Kidlit Spotlight: BUS STOP

My daughter’s school bus is almost always early. We peek out the door and there it idles, beacon-bright — a signal that home time has come to an end, and a new school day is about to begin. Now that winter weather has arrived in Chicagoland, blanketing the ground in white, it glows even more so…

As fresh powder came down last week, my kids went straight to the winter bins in the upstairs closet. Out came quilted, puffy, fuzzy gear. On went mittens, hats and boots. Then off they ventured, into air electric with new-season energy.

But what if the bus had never arrived? What to do then, with all that joy and anticipation? A beautiful new picture book imagines what might transpire, should unexpected flakes prompt a break from school-day routine. Meet BUS STOP!

BUS STOP - by author Angela H. Dale, illustrated by Lala Watkins (Cameron Kids) - is a celebratory, rhythmic story that highlights a neighborhood’s journey from sleepy-morning peace to rollicking play. An adorable cast of characters, depicted with vibrancy and individuality, provides the heartbeat and through line of this action-filled A-to-Z adventure. Here are three things that I love about BUS STOP…

---

A Jubilant Winter Wonderland

BUS STOP is a charmer all the way through, and my ardor with this new title began with its magnetic cover - an impactful color-block composition. Youthful jubilance bounces in each each artistic gesture. The title is stamped in soft, rounded, all-caps letters, reminiscent of a frosty imprint on a window pane, and all about the frame, oversized snowflakes dance, reflecting the big impact made on our hearts by these magical, delicate bits of precipitation.

Just inside the cover, color-washed endpaper give way to a bright white title-page spread — a clever foreshadowing of the snow to come. Then one-by-one, readers meet 26 children, each with their own unique spirit and sense of wonder. Their personalities are extended by distinctive clothing, hairstyles, accessories and mobility aids.

Art by Lala Watkins

---

Energetic Alphabetic Introductions

BUS STOP begins in a quiet neighborhood, where not a car or kid are in sight: Sleepy street. Still. Gray. Empty bus stop. School day. Then slowly, the street awakes. Students emerge from their homes. First Antoine. Followed by Beatrice, Carlos and Divya. As each new character is introduced, it becomes clear that a pattern is a play — an alphabet-guided array.

Kinetic verbs bring new names to the page: Hannah stomps. Isaiah romps. Joelle waltzes. Kartik wonders. Author Angela H. Dale employs rhyme and alliteration with each debut, creating lively lead-ins that encourage readers to find each new friend featured in illustrator Lala Watkins’s darling compositions.

Art by Lala Watkins

---

A Satisfying Circular Route

Where’s the bus? the children continue to wonder. But as snow continues to mount, so builds their excitement. Waiting is no hardship in these circumstances. As more kids gather and the snow deepens, Dale’s text goes farther into the alphabet, and playful abandon overtakes the spirit of the amassing friends: Lyric leaps. Mahmoud laughs, until at last Little Riya reports: NOOOO SCHOOOL! At this, the neighborhood officially becomes a playground, with the story taking a most-satisfying circular route as it concludes.

Art by Lala Watkins

So many children will see themselves in the pages of BUS STOP. As a reader who seeks out books that nestle into activities and experiences that everyone enjoys, it’s a delight to discover a new title that delivers exactly this. Fans of THE SNOWY DAY and A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS will love BUS STOP, a beautiful ensemble-cast picture book that spotlights winter merriment in a classic, enchanting way.

---

The Creators

Angela H. Dale writes picture books for children and for the grownups who read to them. Her debut BUS STOP (Cameron Kids), illustrated by Lala Watkins, published in October, and she has another unannounced project scheduled for publication in 2024. She lives in Maryland with her family and Harry the cat. Visit Angela online at www.angelahdale.weebly.com.

Lala Watkins is a kidlit author and illustrator, who enjoys adding more goodness and playful vibes in the world. Lala has worked in the consumer goods world as a product designer, product developer, product developer, illustrator, and graphic designer at big brands like Sanrio, Inc., Paper Culture, and Cartoon Network, and as an author and/or illustrator for Tiger Tales, Scholastic, Cameron Kids, and Union Square Kids. Visit Lala online at www.acaseoflala.com.

---

One lucky reader will win

BUS STOP

signed by Angela H. Dale!

