All picture books, all the time

Nugget & Fang Go to School (+ GIVEAWAY)

Nugget & Fang the SEA-quel is finally here! It’s called Nugget & Fang Go to School. When Fang the shark is invited by his friends to attend Mini Minnows Elementary, he thinks it’s a great idea! But then his first day of school arrives . . . and suddenly, he’s not …

The Stuff of Stars

If you haven’t read The Stuff of Stars, you must! I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK! Seriously, it is mind boggling how Marion Dane Bauer so beautifully and accurately explained the Big Bang theory with sparse, lyrical text. But she did! Of course, if anyone could, it would be the incomparable …

LINUS THE LITTLE YELLOW PENCIL by Scott Magoon

Happy June everyone! Today I’m doing a post about the Scott Magoon’s latest book, Linus The Little Yellow Pencil. Linus is a story about a relationship between a pencil and the eraser at it’s end. While we may be filled with ideas and inspiration, our inner voice can squish it …

Lottie & Walter by Anna Walker

I have been waiting for this book. It was about 3 or so years ago and I was visiting with my editor, Jennifer Greene at Clarion. I saw a little bit of Lottie & Walter on her desk. I squealed when I saw Anna’s gorgeously recognizable style. Jennifer told me …

When a Tree Grows + an interview with debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey AND a giveaway!

I could not be happier to bring you a chat with debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey. Cathy’s a long-time subscriber to PBB, so I’ve been counting down the weeks until I could post about WHEN A TREE GROWS! First, a look at her delightful book: From the publisher: “When Moose …

Croc & Turtle

I’ve mentioned multiple times here how I am a sucker for fun or interesting or awkward friendship stories. Croc & Turtle! by Mike Wohnoutka (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2019) fits into one or more of those categories. Big, lovable Croc believes he is very good in a number of skills. And …

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAB by Sue Fliess

As a writer and a reader, I’m often drawn to books that give a new twist to old songs, and we’ve featured quite a few here at PBB. In addition to two of my own (Rock-a-Bye Romp and Over the River & Through the Wood), there’s Twinkle, Twinkle Little Car, …

CHICKS RULE & illustrator interview with Renée Kurilla

So I have the privilege of hanging out with some pretty amazing folks on a fairly regular basis via Skype. There’s a few of us who having been doing it for nearly 10 years now, and it’s sort of like a virtual office of (mostly) illustrators. We talk off on …

The Girl Who Named Pluto (Author Interview)

Last week a wonderful book released into the world–The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney, written by Alice McGinty and illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle. As a self-professed space nerd, I couldn’t wait to learn how Pluto had been named by an 11-year-old girl! And this book did …

Sparky & Spike (+ GIVEAWAY)

My guess is you already know the stars of the book Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever. You don’t think so? Well, maybe these two clues will help: Charlie Brown and Snoopy. This book, written by Barbara Lowell and illustrated by Dan Andreason, takes us to the …