Here’s a really special book I’m recommending for Perfect Picture Book Friday about connecting across cultures, respect, empathy, and so much more. This book, a finalist for the Jane Addams award, should not be missed! The winner of the giveaway for Cow Boy is Not a Cowboy by Gregory Barrington is Cathy Ballou Mealey! Congratulations! … More The Day Saida Arrived
Authors get advice from all sorts of people – their family, critique partners, agents, and editors. Sometimes it takes a while to nail down exactly what’s needed, and the path to publication can be long. Here, Gregory Barrington shares how he stayed the course and put the advice he received to good use, turning his idea into … More Behind the Scenes: “The Advice that Created a Story” by Gregory Barrington
What a special treat to feature one of my local critique partners, Julie Rowan-Zoch! She’s guided me from the start! Here she shares her process of creating illustrations for Tom Lichtenheld’s text for Louis. Such a perfect match of text and art has resulted in an irresistible book! AND…Julie’s offering a giveaway! A copy of … More Behind the Scenes: “Easy as Working with an AD” by Julie Rowan-Zoch
Just take a look at that book cover…who hasn’t felt like that a time or two recently? And that just might be the key to the heart of this new picture book. Welcome, Kirsti Call, co-author of Mootilda’s Bad Mood. Thank you for sharing your process of adding the heart to the humor in your … More Mining for Heart: “We are all Mootilda.” by Kirsti Call
Do you have a voice in your head that continually gets shut down? Do characters talk to you? Do you have a snarky editor on your shoulder that criticizes your work? Voices in your head? This all sounds normal to me! Here, Lauren Kerstein shares what happened when she let that voice out onto the … More Behind the Scenes: “The Voices in My Head” by Lauren Kerstein
I loved the cover of SOAKED! from the moment I saw it! And now we get to hear the story behind it. It’s fascinating to see the effects of changes in expression, composition, and color. Thank you, Abi Cushman, for sharing the process of creating this fabulous cover! AND….ABI IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! JUST LEAVE A COMMENT … More Behind the Scenes: “Making the Cover of SOAKED!” by Abi Cushman
Welcome, and congratulations to Tina Cho on 4 starred reviews for The Ocean Calls! Bravo! That’s not an easy feat! Today Tina shares her process of “mining for heart” in the writing of this fabulous new picture book about a Korean tradition, grandmothers who dive deep into the sea to harvest its treasures. Tina has … More Mining for Heart through Bonding & Back Matter by Tina Cho
It’s been a while since I’ve done a post for Perfect Picture Book Friday. Here’s a new picture book that caught my attention. It’s creative nonfiction or possibly informational fiction—it’s hard to determine the lines these days—combining the fun of fiction with the joy of science. And…Thanks to all who participated in the Everyday Hero Giveaway … More Old Rock (is not boring)
What a treat to have an author/illustrator share the process of “mining for heart”! I’m always fascinated to learn more about how illustrators think. Here, the amazing-how-does-she-get-so-much-done Dow Phumiruk shares her process with her forthcoming book, Hugsby. AND…Dow is generously offering a GIVEAWAY of one of her books – your choice! Just leave a comment … More Mining for Heart: “Mining for Hugsby’s Heart” by Dow Phumiruk
I’ve found that I really enjoy exploring structure as a writer. Readers experience all kinds of text structures, but they seldom have a chance to learn all the planning and puzzling involved in the process of writing. Here, author Keely Parrack gives us a peek behind the scenes at how MORNING, SUNSHINE came to be. … More Behind the Scenes: “Puzzling Out a Picture Book” with Keely Parrack