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 11/25/22 

GOOD LUCK!

BUS STOP is available now through your local indie or bookseller of your choice, and signed copies are available at Books of Wonder, NYC.

What a great holiday gift! Grab a copy for a reader in your “neighborhood” today.

Holiday Book Drive - Year Six!

Holiday Book Drive Chi is back for year six!

I am thrilled and honored to be partnering with Pastor Michael Neal of Leading with Literacy again this fall and winter to deliver book joy to young readers!

In 2021, literacy supporters across the country donated more books than ever before - 828 titles! - which brought us over the 3,000 mark for total books collected since the start of the drive:

• 2017: 408 books

• 2018: 433 books

• 2019: 623 books

• 2020: 728 books

• 2021: 828 books

That’s 3,020 books in all!

What will this year bring? Can we reach 1,000 titles in 2022?

Pastor Neal and I would LOVE to deliver as many beautiful books into Bronzeville schools and home libraries as possible this season —

— and we are off to an extraordinary start, thanks to the help of author Pat Zietlow Miller! Pat, a longtime friend of #HolidayBookDriveChi, has sent not one… but TWO full class donations of two of her 2022 releases! What an incredible kick-off for Holiday Book Drive Chi year six!

Friends, you’ve been incredible. The best. Can we do it again?

Holiday Book Drive Chi is officially open for donations!

Below, you’ll find how you can be a part of this year’s effort. If you’d like to collaborate, EMAIL ME via my Contact page. We so hope you will join us!

---

• Books, Please! We are excited to receive any book written for children. We do ask that the books are new, not used. Picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade and young adult titles - are all welcome, and very appreciated!

• The Magic Number: Any single book donation is celebrated. But if you have the ability to join forces with a friend (or friends) and donate 30 copies of the same book, you’ll be able to give an entire classroom the SAME book, which is a truly amazing gift.

• Pssst! Authors… If you think your publisher might be able to provide a complete classroom donation of 30 books, please let me know!

• Shouting It Out! I celebrate all book donations as I receive them, on social media and on my website, too. Sharing these special deliveries is one of my favorite things to do!

• Special Collections: If you are planning a local giving initiative this holiday season, consider asking friends and family to donate a book for a Bronzeville scholar. If you’re interested in organizing something like this, let me know and we can chat logistics.

• Title Ideas: I’m happy to share book recommendations at any time, if you’re not sure which book or books to give. (Diverse books are always greatly appreciated by Leading with Literacy.)

• Or… If You’d Rather: Financial donations are most welcome, too! I combine financial gifts and place orders for full-class donations through Scholastic. Great deals to be had there!

• Follow Along: Want to know what’s going on with the drive? Visit Twitter and search the hashtag #HolidayBookDriveChi for the latest!

Donations will be accepted through Dec. 1, 2022. On Delivery Day - set for Dec. 15 - we will bring your donations to schools all over Bronzeville and other nearby Chicago neighborhoods to share the gift of literacy. Thank you for your friendship and partnership. Let’s make this a holiday full of JOY again in 2022!

---

Below, you’ll find all of the books donated for Holiday Book Drive 2022, so far:

Thank you Pat Zietlow Miller for kicking off the drive with an entire classroom donation of…

IN OUR GARDEN

(By Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Melissa Crowton, G. P. Putnam’s Sons)

---

Thank you Pat Zietlow Miller for also sharing an entire classroom donation of…

SEE YOU SOMEDAY SOON

(By Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Suzy Lee, Roaring Brook Press)

---

Thank you Debra Kempf Shumaker and Running Press Kids for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

PECULIAR PRIMATES

(By Debra Kempf Shumaker, Illustrated by Claire Powell, Running Press Kids)

---

Thank you Bradley family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

HARBOR ME

(By Jacqueline Woodson, Puffin)

---

Thank you Lenert family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

DRAGONS IN A BAG

(By Zetta Elliott, Random House Kids)

---

Thank you Campbell, Yarnell and Rowe families for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

TY’S TRAVELS: ALL ABOARD!

