My summer fun continued at the Illinois State Fair where hundreds of free books were put in the hands of young readers and those who read to them. I was excited and honored that A BOOK ABOUT YOU AND ALL THE WORLD TOO was one of those books selected as a 2024 Illinois Reads title. Huge… Read more »
literacy
LITapalooza 2024! A Literary Love Fest Indeed!
LITapalooza 2024 was not just a literary love fest … but an educator, librarian, creator, young reader, young artist, organizer and volunteer love fest as well. I loved participating on panels chatting about SEL, poetry, picture books, writing buddies and more. Plus, I was thrilled to lead the Raise Your Antenna! Rev Your Imagination! Get… Read more »
A BOOK ABOUT YOU AND ALL THE WORLD TOO selected for Illinois Reads!
Friends, I‘m beyond excited that A BOOK ABOUT YOU AND ALL THE WORLD TOO (from Joey Chou, HarperKids Books and me!) has been selected for Illinois Reads 2024, and I’m thrilled that this sweet book will be in the hands of Illinois’ youngest readers and listeners at the beginning of their reading journeys. Thank you,… Read more »
TRAD – TRUMAN Read Aloud Day Coming 9/20!
Teachers and Librarians – I’m celebrating the start of a new school year on September 20th with TRAD – TRUMAN Read Aloud Day. Sign up for a free 15-minute virtual visit during which I’ll read this heartwarming, back-to-school story (which the NYT calls “An enchanting tale of bravery, heroism and undying devotion.”) followed by a… Read more »
ME AND YOU IN A BOOK MADE FOR TWO is out today!
I’m thrilled to introduce you to my latest picture book! This warmhearted picture book celebrates the joy of sharing your story with a friend or someone special. Me and You in a Book Made for Two puts kids at the forefront and asks them to be the authors of their own stories. With its empowering and aspirational themes that… Read more »
A Beautiful Kirkus Review for A GRAND DAY!
Friends, please bear with me and my braggy posts for just a little longer because I still have two more picture books coming out this year! And A GRAND DAY, which comes out on 7/5 from SimonKIDS, Samantha Cotterill and me, just got this beautiful review!! Yay!!! Kirkus Reviews – thank you so VERY much!… Read more »
Build Community with SYLVIE and Spider Cider Tea!
You may have noticed throughout SYLVIE that a tea set plays a very important role in the story. There’s a teacup on the cover and a tea set in several of the book’s illustrations. Can you find them all? And if you turn to the very last page and look closely, you’ll see that Sylvie… Read more »
Introducing SYLVIE!
I’m thrilled to introduce you to my latest picture book! “Sylvie hung on a silvery thread from the rusty underside of a fire escape. And though it was dark and damp and disturbingly close to the dumpster, that hideout was home to Sylvie because, you see, not everyone appreciates a spider who calls attention to herself.” From the… Read more »
Happy National Spider Day and SYLVIE PW Review!
Dear Readers, Happy National Spider Day! (Who knew?) And I’m celebrating with this lovely early review for SYLVIE coming 5/10/22 from Atheneum/Simon and Schuster, Lucy Ruth Cummins and me. Thank you Publishers Weekly! https://publishersweekly.com/978-1-5344-6348-6 “In this standalone spin-off to Truman, a gray spider named Sylvie keeps a close eye on four of an apartment… Read more »
GROUP HUG Kindness Craft – Make a “Hug” Jar!
Since my latest book GROUP HUG hit bookstore and library shelves, I’ve had so much fun reading and talking about hugs. But as we all know, and especially now, hugs aren’t appropriate or possible in every situation. But there are so many ways to show kindness. We can offer a kind word. Help with a… Read more »