Linda Ashman

Articles posted by Linda Ashman

SMALL IN THE CITY by Sydney Smith

When you read lots of picture books, as we do around here, you can get a little jaded. Some make me laugh. A few make me tear up. But rarely do I feel surprised, as in “Whoa, I didn’t see that coming.” Then I read Small in the City by …

Susanna Leonard Hill visits with MOON’S FIRST FRIENDS (+ Giveaway!)

Hello, folks! I am thrilled—over the moon, in fact—to have Susanna Leonard Hill here to chat about her new book, Moon’s First Friends (Sourcebooks, June 2019), illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. You may have noticed its radiant glow on the New York Times Bestseller List this summer. (Congratulations, Susanna!) Here’s an excerpt …

Suzanne Kaufman and TAKE YOUR PET TO SCHOOL DAY (+ Giveaway!)

Hello, all— Guess what? We’ve got a very special guest visiting today. Author/illustrator Suzanne Kaufman is here to chat about her latest book, Take Your Pet to School Day — which, I’m happy to say, also happens to be my latest book. (For a chance to win one of two …

MR. POSTMOUSE TAKES A TRIP by Marianne Dubuc

Welp, here we are, smack dab in the middle of summer. So I thought I’d feature a vacation book. And, since you yourself may be on vacation, or planning a vacation, or dreaming of a vacation . . . I’m going to keep this short. The book? Mr. Postmouse Takes …

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAB by Sue Fliess

As a writer and a reader, I’m often drawn to books that give a new twist to old songs, and we’ve featured quite a few here at PBB. In addition to two of my own (Rock-a-Bye Romp and Over the River & Through the Wood), there’s Twinkle, Twinkle Little Car, …

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A BATH by Nicola Winstanley & John Martz

As Mike pointed out in his post last week, “how to” picture books offer lots of opportunities for humor. So I thought I’d follow up with another recent example: How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps, written by Nicola Winstanley and illustrated by John Martz (Tundra, …

It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee

I volunteer as a School Reading Partner through my local school district. My job? Reading one-on-one each week with two first graders I’ll call Eva and Nick. Although the program provides reading materials, the selection is limited. So each Friday, I bring in a big bag of books hoping some …

Meet Baabwaa & Wooliam

Introducing characters can be tricky. What do we want readers to know about them? And how do we reveal these traits? In Baabwaa & Wooliam, author David Elliott takes the direct approach. He begins the book by introducing each character in turn, accompanied by Melissa Sweet‘s dignified portraits (click on …

WILLIAM WAKES UP Interview + Giveaway!

As Jill reminded us in a recent post, this business can be tough. Rejection. Disappointing sales. Occasional unkind reviews that evoke this Taylor Swift song. So it’s extra important to celebrate the good stuff. Like, say, the arrival of new books! In fact, today just happens to be the pub …

A ROUND OF ROBINS and Katie Hesterman Interview (plus Giveaway!)

So, the holiday hubbub has passed, and we’re in that long wintry stretch that has many of us yearning for spring. Yes, it’s still a few months away, but today’s book—A ROUND OF ROBINS by Katie Hesterman—offers a lovely dose of springtime to help tide us over. MORE good news: …

Author: Linda Ashman