The Story Behind We're Better Together with Eileen Spinelli

We are so excited to have Eileen Spinelli join us today to share the story behind, We're Better Together.

Eileen Spinelli has been writing since she was six years old. Her very first poem was about a sailboat. When she is not writing (or reading) you might find her walking the lake path with her husband and fellow author, Jerry Spinelli; playing MahJongg with friends, knitting scarves for the grandkids, hanging out with the family or baking cookies for community movie night.

When Marlo Scrimizzi, editor at Highlights Press, invited me to write a book--title to be We’re Better Together--I was delighted to say yes.

Marlo and I had worked together before. We make a good team.

Plus the theme touched a responsive chord in me. We ARE better together aren’t we? How dreary life would be without family and friends, neighbors and colleagues. It would be an easy topic to write about.

There was one issue, however. Since my first love has always been poetry, I lean toward a lyrical style. For this book, Marlo wanted the text to be simpler and more straight-forward. That was my challenge.

Several times Marlo had to “rein me in.” And she did it with kindness and grace.

The book offers many examples--from a child’s point of view-- of how we might be better together.

Some examples come from my own childhood: huddling under the kitchen table with my cousins during a summer storm...playing circle games with my friends in the park...using my toy mop to clean up spills.

I also used experiences from the lives of our kids and grandkids: searching everywhere for a beloved blanket that has gone missing...working together on crafts... delivering soup to a neighbor.

Marlo added her ideas as well. She suggested that a young mother carrying groceries while pushing a stroller might need some help.

We came up with many more “better together” scenarios than we could use. So some had to be cut.

One scenario that we cut was an airport scene. Marlo liked the idea at first but then commented that it was feeling a little out of place compared to the rest of the scenes.

While the main message of the book is to speak to the happy aspects of doing things together there is a secondary one: the fact that life can be fun without hours of screen time. I don’t say so directly in the book but it’s included in every page.

Considering that the book is not a long one, it did take a fair amount of revising. My least favorite part of the process. Ha!

And what picture book journey is complete without celebrating the art? We’re Better Together was endearingly illustrated by Ekaterina Trukham.

The first time I saw her illustrations I couldn’t stop smiling.

I love her bold, crayon-box colors, the expressions on the sweet faces, the playful spirit on each spread.

My personal favorite is the bath-time spread--complete with yellow rubber ducky.

On the last page real kids tell about how they are making the world a better place. Tucker, age five, helped clear the table without being asked. Walter, age six shoveled snow off his neighbor’s sidewalk. Anastasia, age six let someone use her coat because they were cold.

There are more ways to be part of a community than you might imagine. The question is posed: How do YOU work together? Something to think about.

Thanks so much for joining us, Eileen!

You can find Eileen on her website at www.eileenspinelli.com.

Environmental Picture Books with Frank Murphy

We are so excited to have Frank Murphy join us today to share information about Environmental Picture Books!

Frank Murphy has taught various grades at the elementary level for 32 years. He has published several award-winning picture books and easy readers for over 23 years. He loves traveling with his wife and co-author, Carla. He roots on the Philadelphia 76ers and UFC matches with his sons. He loves the hobby of collecting and trading sports cards - he has two of the biggest Tyrese Maxey and Bo Nickal collections in the hobby. Two of his own favorite books are Heroic Heart and A Boy Like You. His all-time favorite kids' book is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. He's most proud of the accomplishments his kids are making - Griffin (marketing), Chase (filmmaking), and Haley (teaching).  

“If not us, then who?” - that’s the quote from A Planet Like Ours that matters the most to me. It’s a rallying call to readers, young and adult, to care for our world - and all that lives in it. And it’s why Charnaie Gordon and I wrote the text.

A Planet Like Ours is the fifth book in the “like You” series. After writing the first book, A Boy Like You, I didn’t imagine that the book would turn into a whole series of picture books. After A Girl Like You, A Teacher Like You, and A Friend Like You - our team wanted to take a little bit of a different path. We arrived at the idea of taking care of our planet. It was the first book in the series where the title didn’t end with “You”. I had already co-authored A Friend Like You with Charnaie Gordon. I really really love collaborating with Charnaie – we have great chemistry together and we just get each other; it’s always a seamless and smooth writing experience with Charnaie. 

There is so much happening in our world that is about division. We have hoped all along that this book would relate to everyone - no matter what. Even though politics and its inherent divisions (now more than ever) make their way into debates about climate change, global warming, and the ways we use and abuse natural resources – we think everyone can agree that we can all contribute to caring for Earth. From eliminating littering to caring for animals we wanted to give readers gentle reminders and inspiration to remember that we’re all sharing the same home – our Earth. 

