Happy autumn, everybody! I know I’m not alone in embracing this as my favorite time of year. Here in the midwest, it means oven-hot summer days have flown the coop, and we can enjoy more time OUTdoors, savoring and storing in our hearts every iconic (but fleeting) fall image and …
All effective picture books have some amount of heart. Something in their story that connects with readers — whether they are four or 94 — and makes them think: “Oh! I’ve felt like that. I understand.” My favorite picture books have lots of heart. They tell stories that inspire lots …
With recent starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, ALL BECAUSE YOU MATTER is on the way with a release date of October 6, 2020. Scholastic calls this picture book “an ode to black and brown children everywhere that is full of hope, assurance, and love.” The poetic text from …
Today I’m pleased to share an inspiring, important book: THE TEACHERS MARCH!: How Selma’s Teachers Changed History by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Charly Palmer. Sandra and Rich are seasoned nonfiction writers who take research very seriously. So I asked them to share how they found out …
Oh, Picture Book Builders people. Kim Norman is back with another boo-tiful book. This is what Kirkus had to say in a STARRED review: “[A] winner of a holiday-themed counting book. . .The rhymes read and scan deliciously well and develop vocabulary wonderfully by utilizing nifty words to describe the …
Things That Go Away, by Beatrice Alemagna. I’m recommending this book for its beautiful artwork, clever design, and message. A message that I think is especially important for our young ones to hear during this difficult time. Things go away. Things change. Things will not always be as they are. …
Whenever I speak about writing picture books to aspiring authors, I leave time for questions at the end. Almost always, the first question I get is: “Do you get to choose who your illustrator is?” And, when I answer that, no, I do not, there’s an immediate follow-up: “But … …
When I saw Sue Lowell Gallion’s new book, OUR WORLD (Phaidon), illustrated by Lisk Feng, I knew I had to share it here. For the youngest readers, OUR WORLD is an easy-to-read, rhyming introduction to Earth’s various features and habitats. But it also works with older kids who want a …
The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann is a delightful and engaging look at a young girl’s very first camping trip. Ernestine, who lives in the city, is invited to join her Aunt Jackie and her cousin Samantha for a camping trip. Even though she has never been before, she …
One of my favorite things about storytelling is establishing a sense of cause and effect. This happened because this happened. Not just this happened, this happened, and this happened…. As storytellers, we get to use our creativity to make decisions about how we organize the events in our story, including …