Whoa, baby. I feel really fortunate to have snagged Kelly Starling Lyons for a chat, because this is one. busy. woman. Prepare to be INSPIRED, people. JE: Welcome, Kelly! After watching your recent SCBWI Zoom, I knew you were perfect for this OUTSIDE THE BOX feature. In that presentation, you …
For my family, August and Maine are synonymous. Well, a few weeks of August anyway. We spend time with my mom in her parents’ old farmhouse in a rural corner of the state, enjoying long soaks in Kezar Lake (to which I dedicated my book Come Next Season) and visiting …
From the vibrant, intriguing cover to the lively story, I’m loving CAT LADIES! Author and illustrator Susi Schaefer is here to tell us all about it. From the book description: “Princess has four ladies. Some cats say that’s too many, but there’s no such thing! Taking care of all these …
Lately, I’ve been reading picture books about “hidden history” as research for a manuscript that I’ve been struggling with. These books cover historical people and events that have been left out of school history books, often deliberately and usually because they involve people of color. Leah Henderson’s moving A DAY …
Hello, Picture Book People. Prepare to get slimed! I invited Frances Gilbert, author/Editor-in-Chief of Doubleday Books for Young Readers, to join us to discuss her latest book, her thoughts on titles, and some funny business. TS: Hi, Frances! Welcome back to Picture Book Builders. Please tell us about your latest …
With a title like that I think I could just stop here? 
This wonderful picture book written by Josh Crute and illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen is sensational indeed. In London, back in the way back days in the mid 1700’s, men did not carry umbrellas. And therefore, London …
When I was in grade school, I hated rope-climbing day in gym class. I was skinny and gawky and uncoordinated, so I’d hang desperately two feet off the ground while my more athletic classmates reached the ceiling with ease. I didn’t think I was strong. In Jen Hill’s and my …
When you finish reading this post, go straight to Carolyn Crimi’s website, if you will, and take a look at her books, books, books! LOTS of them will be familiar to you, including her Golden Kite winner that many (like me) consider a PERFECT book, There Might Be Lobsters. When …
As a child I remember having an affinity for bugs. At least certain species of bugs. Ladybugs, roly-poly bugs, fireflies, etc. I don’t remember having any particular fear of bugs, other than some “bugs” I would never encounter living in the Pacific Northwest—scorpions and tarantulas. I really wasn’t even that …
Meet Chloe. She’s the new baby in our house. (Well, at about 8 months, more like a big, goofy teenager, but an eager to please baby, nonetheless.) Anyone who knows me knows I’m dotty for doggies, so I couldn’t wait to check out Annette Whipple’s newest nonfiction title, WOOF, THE …