The 2025 picture book Fireworks is written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Catia Chien. Some picture books are primarily story, but this book draws […]
The Couch in the Yard
2025 picture book The Couch in the Yard is rare in several ways. First, it focuses on a rural American setting. Not an idealized farm, […]
Our Lake
Angie Kang’s 2025 picture book Our Lake is rare, focused, and moving. The book’s action is simple: two brothers walk to a lake and jump […]
Stop That Mop!
Each year since 2004, the American Library Association gives the The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award to American books for beginning readers. ALA names both the […]
Every Monday Mabel
Jashar Awan‘s 2025 picture book Every Monday Mabel was a Caldecott Honor book, meaning it has been hailed as one of the year’s best picture […]
The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs
Mamiko Shiotani’s The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs was first published in Japan in 2020, and not in English until 2025. It won the Pinpoint Picture Book […]
The Rough Patch
I’m a fan of Brian Lies, and recently got to take part in a webinar with him. If you haven’t read/seen his 2025 book Cat […]
Well, that was interesting!
This evening I attended a webinar sponsored by SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators—the major professional organization for children’s book creators). Titled […]
Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!
Each year the Alcuin Society gives awards for excellence in in book design to Canadian books. And I’ll admit it: I had never heard about […]
Small in the City
Sydney Smith’s 2019 picture book Small in the City is sad and beautiful. It starts with several wordless pages. Some are blurry, and the color […]