Today (2/9/2025) I read Freedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom. I picked up this 2024 nonfiction picture book by Michael Boulware Moore because I’m a fan of Robert Smalls, and wanted to see how a picture book handled his story. If […]
Today I Read…
Today (2/8/2025) I read Whales Passing, a 2003 picture book by Eve Bunting. I liked it. Lambert Davis’s illustrations were colorful and engaging, giving readers into the world of the orca (killer whale). Bunting’s story guides readers from the land to the sea, and from distant longing after whales and their beauty to feeling a […]
Today is…
Today is Groundhog Day! Photo by Jack Bulmer on Unsplash If you’ve got a kid in your life who might be asking what a groundhog is, you can point them to Groundhogs! And if you want more of a story, you might try Phil’s Big Day.
Today is…
Today (2/1) is Jerry Spinelli‘s birthday. Spinelli focuses on older readers than those reading picture books, but anyone who writes books like the Newbery Award-winning Maniac Megee is an honorary citizen of Picture Book World. Happy Birthday, Jerry!
Today is…
Today (1/31) is Denise Fleming‘s birthday. Ms. Fleming is a children’s book creator who is (like me) from northwest Ohio. She writes and illustrates her works, and those books have won a number of awards. Her works show a clear love of animals, nature in general, and bright colors. If you’d like to see how […]
Today is…
Today (January 30) is Lloyd Alexander’s birthday. True, Alexander wrote for older kids than those who will be reading picture books, but his series The Chronicles of Prydain is a fun retelling of Welsh mythology. The last book in the series won the 1969 Newbery, so Happy Birthday, Lloyd!
Welcome!
So, why another picture book blog? What am I doing here? I started It’s a Picture Book World to share my thoughts on picture books. I’ve published many pieces aimed at adult readers: short stories, poems, essays, articles, reference work entries, and so on. Recently, I’ve turned my hand to writing picture books. Like many […]