July 30, 2017

MARIGOLD BAKES A CAKE

Marigold Bakes a Cake by Mike Malbrough is yet another smart, hilarious, and wonderfully illustrated picture book for cat lovers to add to their shelves. 


July 27, 2017

WHEN YOUR...

There has seldom been as adorable and hilarious a board book duo as Susanna Leonard Hill and Daniel Wiseman's When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles and When Your Lion Needs a Bath


July 25, 2017

Let's Talk Illustrators #33: Thi Bui

As someone who has a soft spot for graphic novels (and a hankering to explore them in new ways for my readers...), interviewing graphic novelist and now picture book illustrator Thi Bui was a dream come true. Thi Bui recently illustrated the highly revered A Different Pond, and rather than creating a large preamble, I'd like to just dive into the interview. Enjoy.


July 23, 2017

WHAT DOES BABY WANT?

As far as impeccably designed and beautifully illustrated board books for babies go, Tupera Tupera's What Does Baby Want? pretty much takes the cake.


July 20, 2017

BLUE ETHEL

"Ethel was old, she was fat, she was black, and she was white. And she was very set in her ways." That is the opening line to Jennifer Black Reinhardt's Blue Ethel, and is the perfect introduction to the cat we get to know and love in this book. Every descriptor acts as a solid plot point!


July 19, 2017

Emergency Social Safety Net Programme

I'm breaking my normal routine today to talk about an initiative called ESSN (Emergency Social Safety Net) Programme, which provides refugees with debit cards to buy whatever they need most for their families: food, fuel, rent, medicine and bills.

Turkey has the largest refugee population in the world, with a total of over 3 million registered refugees, and though they are safe from war, many families live in challenging conditions and struggle to build stable, normal lives. Even the most "mundane" items like toothbrushes, books, and shoes are in short supply.

Recently the European Union (EU) and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) asked twelve children’s book illustrators across Europe to help the more fortunate understand the impact of these "mundane" items through a child’s eyes. The series of illustrations aims to promote the work of the ESSN.

Have a look at the twelve featured illustrators below (in no particular order), and learn more about the ESSN initiative here.

1: HANNEKE SUPPLY
Belgian illustrator Hanneke Supply highlights the importance of a nightly routine for a child. This image depicts the simplicity of a bedtime story, allowing important quality time with the family.


July 18, 2017

"Best" of Lists

Did you know I do "Best of" lists (there's a whole section of them at the top of this site!) for some of my favorite fairytale retellings? Today I added this beauty to the "Best Little Red Picture Books" list, so make sure you click to take a look at what else I have on there. The books I add to these lists represent the best of the best in terms of illustration, visual narrative, and design, and each list features at least three to four spreads from my favorite retellings . . . Can't say no to that!

Click here for the Best Little Red Picture Books and here for the Best Alice in Wonderland Picture Books. A list for Rapunzel is coming soon!


Let's Talk Illustrators #32: Ingrid Chabbert and Guridi

In my mind, there is no finer author-illustrator partnership than Ingrid Chabbert and Raúl Nieto Guridi (who pens his picture books with just his surname). The pair has created a handful of books now, including one of my favorite books of all time, The Day I Became a Bird, and their newest collaboration to be published in English, The Last Tree, further solidifies them as one of the most creative picture book teams. Truthfully, interviewing one without the other felt silly to me, so I reached out and managed to get both Ingrid and Raúl in one interview! I hope you enjoy -- this was a blast to put together!


July 16, 2017

FIREFIGHTER DUCKIES!

Wee-ooo-wee-ooo-wee-oooooooooooo!!


July 13, 2017

THE HAPPY PRINCE

The cover of a book can tell a reader a lot, especially when it's an illustrated adaptation of an age-old tale. The story of Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" has been illustrated in many media over the years by many different illustrators, but Maisie Paradise Shearring's new adaptation adds a softness and visual yearning to the story that is yet unprecedented.


July 11, 2017

Let's Talk Illustrators #31: Joe Todd-Stanton

Today I'm over the moon to share my interview with author -- nay, storyteller -- and illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton. Joe is on fire right now, with two perfect stories out this year, The Secret of Black Rock and Arthur and the Golden Rope, the first in the Brownstone's Mythical Collection series. Joe's books are adventurous, with crisp illustrations and fully-formed worlds, and I am so, so grateful that I had the chance to interview Joe so early in his career, which I foresee as impactful and lasting.


July 9, 2017

FEMINIST BABY

Loryn Brantz's Feminist Baby has a baby unlike any other you've met before. Feminist Baby is loud, proud, and unafraid to do her own thing. 


July 5, 2017

I WROTE YOU A NOTE

Ah, yes. Another beautiful book from Lizi Boyd. Given Boyd's steadfast career in creating lyrical and visual masterpieces, it's hardly a surprise that her newest book I Wrote You a Note is yet another example of a fun and charming picture book.


July 2, 2017

#kidlitpicks June Round-Up: 18 Prehistoric Picture Books

Get ready to explore the past...the prehistoric past. During June, @kidlitpicks dug into prehistoric life, dinosaurs, fossils, and those who speak for creatures long since past.

An American Paleontologist named Robert T. Bakker once said, "It's very simple why kids are crazy about dinosaurs -- dinosaurs are nature's Special Effects. They are the only real dragons. Kids love dragons. It's not just being weirdly shaped and being able to eat Buicks. It's that they are real." He is completely correct, children and adults alike are fascinated by the mammoth sized creatures that tower over us in museums. We are always in awe of the creatures that once roamed the Earth 230 MILLION years ago!

A special shout out to Leah from @astoryaday for giving us the idea to celebrate all things prehistoric! And though you might see a few of the same books in this list (can we help it if we all love the same books??), we've added in few extras shared by our featured contributors to help you build out your own list of prehistoric books! Enjoy!