My Perfect Picture Book pick this week is not a new book; it came out in 2008. But it is new to me and I hope this post will introduce some of you to this beauty, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book. After reading the brilliantly written and illustrated ROGET…

    Look at this cover! Who knew robots could be so adorable? Title: BITTY BOT Written by: Tim McCanna Illustrated by: Tad Carpenter Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016, Fiction For Ages: 3 and UP Themes/Topics: robots, bedtime, adventure, space travel First page: “In a busy robot town, bots begin to power down—…

I first heard about SHY very recently, on day 13 of Tara Lazar’s Storystorm: https://taralazar.com/2017/01/13/storystorm-day-13-colby-sharp/. If you aren’t familiar with Storystorm (formerly PiBoIdMo), please do yourself a favor and check it out. While it’s geared especially to writers and illustrators, anyone who’s interested in the creative process will benefit from this month of idea generation…

I can’t recall who recommended Emily Gravett’s WOLVES to me. Once I had my hands on it, I devoured it before looking at the copyright date. I was flabbergasted when I discovered that WOLVES came out in 2005. I would’ve guessed it was hot off the presses. What makes this book ahead of its time?…

TOKYO DIGS A GARDEN could be the love child of The Little House and The Curious Garden. Oh, and I think it’s related to Sidewalk Flowers, too. A must-read for kids AND adults who love picture books, this magical and subversive fable about the role of nature is my pick this week for Perfect Picture…

As a writer, I’m interested in exploring and challenging stereotypes and pigeonholing. So as a reader I seek out books about those who question stereotypes and push against boundaries. But in tandem with shooting for the moon and not letting yourself be limited by what others expect or don’t expect from you, it’s also important to…

This time of year, I’m always on the prowl for Halloween stories to devour with my kids. We love spooky Halloween stories and we love sweet Halloween stories. Most of all, we love Halloween stories that evoke the magic of the season. And there’s something particularly enchanting about witches and full moons and black cats.…

Here in Corvallis (which means “heart of the valley” – isn’t that lovely?) we’ve had a gorgeous week of crisp sunny mornings and warm afternoons. Perfect for long hikes to admire the autumn foliage and gather a few wild apples or late blackberries. So for my Perfect Picture Book Friday selection I chose Julie Fogliano’s…

This week my pick for Perfect Picture Book Friday comes from my first-grade daughter. On Tuesday, she happily unpacked I AM YOGA from her bag and begged me to read it with her. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. (For a supersized list of links to picture book reviews, check…

A picture book that can help a child face fear is a thing of beauty. Last week I reviewed THE LITTLE BIT SCARY PEOPLE. This week for Picture Perfect Friday I present another book about facing fear, BLACK DOG. (For a humungous list of links to picture book reviews, check out Susanna Leonard Hill’s site:…