Would you look at this cover? I did. And then I bought the book. Because not only is it a great story— IT IS— STUNNING! Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup is written by Giovanna Zoboli, (translated from Italian by Denise Muir). And my heavens it is magnificently illustrated by Mariachiara Di …
As the headline states, today’s post has a little bit of everything bookish and good. So let’s jump in, in order! One book you should read I recently purchased TO SEE AN OWL by Matthew Cordell from A Room of One’s Own bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin. I buy and read …
First, a little background: My mom passed away in mid-January, so I considered skipping this month’s post, as my head wasn’t in the right place for writing a cheerful post, and I certainly didn’t want to bring anybody down here. Better, perhaps, to stick to my current task at-hand, sifting …
The Spaceman, by Randy Cecil, is a complete delight. 100%, I tell ya. The story begins with our protagonist, the Spaceman, collecting soil samples. That’s what he does every day. And his enthusiasm for the process is cowed by its utter mundanity. He collects samples, labels them, and then files …
I am so thrilled to be talking today to Angela H. Dale about her FANTASTIC book, Goodbye, Hello: A Going Home Travel Adventure, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman, and published by Holiday House. It released into the world last November. Here’s the review I wrote of the book when it came …
SARA: In honor of 2025, how about a book celebrating a new year’s tradition? In Legendary Cakes, written and illustrated by Kerisa Greene, a pair of siblings spend Tết, the Vietnamese New Year, with their grandparents. The evening before, they prepare bánh chưng, a dish of leaf-wrapped mung beans, rice, …
My first career was as a newspaper reporter. There, I learned that — to quote former Washington Post journalist Maxine Chesire: “With a roll of quarters and a phone, you can find out anything.” (Side note: If you want a great look at how Maxine overcame sexism and racisim to …
Now, you could say that about all picture books, that they’re works of art. But now and then a book comes along that gobsmacks you with its beauty. This is one of those. Author Sy Montgomery takes us inside the head of a baby hummer who, along with its sister, …
It is not unusual to be sad at times. Sadness happens to all of us. Whether you’re sad about the loss of game or championship by your favorite team, or grieving for the loss of a pet or a loved one, or suffering an unexplained general malaise, it is not …
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! I’m so honored to be kicking off 2025 with you all! I’m especially excited for you to help me celebrate the launch of my new picture book, WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW, illustrated by Andrea Boatta, which released on Jan. 1 with Capstone! WHOOHOO!!! Here’s a little about …