WRITERS' RUMPUS

QUILT OF STARS: Out-of-this-World Book Talk and Giveaway with Co-Authors Astronaut Dr. Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats

Happy Book Birthday to QUILT OF STARS: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream! This inspiring and beautiful written picture book, published by Familius, is co-authored by the impressibly accomplished and talented duo of Dr. Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats and gorgeously illustrated by Alida Massari.

Interview with debut picture book author Laura De La Cruz … and a giveaway of LOWRIDER FOR SALE!

Happy Book Birthday to LOWRIDER FOR SALE, the heartwarming picture book debut by talented and gracious author Laura De La Cruz. Laura has impressed me with her positive and supportive comments on our blog, so when she inquired about an interview, it was my honor and pleasure to enthusiastically say yes!

Interview with talented #kidlit author/illustrator, Kari Percival

February 11, 2025 Carol Gordon Ekster

CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Kari when a mutual friend started a critique group. I was instantly impressed by Kari’s writing and illustration talents as

Helping Writers and Readers Cope

February 4, 2025 Joyce Audy Zarins

The themes in picture books are intended to assist children in dealing with the world around them, and authors benefit in the same way. These

Banner showing author Lydia Lukidis and covers of two of her books

Atmospheric Poetry: New STEM picture book Up, Up High joins Deep, Deep Down

January 28, 2025 Marianne Knowles

Lydia Lukidis’s STEM picture books, Up, Up, High and Deep, Deep Down, blend poetic storytelling with scientific information, offering engaging journeys through Earth’s atmosphere and ocean depths for readers of all ages.

The Secret Sauce to Successful Author Visits for Libraries

January 21, 2025 Amy Amberg

Are you finding that author visits at your library are hit or miss? You get a famous writer, coordinate with a local bookstore to bring

2025 Caldecott Contender: The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

January 14, 2025 Keri Demers

School buses have been an inspiration for lots of picture books over the years. Just peruse any children’s library and you’ll find stories about nervous

Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall Are Back At It…With STELLA & MARIGOLD!

January 7, 2025 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

One of the great highlights of my summer, besides attending a fantastic writing retreat in the green mountains of Vermont, was receiving an advanced reader copy of Stella & Marigold from Chronicle Books (thank you from the bottom of my book-loving heart, Chronicle). It’s the first book in a brand-new early reader series for children 6-9 years old, by the magical author-illustrator duo Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall.