Two for the Show
Springtime Reads
Spring is here. With the daffodils and the bloodroot, the tulips and Dutchmen’s britches come thoughts of favorite children’s books.
Vroom! Vroom! Things that Go (Or Don’t)
This is a month for vehicles, imagined vehicles, that take us straight out of our chaotic and worrisome now to “what if.”
Seeds of Hope
As we enter the dark time of year and who knows what other kinds of dark times we may be facing, we are looking for stories of hope — and finding them.
Hello Fall!
September may seem like the month that marks summer’s ending, but it is also a month of beginning — the traditional start of the school year, the beginning of fall.
Stories to Cluck About
Why do we love chicken stories so much? Perhaps it’s because chickens are approachable heroes in stories that we can learn from or laugh with. It is our feeling that we can never have enough chicken stories. Chickens can also be where we find whimsy or better versions of ourselves.
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.