Think writing a simple concept book is easy? Not. First, you have to come up with a topic to capture the interest of preschoolers. Then you have to get into the head space and emotions of a three or four year old. Always, you’re reminding yourself to keep it simple …
A few years back, I was given the happy opportunity to mentor Cindy Chambers Johnson through SCBWI-IA’s mentorship program. She was hugely talented, but she was also witty and charming and soon felt like a friend. So I couldn’t be more excited about her debut picture book, RUSSELL WRESTLES THE …
Maria Gianferrari has another beautiful nature book hitting shelves this Friday, Hawk Rising (Roaring Brook Press, illus by Brian Floca). I started writing this post three or four times, but I kept getting hung up … where to begin, where to begin… because the book has so many great elements …
When I saw the cover/title of Josh Funk’s HOW TO CODE A SANDCASTLE, I knew I had to get a look. Because I’m a coder? No. Because I’m so not. And, guess what? After reading this one little powerhouse book, I could actually understand coding, albeit in a very basic way. …
If you’re longtime followers here, you may recognize this little story, because I’ve probably talked about it before. But I can remember the lightbulb moment (more like lightning!), as a little kindergartener, sitting in my small green chair, when I suddenly comprehended that letters could be put together to form …
Mike Boldt and I have a new book entering the world TODAY. The flap copy sums it up beautifully… GOOD NEWS! Your mom’s hatching a baby! BAD NEWS! Babies take their sweet time. And when they finally do hatch? They don’t even know how to be a dinosaur. That’s where …
Johnny Mathis crooning The Christmas Song My mom’s Russian Tea Cake cookies The lumpy Santa’s face pillow that’s been propped atop my parents’ sofa every December as far back as I can remember. Those things are guaranteed to put me into a mellow Christmas mood. This year, I’m excited to add …
When my kids were little, one of the picture books they particularly loved was Nancy Carson’s Loud-Mouth George & the Sixth-Grade Bully. As I turned pages, getting closer and closer to the moment the bully got his comeuppance, they’d be leaning into me, practically clapping, gleefully anticipating that page turn. …
For days, I’ve been putting off writing this post…only because I’ve had a hard time finding the “just right’ words to describe the gorgeousness that is Barb Rosenstock’s and Mary GrandPré’s new Van Gogh biography, Vincent Can’t Sleep, coming October 3rd from Knopf. So I give up. I’m going to …
Penny Parker Klostermann hit it big with her sparkling debut, 2015’s There Was An Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight (Random House, illus by Ben Mantle). Now she’s tackled an original and funny mash-up story that stirs together fairytales and a guy whose fondest desire is to be a chef. …