Youtube seems to have an amazing collection of books read by their authors. I went looking and found several great ones.
While some are simple videos of the author reading, others are voice-overs like an audio-book. Some videos are created and published by the publishers and many are the authors’ own efforts at creating publicity.
I have grown as an author, in the shadows of some great authors who promote their books and themselves as a brand so well – names that pop-up (pun entirely intended) – Candy Gourlay and Sarah McIntyre from SCBWI British Isles. I cannot match their creativity or their energy. And I am not really a stage kind of person. But perhaps I could record using my webcam and the mike without stepping out of my house. There might not be any audience for it – perhaps someone will find it and then find the book.
So here are some picture books on YouTube, read by their authors.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear – Bill Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdHCYgO9zh8
There Are Cats In This Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEEZfVfvuBg
Mr. Gloomingdale’s Downpour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncU1EMBwUuY
Mike Artell reading his book LEGS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nanFfJGfoJY
The Whale Who Ate Everything: Children’s Audio Books
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFq441el_ls
ONLY COWS ALLOWED! Lynn Plourde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkyaGH2_YTU
Llama Llama Misses Mama – Anna Dewdney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xB6i1ReuT8
Anna Dewdney and Penguin have posted videos of all of the books in the Llama Llama series too.
Find out about Chitra Soundar’s books at www.chitrasoundar.com.
I have my daughter, Annika, in costume, reading ‘Don’t Panic, Annika!’ at the book launch, on youtube. I’m getting a Dutch man I’ve been introduced to to read the Dutch version, and when it’s out in Chinese later this year, my friend’s going to read it in Chinese. My other daughter’s reading ‘The Kite Princess’ at the launch in September and we’ll put that up too. I think it’s a great idea to give people the chance to see it and I’d be extremely surprised if it stopped a single person from buying it. For me, it’s all positive.
Thanks, Clare (Juliet Clare Bell)