My first career was as a newspaper reporter. There, I learned that — to quote former Washington Post journalist Maxine Chesire: “With a roll of quarters and a phone, you can find out anything.” (Side note: If you want a great look at how Maxine overcame sexism and racisim to …
If you’ve got children in your life, you probably want to remind them just how awesome and full of potential they are. If you’re looking for a book to help you do just that, a great candidate is ALL THE GREATNESS IN YOU by Tameka Fryer Brown and Alleanna Harris. …
Looking for your next great, funny read? You may have to look no further than Justin Colón’s and James Rey Sanchez’ picture book IMPOSSIBLE POSSUMS, which releases Oct. 22 from Disney Hyperion. Life as an aspiring villain is lonely for Carl the possum, so he’s on a mission to create …
Picture book biographies are some of my favorite things to read. Why? Well, first, I always learn something new. And, I love learning new things. I think that’s part of what makes me a successful writer. If you don’t understand the power of picture books, you might wonder how an …
Kids fall in love with all sorts of things. Some expected and some not so much. I wrote SOPHIE’S SQUASH, a picture book about my daughter’s real-life love affair with a butternut squash. And, picture books have been written about kids developing strong attachments to other unexpected things like a …
Earlier this year, I came to an uncomfortable realization. I owed too many books. Let me clarify that unexpected statement a bit. My HEART did not own too many books, but my HOUSE did. And, while my heart wanted to keep all those books, it also knew — deep down …
Hearing children learn a new word — even if their pronounciation is not perfect — is always a milestone moment. I specifically remember my oldest daughter excitedly referring to parking spots as “sparking pots” when she was around three years old. But, when the child learning a new word is …
Picture books are mostly meant for small people. So, perhaps, it’s not surprising that there are lots of picture books about small people and small things. I even have one of my own — NOT SO SMALL with Paola Escobar (HarperCollins, 2022). But, today, I want to share two new …
The best picture books often accomplish a lot of things. They can: But, as picture book creators know, doing some or all of these things in 32 pages and a limited number of words is difficult. Where should the focus be? What’s the right balance? How do all these elements …
I like picture books about gardens. Which is kind of funny, because I don’t have a garden and never will. I manage to keep one houseplant alive, and that’s about the extent of my gardening abilities. But hypothetical gardens in picture books are a wonderful thing. And, I love all …