Today I’m pleased to interview my longtime SCBWI friend, Terry Catasús Jennings, about her latest book, THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE, published by Neal Porter Books and illustrated by Raúl Colón. The book received great reviews in a wide selection of publications including the New York Times. School Library Journal’s review concluded, “Colón’s trademark watercolor …
Even though I’m mostly traditionally published, I’m fascinated by the evolution of self-publishing in the past decade. A couple of years ago, I did manage to stick with a manuscript long enough to write a nonfiction book for children’s writers about how to do author visits. In such a tiny …
I’ve come to value Twitter and Instagram as wonderful places to find new books. Thanks to one of them (can’t remember which!) I found today’s delightful picture book, ELEPHANT’S BIG SOLO, written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel, and published a few weeks ago by Greenwillow Books. I had an instant …
A dozen years ago, my neighborhood improved vastly when the town stretched a footbridge across the nearby marsh and built Windsor Castle Park, which includes miles of woodland and riverside trails. I love finding mushrooms along the trail. They seem to come in hundreds of colors. I was drawn to …
This was a dangerous topic for me. I knew I’d likely tumble down a rabbit hole, all too happy to stay there. Join me in the rabbit hole to admire a legion of unsung heroes of illustration. Most of the books I’m about to share did name those illustrators. Tsk-tsk …
Confession time: I’m an office hopper. By that, I mean I’ve never had an “officey” office, or even managed to store all my writing/art related tools in a single space. That’s partly because our house is small, but also because I’m organizationally challenged. Or maybe I enjoy the hunt, trying …
I am THRILLED this month to welcome Liz Goulet Dubois. Early in my picture book writing career, I faked my way into an amazing critique group that included Liz and six other talented picture book authors and illustrators. We called the group “Seven Chicks and a Guy.” As the least …
Okay, first of all, NO, ballet does not rhyme with giveaway! Interviewee Renée M. LaTulippe and I have spent a lot of time over the years explaining the reason why two such words do not rhyme. We’ll get to that later in the post. First, let me introduce Renée’s book, …
I’m excited because this is my first opportunity, since joining the PBB blog, to have a chance to interview the illustrator of one of MY books! Today, (Feb. 1, 2022) is the publication date of HUSH, LITTLE TRUCKER, published by Abrams Appleseed, and illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura. Toshi, as he …
Today we welcome Selene Castrovilla, author of Seeking Freedom, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, published on January 4th, 2022 by Calkins Creek Books. Booklist’s starred review praises the book’s drama and illustrations, saying “This beautifully illustrated picture book enables readers to see the Civil War from a different point of view.” Kirkus, …