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 …
I’ve been a Patrice Barton fan for as long as I can remember. She draws children as well as (or better) than perhaps any other illustrator. I remember being enchanted by her work in THE INVISIBLE BOY, SWEET MOON BABY and HELLO GOODBYE DOG. So I might have screamed just …
It’s Black Friday, a traditional day of shopping. But I’m still thinking about yesterday — Thanksgiving. So I’ve decided to share two books that I’m thankful I read this year. They’re picture books, and they’re very different in what they do and why it works. I discovered them both recently …
What makes you special? If you can answer that question easily, great! But if you’re like many people, you may have to ponder a moment. You may ask yourself questions like: Am I really special? Are the things I like about myself all that noteworthy? Would anyone else think I’m …
When I read RICE FROM HEAVEN — a new picture book written by Tina Cho, illustrated by Keum Jin Song and published by little bee books — I was enthralled by the story behind the story. The book is a fictional take on a real-life event. In 2016, North Korean …
Most of my books have some sort of story about how they came to be. BE KIND was inspired by the time I spilled grape juice in my then-boyfriend, now-husband’s car. WIDE-AWAKE BEAR was inspired by an epic meltdown my youngest daughter had. WHEREVER YOU GO was inspired by all …
There are books I like. There are books I love. And, there are books that — let’s be honest — I want to hug. Books that astound me. Books that I read. Then read again with wonder. Then try to convince everyone I’ve ever met to read as well. All …
It’s hard to write a classic. Most picture books are released, get a bit of fanfare — or not — and then are forgotten in the next year or two as more new books come out. It’s sad, but true. So when a book has staying power, it’s an impressive …
Today’s is my daughter’s last day of school. Which means there’s a long summer ahead. My favorite thing to do during summer vacation when I was a kid was read. It was, for many summers, my primary activity. If you have small ones and want to start that same trend …
I’ve always been fond of librarians. I’ve never met one I didn’t like — although statistically — I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere. Why do I love librarians? Librarians love knowledge. They can find anything you need — often more accurately and quickly than Google — and they can …