^B00:00:01 >> Lee Ann Potter: Good morning everyone. >> Good morning. >> Lee Ann Potter: I'm Lee Ann Potter and I have the pleasure of working at the Library of Congress in our office of Learning and Innovation. And it is my job this morning to help open the National Book Festival 2019 Purple Stage. Can you tell it's the purple stage? ^M00:00:22 [ Applause ] ^M00:00:25 Now we have to do a few things to get the purple stage open. I have to first put on my purple coat. ^M00:00:30 ^M00:00:34 And then you all have to repeat after me, you ready? Give me a P. >> P. >> Lee Ann Potter: Okay now I got to say this again. I want everybody in the exhibit hall and in the convention center to know that the purple stage is open. So we're going to be as loud as we possibly can, okay? Something tells me you guys are good at that. Okay, okay. So give me a P. >> P. >> Lee Ann Potter: Ooh that was much better. Give me a U. >> U. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an R. >> R. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me a P. >> P. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an L. >> L. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an E. >> E. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an S. >> S. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me a T. >> T. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an A. >> A. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me a G. >> G. >> Lee Ann Potter: Give me an E. >> E. >> Lee Ann Potter: What do those letters spell? >> Purple stage. >> Lee Ann Potter: Woo hoo, yes. Purple stage, we have officially opened the purple stage. ^M00:01:27 [ Applause ] ^M00:01:30 >> Lee Ann Potter: Now it is my pleasure to welcome our first speakers to the purple stage, and they are Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. First a bit about Jennifer. Jennifer is the New York Times Best Selling Author of the 14th Gold Fish and several other highly acclaimed novels, including the Scott O'Dell Award Winning Full of Beans and three Newberry Honor Books. Our only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven and Turtle in Paradise. With Matt, she has co-creator of the beloved and bestselling graphic novels including Baby Mouse, Squish and Sunnyside up series. Their new book is entitled the Evil Princess Versus the Brave Knight, published by Random House. Now a little bit about Matt. Matthew Holm is also a New York Times Best Selling Author and illustrator who has created more than 35 books for children. He is the co-creator of a number of graphic novels including the Eisner Award Winning Baby Mouse Series and Squish and Sunnyside Up. He recently co-wrote and illustrated the middle grade novel Marvin and the Moths. And his new book with Jennifer is the Evil Princess and the Brave Knight. Now how many of you noticed that Jennifer and Matt had a few things in common? Including their last name. Did you know that Jennifer and Matt are sister and brother? That's pretty cool, isn't it? I think it's very cool. So not only do they create books together, they will also be presenting together here on the purple stage and they will be signing books together between 10:30 and 11:30 this morning in signing line number six. Please help me welcome Jennifer and Matt. ^M00:03:30 [ Applause ] ^M00:03:35 ^M00:03:50 >> Jennifer L. Holm: It makes sense we're on the purple stage because we're a royal couple. >> Matthew Holm: That's right. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Royal siblings. So I am Jenni Holm. I am the older, wiser and bossier sister of - >> Matthew Holm: I am Matthew Holm. I am the younger and more talented brother. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Annoying little brother, I'd like to clarify. And we are so excited to be here. And they are going to put - they're going to put some fancy microphones on us so that we look like Taylor Swift and the Hulk maybe. ^M00:04:29 ^M00:04:51 I feel so fancy. >> Matthew Holm: I know. We are attached like astronauts - >> Jennifer L. Holm: We should go - >> Matthew Holm: The other way. >> Jennifer L. Holm: The other way. Wow, all those rock stars make it look so easy. Who knew there were all these cords? >> Matthew Holm: Mick Jagger we are not. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Am I too close to the mic? >> Matthew Holm: No that's just the thing. >> Jennifer L. Holm: That's just here? >> Matthew Holm: Yeah. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Well we are so excited to be here today. I'm going to see if I can practice my clicker. Let's see does it - which way do you think I click. That way. The arrow? >> Matthew Holm: Maybe. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I don't know. Yep, okay. >> Matthew Holm: Okay. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Here we go. It's all this technology. >> Matthew Holm: See technology wasn't a problem back in the days when people lived in castles and things. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I know. >> Matthew Holm: Or back in the days of like the 1970's when we grew up. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Which is when we grew up. So we have made a lot of books together. And these are some of the books. >> Matthew Holm: Somewhere. