Laura Rankin is the creator ofThe Handmade Alphabet, aBoston Globe-Horn BookHonor Book, andRuthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie. She is the illustrator of many other books for children, includingA Balloon for Isabel, by Deborah Underwood. She lives in Easton, Maryland.
There is a kind of magic that happens at the right bar, with the right people, at the right time of night. A certain song comes on the jukebox, the bartender starts to sing, and two people wobble off their stools, lean into each other, and begin to sway. For a moment, it feels like the center of the world. Later, At the Bar is seasoned with characters who live for this kind of magic; who love hard and drink harder. Rebecca Barry skillfully weaves together their stories as if she is making her way through a room full of friends, then finds you a seat at the bar, leans over, and spills all of their secrets. They are full of heartache and hope, and you will want to stay with them, until everyone puts down their drinks and starts to dance. --Hannah Tinti, author of Animal Crackers