(By Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Nina Mata, HarperCollins)

---

Thank you Conway family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

DAISY COMES HOME

(By Jan Brett, Puffin)

---

Thank you Jenna Johnson for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AND I’M IN MY BATHING SUIT

(By Justin A. Reynolds, Scholastic)

---

Thank you Beth Anderson for sharing an entire classroom donation of your picture book…

FRANZ’S PHANTASMAGORICAL MACHINE

(By Beth Anderson, Illustrated by Caroline Hamel, Kids Can Press)

---

Thank you Two Lions for donating two full-class donations of your books…

A CHRISTMAS TOO BIG

(By Colleen Madden)

ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE SAY GOOD NIGHT

(By Lauren H. Kerstein, Illustrated by Nate Wragg)

I AM ABLE TO SHINE

(By Korey Watari, Illustrated by Mike Wu)

ANNI DREAMS OF BIRYANI

(By Namita Moolani Mehra, Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat)

THE BEST GIFT FOR BEAR

(By Jennifer A. Bell)

And…

DANCING WITH DADDY

(By Anitra Rowe Schulte, Illustrated by Ziyue Chen)

I AM YOU: A BOOK ABOUT UBUNTU

(By Refiloe Moahloli, Illustrated by Zinelda McDonald)

PRUETT AND SOO

(By Nancy Viau, Illustrated by Jorge Lacera)

---

Thank you Katey Howes and The Innovation Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

A POEM GROWS INSIDE YOU

(By Katey Howes, Illustrated by Heather Brockton Lee, The Innovation Press)

---

Thank you Annelouise Mahoney for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

JULIUS AND MACY: A VERY BRAVE NIGHT

(By Annelouise Mahoney, Two Lions)

---

Thank you Becky Scharnhorst and family for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

MY SCHOOL STINKS!

(By Becky Scharnhorst, Illustrated by Julia Patton, Philomel)

---

Thank you Rosie J. Pova and Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE

(By Rosie J. Pova, Illustrated by Monika Filipina, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

CHAMELEON CAN BE

(By Carolina Farías, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

PIPER AND PURPA FOREVER

(By Susan Lendroth, Illustrated by Olivia Feng, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

CEDRIC’S TAIL

(By Amani Uduman, Illustrated by Agnès Ernoult, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

WHEN I’M NOT LOOKING

(By Farren Phillips, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

DODOS ARE NOT EXTINCT!

(By Paddy Donnelly, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

THE PERFECT PARTY

(By Laurel P. Jackson, Illustrated by Hèléne Baum-Owoyele, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

MILO’S MOONLIGHT MISSION

(By Kathleen M. Blasi, Illustrated by Petronela Dostalova, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

MY MONSTERPIECE

(By Amalia Hoffman, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Yeehoo Press for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

MASHA MUNCHING

(By Amalia Hoffman, Yeehoo Press)

---

Thank you Dinslage family for sharing an entire classroom donation of…

SIMON B. RHYMIN’

(By Dwayne Reed, Scholastic)

---

Thank you Brandon Todd for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

TOU-CAN’T!

(By Brandon Todd, Philomel)

---

Thank you Brittany J. Thurman and Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlouhy Books for sharing

an entire classroom donation of your book…

FLY

(By Brittany J. Thurman, Illustrated by Anna Cunha, Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlouhy Books)

---

Thank you Becky Scharnhorst and family for sharing an entire classroom donation of your book…

THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS!

(By Becky Scharnhorst, Illustrated by Julia Patton, Philomel)

---

Thank you Solonge Robinson for donating 40 copies of your books…

DON’T RUN FROM THE SUN

WHEN THE SUN COME UP AND THE MOON GOES DOWN

and

WHEN THE MOON COMES UP AND THE SUN GOES DOWN

(By Solonge Robinson and Aquabah Gonney-Buckner, ASA Books)

---

Thank you friends of Leading with Literacy for sharing two entire classroom donations…

18 DAYS UNDERGROUND (By Joanne Mattern, Scholastic)

and

FOXCRAFT: THE TAKEN (By Inbali Iserles, Scholastic)

---

Thank you Clothilde Ewing and Dow and Schaper families for sharing 25 copies of…

STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP

(By Clothilde Ewing, Illustrated by Lynn Gaines, Denene Millner Books / Simon & Schuster)

---

Thank you Theresa A. Smith-Hickman and the Dinslage family for sharing 20 copies of…

I CAN… JUST TRY!

