommendations! If you need to ship books further than the Rivertowns, please use the Picture Book Bookshop.org site.

Beautiful Books

Treat your loved one to a beautiful book to cherish the content and share on their coffee table year round. Sophie Taeuber-Arp: Living Abstraction is the exhibition catalogue for the newly opened exhibition at MoMA on the multitalented modern artist. The Garden by Toby Musgrave examines over 200 modern and historical garden styles, features, types and ornaments, with more than 500 spectacular images. This gorgeous cloth-bound book is perfect for both amateur gardeners and specialists alike. Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women Over 50 by Grace Bonney features beautiful photography and interviews with inspirational women who have forged their own paths.

Picture Books

Here are some newly released picture books recommended for ages 5-10, but I believe picture books are good for every age. Aaron Slater, Illustrator is the latest from the beloved series which brought us Ada Twist and Rosie Revere. It features a young boy who struggles with reading, but discovers that he can use other talents to be a great storyteller. It’s written in a special font that is easier for people with dyslexia to read. Fuzzy Inside & Out: A Story about Small Acts of Kindness and Big Hair from Picture Book favorite Zacharraiah Ohora is the story of a fuzzy and kind skateboarding friend. This Is a Gift for You by Emily Winfield Martin is a poetic tribute to the simple joys of life and nature, and a reminder that the greatest gift we have is time spent together. These three books are brand new releases, so they will make perfect additions to any home library.

Young Readers

Here are some chapter books great for your young readers aged 7-12. Beloved children’s author Kate DiCamillo‘s latest book The Beatryce Prophecy, has an unforgettable cast in a magical medieval setting, and is recommended grades 3-6. For the graphic novel lover, Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex!?!, is the second book in this fun series following a girl discovering her own powers after moving in with her aunts in Brooklyn, recommended for grades 4-7, but could even be enjoyed by younger readers. For a quirky, funny book, Egg Marks the Spot by Amy Timberlaks, illustrated by Jon Klassen, is the second book in the Skunk and Badger series, recommended for grades 2-5. Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is recommended for grades 3-7. Maya and the Robot is recommended for grades 3-7. Ways to Make Sunshine is recommended for grades 2-5.

Fiction (Adult)

For the Food Lover

For the Babies

Sturdy board books that help foster conversations with our youngest little readers about the world around them, happiness, & friendship.

For the Nature Lover

For the Art Lover

Stocking Stuffers

GIFT CARDS (ONLINE ONLY)

Online Bookshop Gift Certificates

Bookshop digital gift cards are the perfect gift for any avid reader. The card value is added to the recipient's Bookshop account as credit, and never expires. Bookshop digital gift cards can only be redeemed online on Bookshop.org and not in person at my shop, but they do help support my local business, as well as all independent bookstores throughout the US that are members of the American Booksellers Association.

https://bookshop.org/a/593/gift_cards

Audiobook gift memberships

Gift Libro.fm audiobooks to anyone in the world from the comfort of your home. You choose the membership (3, 6, or 12 months/credits), your gift recipient picks their own audiobooks, and Picture Book is supported by your purchase.

December Event Schedule

So many wonderful things going on this December!

HudCo Holiday Market
December 1st & 2nd
9am-5pm

The HudCo Atrium is transforming into a magical holiday extravaganza featuring Adonia Floral Design, Birdie Lou, Cooper’s Daughter’s Spirits, Falena Fine Jewelry, In2Green, Parson Brown, The Space Sanctuary, The Swans House, and HudCo resident shops Bloomy & Picture Book.

Rivertowns Holiday Trolley
Saturday, December 11

Details TBD! The Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce Trolley will roll through the Rivertowns bringing you to local businesses for a wonderful day of town spirit and supporting small business. Picture Book and Bloomy will be open inside HudCo along with some special treats!

 

Merry Witchmas!
The Good Witch Coffee Bar, Hastings on Hudson
Saturday December 18
9am-1pm

Picture Book has collaborated with The Good Witch’s Joanna Prisco to offer some excellent cookbooks and other wonderful witchy reads inside the coffee shop all holiday season. On Saturday December 18, we will be popping up outside with even more wonderful books to gift your loved ones. There will be other amazing vendors and even a visit from a jolly, red-suited special guest!

Author Visit by Kyle Lukoff
Saturday December 18
2pm

Details TBD! Kyle Lukoff, author of When Aidan Became a Brother, is coming to Dobbs Ferry! Stay tuned for more details on this event organized by Dobbs Ferry Diversity Committee, Dobbs Ferry PTSA, Dobbs Ferry Public Library, The Children’s Village, with books available from Picture Book.

Living Notes Small Business Holiday Guide

From Camila of Living Notes Photography:

This year I want to help you shop local, sustainable and small. I created this guide with the desire to feature some of my favorite female entrepreneurs and makers in NY and beyond.

I am owner and photographer at Living Notes Photography, but of course you may already know that. I fell in love with my camera and how it made me feel alive. I get to share how I see the world and others with you and hopefully encourage and inspire you to see your everyday as something more beautiful than anything you could ever imagine. I'm here to help you see that the best life is the one you're creating right now! And to give you heirlooms that not only look pretty but that will hold your history long after you are gone!

View full guide here