Interviews (scroll down) with book creators and others in the children’s book community. I’m still gradually moving these over from the old site; thanks for your patience.
Many of these book creators were kind enough to offer useful Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators.
Happy launch day to my friend Heidi Stemple, whose debut middle grade novel launches from Wordsong today! The Poetry Of Car Mechanics is a novel-in-verse about 15-year-old Dylan, who seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop. When he rescues an injured hawk, he . . .
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, . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
I loved The Fabulous Zed Watson by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester, so couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of their newest book, Night Of The Living Zed. You can win a copy of their book; I’m giving away a copy, plus you can also solve a . . .
Interview by Julie Damerell Stephanie Wildman, author of TREASURE HUNT (2022) (ill. Estefania Razo) and BRAVE IN THE WATER (2021) (illo. Jenni Feidler-Aguilar) became a Professor Emerita after serving as John and Elizabeth Sutro Chair at Santa Clara Law. She is a grandmother, mother, spouse, friend, and good listener who . . .