(By Theresa A. Smith-Hickman, Illustrated by Tyrus Goshay, Tgosketch Press)

---

Thank you NoNieqa Ramos for sharing 12 copies of your books…

THE TRUTH IS

(By NoNieqa Ramos, Carolrhoda Lab)

HAIR STORY

(By NoNieqa Ramos, Illustrated by Keisha Morris, Carolrhoda Books)

---

Thank you Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia for sharing 10 copies of your book…

DIPLODOCUS FINDS ITS FAMILY

(By Marie Bollmann and Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia, DK / Penguin Random House)

---

Thank you Lauren H. Kerstein for sharing 10 copies of your book…

HOME FOR A WHILE

(By Lauren H. Kerstein, Illustrated by Natalia Moore, Magination Press)

---

Thank you Cynthia Harmony for sharing 6 copies of your book…

MI CIUDAD SINGS

(By Cynthia Harmony, Illustrated by Teresa Martínez, Penguin Workshop)

---

Thank you Michelle Schaub for donating six copies of your books…

FINDING TREASURE: A COLLECTION OF COLLECTIONS

(By Michelle Schaub, Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña, Charlesbridge)

KINDNESS IS A KITE STRING: THE UPLIFTING POWER OF EMPATHY

(By Michelle Schaub, Illustrated by Claire LaForte, Cardinal Rule Press)

---

Thank you Valerie Bolling and Boyds Mills Press for sharing a copy of your book…

LET’S DANCE!

(By Valerie Bolling, Illustrated by Maine Diaz, Boyds Mills Press)

---

Thank you Monica Acker for sharing a copy of your book…

BRAVE LIKE MOM

(By Monica Acker, Illustrated by Paran Kim, Beaming Books)

---

CURRENT TOTAL:

1,103 BOOKS

Thank you for being a part of delivering book joy to young scholars!

We can’t wait to see what this year’s holiday book drive brings!

Kidlit Spotlight: OLD FRIENDS

My Nana meant the world to everyone in our family. To my mom, she was a best friend. To my sisters, she was a confidant. To me, she was a mirror.

Nana and I shared the same demeanor – a soft-spoken nature and observational way of being. Homebodies at heart, our joy came from creating things. Crafts, cross-stitch, canning, cooking casseroles – tokens of time and love that take concentration, patience, hope.

When Nana passed away, the vacuum was real. I shed every tear I had and didn’t cry again for years. Nothing else seemed worth the salt. I knew that being introspective, quiet and creative was a valid way of being. But without her mirror, I couldn’t always see it.

With lots of time, journaling and music, I worked my way through and eventually thoughts of Nana became a source of joy and comfort again. Today, I see her fingerprints all over my life – in my meditative making, parenting style, and role in my own family.

Grandparents can shape how we view ourselves and introduce us to hobbies and experiences that make us feel happy and alive. A new picture book illustrates these enduring gifts with warmth, creativity, humor and charm.  

Meet OLD FRIENDS!

OLD FRIENDS - by author Margaret Aitken, illustrated by Lenny Wen (Feiwel & Friends) - is a heartfelt and adventurous story about Marjorie, a child who is feeling lost after the death of her Granny. The kids in Marjorie’s neighborhood are great, but they don’t love gardening, knitting and baking like she does. Like Granny did.

This realization spurs a quest, and Marjorie sets out in search of friends with whom she can relate… old friends. Gentle, endearing and sweet, OLD FRIENDS depicts the grandparent-grandchild bond with tenderness and bravely opens the door to new, surprising experiences. Here are three things that I love about OLD FRIENDS…

---

Delving into Detail

OLD FRIENDS begins in Marjorie’s home. Alone with big feelings, Marjorie thinks about Granny and the activities that the two of them use to enjoy - growing seeds into gardens and knitting cozy creations. With alliteration and specificity, the text brings Marjorie and Granny’s shared hobbies to life, painting a picture of a vibrant, intimate relationship now sorely missed.

Marjorie surrounds herself with objects that remind her of Granny – a record player, yarn and needles, a cookbook and photographs. She still wants to do the things that bring her happiness, but it’s no fun doing them alone.

