Some of you might know Debbie Ridpath Ohi from her illustrations in Michael Ian Black’s picture books NAKED! (2014) and I’M BORED (2012), or from her artwork donning the 2014 reissued collection of Judy Blume books. Or you might know her from, well, just about ANYWHERE online. I first met Debbie at the …
Last week as I was perusing the “New Releases” section in my library, an eye-catching book cover grabbed my attention. I was immediately drawn to the large illustration of a colorful stamp on the front, and because the stamp looked realistic from afar, I assumed it was nonfiction. I immediately …
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper This book has not left my office since I first brought it home. It’s especially nice to have around when I’m struggling with an idea, a sentence, a story. I love the elegant language, the poignant …
I’ve been reading and thinking about non fiction picture books a lot lately. One reason is that there seems to be quite an abundance of them. Which, I think is a good thing. But, getting a non-fiction story to work has added hurdles. Its subject matter is usually known to …
Social media often has Throwback Thursdays, where people post photos of their younger selves on Facebook or Twitter. Today, I’m having a Flashback Friday, where I look at one of the books that inspired me the most when I was starting out as a children’s writer. Therefore, I am proud …
My latest picture book crush? Lucky, by British author/illustrator David Mackintosh. Happily, David was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book. Also, ARTWORK! How much do we love that?! Story synopsis, from the title page: When Leo’s mother announces there will be a surprise at dinner, Leo …
Can a picture book be 96 pages long? ODD DUCK by Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Sara Varon may be just that; a 96 page picture book. It is published by First Second Books, publisher of graphic novels. I guess it could be a graphic novel for the picture book …
I’m deviating from our usual kind of post to mark a personal milestone of sorts. Twenty years ago this month, I quit my job at UCLA to write children’s books. Not exactly something I’d recommend—the quitting your job part—especially since I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. But …
This week, fellow Picture Book Builder Pat Zietlow-Miller and I celebrated the release of our newest picture book, WHEREVER YOU GO. This book’s journey began nearly 2 years ago for me (Pat will have to let us know how much longer it’s been for her!), when Little Brown editor Connie Hsu …
On a recent school visit, a Media Specialist asked how I thought the Common Core State Standards have affected children’s authors. Mmmmm … interesting question. As most everyone knows, the Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of students reading nonfiction books (called “informational text,” which includes biographies and autobiographies, …