Is anyone else, after four whole days of spring, already dreaming about the balmier months ahead? Well…”It’s the weekend, first in June; / speaker’s blasting out big tune!” So begins Big Tune: Rise of the Dance Hall Prince, out on March 28. Written by Alliah L. Agostini and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice, …
Hello, picture book people. Let me introduce Matt Myers’ The Longest Licorice Rope to you by way of the publisher’s description: When Ben buys a bag of licorice for just one nickel, he gets more than just a sweet treat. His search for the end of this long, long licorice …
Wild Blue, written by Dashka Slater and brilliantly illustrated by Laura Hughes. Just look at this jacket— The shadows? The bike’s shadow is a horse! The little girl’s shadow is wearing a cowgirl hat! How clever! How true! How nostalgic! And zappo— I was whipped back to my childhood. Chester, …
I had the chance to see Rebecca Gardyn Levington’s second book, WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (Barefoot Books), illus by Mariona Cabassa, and was again blown away by her rhyming skills. This is a beautiful package: exacting rhyme that flows so smoothly it doesn’t feel like it took any work at all …
The pairing of Alison James’ writing and Jennifer K. Mann’s illustration is brilliant. Or exquisite. Or both. I am enamored with their beautiful new collaboration, Maple & Rosemary. Rosemary is a young girl and Maple is…uh, well…a tree. And where better for a friendship to grow? Let’s get this out …
Hello, all! Jill very kindly invited me back to share a new book, Wonder Dogs!, and a Q&A with its very talented illustrator, Karen Obuhanych. The book, written in the voice of a small rescue mutt, is a celebration of the extraordinary talents of dogs—their agility, sniffing skills, search and …
Once a day I experience forty minutes of absolute chaos and those forty minutes are called “cafeteria duty.” There are illegal snack trades to crack down on and treacherous linoleum to navigate. Cartoonists, take note: banana peels aren’t that slippery, but boiled green beans are the black ice of the …
There’s a part of my school visit presentation where I ask students for the definitions of nonfiction and fiction, and then quiz them about what genre they think each of my books fall into. It’s usually quick–kids are super bright, after all–and then I move on to other topics. But …
Hello, people. Have you ever had a best friend…until you didn’t? Deborah Underwood and Sergio Ruzzier explore this experience in their heartfelt book Walter Had a Best Friend. Behold the opening spreads: This delightful opening establishes the friendship between Walter and Xavier. Then something occurs. And that something occurs slowly…and …
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! A day full of love and I’m excited to celebrate a picture book with which I am quite enamored ❤️ The Big Bath House, written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Gracey Zhang. The story is narrated by a little girl going to visit her Baachan which, …