I loved Tim Miller’s art in Snappsy the Alligator (Julie Falatko’s story as well), so naturally I was eager to read Moo Moo in a Tutu, Tim’s debut as both author and illustrator. And it delivers. How? Let me count the ways. The title. Rhythmic. Musical. Evocative. The marquee-esque title page …
I’ve long admired Laura Purdie Salas’s poetry and picture books. I’m also kind of moon-nutty. So after reading Laura’s latest—If You Were the Moon (Lerner 2017)—I was eager to have her visit us here at PBB. And, look—here she is! AND there’s a giveaway! As always, to win a copy …
Hey, folks! Here’s a challenge for you: Write an alphabet book. Use just one or two words per page, starting with an A-word on the first page and proceeding through the alphabet till the final Z-word on the last. Make it appealing to kids just learning their alphabet, full …
Read any Jon Agee books lately? He’s got a lot of them, including three in the past three years—It’s Only Stanley (2015), Lion Lessons (2016), and Life on Mars (2017; all from Dial). As a Jon Agee fan, I knew I wanted to feature one here—but which one? I decided …
Memorial Day weekend may not be the official start of summer, but it sure brings on summery thoughts—about, say, swimming pools, sandy beaches, and—for some of us—lazy days with lots of books. Take Nick, for instance, the title character in Curtis Manley’s book The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to …
I occasionally teach a workshop on “Writing the Rollicking Read-Aloud,” so I’m always on the lookout for books to add to my resource list. I’m happy to share with you the latest addition to that list : WHOOPS! by Suzi Moore and illustrated by Russell Ayto (Templar/Candlewick, 2016). It starts …
Hello, all, and happy April! I’m so pleased to have my fabulous agent, Jennifer Mattson, with us today. Before joining Andrea Brown Literary in 2008, Jennifer held various positions as an editor, book reviewer and bookseller—excellent preparation for her current profession (you’ll find her bio and literary tastes here). I …
I loved fairy tales as a kid, and for the most part was happy to suspend disbelief no matter how bizarre the concept. Magic seeds? Sure. Talking mirrors? All right. Gold spun from straw? Why not? But there was one story that strained plausibility beyond even my generous standards. Could …
When I read picture book biographies, I’m always interested in how the author manages to compress a long, full life into a limited amount of text. What gets included? And how is it all held together? The title of Debbie Levy’s biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg—I Dissent—gives us a clue …
So . . . it’s mid-January, the holidays are behind us, and there’s a long stretch of winter ahead. Which might make some of us a little grumpy. If you find yourself feeling a tad down in the dumps, take a look at Claire Messer’s Grumpy Pants (Albert Whitman, 2016) for …