Art by Lenny Wen

---

Motivated Main Character

Then one day, Marjorie passes a sign at the local community center, which advertises a Senior Citizens Friends Group. Marjorie perks at the sight. She returns with her knitting needles, only to be redirected by someone at the front desk: “That’s for seniors only!” Marjorie leaves defeated.

But as she walks away, she remembers Granny’s persistence in the face of cakes that wouldn’t rise and gnarly knots in her knitting, and decides it’s time for cardigan camouflage. Marjorie is going back - this time, in disguise. A cute and hilarious premise, motivated Marjorie is the epitome of a main character setting her sights on something and going for it, full stop.

Art by Lenny Wen

---

Intergenerational Joy

With hair flour-powdered and patterned accessories in place, Marjorie slips into the Senior Citizens Friends Group and is quickly embraced. It’s a perfect fit, just as Marjorie knew it would be. Her new friends have much to teach her and she eats it up like a warm chocolate-chip scone - a beautiful reminder of the many gifts of sharing time and experiences with neighbors and family members years our senior.

However, when a visitor to the group proposes an activity that’s not Marjorie’s cup of chamomile tea, she’s confronted with a choice. Should I cha-cha-cha, or choose to go?

Art by Lenny Wen

Making new friends involves taking risks, and things seldom go according to plan. But the friendships we forge always teach us things and help us grow, and our lives are all the richer for it — no matter our age, and no matter the age of our friends. OLD FRIENDS reminds us that inside, we are all kids with things to learn and things to share, and there’s always room for one more on the dance floor.

---

The Creators

Margaret Aitken is a Scottish writer for children. As a child, she could often be found outside hoping to stumble upon the characters of Brambly Hedge and Beatrix Potter. After studying medicine at the University of Glasgow, she worked as a doctor in the village of Doune, a filming location for Outlander and Game of Thrones. Along with her husband and three sons, Margaret is currently enjoying life in a New England-style farmhouse in Maine. When she isn’t writing she can mostly be found at the beach, in the garden, or baking something gluten-free. Visit Margaret online at www.margaretaitkenwrites.com.

Lenny Wen is a children’s book illustrator and author born and raised in Indonesia. She currently live in the countryside of Austria. Lenny loves to draw whimsical, spooky, funny, and nostalgic childhood illustrations, possessing a mixture of storytelling, imagination, and emotion. When not illustrating or writing, you might find Lenny staring at the trees, doodling bears in her sketchbook,  filling up her cup with coffee, or hugging her dog a bit too much. Lenny’s clients include HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Little, Brown for Young Readers, Simon and Schuster and Candlewick Press. Visit Lenny online at www.lennywen.com.

---

One lucky reader will win

OLD FRIENDS,

signed by Margaret Aitken!

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 9/30/22 

GOOD LUCK!

Signed copies of OLD FRIENDS are available through Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine. Click HERE to order today! OLD FRIENDS is also available now through your indie or bookseller of your choice.

A Scrapbook: Spring + Summer 2022 Celebrations

The time between the end of last school year and the beginning of this one passed in (snap!) an instant. Each authorly opportunity that popped into view led to the next, and before I knew it, we were shopping for school supplies!

What even happened?

I never want to forget these incredible experiences, so I decided to capture them for posterity’s sake! Thanks for flipping through my scrapbook - here goes!

---

March + April 2022

This spring, I started a new job as the Parent Programming Coordinator at The Nora Project - I’m so honored and excited to join this rockstar team, to help bring TNP’s mission of promoting disability inclusion to parents, specifically. Around this time, the UK Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome group invited our family to join their country-wide celebration virtually, which was a blast.

To my complete shock, my picture book Dancing with Daddy (illustrated by Ziyue Chen) was selected for three honors — named a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, a Christopher Award winner, and an SCBWI Crystal Kite Midwest Finalist. The month also brought several book events, which allowed me to chat with lots of new readers: the Eggstravaganza at Geneva Commons, school visits in Olathe, KS, and the Comicon convention in Kansas City.

---

May + June 2022

The month of May started with a real doozy… as I spilt tea INTO MY LAPTOP - who even does that? I thought all of my family photos were lost forever! But on Mother’s Day, no joke, the team at uBreakiFix saved my life and restored all that I thought I’d never see again. I shall never yoga, webinar and clean cat kibble at the same time, ever again. Lesson learned!