Kayla Harren, the books’ illustrator, is the driving force in illuminating our words. Her art ignites everything we write and she is the one who actually creates the story with her illustrations - in each book. With A Planet Like Ours, Kayla created some memorable and dramatic images. My favorite piece of art is the full spread of the child sitting in a boat, attempting to clean the waters below; the way Kayla put the readers underneath the water, looking above is powerful. Also, the scene of barren land with only tree stumps remaining is stunning - and so sad. Additionally, Kayla is skilled at representing the vast diversity we have as humans. With each “like You” book we hope that every kid sees a part of themself in the art.

Another hope we have is that teachers, librarians, and caregivers share the book year-round, not just on and around Earth Day. The messages in this book need to be taught and acted upon daily. The last message I wanted readers to notice and remember is that caring for each other is incredibly important – maybe now more than ever. Charnaie and I were very intentional about having that message in this book.

Thanks for joining us, Frank!

You can find Frank’s book here and you can also check him out his website at www.frankmurphybooks.com.

Writing Picture Books to Appreciate and Inspire Nature by Bridgitte Rodguez

We are so excited to have Bridgitte Rodguez join us today to share information about Environmental Picture Books!

Bridgitte Rodguez was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in sunny San Diego, and now writes books from her New York City apartment. She has a BA in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz and an MA in Anthropology from The George Washington University. When she isn’t writing or reading or wandering, you can find her hanging out with her nieces and nephews who inspire many of her stories.

You can find her online at www.BridgitteRodguez.com . On social media @KidsBookWriting and on Substack at Everyday Creative and Books and Bread.

I’ve always been a fan of the environment. Ever since the third grade when we learned about the Amazon and the ozone layer. I immediately jumped on the reduce, reuse, recycle bandwagon. That doing all these things would then work to protect the environment and the plants and animals that join us in calling Earth home.

Now that I write books for kids, I realize that I tend to almost always write on topics concerning nature. If it isn’t the focal point of the story, it is certainly a theme or layer throughout. The stories take place outside and/or display a variety of plants and animals. They explore a new environment, appreciate nature and leave the reader with a feeling of awe about the world around them.

My debut picture book, A Walk Through the Redwoods, illustrated by Natalia Bruno, takes readers on a journey through a redwood forest. My goal in writing the story was to take readers to a place they may not be familiar with— the redwoods. I wanted the book to feel as if they were going on a walk through the redwoods. A takeaway I often hear from readers is that the book gives you an appreciation for nature, for our environment and gives you a reason to care, without telling you to care. And I love this. As someone who doesn’t like to be told what to do, I don’t want to tell others that they should care and want to protect the environment but rather, show them why it’s important and let them come to their own conclusion.

Books provide a great opportunity to be subtle in their teachings. I can’t recall if I read any environmentally themed books as a child, but I was a reader. Books leave imprints whether intentional or not in our minds. We may not remember exactly what or where but we remember the feeling. Books can expose kids to the environment and nature and get them to care. Give them a reason to care. And they can do so in a fictional way. Where they aren’t thinking they are learning anything. They are reading a fun story about a real place or real animals or real plants. Objects they can find around them.

Kate Messner’s Over and Under series, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal takes us to many different environments: the forest in winter, the pond, the ocean, the rainforest, etc. Becoming familiar with the different plants and animals that call these places home. But also puts children in these places in relationship to the environment.

The City Tree by Shira Boss and illustrated by Lorena Alvarez, takes readers through the life of a newly planted street tree and all the benefits that a tree provides in an urban environment. I love the theme that nature can be anywhere and an appreciation for nature and the environment can happen even when living in a city.

In the Palm of My Hand, written by Jennifer Raudenbush and illustrated by Isabella Conti, provides a lyrical exploration of the small parts of nature and the wonder and inspiration they provide. Leaving the reader to want to take a closer look at the tiny objects they may encounter in their environment and what they may mean.

There are many ways to tell stories about nature, about the environment, about its inspiration and about appreciating it. I find it easiest to start with what I know and go from there. Either a place that I have enjoyed visiting, a favorite outside spot, or a plant or animal that I find fascinating. Once I have that, I determine if I want the story to be about the experience and interaction with nature or about the nature. In either case, I always want the informational parts to be factual and sometimes this requires a bit of research. Light research, it isn’t non-fiction, but enough to make sure that the real plants and animals described are accurate.

Our youngest readers are inspired by just about anything and everything! The world is brand new to them and nature provides endless possibilities for exploration. Even for grown ups— books about inspiring and appreciating nature can open up new worlds to them and provide opportunities to further their own connection to the environment.

Thanks for joining us, Bridgitte!

You can find Bridgitte online at www.BridgitteRodguez.com, on social media @KidsBookWriting, and on Substack at Everyday Creative and Books and Bread.

Mindfulness, Empowerment, and Picture Books with Joy Givens

We are so excited to have Joy Givens join us today to share information about Mindfulness Picture Books!

Joy Givens is the author of several award-winning short stories and the lucky mother of four young superheroes, including her son Joshua, who inspired The Unstoppable Jamie. She also leads after-school programs that serve refugee and immigrant youth throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Joy lives in Pittsburgh with her family. Follow her @joyeilene on Instagram or visit her at www.joygivens.com.

