This rollicking and fascinating picture book biography chronicles the life of the first pioneer of children’s books—John Newbery himself. … More Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books
Nacho likes to eat only one thing—gazpacho! Gazpacho for breakfast, gazpacho for lunch, gazpacho for dinner, for snacks, and for brunch. … More Gazpacho for Nacho
Buying a book is an investment. It’s an investment for the publisher that acquires it, the library that buys it for its collection, and for the reader who buys it at the bookstore. How do you get people to reach for their wallets to pick your book over all the others? You guessed it: heart. … More Mining for Heart: An Editor’s Point of View
Down, down in the depths of the sunless sea, deep, deep in the cold, cold dark, creatures, strange and fearsome lurk. … More Giant Squid
George heard music all the time. At home. At school Even when he was roller-skating down New York’s busy streets. … More The Music in George’s Head
Vital idea, heartbeat, wow factor- the thread that weaves through your story by any other name is still just as important. For me, I call it the NUGGET.
… More Mining for Heart: Kristen Fulton’s Nugget
Today’s PPBF post is in honor of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a children’s author who left this world much too soon. Title: ! (Exclamation Mark!) Written by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by: Tom Lichtenheld Scholastic 2013 Suitable for ages: 4-8 Themes/topics: punctuation, fitting in Opening: He stood out from the very beginning. Brief synopsis (from barnesandnoble.com) He … More ! (Exclamation Mark!)
For today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection, I’m sharing one of my favorite biographies. Now three years old, it still stands as a primo example of a biography for kids. Title: Star Stuff, Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos Written and Illustrated by: Stephanie Roth Sisson Roaring Brook Press, 2014, biography Suitable for … More Star Stuff, Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
Jill Esbaum is an award winning children’s author who’s all heart. Over the years, she has fine tuned her process, utilizing her angst to get at the heart of her characters. … More Mining for Heart: Jill Esbaum Reveals Her Secret
Here’s a fun one for Perfect Picture Book Friday! Title: Du Iz Tak? Written and illustrated by: Carson Ellis Candlewick, 2016, fiction Suitable for ages: 4-8 Themes/topics: nature, insects, life cycle, plants, language Opening: Du iz tak? Ma Nazoot. Brief synopsis (from barnesandnoble.com) Du iz tak? What is that? As a tiny shoot unfurls, two damselflies … More Du Iz Tak?
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 