A Dazzling Array of Picture Book Awesomeness!

Since we’re now posting once/week, rather than twice, we eight bloggers no longer post monthly, but once every TWO months. While that eases our busy schedules, it makes us super-picky about our book choices for those rare posts. (Not complaining; it was my idea!)

So, this month, I present to you FOUR recently released (or about-to-be-released) picture books that I really, really wanted to feature (for various reasons). I asked each author ONE, two-part question. Hope you enjoy their varied responses as much as I did. In alphabetical order, here are Louise M. Aamodt, Larry Daley, Carrie Finison, and Jody Jensen Shaffer!

This is Louise’s first book, and I couldn’t be more excited for her. (Also feeling smart, since I predicted, after reading a number of her mss at a workshop in 2022, that Louise would sell MANY books. I may have used the word gazillion.) This book is the story of a forest’s renewal as it goes from ashes to new growth in the aftermath of a sweeping forest fire.

Jill: Welcome, Louise! Question: What prompted you to write A FOREST BEGINS ANEW (illustrated by Elly MacKay), and what do you hope kids take from it?

Louise: As a picture book addict who devours tall stacks of library books, I learn tidbits about many topics. One day I read about how beetles lay eggs in burnt wood, which attracts woodpeckers, and later bluebirds use woodpecker holes as nesting cavities. I thought about my visits to Yellowstone before and after its devastating 1988 megafire. I wanted to learn more. 

I’d written fictional picture book manuscripts for years, but in a wildly unsuccessful way. I decided to try NF instead. I didn’t really know how, but I dove in anyway. I researched the delicate cause-effect relationships after forest fires–but in a wildly unsuccessful way. As I learned more about using solid sources, I had to go back and redo it all over again. And again.

I found myself drawn to lyrical nonfiction, so I started dabbling in writing the fire manuscript lyrically. You guessed it–in a wildly unsuccessful way. But I kept at it, and eventually A FOREST BEGINS ANEW resulted from all those do-overs. 

Have you ever read a book about environmental concerns and it left you feeling depressed and overwhelmed? And maybe even a bit guilty for simply existing? Those kinds of books don’t spur us to action; rather, they cripple us into complacency. I wanted my book to do the opposite. It was important for me to present science and hope in equal measures. Without hope, we have nothing. I want this book to remind readers of all ages that we are strong, we can make a difference, and positive changes are coming, even if sometimes they’re hard to see. 

Want to hear some of the ‘rules’ this book broke along the way? Almost every workshop I’ve attended warns against writing in rhyme, since most of it is terrible. I did it anyway. I was also warned to delete the word ‘dead’ from my story because young readers can’t handle it. I kept it anyway. After 15 revisions, the result was this debut breakthrough! I think I can finally say I wasn’t wildly unsuccessful… Kirkus gave me a lovely review (here), which was enormously validating after twenty (!) years of rejected manuscripts. 

Check out A FOREST BEGINS ANEW to learn some scientific tidbits, and to remind yourself of your own resiliency. Visit my website to learn more or to download free resources to go with the book.

Next up is FLOAT, written and illustrated by Larry Daley, about a class trip to an aquarium that goes wildly off the rails after a seagull snatches first-grader Rosie’s lunchbox.

Jill: Welcome, Larry! What prompted you to write this book, and what do you hope kids take from it?

Larry: One of my favorite things in the world to draw are animals from the sea. I find marine life incredibly majestic, bizarre, playful and in many cases, humorous, which is attractive to my style of writing. However, what I didn’t have was the actual story that gave me the excuse to draw these animals. Then, one day, I was chatting with a friend who mentioned that a seagull stole his lunch right out from his two hands. He was quite agitated, but didn’t know how to response in the moment. He had no idea whether to yell or cry or chase after the bird and it made me think about what I would do in that situation. Would I run after the bird? How many emotions would I be juggling in that single moment? I realized that when life hits us with an unexpected moment, we all lose our balance a little, regardless of our age. This felt like a wonderful opportunity to explore this as a story for children (and parents) as I believe we can all learn to “float” when life throws us a curve ball. And fortunately, seagulls are a perfect pairing for my love of ocean life, so this story materialized into a blend of chaos and perhaps a fresh take on what it means to catch our breath.

