Hello Picture Book Builders family! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the (fingers crossed) tail end of winter. Not sure where you are, but here in NJ, it has been c-c-cold, but I feel optimistic that spring warmth will be on its way soon! I have to admit …
I was thrilled to recently discover Hyewon Yum’s newest book, Toto, and order it for my library. This charming title covers a topic rarely seen in picture books: birthmarks. The unnamed narrator of this book has a pink birthmark on her forehead she refers to as “Toto.” Family and strangers …
I grew up in a “children should be seen and not heard” type of home–at least, that’s how I perceived it. It still takes a lot of effort for me to speak up and I’m definitely non-confrontational. I struggle with this, especially when there are calls to action on issues …
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 …