All Aboard the London Bus (+Giveaway!)

Hooray! Today I get to introduce an adorable new picture book–ALL ABOARD THE LONDON BUS by Patricia Toht (illustrated by Sam Usher) which releases next week (May 4th!) It’s the delightful story of a family exploring the exciting sights of London (Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben, and much …

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DAD AND THE DINOSAUR dazzles — for readers and writers

Dad and the Dinosaur

Recurring elements are one of my favorite features in picture books. Picture books are shorter affairs, so the writer has to fit a plot into a tighter-than-normal space. To make the story hang together and feel like a coherent whole, there often are words, phrases or themes that repeat throughout …

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The Poetic Brevity of Deborah Freedman’s This house, once

Today’s post is a two-parter. Part 1: If you haven’t yet seen the loveliness that is Deborah Freedman’s newest book, This house, once (Atheneum), I hope you’ll find it. The pencil, pastel, watercolor illustrations are soft and dreamy and so cozy I wanted to live inside each spread. The publisher’s …

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Talking with Agent Jennifer Mattson (+ Giveaways!)

Hello, all, and happy April! I’m so pleased to have my fabulous agent, Jennifer Mattson, with us today. Before joining Andrea Brown Literary  in 2008, Jennifer held various positions as an editor, book reviewer and bookseller—excellent preparation for her current profession (you’ll find her bio and literary tastes here). I …

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Announcing: the American Writers Museum!

Big news! (And I mean really big.) In a few weeks — May 16th to be exact — the American Writers Museum opens in Chicago. That’s right. The first national museum featuring American writers and their works is making its home in the windy city. Talk about a must-see museum! So when AWM Program Director, Allison Sansone, recently invited me to visit, I jumped at the chance. Hope you enjoy this sneak peek of the museum.

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Who What Where? Who Done It? (and giveaway winner announced!)

  When in doubt, ask a librarian. I was chatting with my librarian friend, Sara, and asking about book shapes. I’m at that beginning stage with my next picture book and I wanted her thoughts on how different shapes work on the shelf. Sara mentioned that small books often get pushed …

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