CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Abi, your new picture book came out in May. You wrote and illustrated WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD: A [not so] serious guide
Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Abi, your new picture book came out in May. You wrote and illustrated WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD: A [not so] serious guide
The word “taming” in the title Wild Blue: Taming A Big-kid Bike, written by Dashka Slater, is a clue to the metaphor that energizes this heartfelt story. When
I’ve been ANTicipating today for ages because it’s SMARTY ANTS’ book birthday! One of the reasons SMARTY ANTS sold is because of its many layers.
It’s my great pleasure to welcome Rajani LaRocca back to Writers’ Rumpus to discuss her upcoming books in 2023- three picture books (fiction and non-fiction alike) and an epistolary middle grade novel co-authored with Chris Baron.
VERY! That’s my conclusion. I have been reading and writing in both YA and MG for nearly twenty years (where has the time gone). My querying nightmare continues to be comps!
Carol Gordon Ekster: Phaea, more than two years ago Writers’ Rumpus interviewed you about being a debut author when JET THE CAT first came out. Now that you are an established author, what has changed for you?
When I ask writers which word confuses them the most, the most common answer is THAT! There are some complicated grammar rules, but rest assured, I waded through them and strove to make my explanations as clear and understandable as possible. I promise we’ll ease into this slowly, starting in the shallow end and moving progressively deeper.
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!
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
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!
I am so pleased to have Jennifer Raudenbush here with me today so we can talk about a very magical picture book she has written called In the Palm of My Hand. The words and illustrations (by Isabella Conti) are just gorgeous, and they meld together to create a mindful, meditative, and quite existential experience for the young reader.
I met Erin Dealey on a Zoom Nerdcamp panel and was impressed with her professionalism, books, and interest in reaching out to others for her blog. I knew I wanted to interview her on Writers’ Rumpus and introduce you all to this talented #kidlit author.
Today on Writers’ Rumpus we’re talking with Betsy Ellor, author of MY DOG IS NOT A SCIENTIST, illustrated by Luisa Vera, available April 18 from