May included virtual and in-person school visits and a story time + dance party at the Geneva Public Library. Hokey pokey, anyone? Batavia boutique Wonder & Wander hosted a Father’s Day weekend read aloud. Then, picture book friends from across Chicagoland came to Geneva for our second-annual Kids Day Story Time during Swedish Days. Thank you Lisa, Jacob, Jennifer, Alison (my crit partner!) and Sarah for being there, and Mayor Burns for emceeing. Books, books and more books!

With the help of my colleagues at The Nora Project, I wrote a blog post called How we talk about disability, which takes a look at commonly used phrases that can cause harm. It kind of blew up! We have been so encouraged by the response and interaction with the post. Please take a look, and share! My TNP colleague Jo Tolley and I co-hosted an Instagram LIVE on the topic (watch it HERE), which was such a thought-provoking chat.

---

July + August 2022

Things kept on rollin’ in July and August! I visited three Chicago Public Library branches in one day, including the stunning Harold Washington Library Center and Thomas Hughes Children’s Library. Wowza. The Nora Project’s annual training camp at the Chicago Botanic Garden was unforgettable - great instruction for TNP teachers and soooo many wonderful speakers.

A foundation that supports children with GRIN2B syndrome and their families invited me to speak at the org’s national meeting in Rosemont. I was so excited about the opportunity that I locked my keys in my van. For the second time this summer. Yikes. And yet…

Despite my frenetic shuffling, summer was 100 percent awesome and concluded with a celebratory wrap. The Nora Project’s gala at Steak 48 was a tremendous success. It was such an honor to meet emcee Kevin Kling. His remarks were FIRE. I had the opportunity to interview outdoor adventurer and accessibility ambassador Enock Glidden for The Nora Project on Instagram LIVE (watch it HERE), which was way too much fun. And my Christopher Award medallion, an honor I share with Ziyue, arrived on the same day I recorded a podcast for the Christopher’s radio show. Phew!!

---

Now, the kids are back in school, and all is well - and I’m charting a course for the months ahead.

Spoiler alert: Fun stuff is happening!

Things on deck include a book festival, an author panel, library visits, Holiday Book Drive Chi year six, a new book deal announcement (eeps!!!)… and the cover reveal of my second picture book, Willow and Bunny, illustrated gorgeously by Christopher Denise. I can’t wait to share it all with you!

**PS: If you’d like me to visit your school or library to talk about writing, dancing, disability and inclusion, please let me know! Just drop me a note through my Contact form, to start the conversation.

Talk soon!

Kidlit Spotlight: SOMETIMES LOVE

Love can manifest in an instant. It is powerful, mysterious and reflexive. It is easy to do, yet asks everything of you. It’s known the world over and expressed a million different ways, but one thing never changes…

You know love when you feel it.

Love can be so many things. Sometimes love - a new parent love - is softly spoken, in gentle coos and whispers. Sometimes love - a grandparent’s love - sings out adoringly, sending melody right into your memory. Sometimes love - a furry friend love - mews and scampers, right into your living room and into your life.

When I was a little girl, my dad had dozens of barn cats at our family farm. Anytime there was a golden kitten flitting about or sleeping in the rim of a combine or tractor, I would scoop it up, call it Pancake, and declare it mine.

Decades passed without a single pet. Then last year, my sister’s celestially speckled cat, Luna, had a litter all her own. Within the soft bundles delivered was a golden kitten, light and fluffy. Text messages about “Pancake Schulte” flooded my phone. Sometimes love is something your sister always knew you needed.

And when a pet enters your world, love is the only word that will do.

Something as universal and personal as love begs you to pen your own tale. And, when we share our own unique experiences, others no doubt see themselves and their truths within.

Such is the case with SOMETIMES LOVE, a new picture book that tells the story of a bond between a puppy and a family. This sweet, poignant, positively glowing book - inspired by events in the life of author Katrina Moore, and illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz - published on July 12, 2022 (Penguin Young Readers/Dial). And it’s currently illuminating bookshelves, home libraries and hearts everywhere.

