Hello, PBB friends— First of all, how are you doing in this strange and otherworldly time? Are you writing? Baking? Discovering new talents? Or, like me, are you feeling scattered and unfocused? A month ago, when my last post was due, I couldn’t put a sentence together (thanks, Jill, for filling …
It’s hard to believe that I was in New York City on the weekend of February 7-9 for the SCBWI conference – meeting up with friends for breakfast in the Grand Hyatt Hotel and attending crowded sessions. So much has changed since then; I am grateful for that weekend full …
April is National Poetry Month! And just in time, a beautiful new book titled EXQUISITE (by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera) released this month to celebrate one of the most inspiring poets of all time — the incomparable Gwendolyn Brooks. In fact, Gwendolyn Brooks’ exquisite poetry earned her …
Hello, fine readers of Picture Book Builders. Today, I want to share a post from soon-to-be debut author Laura Lavoie. The content first appeared on her blog on February 23, 2020, and I loved it so much I asked Laura if I could share the information right here. Lucky for …
Sometimes You Fly, written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by me, is now a beautiful padded board book! Today, this pretty book flies into the world. The production of it is just stunning. It feels good to hold and it sits all by itself like a little block. The smaller …
One of my favorite parts of the picture book process is seeing the final artwork for each of my books. It’s great seeing how a talented artist interpreted my story. And, I was especially excited to see Daniel Wiseman’s art for MY BROTHER THE DUCK, which releases April 21 from …
This oh-so-appealing doggy is Big Al. Early in this story, he becomes separated from his over-the-road trucker friend at an interstate rest stop (she thinks he’s sleeping in the back of the cab). Does he panic? Does he bark incessantly? Does he run off along the highway in search of …
Like most of the other writers and illustrators I talk to these days, I am in a creative wasteland. I’m often in a crappy mood and even take a dive into a darkness sometimes. I lack ideas, never mind motivation. I worry about the future financially, about my family. Oddly, …
COVID-19. How could something we’d never heard of a few short months ago change our lives so quickly — and in so many ways? Some of us are merely inconvenienced (for now). Some of us are relishing long, uninterrupted writing days. Some of us are volunteering, jumping in to help …
I have a rhyming sister! Rhonda Gowler Greene is here to talk with us about writing lyrical picture books and working successfully with an agent for more than 20 years. We are rhyming sisters not only because we both love writing rhyming picture books, but also because we have picture …