If you know me, you know I am pro-chicken. I think chickens make excellent picture book characters. They are flighty (but can’t fly), they are active, and they are FUNNY. Even the word ‘chicken’ is funny. When I first discovered that the wonderful and hilarious Cate Berry wrote a book …
Ahoy, mateys! Kim Norman has written a spook-tacular new picture book. Give Me Back My Bones!, illustrated by Bob Kolar, offers playful language, an unusual premise, and my very favorite endpapers of 2019. I’m not the only one who thinks this book is a total treasure. See? “Budding biologists as …
A couple of months ago, picture book extraordinaire Deborah Underwood shared a post on Facebook about her writing process. I loved that post so much, I asked her to expand upon it a bit for all of us here at Picture Book Builders. First, though, I wanted to showcase Deborah’s …
It’s summer. For me, that means lots of long, lazy days. I have time to write and you better believe I have time to read. Recently, I was going through my picture book shelves and happily rediscovered one of my favorites from 2017–I Have a Balloon written by Ariel Bernstein …
Nugget & Fang the SEA-quel is finally here! It’s called Nugget & Fang Go to School. When Fang the shark is invited by his friends to attend Mini Minnows Elementary, he thinks it’s a great idea! But then his first day of school arrives . . . and suddenly, he’s not …
My guess is you already know the stars of the book Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever. You don’t think so? Well, maybe these two clues will help: Charlie Brown and Snoopy. This book, written by Barbara Lowell and illustrated by Dan Andreason, takes us to the …
Today, A Little Chicken, written by yours truly and illustrated by Dan Taylor officially flies the coop! Dot is the star of A Little Chicken. The first sentence tells the reader a lot about Dot. This is what Kirkus had to say about A Little Chicken: “The effortless prose rises …
In February 2018, Wordy Birdy (Doubleday), written by yours truly and illustrated by Dave Mottram, was released. Wordy Birdy is a bird who loves to talk, talk, talk. But she never listens. In fact, Wordy Birdy has so much to say, she has another book due out February 5, 2019. It’s called Wordy …
Oh, people. Brace yourself for some serious cuteness. Would you expect anything less from a book called The Great Puppy Invasion? This book was written by Alastair Heim and illustrated by Kim Smith. What’s a town to do when not one, not two, but hundreds of adorable, wriggling puppies invade? …
Writers seldom sit down at their desks, pop their knuckles, and proceed to churn out breathtaking poems, stories, and books. Writers experience a wide variety of feelings during the creation of each new manuscript. In honor of the emotional rollercoaster faced by writers everywhere and in honor of those people …