When I read RICE FROM HEAVEN — a new picture book written by Tina Cho, illustrated by Keum Jin Song and published by little bee books — I was enthralled by the story behind the story. The book is a fictional take on a real-life event. In 2016, North Korean …
A few years ago I had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster for A TIGER TAIL and a second TBT title. Long before I had finished off A TIGER TAIL I had been thinking and planning for what the second book could be, as I usually have …
Many: the Diversity of Life on Earth, written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Emily Sutton is full of many wonderful things. I am obsessed with Emily Sutton’s illustrations. They carry me back to my beloved Golden Books with their gentle palettes and decorative layouts. A combo of Mary Blair …
There are books I like. There are books I love. And, there are books that — let’s be honest — I want to hug. Books that astound me. Books that I read. Then read again with wonder. Then try to convince everyone I’ve ever met to read as well. All …
We recently had a bat in our house. I was home alone and discovered something with fur on my bathroom vanity. I could tell you that I calmly set down my hair dryer, put on gloves, and removed the bat to the great outdoors. But…
It’s hard to write a classic. Most picture books are released, get a bit of fanfare — or not — and then are forgotten in the next year or two as more new books come out. It’s sad, but true. So when a book has staying power, it’s an impressive …
Today’s is my daughter’s last day of school. Which means there’s a long summer ahead. My favorite thing to do during summer vacation when I was a kid was read. It was, for many summers, my primary activity. If you have small ones and want to start that same trend …
After a recent stay in the hospital a friend brought me dinner and a book. The dinner was tailored to my current gastro-intestinal needs, and the book seemed tailored to my current life and heart needs. The book, THE RABBIT LISTENED, by Cori Doerrfeld, is quiet and powerful. It is …
If you’ve been watching Olympic figure skating, you know that skaters get judged on technical merit and artistic interpretation. And, as they’re skating, colored squares appear in the corner of the screen to show how well they executed the program’s required elements. A green box means the side-by-side triple axels …