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Where are they? This is way too high tech for us. Here are some of the books we've made. We've made the Baby Mouse Series, and the Squish Series. >> Matthew Holm: We made Sunnyside Up. We did some bored books. I'm sunny, I'm grumpy, I'm silly. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And everywhere we go, it doesn't matter what our newest book is or what we've made, they always ask us the same question what is it like to work with your brother, or - >> Matthew Holm: Or work with your sister. Actually the first thing they usually ask is so you guys are married? >> Jennifer L. Holm: No. >> Matthew Holm: And we're like uh, gross; no. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And we say no; he's my annoying little brother of course. So yeah, you know we are - here's proof of our brother and sister-ship. And we were pretty typical kids, you know. We chilled out in trash cans mostly during our childhood. That's me in the top trashcan, that's Matt in the bottom trash can. And Matt was pretty annoying. He spent most of my childhood sitting on top of me in the kiddie pool. >> Matthew Holm: Got to sit somewhere. I mean you know? >> Jennifer L. Holm: Yeah and you know what? I don't let him do that anymore you guys. I sit on top of him now. Yeah. >> Matthew Holm: Revenge. >> Jennifer L. Holm: So thinking about our childhood we kind of wondered what would it be like - >> Matthew Holm: Yeah what would it be like if we didn't grow up like we did? But what if we grew up in a castle? >> Jennifer L. Holm: Yeah. And so that was kind of the beginning of our new book, the Evil Princess versus - >> Matthew Holm: The Brave Knight. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I feel like we need to get some - >> Matthew Holm: We've got to get into character. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Yes I need to get into character. Are you going to be able to reach - I'll reach yours. >> Matthew Holm: Okay. >> Jennifer L. Holm: All right, one for you. >> Matthew Holm: One for you. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Quick costume change. ^M00:07:30 ^M00:07:35 This is very serious you guys. >> Matthew Holm: Can you get it? >> Jennifer L. Holm: I can get it, I think. Yes. >> Matthew Holm: It's Velcro, we're okay. There's no knots involved. There we go. Totes gorge. >> Jennifer L. Holm: How do I look? ^M00:07:52 [ Applause ] ^M00:07:55 Yeah I stole it from my daughter. She'll never know it's gone. So - so we - the book is about siblings who live in a castle. And you know we kind of grew up in a castle. >> Matthew Holm: Right. >> Jennifer L. Holm: This was ye old home castle over there; does that look like a castle? >> No. >> Matthew Holm: No? >> Jennifer L. Holm: No, it was kind of a suburban castle. >> Matthew Holm: Fancy carriage out front. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Exactly. Yeah it was a very fancy carriage. And you know when I was a kid, of course like many young ladies I dreamt of being a princess. And I didn't know exactly what kind of princess I wanted to be, you know? Should I be pretty? Nah. Should I be icy? Or, Cinderella'y? Nah, I decided it would be fun to be evil. Really none of the other stuff. And Matt, of course he wanted to be a knight, except when he was a kid he did not look for Knight-like. This is Matt as a kid. He pretty much spent his entire childhood sleeping on bookshelves. >> Matthew Holm: Maybe - maybe I was just guarding it from dangerous book eating monsters, I don't know. Laying in ambush. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Maybe you were just weird Matt. And when you thought of being a knight, what kind of a knight did you want to be? >> Matthew Holm: There's so many different kinds. I could be a strong knight. I could be a weird green ogre-y knight like Shrek. I could be a handsome knight. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I don't know about - no. >> Matthew Holm: Good luck with that. >> Jennifer L. Holm: So we decided we would each be a character. So I'm going to be the evil princess, he's going to be the brave knight - >> Matthew Holm: I would be the - we have to have the reveal. >> Jennifer L. Holm: The reveal? Oh sorry. >> Matthew Holm: Yes, the brave knight. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Brave knight. >> Matthew Holm: Yeah. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And of course there are other characters in our book that are inspired by our lives. We needed a - every castle needs what? Meow, meow, meow. >> Cat. >> Jennifer L. Holm: A cat. Meow. And this cat was inspired by my cat, who looks like that. Aww. And of course you know somebody has got to watch those kids in the castle. >> Matthew Holm: That's right. >> Jennifer L. Holm: There's a parent. It's the magic mirror. We're not exactly saying who that magic mirror was based on, but - >> Matthew Holm: Mom. >> Jennifer L. Holm: It kind of looks like our mom. So we thought we would read through the book with you guys and we're going to need a little help from the audience. So you want to take them through what they're going to have to do? >> Matthew Holm: Sure. Now the brave knight and the evil princess, you know when they do their thing. When the evil princess is being evil, you know she says "That's what an evil princess does." >> Jennifer L. Holm: Like when I drop a snake on him. Do I feel sorry? >> No. >> Matthew Holm: No because she's an evil princess. >> Jennifer L. Holm: So what do I say? Let's practice, that's what an evil princess does. And when - when a knight, Matt the knight is trying to be brave and of course, he'll do something crazy like try to rescue me. >> Matthew Holm: Right, which she doesn't want to be rescued. