Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
But wait, where is the Picture Book Opportunities post for January, 2025? The monthly blog posts listing courses, conferences, contests, and other events ended with
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’re invited to peruse my 2024 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review! As another year draws to a close, I continue to marvel at the variety and quality of our posts, and thank all of our authors and readers for your commitment to our kidlit blog. Once again, I’ve been honored and challenged to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, date link, and brief summary. Enjoy!!
Around the globe people are celebrating. Why December in particular? I can only speculate. AI suggests that as darkness comes earlier each day, we all need a reason to seek joy.
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Cathy Ogren is one of those talented writers we’re all glad to have in our critique groups. Lucky me! She’s in two of my groups. And she’s an inspiration. She has hung in there for many years while she waited for her next book contract. Let’s get inspired!
Here are two picture books by different author-illustrators from Spain that encourage individuality and whose characters are insects and other arthropods. Coincidentally, among the protagonists
Online events, classes, and contests for picture book writers and illustrators for December, 2024
Every so often, a book rocks me to my core. THE DO MORE CLUB, a middle grade novel in verse by Dana Kramaroff, is just such a book. I’m not typically drawn to books in this style, but I’m so glad the tag line, “Spread Kindness So Hate Can’t Win” made me overcome my hesitation.
Renowned French multi-disciplinary artist, performer, illustrator and children’s author, Herve Tullet, is a true creative genius. Amongst his many artistic talents, he’s written more than 80 books for children which have been translated into more than 30 languages.
WRITERS' RUMPUS 