Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
Today is a very exciting day here on the blog. I have Ryan Van Cleave here with me, who, if you don’t know, is a bit of a writing and poetry rock star. And some of what he does, you may actually not know, because he has ghostwritten many books (in addition to those under his own name) and coaches and mentors many writers behind the scenes.
It had been about a year since my debut picture book, Counting to Bananas (Flamingo Books, April 2022, illustrated by Estrela Lourenço) had been acquired. My editor, Cheryl Eissing, emailed to say her team was exploring the idea of Banana possibly carrying a picture book series. Was I interested? I had never thought about writing a sequel and, as a debut author, never imagined I would be asked to. But was I interested? Seriously? Of course I was bananas about it!
JAZ: Melissa, I am honored that you agreed to this interview. Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem is fascinating! Our readers are eager to learn
Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s YA novel Torch brings 1969 Czechoslovakia to life, a time when the country is living under Soviet tyranny. The novel has won major book awards, most recently, Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature.
A friend of mine, who also happens to be a writer, gave me a book called CREATING CHARACTER ARCS, The Masterful Author’s Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development, by K.M. Weiland, PenForASword Publishing, 2016. (Thank you Tina Oppici). Tina has been suggesting I read it for over two years. She finally handed me a copy and I’m glad she did.
Everyone knows that all CAPS = yelling. So, yes, I AM, in fact, yelling the title of Jenna Beatrice’s debut picture book THE LOUD LIBRARIAN at the top of my lungs. Please don’t shush me because this book (2023, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster) is just too darn cute to keep quiet about!
Jewish American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate Jewish contributions across American society, and there are many to choose from!
Picture book illustrations are almost limitless when it comes to the materials and techniques used to make them. It’s part of what makes them so
Jessica Brody is a superstar in the kidlit world! With her incredibly busy schedule, I’m thrilled she’s here to talk with us about her new middle grade novel, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay. And trust me, her replies are every bit as clever and entertaining as the main character in her amazing book.
Contributors who post on WritersRumpus.com have been honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander authors, illustrators, and cultures since way back in 2014! This openness certainly includes the other categories of diverse books, but the focus this month is on AAPI books.
Ask any successful kidlit writer how they succeeded, and chances are they’ll tell you about their writing communities. In this reblog, Carol Gordon Ekster shares the many ways she benefits from the yearly 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, one of the most well-respected and supportive online writing communities in the kidlit world.
It’s my great pleasure to interview author Candace Spizzirri on the book birthday of her second picture book, FINLEY: A MOOSE ON THE CABOOSE. This book is a sheer delight, and so is Candace!
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