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I don't want to be rescued. >> Matthew Holm: The knight will say "That's what a brave knight does." >> Jennifer L. Holm: Can we practice it? Ready, that's what a brave knight does. All right, I think we're ready. The evil princess - >> Matthew Holm: Versus the brave knight. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And our story begins - >> Matthew Holm: There once lived an evil princess and a brave knight. They shared a castle. They shared a meinke cat. But there were issues. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Uh oh, it looks like it's all going to go wrong. Trip. >> Matthew Holm: Boom, the evil princess wasn't sorry. >> Jennifer L. Holm: What do we say? That's what an evil princess does. >> Matthew Holm: Their magic mirror said, "Calm must prevail." So unfair. >> Jennifer L. Holm: It looks like the magic mirror sent them to their rooms. >> Matthew Holm: The evil princess used the time to practice being evil. She sat on her evil throne. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I need fluffier pillows. >> Matthew Holm: She reached - she searcher her library for inspiration. >> Jennifer L. Holm: 101 spells to torment annoying brothers. >> Matthew Holm: Her subjects trembled at her power. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Zap, kablam. I'm not very good at magic yet. I'm young. >> Matthew Holm: She soon realized it wasn't much fun being evil by herself. Meanwhile the brave knight got down to the business of being brave. He protected the castle. The brave knight draws his sword. He battled fierce monsters. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Not very brave is he? >> Matthew Holm: He's not always very brave. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And we say, that's what a brave knight does. >> Matthew Holm: But of curse he's scared so he's like "That's, that's what a brave knight does." He soon realized it wasn't much fun being brave by himself. Their magic mirror say they could come out of their rooms if they promised to play nicely. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Sure. >> Matthew Holm: Sure. But it was boring. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Kind of boring. They're just playing by themselves. >> Matthew Holm: We need a quest. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Good idea. >> Matthew Holm: It didn't take long to find one. >> Jennifer L. Holm: There's a damsel in distress across the moat. >> Matthew Holm: Although honestly the damsel was perfectly comfortable. The brave knight leapt into action. He dodged the hungry dragons in the moat. He freed the fair maiden from her prison. And he delivered her to safety. >> Jennifer L. Holm: That's what a brave knight does. >> Matthew Holm: Shove, ahh. Splash. That's what an evil princess does. She wasn't sorry. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Definitely not. Yank. >> Matthew Holm: He wasn't sorry either. But their magic mirror was not amused. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Who made this mess? ^M00:14:49 ^M00:14:53 >> Matthew Holm: It didn't seem like a good time to be evil or brave. Who's that? Who could they blame this on? The cat did it. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Meow? >> Matthew Holm: They still had to clean up the bathroom. The brave knight volunteered to get fresh towels from the laundry room. That's what a brave knight does. And the evil princess knew what she had to do to restore balance to the kingdom. And she wasn't sorry. >> Jennifer L. Holm: And that is the end, bum, bum, buh. Wooh. ^M00:15:39 [ Applause ] ^M00:15:42 >> Jennifer L. Holm: So we have a little time left and we thought we'd do some - I feel like we should do some evil drawing. Who has a good idea of - >> Matthew Holm: You mean an evil idea? >> Jennifer L. Holm: And evil idea. We need a volunteer from the audience who has an evil idea. Who has an evil idea? You want to come up? Come on up. Why don't you come up on the side of the stage? ^M00:16:02 ^M00:16:09 >> Matthew Holm: Why don't you stand there. What is your name? >> Abby. >> Matthew Holm: All right Abby. Now we've got the evil princess. She's sitting here, she's been thinking all day about how to torture her brother. How do make the world a worse place. What could she do? What's an evil thing the evil princess could do? ^M00:16:28 [ Inaudible ] ^M00:16:32 >> Matthew Holm: She could feed him a banana because bananas are disgusting. >> Jennifer L. Holm: My son would totally agree with that. He thinks that bananas are in fact, evil. I