With specificity, creativity and tenderness, SOMETIMES LOVE shows how selfless, boundless and unconditional love can be. How love can build, change and grow into something new, yet immediately known. Here are three utterly lovely things about the new picture book SOMETIMES LOVE…

---

Rich & Warm

Love casts an undeniable glow, and picture book SOMETIMES LOVE captures the aura. Pink and lilac sweetly wash over the cover and pages, softly blending with watercolor continuity into touches of turquoise, coral and juniper. The effect is oh-so tender, welcoming and warm.

When a woven basket holding a little puppy arrives on the page, a new color pops within the palette. Everywhere the doggy goes, so follows a golden glow, representing the source of the family’s joy and affection. The enchantment of the art is matched and extended by gentle, sensory-rich poetry, which includes very particular morsels of truths that pet owners, in particular, will immediately recognize: Wobbly ears, fuzz that’s thick, love is sometimes at first lick.

Art by Joy Hwang Ruiz

---

Two Tales in One

SOMETIMES LOVE is a story about the relationship between a pet and its family, but it also offers something more. Within the artwork, and subtly detailed within the story, is another narrative. A parent in the book is a member of the military, and through clothing, photographs and news flashes, readers will glean that deployment is imminent and change is in the air.

Love is constant, but it’s an emotion that has to evolve to survive. SOMETIMES LOVE provides a specific example of how shifts in geography can put incredible strains on the bonds of affection, but how love is exactly what makes these changes endurable and, ultimately, beautiful.

Art by Joy Hwang Ruiz

---

Bent, Not Broken

The child in SOMETIMES LOVE lives through challenging circumstances. The puppy that she trained and snuggled and scolded and played with must be left behind at a boarding facility for pets of serving soldiers. Now she has to pack up her life, leave her home, let go of her dog, and begin a new story in a new place. How do our children adapt to such big shifts in place and connection?

The heartbeat of the story holds the key: Love is firm. Love can bend. Love knows how to be a friend. Despite the family’s move, one thing in the story remains constant - the love that they have for one another. It allows them to weather the dramatic adjustment, and it enables the child to embrace friends in another country. Everything that she learned about being a good companion is now an irrevocable part of her, which accompanies her in her travels and paves the way for new friendships.

Art by Joy Hwang Ruiz

Sometimes life throws you curve balls, out of the blue. Sometimes the pass is telegraphed long ago. But change is never easy, no matter how much notice you get. SOMETIMES LOVE provides readers a pathway through hurt, showing that remembering, celebrating and sharing is essential and part of growing up.

New things can be great - wonderful, even - and the people and pets that shape who we are can never be taken from us. They will hold a place in our hearts, forever. Plus, you never know what the future holds. (Reunions are always worth the wait.)

---

The Creators

Katrina Moore writes and teaches in New Jersey. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. She is the author of the picture books, SOMETIMES LOVE, ONE HUG, GRANDPA GRUMPS, and its companion, GRUMPY NEW YEAR (Dec. '22), and the chapter book series, TEENY HOUDINI (HarperCollins/Tegen, '22), with more books on the way. Connect with her on Twitter at @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.

Joy Hwang Ruiz is an illustrator and the creator of the website Mom Is Drawing, which captures the magical moments of parenthood. Joy’s multilingual family in Southern California is a mix of three continents (Asia, North America, Latin America). A former studio artist from the contemporary art world, Joy’s recent clients include Dove Baby, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Chronicle. Joy is represented by Molly O'Neil of Root Literary and Joy’s work can be viewed on Instagram at @momisdrawing.

---

One lucky reader will win

SOMETIMES LOVE,

signed by Katrina Moore!

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 8/26/22 

GOOD LUCK!

Readers who purchase SOMETIMES LOVE from Books of Wonder will receive a bookplate signed by author Katrina Moore. Details HERE!

Kidlit Spotlight: HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR

In fulfillment of my youngest’s rock-and-roll dreams, Santa gifted Miss L this guitar six months ago. To our delight, she promptly named it “Jessica.”

Miss L has been taking weekly guitar lessons ever since, learning chords that will one day be the building blocks of her preeminent rock opera - a prediction I’m making with confidence based on her love of Édith Piaf and the vibrato with which she sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Yes, rock flows through Miss L’s veins, an impulse that no doubt comes from her dad, who played in three bands in his 20s and still rocks a mean campfire session. Like her papa, Miss L has plans, and I am here for any and every arena that she and Jessica intend to rock, and rock hard.

