Did I hook you with that title? Did you think this blog post was going to be about how to create a picture book? Homonyms can be clever--and difficult for English language learners! In this case, I'm using "building" as an adjective. The spring issue of Talking Story is coming out next week and Rebecca Wheeler… Continue reading Building Picture Books
Here is Elliott Kurta's first foray into reviewing nonfiction. He wants more opportunities--so I'm on the lookout for books to recommend to him. If you have a favorite nonfiction middle-grade, please leave the title in the comments.REVIEWIf you could have any superpower, what would it be? In Elaine Kachala’s debut book, Superpower?, (Orca Books: 2022) kids learn about… Continue reading SUPERPOWER? A MIDDLE-GRADE STEM BOOK REVIEW by ELLIOTT KURTA, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, and GIVEAWAY!
"I don't know but I may succeed in governing the nation, but I do believe I shall fail in ruling my own household." Abraham LincolnAuthor Beth Anderson uses that quote to draw readers into the life of Abraham Lincoln's boisterous son, Tad. You'll see why that quote is a fitting preface to another great picture book published by… Continue reading TAD LINCOLN'S RESTLESS WRIGGLE: A Informational Picture Book Review, Giveaway, and Author Interview
BATTLE OF THE BUTTS (Running Press, 2021) by Jocelyn Rish with illustrations by David Creighton-Pester, is really about a battle to determine which animal has the best buttocks of all. As Jocelyn tells her young readers in the introduction:You're the judge in the Battle of the Butts. As you meet each challenger in this battle and learn about… Continue reading BATTLE OF THE BUTTS: The Science Behind Animal Behinds– A Nonfiction Picture Book Review and Author Interview
From the moment you hold The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals that Live Beneath Our Feet (Holiday House, 2021) in your hands, you realize that this is a unique picture book. After all, how many books do you turn 90 degrees in order to read it? I can only think of one other, Tops and Bottoms… Continue reading The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Under Our Feet
Former astronaut Clayton Anderson is not a stranger to my blog. I reviewed his previous book A is for Astronaut (also from Sleeping Bear Press). Letters from Space is just as informative and engaging. As you'll see in the samples below, the illustrations by Susan Batori are full of humor. Kids will laugh out loud as… Continue reading Letters From Space: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway
Congratulations to Danielle Hammerlef who won Little Thief! Chota Chor! from last week's blog.This week I'm reviewing two new alphabet books from Sleeping Bear Press. Giveaway details are below. True to other books in this series, each letter has a short poem for young readers and a sidebar with more detailed information for older kids. H is for… Continue reading H is for Honey and T is for Thor: 2 Alphabet Book Reviews and 1 Giveaway
Congratulations to Barbara Younger who won Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie from last week's blog.**** In the last few weeks, I've featured picture books for young readers. Today, I'm happy to help launch Jolene Gutierrez's debut middle-grade nonfiction book, Bionic Beasts (Lerner Books, 2020) Since it's full of photographs, it's technically a picture book too--but this isn't a book… Continue reading Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez: A Giveaway and A Mini-Author Interview
Congratulations to Kathy Wiechman who won the ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of EQUAL from last week's blog. For those of you who didn't win, I'll be posting a review at a later date and you'll have an additional chance to win the book. ******* Marsha Diane Arnold is another author who is no stranger to… Continue reading Lights Out: A Review and Picture Book Giveaway
Congratulations to Jo Lynn Worden who won Will You Be My Friend? from last week's blog. I have received a number of picture books from publishers recently, so if you love picture books...stay tuned! WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson (Calkins Creek, 2020) is a picture book biography that will… Continue reading WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: A Review and a Giveaway