mean maybe even - how could we make the banana even worse? ^M00:16:47 [ Inaudible ] ^M00:16:53 >> Jennifer L. Holm: A banana wearing glasses. It's not something you see every day. >> Matthew Holm: Well and so maybe like the brave knight is chained up or something and being force fed this banana. >> Jennifer L. Holm: All right. It's going to be crazy. >> Matthew Holm: All right, so we've got the brave knight here. ^M00:17:08 ^M00:17:13 He's sweating a little. He looks very nervous. And he's got a whole bunch of ropes across him here, tying him up. >> Jennifer L. Holm: He's tied to the bed. >> Matthew Holm: He's tied to the bed. >> Jennifer L. Holm: You've got a comfortable pillow at least, right? >> Matthew Holm: Yeah, evil but classy. It's a fine evil establishment with only the best linens. >> Jennifer L. Holm: It's a royal - >> Matthew Holm: A royal evil establishment. There he is with his boots and his chain mail. And meanwhile the princess she has an evil banana. Maybe she can have it like on a big long fishing pole that she's dangling over top of him. Right, she doesn't even want to touch the banana. ^M00:18:07 ^M00:18:17 >> Jennifer L. Holm: Okay while he's drawing, who here feels like they're an evil princess or an evil knight? Where are the - where are my brave friends? Where are the brave friends? It's kind of 50/50. >> Matthew Holm: 50/50, oh. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Mostly - who is not evil or brave? Who is just confused? >> Matthew Holm: Who feels like the meinke cat? >> Jennifer L. Holm: It's only 9:30 parents, they're brave now, but I'm telling you around 3:00 they're going to be evil. ^M00:18:44 ^M00:18:49 >> Matthew Holm: And here is the banana. >> Jennifer L. Holm: With glasses. >> Matthew Holm: Has glasses. It's got big thick framed glasses. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Anything but a banana. ^M00:19:03 ^M00:19:08 And we need some dialog. What does our brave knight say? Who can give us a suggestion? What can he say? Anybody have a good idea? Yes, what does he say? What? ^M00:19:18 [ Inaudible ] ^M00:19:20 >> Matthew Holm: I'm allergic. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I'm allergic. >> Matthew Holm: No. >> Jennifer L. Holm: It's getting dark up here. I'm allergic to bananas. All right. >> Matthew Holm: And maybe she can say, I'm allergic - >> Jennifer L. Holm: To you. >> Matthew Holm: To brothers. ^M00:19:40 ^M00:19:49 >> Jennifer L. Holm: Okay why don't you sign it Matt and we'll have our helper here sign it. >> Matthew Holm: Could you sign it for me Abby? Excellent. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Can we give Miss Abby a big round of applause? >> Matthew Holm: Hang on. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Here you go. Take this with you. >> Matthew Holm: Although watch out, it is sticky at the top. This is actually the most challenging part of anything. Not the drawing, not the talking; tearing it off in one piece. >> Jennifer L. Holm: All right, don't sell it on E-bay. All right, we have time for one or two questions. Does anybody have a question about how to be evil or how to be brave? Or about who is the wiser sibling perhaps? >> Matthew Holm: Over in the stripes there or are you just stretching? >> Jennifer L. Holm: What is your question friend? ^M00:20:32 [ Inaudible ] ^M00:20:33 >> Jennifer L. Holm: You want to come up to the microphone? Go for it. You can tilt it down to you. >> Matthew Holm: You can jump up and down. >> Jennifer L. Holm: You want to pull it down? >> Matthew Holm: Or just come up close and tell us. >> Jennifer L. Holm: You want to come up? ^M00:20:45 [ Inaudible ] ^M00:20:57 >> Matthew Holm: Do you need a weapon to be a knight or do you just need armor to be a knight? >> Jennifer L. Holm: Age old question. >> Matthew Holm: I think you really just need the right attitude to be a knight. You know you just have to be like willing to charge in and rescue people whether they're even aware that they need to be rescued. >> Jennifer L. Holm: I agree, because weapons break for instance. My nerf sword broke and I had to super-glue it. We have another question. You want to come up here? You want to try the microphone and give it a shot? Why don't you tilt it down so it reaches your - you got it. >> This is a question for Matthew. I was just wondering do you still think that the pen is stronger than the sword? >> Matthew Holm: Oh wow. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Who is raising this child? Nicely done. >> Matthew Holm: Is the pen mightier than the sword. I would say so because you can draw your sister any way you like when you have a pen. >> Jennifer L. Holm: But you know what? A sword is stronger than the pencil because the pencil breaks. >> Matthew Holm: That's true, yes. It's a whole hierarchy. It's like rock, paper, scissors. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Exactly. Well you guys have been an absolutely amazing audience. And thank you for having us. We're going to be signing I think at 10:30'ish. Somewhere here. >> Matthew Holm: Line six I believe they said. >> Jennifer L. Holm: Line six. All right, have a great book festival. >> Matthew Holm: Thank you guys.