Who offers a complete stranger a ride from the Detroit airport to nErDCamp? Anica Mrose Rissi, that’s who. She’s so generous, she not only gave me that ride some years back, she introduced me to Cracker Barrel! And as you learn below, Anica also found a way to be a true light during this difficult… Read more »
I so appreciate that complete strangers will allow me to count them as friends! Often, I see a mention of a new book and I boldly contact the author, asking if he/she/they would be willing to be my Friend Friday guest. That’s what happened with Patricia Hruby Powell and her newest picture book biography, Lift… Read more »
Mr. Rogers advised looking for the helpers in troubled times; clearly, Faith Pray is one of those helpers. Her words today seem perfectly timed and I am grateful for the seed she’s planted in my heart and mind: that we each have a brave gift to share, no matter how small and helpless we feel…. Read more »
Today’s post is about gifts: faithful dogs and faithful friends who walk beside us when we are hurting. Julie Paschkis and Margaret Chodos-Irvine share the poignant story behind the story of their new book together, Where Lily Isn’t, written by Julie and illustrated by Margaret. This picture book will be my new go-to book to… Read more »
What a treat to host Robert Pizzo today in celebration of his newest books, Let’s Fix Up the House and Let’s Fix Up the Yard (Schiffer Publishing). As a grandma to a granddaughter who was obsessed with machines and tools, I think Robert is on to something here! I would’ve loved to have something so… Read more »
On her blog, Beth Anderson describes writing as “mining” — from digging deep to find little-told stories to digging deep to find the heart of a story once she’s ready to write. I certainly share her desire to tell stories of the past to readers of today. And I so admire the way she’s taken… Read more »
Just looking at Amalia Hoffman’s author photo lifts my spirits! I think we are all hungry for the bright and cheerful these days. That makes it especially delightful to host Amalia today in celebration of her new board book, All Colors (Schiffer Publishing). In 2017, I started experimenting with pastel pencils. I loved the textures… Read more »
Kjersten Hayes is the kind of person you can count on for a smile or a sunny perspective on a not-so-sunny situation. While I am crushed for her that someone gave her a “stinging” critique, I am completely inspired by how she chose to respond to it. And I am not surprised– being creative is… Read more »
I first met featured illustrator Kaelen Felix when she was a preteen. I was presenting at a children’s literature festival in Missouri and Kaelen’s mom drove her a long way just to meet me! I’m so grateful Kaelen’s stayed in touch over the years and so pleased to share her newest illustration effort here, Freddy The… Read more »
What a treat to host the talented Lori Mortensen today in celebration of her latest book, Nonsense: The Curious Story of Edward Gorey (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt illustrated by Chloe Bristol). Her essay is a reminder of how potent those early connections with literature can be sometimes leading to — in this case — a wonderful… Read more »