We are absolutely thrilled to have Rajani LaRocca on Picture Book Builders today to talk about her newest picture book, Summer Is for Cousins!! If you didn’t already know, Rajani is the Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White, and Whole, a middle grade novel in verse. She also writes fiction …
I put a copy of We Are Branches on hold at the library assuming it would be about trees. And while trees make an appearance right in the opening, there is much more to this poetic, nonfiction title. Created by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes, the same duo behind Swirl …
I’m especially excited today because it’s PUBLICATION DAY for my newest book, Stinkbird Has a Superpower (Putnam), book #1 of a new series featuring animals with superpowers. As you can see, this one’s illustrated by Bob Shea … still hard not to call him The Bob Shea, because that’s how …
A really successful, wordless, picture book is so incredibly difficult to create. I don’t think it’s hard to make one that is entertaining to read— once. But to make a wordless book that leaves enough room for the viewer/reader to return to it again and again is extremely tough. And… …
Oh, people. I am happier than a little girl with a mango tree to introduce you to All Kinds of Special AND illustrator Fernando Martin. The whole idea for this book came from a text conversation with my very first writer friend–Flora Doone. Flora is the owner of an overzealous …
I’m happy to welcome illustrator Keisha Morris to the blog today. Keisha created the art for A GIRL CAN BUILD ANYTHING, written by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo and me, which joined the world on April 18. When e.E. and I were writing the book, we thought it would be super-cool if the …
Andrea: It’s my favorite kind of birthday–a book birthday! Today on PBB we’re celebrating Frances Gilbert and her latest wonderful picture book, Can You Hug a Forest? Hi and happy book birthday, Frances! It’s great to have you back on Picture Book Builders! Can you tell us about Can You Hug …
My newest picture book, BEHOLD THE OCTOPUS! released 2 weeks ago from Peachtree Publishing. I’d love to take credit for coming up with the idea for a book about the clever, curious, and colorful octopus, but alas, I didn’t. Tom Gonzalez, the talented illustrator who I’d worked with on COUNTDOWN, …
When my students saw The Courage of the Little Hummingbird: A Tale Told Around the World on display in the classroom, they demanded an immediate read aloud. I’m not surprised. When I came across the cover for the first time, I was immediately pulled in too, first by the lush …