Joy's debut picture book, The Unstoppable Jamie has been called "Heartwarming and reassuring" by Kirkus Reviews and "A wonderful and educational story" by Midwest Book Review. Find it online HERE or at your favorite local bookstore!

Huge thanks to my gracious friend Stefanie Hohl for hosting me on her gorgeous blog today—and huge thanks to you for reading! I’d like to tell you a little about my debut picture book, The Unstoppable Jamie (illustrated by Courtney Dawson), and how I approach the intersections of mindfulness, empowerment, and children’s literature.

The Unstoppable Jamie is dedicated to and inspired by my oldest child, Joshua, who is 11 now and has Down syndrome. Ever since he was born (even before, since we had a prenatal diagnosis), I have wished for a book that stars a kid with Down syndrome but isn’t about having Down syndrome—a book that tells a story specific to a kid with Down syndrome but that is also relatable to any kid, and a book that saves the (important) educational content for the back pages and just lets the kid be the star of the show.

Jamie is a self-proclaimed superhero who travels to New York City with his family to see his picture in Times Square for the NDSS Buddy Walk. When his noise-controlling headphones get lost upon arrival, though (and his superhero cape “stops working”), Jamie quickly experiences sensory overload and shuts down. With the help of mindfulness exercises and some tight hugs from his family, he realizes that he is super not because of his cape or super gadgets, but just as he is. The last few pages are full of information for kids and caregivers who want to learn more about Down syndrome, genetic differences, and the Buddy Walk.

When I’m not writing children’s books (or chasing Joshua and his three younger siblings around), I also work for JFCS Pittsburgh as an Immigrant and Refugee Youth Services Specialist. One of my primary responsibilities is leading the Bridge Builders program, a mentoring and enrichment program for resettled refugee youth ages 5 and up. In other words, I spend time with a lot of young superheroes, and mindfulness and restoring autonomy are at the forefront of what I do.

When we talk about mindfulness, we are talking about developing the ability to be aware of experiences without judgment. That is a powerful—and empowering—experience for a kid. When we can invite young readers to develop awareness of their own feelings, and not code them as “good” or “bad,” we are giving them space to sort through their experiences. Even in the static medium of a picture book like The Unstoppable Jamie, a child can join a character through the experience of sensory overload and choose to breathe through it alongside them.

A picture book is a safe environment to try out feelings and process them. When my book shows New York City overwhelming Jamie, the reader doesn’t have to experience sensory overload firsthand in order to understand it better. They (or their caregiver) can read the siren aloud with a blaring “WEE-YOO WEE-YOO” or take it quieter. They can use the printed, comic-style words or focus on the faces. They can skip or repeat. And they can try out the focused breathing in the illustrations to find calm alongside Jamie, and the restored confidence that empowers him to feel unstoppable. All of that active reading is a mindfulness exercise in itself.

The last reflection I want to share about The Unstoppable Jamie and my approach to writing it focuses on empowerment. It’s a book starring a kid with Down syndrome—and as the mom of a child with Down syndrome, I wanted to make sure that the kid was the star, not the chromosomes. I had always wanted to see a book (or multiple books!), featuring kids like mine, in which Down syndrome was a key part of the story but wasn’t the point or plot. I didn’t want to swoop in like a superhero and blare to the reader, “This kid has Down syndrome, but he doesn’t let that stop him!”

I specifically wanted to get out of the way so Jamie could be the hero, and the reader could be right there alongside him—to set a stage on which he can star not in spite of who he is, not even because of who he is, but just as he is. Jamie isn’t a superhero because of his speed or strength, or any other stereotypical “power,” but because he doesn’t give up. He uses his mindfulness skills and the support of trusted loved ones to regain his focus, and then he gets back to being super, just as he is.

After all, what could be more empowering than being a superhero just as you are?

…But you know what they say:

“Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman.”

Thanks so much for joining us, Joy!

You can find find Joy on Instagram @joyeilene on Instagram or visit her at www.joygivens.com. You can also find her book HERE or at your favorite local bookstore!

Movement Picture Books with Kara Navolio

We are so excited to have Kara Navolio join us today to share information about Movement Picture Books!

Kara Navolio is a children’s book author and freelance writer. Her debut picture book “Everybody Can Dance!” celebrates the joy of dance with a message of inclusion and shows children that no matter what you look like, your physical ability or style, everybody can dance!


Her second book, "Maggie Discovers the Rainbow" was released on March 21, 2023. It's a magical adventure through the rainbow that will help kids feel empowered to try new things and learn how colors can help us express our emotions.

When she isn’t writing for children, Kara tells stories of real-life heroes, artists, and writers for local newspapers and a local magazine, Northgate Living. Kara has been working with children since her college days. Even as she was earning a degree in Business from UC Berkeley, she was volunteering in a local school helping children learn to read. When she had her own two children she volunteered in their classrooms and at their schools for 16 years. Currently she is a docent at The Bedford Gallery where she takes school children on tours and teaches art in local schools.

