All picture books, all the time

The Farm that Mac Built by Tammi Sauer (+GIVEAWAY)

Get your tickets, Picture Book Builders readers! On August 11, there’s a way off-Broadway production coming to bookstores, libraries, and barnyards near you. It’s called The Farm that Mac Built. But Mac doesn’t deserve all the credit for building this farm. Nope. He had a little help. I wrote the …

Fish Everywhere +Winners announced!

Fish Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup. Oh my goodness this is a gorgeous book 🐟😍 Seriously, the cover alone with its raised fish and metallic gold pattern. The shimmer of the shiny texture makes the fish come alive. Layers of them. Just exquisite! May I please have wallpaper with these end …

Meet Federico and the Wolf, a master class in metered rhyme

If you’re a picture book writer — aspiring or published — you’ve likely heard someone say: “Don’t write your story in rhyme. Editors say they don’t want that.” Then, arguments often ensue, with some people talking about how rhyme helps beginning readers learn to process language, and other people talking …

LIGHTS OUT–a chat with Marsha Diane Arnold

This is one of those books that I read and immediately couldn’t wait to share with my grandkiddos, because 1) it’s beautiful, and 2) it’s the first time I’d seen this subject–light pollution–in a book for kids, and they need to know about it. The combination of Marsha Diane Arnold’s …

Creating characters

I am currently working on the illustrations for the third book of a four-book series by Dori Hillestad Butler. When asked if I’d be interested in illustrating them, I jumped at the opportunity. First of all, it was Dori Hillestad Butler! And secondly, I had never illustrated an early chapter …

SPEAK UP! An interview with Miranda Paul

I am so very impressed by Miranda Paul’s latest book, SPEAK UP (Clarion, illustrated by Ebony Glenn). This one is an excellent tool for teaching kids the whens and hows, but what I’m most impressed by is that Miranda manages to give the subject the depth it deserves (in rhyme!) …

THE MOON KEEPER (+Giveaway)

If you were a polar bear, and let’s just say you were put in charge of watching over the moon – how would you handle this big job? What would your approach be? And what would your concerns be? Imaginative questions like these make me totally love picture books! For …

Going Down Home With Daddy (Caldecott Honor Book 2020!)

You’ve probably enjoyed many of the 2020 Caldecott winning books by now. What as outstanding collection this year! Today I’d like to highlight one of the gorgeous Honor Books: GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Daniel Minter (and published by one of my favorite houses, …

Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming (+GIVEAWAY)

Oh, Picture Book Builders people, summer is here! Author Meg Fleming and illustrator Paola Zakimi have just the book for us. This is what School Library Journal and Kirkus had to say: This first purchase is a perfect storytime choice to usher in the beach season, and the rhyming, repetitive …

Playing Possum & Giveaway!

I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend, Alfred. Today is his birthday! He and I have gotten very close over the past four years. It all began a long time ago when I saw a cousin of his in our trashcan. This is how Cousin first looked, and …