Today’s Friend Friday friend, Lydia Lukidis, reminds us all of the power of persistence and of believing in one’s work. Though the road to publication for No Bears Allowed (Blue Whale Press) was neither smooth or straight, she hung in there to create a story that shows empathy in action. Read on! No Bears Allowed… Read more »
It is a treat to host Tamara Ellis Smith today in celebration of her newest picture book, Here and There, illustrated by Evelyn Daviddi (Barefoot Books). If you visit Tamara’s beautiful website, you’ll find the words, “together we can turn empathy into action.” Her lovely book — and the ripples it’s already making in the… Read more »
Isn’t it amazing how some books and characters make indelible impressions on us? I can’t recall when I first met Ramona, but I will to my dying day never forget her first grade excitement as she took her seat, following the teacher’s instructions to “wait there for the present.” I would bet anyone reading this… Read more »
Any friend of Jane Kurtz’ is a friend of mine and, as you’ll find out from today’s guest Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Jane is not only her friend, but partner in crime. I am in awe of the writing commitment they made to one another, which you’ll read about below. This commitment, along with Jennifer’s willingness… Read more »
What an honor to host Caroline Starr Rose, who shares my passion for bringing stories (and people!) of the past to life for today’s readers. And her experience writing her latest book, A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland, illustrated by Alexandra Bye (Wendy Lamb Books) provides a… Read more »
A big shout out to Dana Sullivan for introducing me to the work of Julie Hampton. I was thrilled when Julie agreed to be my Friend Friday because illustrators are less frequent contributors to this blog (a situation I would love to change, hint, hint). And I am always grateful when someone shares about their… Read more »
It is such a treat to once again celebrate Donna Janell Bowman and her books. We obviously share a passion for history; but what I especially love about Donna’s work is that it often introduces us to little known stories, as is the case with her newest title, King of the Tightrope: When the Great… Read more »
A huge thank you to Andrea Wang (a recent Friend Friday guest) for introducing me to Sheri Dillard, so that we could celebrate the publication of Sheri’s first picture book, Cowhide-And-Seek, illustrated by Jess Pauwels (Running Kids Press) today for Friend Friday. I always love learning about a particular book’s story seeds – and Sheri’s… Read more »
It is a sheer pleasure to host Dan Richards today, in celebration of a slew of new books. I love that he’s taken time to reflect on what his writing career and accomplishments (and discouragements) have meant to him. To my memory, this isn’t a perspective that’s been shared on Friend Friday before and I… Read more »
There are two things I love about Lisa Robinson’s story below. The first is that she saw a need in children’s literature and got the idea to fill that need. The second is that, even though it took her twelve years, she did not give up. Perseverance is an essential trait for book creators and… Read more »