One of my favorite parts of the picture book process is seeing the final artwork for each of my books. It’s great seeing how a talented artist interpreted my story. And, I was especially excited to see Daniel Wiseman’s art for MY BROTHER THE DUCK, which releases April 21 from …
I have to admit. For most of my life, I didn’t know a lot about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. I mean … I had heard of them. I knew they were a couple, and I knew they did literary things. I may have vaguely associated them with France. …
A question that picture book writers often ask is: “Should I paginate my picture book before I send it to an editor or agent?” Today, Carol Hinz, editorial director at Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books at Lerner Publishing Group, shares a post she wrote addressing that very topic. Take it …
I recently read a delightful picture book I’m pleased to share with you. It’s AMY WU AND THE PERFECT BAO, written by Kat Zhang and illustrated by Charlene Chua and published by Aladdin. What makes it delightful, you ask? It’s a warm and charming, perfectly structured story with an endearing …
It’s time for another periodic installment of “Picture Books I Want to Hug.”™ These are books I love so much that I simply want to read them. And hug them. And re-read them. And re-hug them. Re-lentlessly. Re-peatedly. Re-ally. The last book that inspired this feeling in me — and …
I write picture books. And I love doing so. But many of you probably know my day job is being a corporate editor. I turn jargon into conversational language and try to make complicated topics simple. While the two roles may not seem similar, there’s actually a lot of overlap. …
Books and back-to-school go hand-in-hand, so today I want to talk about some books that are great to read if you have a child going back to school or if you work in a school and are looking for the perfect welcome back message. But, first, I want to talk …
If someone asked you to name the first astronaut that popped into your head, you might say, “Neil Armstrong.” Or, “Buzz Aldrin.” Or, maybe, “Sally Ride” or “Mae Jemison.” You probably wouldn’t say “Alan Bean.” But after you read Dean Robbins’ newest picture book — THE ASTRONAUT WHO PAINTED THE …
I’m a longtime fan of author/illustrator Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Not only does she have a truly cool name, but her books are awesome. So when I heard she had a new release — called GROWING SEASON — coming from Sterling Books in April, I hit the pre-order button so fast I …
I’m a lifelong Wisconsinite. And while I’ll never wear a cheese head, I do have an affinity for all things Wisconsin. Cows. Overalls. Fish fries. So I’m pleased to introduce a Wisconsin-made picture book today. EASTER ELF is written by Rochelle Groskreutz, who resides in Mukwonago, and illustrated by Leah …