It’s the day after Thanksgiving. If you’re a holiday purist like me, that means you can start thinking about what comes next. In my case, the next holiday I celebrate is Christmas. And that means it’s the perfect time to look at STAR BRIGHT, an enchanting picture book written by Alison …
Ever had something slip out of your mouth that you immediately wished you could call back? Join the club. As adults, we know how embarrassing it feels to open mouth, insert foot. We also know it isn’t the end of the world. Well, we eventually know that. But when it happens …
If you’ve read previous posts of mine, you’ll know I’m a fan of picture books that make me say, “Awww.” Somehow, some way, they have to touch my heart and remind me of an emotion I thought I’d forgotten. There are lots of ways picture books can do this. And …
I’m a picture book junkie. I love them truly, madly and deeply, and believe they are for everyone. Babies — They can drool on the edges. Toddlers — They can sit in a lap, help turn the pages and listen. Beginning readers — They can sound out words or call out refrains. Kids …
One thing aspiring picture book writers often are advised to do is take a favorite, modern-day picture book and type out the text. Why? Because doing so shows writers how spare and essential words in a picture book really are. Once they see how the text looks on a page, …
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 …
It’s killing me, it’s genius…Patricia MacLachlan wrote a perfect nonfiction picture book using only one sentence. Well, technically there’s two question marks, but still…The Iridescence of Birds is a biography of Henri Matisse that manages to convey most of his childhood environment, his relationship with his mother, his interests, his personality …
I’m a collector of ideas. Though not a very good one. I have a tendency to let brilliant, world-changing picture book ideas escape by not writing them down. Great ideas slip into my head at inopportune times. Almost never when I am at my keyboard or sitting with pen and …