Two for the Show
A Fun Rabbit Habit
Rabbits hop all through children’s books. And what’s not to like about them? We hope you’ll hop into the habit of rabbit books this spring.
Banning Books
This month we had planned to write about several books we love that have been banned, but we realized that along with giving you a list of banned books we really wanted to write about the current tsunami of book banning in our country.
Library Love
Libraries! We want to look at books about these magical places, portals to our world, our selves, and other worlds and selves we might become.
Poets and Picture Books
Poets and picture book writers both know the weight of a word, the sound of a syllable, the turn of a line, and they both know that every word matters.
All about Green in the Middle of Winter: Trees
In the cold, white of winter, we find ourselves occasionally thinking of green woods, tall trees, and the busy sounds of birds and squirrels.
Art Will Out
This month we have been thinking about the mysteries of the visual arts — how some artists must create, no matter the circumstances.
Sharing Wonder: April Pulley Sayre
We have been thinking about wonder — about the fascination we have for the beauty, the intricacy, the mystery of the workings of the natural world.
Celebrating Black Women in the U.S.
We feel called this month to celebrate the many accomplishments of Black women in this country — some of whom are historical icons, too many of whom we have we have never heard of.
Refugees
Heard on the news: “No one wants to be a refugee.” Here’s a look at four picture books that share the refugee experience with young readers.
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson: Voices from History
Books have been a part of Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s life since the day she was born. “My mother found my name in a novel she was reading,” Nelson says. Books and family and history form a thread through many of Nelson’s award-winning picture books.
Julius Lester
Julius Lester loved language and he loved story. Language, Lester wrote, is not just words and what they mean; music and rhythm are also part of the meaning. Just reading his books for children makes us want to read them out loud to hear that music and rhythm along with his gift for putting words together.
Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford has been writing since she was in first grade. Her father taught printing and was able to publish those early stories. Weatherford has written dozens of picture books for young readers — and all readers. We cannot be exhaustive here, but we can introduce you to this wonderful writer.
Ashley Bryan: Brave for Life
Ashley Bryan’s life has been so full of making children’s books and there are so many wonderful children’s books that we can only call out a few — a few enticements, and encourage you to take yourself on a wonderful journey into Ashley Bryan’s world.
Revisiting the Moon
A full moon on December 29 ended the year 2020. New year, new moon, and we are thinking once again about moon books – we’ve looked at some of these before, but good books, like the moon, keep coming back.
In the Neighborhood of Eloise Greenfield
In this season of gift-giving we want to look at the gift of poetry, specifically the poetry and writing of Eloise Greenfield. Since publishing her first poem in 1962, she has written more than forty-five books for children and was the recipient of the 2018 Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her