She loves to read, travel, take photographs, paint, hike, dance, cook, and spend time with her family, especially her new granddaughter. She lives in Walnut Creek, California with her husband and everyday makes it a goal to learn something new. 

"Everybody Can Dance!" was a book I was meant to write. Many things in my life led up to the creation of it. Let's start with the summer of 1980 when I was 16. I traveled to Spain as a foreign exchange student and was placed with the Olavide family in Madrid. The parents, Isabel and Javier, had 5 children:  Bela and 4 boys. I spent most of the summer following Bela around to her dance classes, get-togethers with friends and cousins, sight- seeing and shopping.  Bela went on to become a professional Flamenco dancer, traveling around the world. She returned to Madrid and opened her own dance studio. Although I stayed in touch with the Olavides through yearly Christmas cards, I would not see Bela again until 2016, 36 years later!

When my husband and I decided to take a trip to Spain in 2016, it was a blissful reunion. Bela invited us to see her students dance. I didn't know until I arrived at the show that Bela's students were young adults with Down Syndrome.  Seeing the joy in their faces and the pride Bela had in her students made my heart burst. It was beautiful.

Yet, the idea for a children's book was nowhere in my thoughts at that time. I was working on two other manuscripts not related to dance. It was not until 2017, when I was revisiting my memories of that trip, that the idea came to me in a flash. With thoughts of Bela's students combined with my experience watching my daughter dance for 15 years and seeing my niece Jenna, who is a Little Person, dance when she was younger, the idea was born in my mind that every person has this desire to express themselves.  I knew then that I wanted to write a children’s book that showed kids that dance is one way we can all come together. No matter what we look like or what our skill level is, dance is unifying. I wanted to write a book that could do its small part to show kids that we are all more alike than different.

I knew that a book about dance needed to have a good beat.  I had never written in rhyme before, and it is not easy to do. I soon learned that it is more than just two words that have a similar ending sound.  I studied online resources for days learning about the beats of words, and how to create blocks of text with not just the right syllables but also the right hard and soft beats.  It took many, many revisions to get it right.

I was thrilled to have the book featured on the BBC’s CBeeBies bedtime stories show in Oct. 2022 where it was read and signed by deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, winner of Britain’s dance reality show “Strictly Come Dancing.” It was also chosen for a Storybook Walk in Northeastern New York by the CEF Library. I love bringing this book to classrooms where we read and dance together.

Thanks so much for joining us, Kara!

You can find Kara at www.karanavolio.com, Youtube, and you can find her books here and here.

Movement Picture Books with Rachelle Burk

We are so excited to have Rachelle Burk join us today to share information about Movement Picture Books!

Rachelle writes fiction and nonfiction for kids 2-12. She is a council member and mentor for the Rutgers One-On-One Conference, and is a freelance picture book editor. She loves to visit schools across the country with her dynamic author visit program. Find out more at: www.RachelleBurk.com. Or email: rachelleburk@gmail.com. Need writing/publishing/marketing resources? You can find pretty much everything you need on Rachelle’s award-winning kidlit resources site: www.ResourcesForChildrensWriters.com.

STOMP, WIGGLE, CLAP, AND TAP  (Callisto Kids) by Rachelle Burk, Illustrated by Alyssa De Asis. Written in perfect read-aloud rhyme, with gentle prompts and lively illustrations that will encourage kids to move and make some noise.

To be honest, writing this book was not my idea. Stop, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap: My First Book of Dance was a work-for-hire project for an educational publisher (Rockridge Press, now Callisto Kids—an imprint of Sourcebooks). They reached out and offered me the project. Writing the book was a challenge for several reasons, one being that I had never written for the toddler-age audience.

The bigger challenge was that I’m not a dancer. This probably makes me a total fraud. In fact, anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a complete klutz with a tendancy to trip or twist in ways that break and tear body parts. Yet, even though “they” say to write what you know, I don’t agree. I believe you should write what interests you. I’ve written about all kinds of things with no background in the subjects, including science, music, and bios of people I’d never heard of. You just have to be enthusiastic and willing to do the research.

My daughters, now adults, watched an insane amount of baby dance videos back during the VHS era, which tends to imprint itself on a mother’s brain forever. The outline for Stop, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap had me isolating different body parts in a progressive format… a stanza focusing on hands and fingers, the next on arms, followed by feet and toes, then legs, and finally putting them all together. Because the target audience is between the ages of one and three, I had to reach way back in my memory to remember what children of those ages can do developmentally. I wrote and then nixed several ideas for being a bit too complicated.

I also considered what most intrigues toddlers and worked those things into the little movement poems. That’s why animals appear on several pages—a flapping bird, a prancing pony, a hopping frog, a wagging dog, and an elephant swaying its trunk. This creates a additional layer of learning and adds a fun aspect to the illustrations as well.