On the surface (pun intended) I believe readers will appreciate the very real scenario of a seagull stealing food on an outing to the beach. It’s fun to see someone their age overreact and engage in an outlandish chase through the aquarium. However, there are a couple moments that I hope young minds will recognize. The first is that Mr. Gilley chooses kindness over scolding. In the midst of the madness of jumping in tanks and ruining the visit for other patrons, Mr. Gilley could easily have chosen to reprimand or punish Rosie for her actions. But instead, he employs compassion to see that she needs someone to listen, understand her emotions, and provide space to allow her to arrive at a solution that helps everyone. As a parent, I wanted there to be an adult in the story who sees children learn through their actions, and firmly believes mistakes make better learners. The second element, or course, is that Rosie is playing out an adventure that’s fun to imagine. But despite our fantasies of swimming with the otters and splashing around with penguins, Rosie’s tour of the tanks helps readers recognize and appreciate how fragile these animals are, even when the story is make-believe. Lastly, FLOAT is a story full of visual secrets that I hope young readers find riveting. Whether it’s finding Bubbles, the little white octopus looking for a way out, or the twenty tiny turtles I have drawn and hidden in the art, there are a lot of details readers can search for that makes repeat reading more enjoyable for everyone. AND the best secret for readers is the hidden riddle that resides somewhere in one of the illustrations. Those that find the riddle have the chance to submit their name to my website www.larrydaley.com/riddle for a chance to win a real treasure box with a 1 oz. silver coin tucked inside. A live drawing will take place on August 9, 2026 on my Instagram @larrydaleyart where one lucky reader will receive this treasure and enjoy their winnings. Overall, there is a lot to enjoy in FLOAT so please find a copy for yourselves to explore!

Check out Larry’s website!

Now, take a look at Carrie Finison’s PLENTY OF PANCAKES (illustrated by Brianne Farley), a sequel to their charmer, DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS. In this one, opossum Topsy prepares a Welcome Spring! feast for her hibernating bear friend, LouAnn…except her pancakes keep disappearing!

Jill: Welcome, Carrie! What prompted you to write this book, and what do you hope kids take from it?

Carrie: Plenty of Pancakes is a sequel to my first published book, Dozens of Doughnuts, which released in 2020. As a writer, I love seeing what the illustrators of my books will come up with to complement and elevate the story I’ve written. Brianne Farley created such a cozy world and adorable characters in Dozens of Doughnuts that I knew I wanted to revisit them with another story. It took a while to come up with a plot that would work and would live up to the fun of doughnuts, but I think pancakes are an equally big hit with kid eaters – and with kid readers as well. Whether or not readers are familiar with the first story, I hope that when they read Plenty of Pancakes they’ll have fun solving the mystery of WHO is gobbling up all the pancakes, enjoy seeing friends come together to solve a problem and to do something nice for someone they love, and that they (and their adults) will want to read the book over and over again!

Another of Carrie’s books publishes this spring, on April 14th. Please watch for her very funny EVEN STEVEN – a Book About Sharing. Here’s the book’s Amazon page.

Carrie’s website.

Last but not least, take a look at Jody Jensen Shaffer’s fun new book, DISCO DAVE (illustrated by Yana Kozak). This is the story of a disco-loving walrus (you read that right) who learns that there’s more than one way to shine.

Jill: Welcome back, Jody! What prompted you to write this book, and what do you hope kids take from it?

Jody: I can’t point to a specific thing that prompted me to write DISCO DAVE. But it’s likely I was brainstorming story ideas when the image of a disco-loving walrus entered my brain (you know, as it does). When I’m brainstorming picture book characters and plots, I like to combine things that don’t go together, things that surprise, or things that hint at inherent conflict–like a flippered, tusked walrus wanting to be a disco dancer. If I’ve got a conflict, then I’ve got a story problem to solve! Or, that is, my characters have a story problem to solve, poor things. But why disco? That’s easy. I grew up in the late 70s-early 80s listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 on the radio, so the music from that era reminds me of my childhood. That I winked at my musical heritage with characters named Donna, KC, and Barry G? The icing on the glitter ball cake!

DISCO DAVE is a funny story about perseverance, passion, and pivoting. I hope kids take from it that joy in life comes following your heart, working to achieve your dreams, and reassessing your path if things don’t go the way you planned. Learning to be resilient is a skill that will take them far, no matter their chosen dance floors.

Jody’s website

Thanks for reading, PBB friends! See you in May!