An Inconvenient Alphabet + An Interview w/Author Beth Anderson + a Giveaway!

I’m excited today to talk about Beth Anderson’s debut picture book, AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET. This one had me at the cover. But when I got a look inside, word nerd me was absolutely bowled over. What struck me about this book—other than the delightful story itself and the lively, detail-packed …

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Back to School with Busy Bus & an interview with Jody Jensen Shaffer!

Think writing a simple concept book is easy? Not. First, you have to come up with a topic to capture the interest of preschoolers. Then you have to get into the head space and emotions of a three or four year old. Always, you’re reminding yourself to keep it simple …

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Russell Wrestles the Relatives + interview w/Cindy Chambers Johnson & giveaway!

A few years back, I was given the happy opportunity to mentor Cindy Chambers Johnson through SCBWI-IA’s mentorship program. She was hugely talented, but she was also witty and charming and soon felt like a friend. So I couldn’t be more excited about her debut picture book, RUSSELL WRESTLES THE …

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HAWK RISING, an interview with Maria Gianferrari, + a giveaway!

Maria Gianferrari has another beautiful nature book hitting shelves this Friday, Hawk Rising (Roaring Brook Press, illus by Brian Floca). I started writing this post three or four times, but I kept getting hung up … where to begin, where to begin…  because the book has so many great elements …

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MOUSELING’S WORDS, + an interview with author Shutta Crum

If you’re longtime followers here, you may recognize this little story, because I’ve probably talked about it before. But I can remember the lightbulb moment (more like lightning!), as a little kindergartener, sitting in my small green chair, when I suddenly comprehended that letters could be put together to form …

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Behind the Scenes w/HOW TO GROW A DINOSAUR + a giveaway!

Mike Boldt and I have a new book entering the world TODAY. The flap copy sums it up beautifully… GOOD NEWS! Your mom’s hatching a baby! BAD NEWS! Babies take their sweet time. And when they finally do hatch? They don’t even know how to be a dinosaur. That’s where …

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