REVIEW In Kim A. Larson’s debut early reader picture book, Goat’s Boat Won’t Float, young readers discover a fascinating STEM fact. Some goats faint when startled by loud noises! Kim took this little-known fact and brilliantly created a funny scenario. The internal rhyme of goat/float/boat/oats/coat will have kids asking for it over and over again. They… Continue reading GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT: A Picture Book Young Readers Will Love and A Giveaway!
North Carolina picture book author, Shana Keller, is no newcomer to my blog. Some of you may remember Bread for Words, Tick Tock Banneker's Clock, or Fly, Firefly--her three other engaging books published by Sleeping Bear Press. Her fourth book, Peach Pit Parade is illustrated by Margeaux Lucas. The soft tones Ms. Lucas used speak of Polly's love… Continue reading THE PEACH PIT PARADE: A World War I Story. An Historical Fiction Picture Book Review and Giveaway
I hope you are enjoying hearing about terrific curriculum resources as much as I am enjoying sharing them. It's a win-win! I learn about how to write an inspirational and informative nonfiction picture book, and you have a chance to win one! Today's selection, Dorothea's Eyes (Calkins Creek, 2016) features iconic photographer, Dorothea Lange, and is written by talented… Continue reading DOROTHEA'S EYES: A Picture Book Biography and Giveaway
Congratulations to Theresa Milstein who won ILLUSIONS and Sandra Warren who won STONES from last week's blog. Today, I'm bringing you a guest post by a fellow North Carolina children's writer, Melissa Cole Essig. This article first appeared on the SCBWI-Carolinas blog, PEN & PALETTE. Melissa graciously allowed me to share it with you. A… Continue reading LIVING–and WRITING and ILLUSTRATING–in the Time of COVID-19: A Guest Post by Melissa Cole Essig
When Sleeping Bear Press asked me if I was interested in joining Marsha Diane Arnold's blog tour, I was happy to agree. I blogged about May I Come In? here, and look forward to sharing her other new book, Mine. Yours. next month. Diane is a prolific picture book author with over a million copies of her books… Continue reading Badger's Perfect Garden – A Review, Author Interview, and A Zoom Author Visit Giveaway
Last week I reviewed Vijaya Bocach's new YA book, BOUND. Vijaya graciously agreed to an author interview and since she had a lot of information for readers and writers, I've decided to run it for two weeks. We hope you enjoy it! AUTHOR INTERVIEW- Part I CAROL: I’m very curious about the inspiration for BOUND. Are they individuals… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Bound: Author Interview Part I
Every once awhile I come across a book that I can't bear to give away. I'm sorry friends, but Carver by Marilyn Nelson, (Boyds Mills Press, 2001) is a book that is staying on my shelf. Like me, many of you probably know some of the basics about George Washington Carver's life. You may know he was born a… Continue reading Carver: A Life in Poems
Mother's Day has never been a big event at our house. But as it came and went two weeks ago, I remembered that last year I gave my mother a little Mother's Day book. At the time, I suspected it would be one of my last Mother's Day gifts to her. I was right. My… Continue reading A Mother's Gift