Today we welcome Selene Castrovilla, author of Seeking Freedom, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, published on January 4th, 2022 by Calkins Creek Books. Booklist’s starred review praises the book’s drama and illustrations, saying “This beautifully illustrated picture book enables readers to see the Civil War from a different point of view.” Kirkus, …
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and la-la-la-la-love is in the air! Evidence: Lovebird Lou, illustrated by Steph Laberis–and written by yours truly–stars a little lovebird who is learning to embrace who he is. This is what Kirkus had to say about our book: “This entertaining picture book would be a wonderful …
Kafka and the Doll written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Rebecca Green is based on a true happening between the iconic writer, Franz Kafka, and a little girl who lost her doll. In the Fall of 1923, Franz Kafka was walking through a park, when he encountered a little …
I read a lot of picture books in 2021. And, I talked about some of them on this blog. But, as I looked back on the year, I found three books I truly meant to talk about, but did not. So, now seems like a great time to highlight these …
I first met Colleen Paeff at a nonfiction retreat in 2016, and she was one of those friendly, smart, savvy people you just knew was going to succeed. Flash forward a few short years, and voila! She’s made her debut-riffic splash with THE GREAT STINK – How Joseph Bazalgette Solved …
The Creature of Habit is novelist Jennifer E. Smith‘s first picture book. It is illustrated by Leo Espinosa. It was pointed out to me by a very favorite bookstore owner. I was Christmas shopping on Small Business Saturday in November without any real list of what I wanted to buy …
With winter winds howling, and some of us wading through snow, who couldn’t use a story about a sweet crush to warm us up? Releasing today (January 4, 2022), Charlotte Sullivan Wild’s picture book, LOVE, VIOLET, is just the ticket. Illustrated by Charlene Chua, and published by Farrar, Straus and …
Friends – This is my last post with Picture Book Builders, and I want you to know how grateful I am to have spent two wonderful years with you – celebrating words, art, storytelling, and our collective love of children’s books! By now, you know how much I love tips, …
With the end of 2021 rapidly approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to share a new book about the end of one thing and the beginning of something new. HELLO, TREE by Ana Crespo and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk is subtitled “A story about regrowth.” When a …
On behalf of all of us at Picture Book Builders, I wanted to wish you a lovely holiday season. Thank you for taking the time to read, comment on, and share our posts. We hope you have enjoyed them. We look forward to sharing many wonderful picture books with you …