First of all, a word of explanation: this is the first post in a new monthly series called This Writer’s Voice. Please note that the series is not about the elusive concept known as “voice” in writing. It’s a series about writing, looking at the hows and whats and whys of writing, both my writing …
As I said in my last blog post of 2013, I won’t be doing my month-end accountability posts this year. Instead, in keeping with my chosen theme for the year of moving forward, the last Monday of each month will feature a post designed to get us all thinking about some aspect of moving forward …
Make that “of a different phylum…” My cousin Beverley Brenna has a new book coming out, with an anticipated release date of November 15th. It is a departure from the subject matter and style of her recent books, which may come as a surprise to those who have read and loved the time-slip adventure Falling …
If you’ve read either The Dot or Ish, Peter H. Reynolds’ fabulous picture books about celebrating creativity and making your own kind of art, even if you (or others) don’t consider you artistic, then you’ve already encountered the basic principle behind International Dot Day — making your mark in some artistic-ish way, and celebrating your …
When I went to the SCBWI LA conference (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) in 2011, one of the first people I met was a tall, friendly man named Ed Raarup. I was immediately impressed by his warmth and his enthusiasm for his writing project, which he was working on with my friend and …
Turning the Spotlight on “Fireflies and Shooting Stars” Read More »
Sometimes that question seems almost as hard to answer as the dreaded “where do babies come from?” This is especially true when you’re searching for inspiration and it just isn’t appearing. Those of us who are participating in Picture Book Idea Month right now may sometimes ask the question in despair, wondering if we’ll be …
November is often seen as a rather gloomy month, as autumn gives way to winter in what can be a series of dull, grey days. My mother used to quote the poem by Thomas Hood that begins “No sun — no moon — no morn — no noon” … and ends “November.” Evocative and well-written …
Since I began the month with a Perfect Picture Book illustrated by Debbie Ohi, I’m Bored, it seemed appropriate to end the month with one illustrated by her sister, Ruth Ohi. This is the second book written by Hazel Hutchins and illustrated by Ruth Ohi that I have featured as a Perfect Picture Book choice. …
The Sidewalk Rescue — Perfect Picture Book Friday Read More »