I found myself crawling, wiggling, twirling, and doing all kinds of weird movements around my family room as I worked to develop the movements and figure out how to describe them. I couldn’t help wondering what my neighbors would think if they happened to see me though the window. 

The text needed to have a musical feel that would inspire kids to move. For this young age, the sing-song quality that rhyme adds is a big plus. For an older audience, a good rhyming text usually entails unpredictable, complex, and multi-syllable rhymes. But for a toddler book, it was better to aim for the opposite:simple, predictable, and repetitious rhymes, with a rhythm that toddlers and caregivers can easily chant and clap to. For inspiration, I read a lot of classic nursery rhymes and watched YouTube videos with simple movement songs for toddlers.  

The amazing illustrator, Alyssa De Asis did a brilliant job bringing the book to life and giving it a joyous party atmosphere. I love how, once an animal character is introduced, it sticks around in all the following illustrations, dancing along with the human characters. 

Stop, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap will soon be coming out as a board book as well.

Thanks so much for joining us, Rachelle!

You can find Rachelle at www.RachelleBurk.com, Facebook @ facebook.com/rachelleburk, X (Twitter) @Rachelleburk, or Instagram @ instagram.com/rachelleburk/.

2024 Picture Book Writing Challenge

Our 2023 Picture Book Writing Challenge was a great success! About 35 of you participated as we tried new genres, flexed our creative muscles, and grew as writers! I ended up writing nine of the ten genres, plus three other picture books. Even if none of these books ever get published, I love trying new things, challenging myself creatively, and getting stories down on paper. I 100% believe it’s worth every minute!

Who’s in for 2024? We’ve already covered the main picture book genres, so we’ll be digging a little deeper to explore some new, fascinating topics. Remember, anyone can join the challenge—and no one needs to read what you write! We’ve designed this experience to inspire you to learn and grow as a writer and creator, not to pressure you for results. 

How it Works: 

  1. Register by commenting on this blog post. 

  2. Read the blog posts posted throughout the month for inspiration: an intro to the genre, ten favorite picture books in that genre, and author blog posts.

  3. Write a picture book manuscript in the prescribed genre! 

Remember—the Picture Book Writing Challenge is designed as a personal challenge for yourself—no critiquing or sharing manuscripts is needed!

Let the World Know:

Save this image and post to your social media—let the world know you are participating! Tag me at @stefaniehohl so I can like and share your post!

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Here’s the 2024 Picture Book Writing Challenge genre list!

Can’t wait to have you join us! Happy writing!

Jewish Holiday Picture Books with Alan Silberberg (Plus a Giveaway!)

We are so excited to have Alan Silberberg join us today to share information about Jewish Holiday Picture Books!

Alan is the author and illustrator of three Jewish holiday picture books; MEET THE LATKES, MEET THE MATZAH and MEET THE HAMANTASHEN (Viking/ Penguin Random House).  His newest book, LATKES FIRST HANUKKAH is a simple, silly board book for the tiniest readers who are ready to laugh and learn. Up next is P IS FOR PASTRAMI, an ABC board book of Jewish foods coming out in February, 2024.

I am the author/illustrator behind four Jewish holiday books published by Viking/Penguin Random House. MEET THE LATKES was my first book, and to be honest, it is the one that happened by accident. Let me explain:

I had already published three middle grade novels and even though I had been cartooning and drawing for decades, never thought about picture books. I did however love to make little silly animations for fun and for my online book brand. MEET THE LATKES began as an animated holiday card that I would send out every December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFHuBa0-C3I

After receiving this goofy greeting for a few holiday seasons, it was my agent Jill Grinberg who suggested there was a picture book with my potato pancake family. I figured why not – and then set out to write a Hanukkah book based on my latkes. The only problem was, no editor was interested – perhaps because in my initial draft I had a Latke family hosting a Latke Party, which meant it was more of a cannibal story than a celebration of light.

But there was one editor, Leila Sales at Viking, who saw beyond my initial odd take and thought there was a funny and charming holiday story to be told with my latkes. Thanks to her insight, we shaped my first attempt into a warm, funny book that actually tells the Hanukkah story (without eating any latkes). MEET THE LATKES was published in 2018.

The book got great reviews and kids and families laughed along with Grandpa Latke, who insists on telling a wrong version of the Hanukkah story only to be corrected by the “latke” family dog named Applesauce. It’s funny and warm and I loved making it.

And it hit me: MEET THE LATKES was a format. Anthropomorphic Jewish food who tell a Jewish Holiday story. I started thinking about Passover and knew the title would be MEET THE MATZAH. But I didn’t want to create another “family” story and came up with the idea of using the story of the Jewish people’s persecution under the Pharoah and turning it into a “school bully story”. Again, I used the approach of telling the “wrong” story. In a school filled with bread characters, the antagonist is Loaf, a sourdough who is such a bully he insists he knows the Passover story better than the student assigned to tell it; my hero, a piece of matzah named Alfie Koman. (note: at a Passover seder, one ritual is to break a matzah in half and then hide it for the kids to find later – this matzah is called the AFIKOMAN.) Thanks to Alfie Koman finally standing up for himself and correcting the bully, MEET THE MATZAH also uses a mis told version of the holiday story to tell the actual one.

