I have a love/hate relationship with wordless picture books. Well, not really “love/hate,” more like a “love/um?” relationship. As an illustrator, my love for them is obvious. A whole story told in pictures! How cool is that? As a parent, “reading” wordless picture books to kids, for me, was occasionally …
Recently, while skimming the New York Times obituary section, I was sad to see a name I recognized: Louise DeSalvo, author of numerous memoirs, essays, fiction and writing books. Although I didn’t know Louise, I’ve admired her from afar. Her book The Art of Slow Writing is one of my favorite …
Hello everyone! Today I’m looking forward to posting about Cale Atkinson’s latest book, SIR SIMON:Super Scarer! Now normally you’d think a book about a ghost should have been my October post, but trust me, this book is good enough to be read in any season. Today I’ll be talking about …
Last Saturday I was at the NCSS conference in Chicago signing books. It was fun meeting enthusiastic teachers from across the country, but I also had another assignment that day. My goal was to find a new book to feature in this week’s PBB post. After a bit of searching, …
Are you looking for a board book that offers humor, invites little listeners to make predictions, and provides opportunities for these aforementioned little listeners to engage in some empathy? Are you wanting a board book that appeals to both kids and grownups? Are you hoping to find a board book …
Geraldine is a spunky “drama queen” of a giraffe. On the very first page, the only line on the page is given to us by Geraldine, “I’m moving.” She says draped like a deflated balloon over a stool. Obviously Geraldine is unhappy about a move. Geraldine is even more …
It’s Black Friday, a traditional day of shopping. But I’m still thinking about yesterday — Thanksgiving. So I’ve decided to share two books that I’m thankful I read this year. They’re picture books, and they’re very different in what they do and why it works. I discovered them both recently …
This summer, at NerdCampKansas, I met author Marcie Colleen and, as children’s book people tend to do, formed an instant bond (and wished we didn’t live half a continent from one another). While visiting, I was lucky enough to get a peek at the F&G of her latest picture book, …
Back in September, I led a workshop called “Writing the Rollicking Read-Aloud” at the Carolinas SCBWI conference. To prepare for it, I brought home stacks of recent-ish picture books, trying to figure out which ones to feature in my presentation. Although half the two-hour session focused on writing in rhyme, …
November is here which means it’s the perfect time to grab a blanket, sit by the fire, and cozy up with a good book. I suggest this one—Making a Friend (HarperCollins), written by yours truly and illustrated by Alison Friend. Meet Beaver. He’s good at making lots of things. A …