NCTE and My Picture Book Haul

I always have a wonderful time at the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference, and last week was no different! Celebrating books with other book lovers and creators always fills my well and gives me hope for the future. I started off the conference by doing a Build …

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THANK A FARMER and FUNGI GROW – Interview with Maria Gianferrari & a Double Giveaway!

Today’s picture book bounty is a double feature of new books by Maria Gianferrari: Thank a Farmer (illustrated by Monica Mikai) and Fungi Grow (illustrated by Diana Sudyka). Before my interview with Maria, here are quotes from a few reviews: “Rooted in gratitude, this educational title explains in simple yet …

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A Sneak Peek at BEING A CAT: A TAIL OF CURIOSITY + Book Giveaway!

Hello, PBB friends! We have a special guest posting for us today — my good friend Maria Gianferrari! Thank you, Maria! Take it away! ~Andrea Happy Spring! Calling all ailurophiles/cat lovers—it’s an almost BEING A CAT book birthday and the cat’s out of the bag: curiosity did not kill the cat! Are …

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NCTE Build Your Stack Recap

Last weekend I attended the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English in balmy Anaheim, CA. The last time the convention was in person was 2019, and it was great to see many author/illustrator friends again! The NCTE convention is a great way for authors and illustrators …

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BEING A DOG: A TAIL OF MINDFULNESS Interview with Maria Gianferrari (+ giveaway!)

Andrea: If you read my previous blog post interviewing Maria Gianferrari about Bobcat Prowling, then you know that she had two books release this year. I’m excited to interview Maria again, this time for her second 2022 book baby, Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness. Hi Maria! Congratulations on …

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BOBCAT PROWLING: Interview with Maria Gianferrari (+ giveaway!)

I’m so excited to welcome Maria Gianferrari back to the blog! I’ve been friends with Maria for over a decade and critique partners with her for almost as long. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of her work and I’m thrilled that she’s joined me today to celebrate the …

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Be a Tree, Q&A w/Maria Gianferrari + GIVEAWAY!

“Maria Gianferrari has climbed fig trees in Italy, stood under stately coastal redwoods and twisted Torrey pines, marveled at mitten-shaped sassafras leaves, colorful coral trees and sawtooth oak acorn nests. She lives with her family, including dog, Maple, in a house encircled by trees.” Jennifer: Maria, your book, Be a …

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Crafting Narrative & Expository Nonfiction PBs, a guest post by Maria Gianferrari (+ a giveaway!)

I love nonfiction, both reading it and writing it, so I’m delighted and honored to be a guest today on Picture Book Builders, one of my very favorite blogs—thanks, Jill! I have a deep love of the natural world and the creatures who live in it, and I aim to …

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HAWK RISING, an interview with Maria Gianferrari, + a giveaway!

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 …

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