I followed up with the 3rd book in the series, MEET THE HAMENTASCHEN, which tells the story of Purim using the same mis told story format – but instead of a family or a school setting I created 3 Detectives, who are hamentaschen (triangle-shaped Purim pastries). The trio is hired to solve a problem at the Purim Party and based on being bungling sleuths, they get the clues all wrong and it is up to the characters of the Purim play to set the story straight.

Three holidays; three foods; three stories told wrong and then corrected.

My new holiday book. LATKE’S FIRST HANUKKAH grew out of my desire to make a book for younger kids. The bright and silly story uses anthropomorphic holiday symbols in a counting book format with the eight nights of Hanukkah. Each turn of the page is a new night for Latke to celebrate – with new Hanukkah characters to count.


I never intended to be “the funny Jewish food Holiday book” guy – but am thankful to the readers and educators and families who have embraced my way of celebrating Jewish stories.

Thanks so much for joining us, Alan!

You can find Alan on instagram @alan_silberberg and on his website at www.silberbooks.com.

Make sure to check out Stef’s Instagram @stefaniehohl to enter the giveaway!

One lucky winner will win a copy of Latke’s First Hanukkah!

Activism Picture Books with Robin Hall

We are so excited to have Robin Hall join us today to share information about Activism Picture Books!

Robin Hall holds an MFA in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut picture book, THE LITTLEST WEAVER, will release Fall 2023 from Familius, distributed by Abrams Publishing.

She believes we are all born with an innate need to create, whether it be the best bread on the planet, a cozy quilt to keep our loved ones warm, or words on a page.

She teaches creative writing to children, yoga to all ages, and lives in North Carolina on a tiny farm with one husband, five children, four dogs, three weaving looms, and too many chickens to count.

Today I’m excited to talk about my debut picture book that released earlier this month. The Littlest Weaver is about Laurel, the littlest weaver, who sees a need in her community and responds.

Laurel feels a call to action and works to make a difference after a sad, displaced man moves to Laurel’s small Appalachian town. She recognizes loss in him, the same loss she experienced when she lost her mother. Even though she is small, Laurel understands cloudy days, pain, and the slow process of healing.

As Jen Krarr says, the main character of an activism picture book needs “a personal connection to the … cause that is at the heart of the story. This character’s journey is fueled by a cause they care about deeply.” Because Laurel suffered loss, she is the right person to help the sad man heal.

Even though the sad man initially turns her away, Laurel keeps finding different ways to help, from preparing and planting a garden to bringing fresh eggs and cleaning the cobwebs in his windows.

The most powerful thing Laurel does is use her gift of weaving. She realizes the man doesn’t need a happy story rug (her family specialty), but one that recognizes and honors his loss to help with the healing process. Laurel designs and weaves the rug with her father. I don’t want to spoil it here, so you’ll have to check out The Littlest Weaver for the big reveal.

My hope is that readers will see that even if they feel small and alone, they, like the littlest weaver, can make a big difference in their community.

Thanks so much for joining us, Robin!

You can find Robin on Instagram: www.instagram.com/robinhallwrites or on her website: www.robinhallwrites.com.

And you can find her book at Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-littlest-weaver-robin-hall/19724209?ean=9781641709774 or any online retailer!

Picture Books about Family Traditions with Michael Genhart

We are so excited to have Michael Genhart join us today to share information about Family Tradition Picture Books!

Michael Genhart, PhD, is the author of the newly released Spanish Is the Language of My Family/El Español Es la Lengua de Mi Familia (illustrated by John Parra; published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House) - which has received 5 starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild Selection  His upcoming books include Edie for Equality: Edie Windsor Stands Up for Marriage Equality (illustrated by Cheryl Thuesday; Lee & Low Books, 2025) and another picture book biography which has not yet been announced.  Other titles include May Your Life Be Deliciosa (illustrated by Loris Lora, Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2021) which was awarded a 2022 Pura Belpré Honor and ALA Notable Book and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist and They’re So Flamboyant (illustrated by Tony Neal, Magination Press, 2021); Love Is Love (illustrated by Ken Min, Little Pickle Press/Sourcebooks Jabberwocky);  Ouch! Moments: When Words Are Used in Hurtful Ways (illustrated by Viviana Garofoli); So Many Smarts! (illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown); I See You (illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff); a series about nourishing friendships (illustrated by Steve Mack) Peanut Butter & Jellyous, Mac & Geeeez!, Cake & I Scream!; and Rainbow: A First Book of Pride (illustrated by Anne Passchier) — all published by Magination Press, the children’s books imprint of the American Psychological Association.  Michael is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in San Francisco, California. He received his BA in psychology from the University of California, San Diego and his PhD in clinical and community psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has been a member of APA for over thirty years, SCBWI since 2011, and is a book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books. When he is not in his office treating patients or writing books for kids, he is outdoors gardening, hiking, reading, traveling, and enjoying celebrating family traditions with family and friends. He and his husband are proud parents of a newly minted elementary school teacher. He lives with his family in Marin County.

Growing up in a multicultural family meant lots of fun gatherings and celebrations throughout the year.  Love of family was the common thread that ran through these events, though the music and food that filled our home were decidedly different. When my Swiss-born paternal grandparents came to visit, my father would put on their favorite polka music, and if it was holiday time, my grandmother would make her yummy lebkuchen (a honey gingerbread). If my Mexican-American maternal grandparents were visiting, my mother would play ranchera music and prepare a variety of scrumptious dishes: arroz con pollo, albonigas soup (a meatball soup), or enchiladas.

I wrote ACCORDIONLY: ABUELA AND OPA MAKE MUSIC (illustrated by Priscilla Burris; published by Magination Press) to show what happened when both sets of grandparents came to visit at the same time.  They didn’t speak the same language – but when my father played the accordion (an instrument popular in both cultures), music connected us all.  Gathering at Christmas became a family tradition, with my father pumping out accordion songs (polka, ranchera, holiday hymns), my grandfathers amplifying the music with their energetic yodels and gritos, while the aromas of international cuisine wafted from the kitchen throughout the day.

As a child, one of my favorite days of the year was Nochebuena (Christmas Eve).  During the day, the women and girls gathered for a tamalada, a tamale-making party.  Being the only boy in the room didn’t seem to matter because there was a lot of work to do, and another set of hands meant more help.  But it was also so much fun.  We played music, danced, and told stories…all while making dozens and dozens of tamales.  In MAY YOUR LIFE BE DELICIOSA (illustrated by Loris Lora, who won a Pura Belpré Honor for her illustrations; published by Cameron Kids/Abrams), I hoped to capture the essence of this beloved family tradition: how food, music, and storytelling  brought everyone together in celebration of heritage culture, and language.  I also wanted to showcase the importance of oral history in families: how stories (and recipes) are passed on from one generation to the next – just like how Abuela imparts her wisdoms about making a delicious life as she demonstrates to Rosie, her nieta, how to make a delicious tamale.

In my newest book, SPANISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF MY FAMILY (illustrated by John Parra; published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House), I tell a story of love of family and family tradition - through a celebration of language.  A little boy enters the National Spanish Spelling Bee.  His abuela helps him study, and during this time she shares with him that she was not allowed to speak Spanish when she was a young girl in school.  In fact, anyone who did so was punished.  Her story of shaming is revealed through the spelling words.  Ultimately, this story is about healing and the reclaiming of Spanish for a family where the tradition of speaking Spanish has deep roots.

Clearly, I love drawing from my family traditions to tell stories that I hope will have universal appeal.  In fact, when I share these books with children, the excited responses I get back include: “That’s like my family!” “We have family traditions, too!” “Now I want to tell my family stories!” And it’s that kind of inspired feedback from child readers that makes the author in me smile for days.  Likewise, I hope that these books will inspire my fellow writers to celebrate their own family traditions and find ways to tell those stories that reach the hearts and imaginations of children.

Thanks so much for joining us, Michael!

You can find Michael on Facebook @ MJGenhart, Instagram @michaelgenhart, Twitter/X: @MGenhart, or his website at michaelgenhart.com

Family Tradition Picture Books With Sidura Ludwig

We are so excited to have Sidura Ludwig join us today to share information Family Tradition Picture Books!

Sidura Ludwig has wanted to be a writer since she could hold a pen. Now she’s an award-winning author of books for adults and children. Her short-story collection You Are Not What We Expected (House of Anansi, 2020) won the Vine Literary Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award. Her novel Holding My Breath (Key Porter Books, 2007) was shortlisted for the Winnipeg Book Award. She has two books for kids coming out in 2024: her debut picture book, Rising (Candlewick Press), will be released in the spring (preorder here!); her debut middle grade novel Swan (Nimbus Publishing) in the fall. She lives in Thornhill, ON with her husband, three kids and a geriatric Havanese.

At the beginning of the pandemic, when we were in the height of lockdowns, it was hard to tell the difference between the weekday and the weekend. All our regular markers were gone; but the one marker that didn’t change for our family was preparing for and celebrating Shabbat.

In Judaism, the Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday and ends an hour after sundown on Saturday evening. For those twenty-five hours, we practice a spiritual rest which includes refraining from work, technology, cooking, turning on and off electricity, and so on. Friday night dinner is a big meal with blessings and lots of food; but it’s also a beautiful family time when no one is rushed, and everyone is present.

During the pandemic, my one routine that didn’t change was waking up early on a Friday morning to make challah bread for Shabbat. At a time when the world felt upside down, I clung to something that felt normal. Shabbat too was the one day that felt the same as before.Yes, we didn’t have guests, but as a family, we still lit candles at the right time every week, still sat down together at the table, still ate the foods we love and associate with Shabbat.

The text for my debut picture book, RISING, came out of a deep desire to capture the feeling of how family traditions can be anchors for kids. In it, a child and mother rise early every Friday to make challah together. The book captures the quiet moments of anticipation as the family prepares for the Jewish Sabbath. But also, how the rituals of Shabbat connect the child from one generation to the next.

I was inspired by books like FRY BREAD (written by Kevin Noble Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, Roaring Book Press, 2019). In FRY BREAD children make traditional fry bread with Nana. Through their senses, they connect to their community, history, traditions and future. Fry bread becomes a metaphor for Indigenous perseverance, diversity and strength. The bread is the anchor for the children that connects them to the generations that came before. But when they learn with elders how to make the bread themselves, it’s also a promise that their culture will continue to live on through them.

Similarly, in SOUL FOOD SUNDAY (written by Winsome Bingham; illustrated by C. G. Esperanza, Abrams Books, 2021), a young boy learns how to make traditional soul food on a Sunday afternoon with his Granny. She teaches him how to grate the cheese and clean the greens. But before the meal, he decides to make one last thing, iced tea, all by himself. Learning soul food prep is the boy’s link to his family traditions. Making the iced tea on his own is how he becomes part of that lineage.

Family traditions picture books show how cultural traditions impact family, identity and community. They can also illustrate how for some, traditions are anchors in an ever-changing world.community. They can also illustrate how for some, traditions are anchors in an ever-changing world.

Thanks so much for joining us, Sidura!

You can find Sidura on Instagram@siduraludwigauthor, Facebook @siduraludwigauthor, or her website siduraludwig.com.

Chronological Picture Books with Joyce Hesselberth

We are so excited to have Joyce Hesselberth join us today to share information about Chronological Picture Books!

Joyce Hesselberth is a writer and illustrator based in Baltimore. She studied graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University and later earned her master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her children’s books have been published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, HarperCollins, and Chronicle Books. Her book Mapping Sam won a special mention award in the Bologna Ragazzi non-fiction category and was also named one of New York Public Library’s Best Books. Her most recent book, When Molly Ate the Stars was published by Chronicle Books in Fall 2022. Her illustrations have also appeared in magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, and many others. She and her husband David Plunkert co-founded their studio Spur Design in 1995. Joyce also teaches illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art.

When you start really studying picture books, chronological books are everywhere, right? Something happens, which leads to something else, which leads to something else, and so on until the end. Picture books naturally lend themselves to this type of storytelling. In longer formats, you have more flexibility to explore flashbacks or tell the story in some other non-linear format. Technically, you can do that in picture books, but because of the short format, picture books need to be succinct. And that’s where chronological order can really help out.

Sometimes the chronology is the main point of the story, but sometimes the chronology is more of a tool that ties the story together. I find myself using this tool more and more often as I write. I’m going to talk about two ways to approach chronological stories: event-based and time-based.

Mapping Sam is a narrative non-fiction picture book that I wrote and illustrated. It is a book about maps. But the story is told as an event-based chronological tale: a cat sneaks out of the house at night and wanders around the neighborhood, visiting key sites along the way, before returning home to fall asleep in the kids’ bedroom. The story of a cat roaming the neighborhood is the way to thread the things I’m actually talking about – different types of maps – together. When I first started writing this story, I had a bunch of types of maps I could talk about, but there wasn’t enough to hold it together. But then I thought about telling it by exploring where a cat goes at night and – aha!– I had a story. Most importantly, I had a solid beginning, middle, and end. It also gave me an excuse to draw lots of cats, which was a big plus!

I used a time-based chronological structure in my book Pitter Pattern. Here, the main topic is patterns in nature, sports, music, etc. In this picture book, we follow a girl named Lu through the days of the week. Each day, there are new patterns to find. While I was writing this book, I had a bunch of types of patterns that I thought were interesting, but without some sort of structure, it felt like a list. And while there are certainly books that use a list approach, I always am more excited by having more of a narrative. I think the person who used this type of chronological structure the best was Eric Carle in the classic picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Carle walks us through the days of the week and ends his story with the transformation into a beautiful butterfly.

You could write a story around hours, months, seasons, or any time-based construct. Of course, there still needs to be some sort of satisfying end to the story. For Pitter Pattern, I had already established that the days of the week were a pattern too, so looping back to Sunday and repeating the opening line “Pitter, pitter, pat! Pitter, pitter, pat! Pitter, pitter, pat!” made the story feel like it came full circle.

So think about chronology as the structure to hang your story on. What events are happening while your story unfolds? Whether your main character is counting down the days until a big event, or setting out on an exciting journey, chronological storytelling is there to keep your reader entertained along the way.

Thanks so much for joining us, Joyce!

You can find Joyce on Instagram: @hesselberth or her website: https://www.joycehesselberth.com/