When writing a picture book, I sometimes like to focus on a main character’s defining trait. In Mostly Monsterly, Bernadette is a monster who has a sweet side. In Mary Had a Little Glam, Mary, well, she has a thing for glam. In Quiet Wyatt (Clarion, Sept. 25, 2018), my …
My friend and member of my critique group, Janee Trasler, loooves a good picture book as much as I do. When we fall for a book, we FALL HARD. I recently asked Janee if she’d like to provide a guest post and share a book recommendation here at Picture Book …
Back in 2015, I challenged myself to come up with a story that would invite a lot of audience participation. I also wanted to tell a story in a way that I hadn’t seen done before. The happy result? KNOCK KNOCK is my new book with oh-so-awesome Illustrator Guy Francis. …
In August 2017, Truck, Truck, Goose! debuted. I wrote this book about Goose and his pals, and Zoe Waring illustrated it. Last summer, Zoe was kind enough to stop by Picture Book Builders. She answered some questions and told us a little about her process. You can find that interview …
I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. And Eric Veillé’s book? Oh, people. It came through again. And again. And again. Publishers Weekly agrees with me. See? “Unexpected giggles await with every page turn.”―starred, Publishers Weekly Please take a look at one of the spreads: You guys, I …
This month, my very favorite bear arrives on the scene. This persistent bear shows up at a particular boy’s house, and, well, he wants to stay! I am so very happy to share this bear with all of you. To celebrate But the Bear Came Back, I invited the wildly …
Hey, everyone. Make room on your bookshelf for The Little Red Fort written by author Brenda Maier and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez. Brenda is a teacher, a writer, and a member of my Oklahoma SCBWI tribe. She was kind enough to stop by Picture Book Builders to share some details …
People, listen up. Are you ready for a little joyride? Good! I have the book for you: Let me toot Kate Dopirak and Mary Peterson’s horn and let you know what Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist had to say about Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car: “Bedroom garages outfitted with this little …
In November, I was on a humorous picture book panel at NCTE with Josh Funk, Marc Nobleman, Erica Perl, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Audrey Vernick. Our moderator, Susannah Richards, gave us a list of questions to think about as we prepared for our session. Since I loved Susannah’s thought-provoking questions …
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper? Early in August 1937, a newsflash came: a sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shores of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as a port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this …