Welcome to my blog (scroll down to see individual posts), which was originally on a separate site at Inkygirl.com. I also have a separate Inkygirl newsletter on Substack at debbieohi.substack.com.
Also see: Inkygirl interviews – Resources
Earlier this year, I asked freelance illustrators about their paid work and how they found it. Please note that this was an informal survey conducted across my social platforms, and not meant to represent all illustrators. Thanks to all those who participated! 209 illustrators participated. I created this polls mainly . . .
Kaz Windness is the Geisel award-winning, genre-crossing illustrator and author of funny and heart-warming books for young readers. Proudly neurodivergent (ASD/ADHD), Kaz specializes in character-driven books celebrating inclusivity, grit, and kindness. Her many books include Swim, Jim!, Worm and Caterpillar are Friends, When You Love a Book, and Bitsy Bat, . . .
(Last updated February 28, 2025) Shortlink to this post: https://debbieohi.link/kidlitlaunches It’s a challenging time to be launching children’s books, not only because of what’s going on in the world but also because the kidlit community is scattered across so many different platforms. I’m mainly on Bluesky these days (see my . . .
Thanks to Tim Budgen for responding to my most recent #KidLitLaunches thread in Bluesky with news that BOUNCING BUNNIES! launches from Simon & Schuster Children’s UK on Feb. 13th, 2025! BOUNCING BUNNIES! is written by Fiz Osborne and illustrated by Tim. Synopsis from the publisher’s page: “Jump, wiggle, sniff and . . .
Note from Debbie: I’m delighted to have my dear friend Heidi Stemple and her mom, Jane Yolen, visit my blog. Today is special not only because it’s launch day for JANIE WRITES A PLAY: JANE YOLEN’S FIRST GREAT STORY, a picture book Heidi wrote and that Madelyn Goodnight illustrated, but . . .
Above: Claudia Osmond, me, my sister Ruth. Huge thanks to all who came out in the rain to help me celebrate the launch of I Want To Read ALL The Books, my new solo picture book with Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers at Type Junction in Toronto! Grateful . . .
Wat Takes His Shot is the stirring biography of Japanese American basketball star Wataru Misaka–the first person of color to play in the NBA. The book has already garnered praise, including being a Junior Library Guild Selection and garnering a starred review in School Library Journal. Title: WAT TAKES HIS . . .
I first heard about Hanh Bui and Ánh’s New Word during the SCBWI Summer Conference last year, when I covered the Debut Author Panel for Team Blog; you can read my post on the SCBWI Conference Blog. Beautifully illustrated by Bao Luu, Ánh’s New Word is about a child living . . .
We’re delighted to interview the creators behind Mamie Tape Fights To Go To School, based on the true story of an eight-year-old Chinese American changemaker who fought for the right to go to school in San Francisco in the 1880s. Title: MAMIE TAPE FIGHTS TO GO TO SCHOOLAuthor: Traci Huahn . . .
Thanks to author Sylvia Chen and illustrator Fanny Liem for answering some questions about their new picture book, TRICKY CHOPSTICKS, now out from Atheneum/Simon & Schuster. This is Sylvia’s debut as a picture book author! Upcoming launch event: Mar. 19, 2024 at Brick & Mortar Books (Redmond, WA). Title: TRICKY . . .