For all these reasons and more, new picture book HOW TO BE A ROCKSTAR is right up our backstage alley. This hilarious story by Lisa Tolin, illustrated by Daniel Duncan, (Putnam), delivers rock lifestyle 101 with wit, sparkle and spunk and is coming to a town near you on Aug. 2, 2022. Tickets are on sale now - IE: this jam-of-a-book is available for pre-order now.

HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR is a picture book about kid poised and ready to show the rock-and-roll ropes to young readers. This how-to guide covers all of the pivotal moments in the Behind the Music arc of band life. The ups, the downs, the roaring comeback… each gets a verse. And the chorus? Sheesh, what a hook. You’ll be humming it all summer: Whatever happens, keep playing. Here are three things that I love about the new picture book HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR…

---

Finding Your Voice

Fronting a band is a journey full of glory and compromise - truths that the main character of HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR has learned first hand. Lucky for readers, this seasoned pro is willing to share industry secrets that will help aspiring rockers manage their careers and expectations.

If you want to be a rock star… First, you need a band. Youngers brothers are not ideal, but yours will have to do. When forming a band, sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got, and that includes little sibs. You also need to pick an instrument, select a band name, and define your sound. So many choices, and many of them blocked by suits - in this case, parents trying to manage noise levels. The narrator of this book, a true artist, shows that the fun of being a rock star is using limitations as fuel for experimentation. Rocking is about finding your voice and singing a song the crowd can get behind.

Art by Daniel Duncan

---

Lil Rockers, Center Stage

Grown ups will find humor in every line of this book, which chronicles key incidents in the rock lifestyle narrative, from wardrobe malfunctions to flippant retorts from jaded naysayers… like Dad: I liked it better when you played Wheels on the Bus. As the narrator says, Everyone’s a critic.

But the most important audience of all remains center stage. Young readers will see themselves in the parental power struggles, chosen instrumentation (broom guitar and pot-and-pan drum kit), and residential performance spaces. For as all little rockers can attest, no cheers can compare to those from a hometown crowd. The venues that matter most - where you can let loose and release your rocker wail - are the places that made you who you are… where you found out what you’re really made of.

Art by Daniel Duncan

---

Rock Like No One’s Watching

Some moments in rock life are epic. The filled arenas, the flashing lights, the roar of the crowd. But sometimes, things fall out of tune. As this story documents, in your journey to rock stardom there will be face plants and downward spirals: The tour may take its toll on your brother. You’ll likely experience creative differences with people you love. And, at times, the only way forward might be to go solo.

Living your rock-and-roll dream won’t be easy. But the thing that will push you onward, and drive your fans to call for one more song, is the way you feel when you’re doing what you love. That passion is contagious.

Art by Daniel Duncan

HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR is pure picture book fun. There are no heavy handed morals to be found in this clever new read. But there is a hidden track: The abandon and heart that beats in the main character’s rock star center, boldly encouraging young readers to stay true to themselves, stay on stage, and play on.

That’s rock ‘n roll.

---

The Creators

Lisa Tolin is a journalist and editor. HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR is her debut picture book. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young sons, who provided inspiration for the book. Learn about Lisa at www.lisatolin.com.

Daniel Duncan is a children’s book illustrator, who likes to create vibrant characters within detailed environments, using earth colours and textures. He studied illustration at Middlesex University and now works from his home in leafy Amersham on the outskirts of London. See Daniel’s work on Instagram at @daniel_duncan_illustration.

---

One lucky reader will win

HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR,

signed by Lisa Tolin!

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 7/15/22 

GOOD LUCK!

You also can order a copy of HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR, signed by author Lisa Tolin, via Community Book Store, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Be sure to put your personalization request in the comments.

Author Spotlight: Valerie Bolling

As the weather warms, families everywhere are opening their garages for big clean ups and new outdoor adventures. At our house, every mode of transport gets a spring-time evaluation and tune up, from the battery-powered Jeep to the bikes and trikes.

We hose off all the dust and mud. Squeeze the tires, and pump them up. Give the breaks a squeeze, and gears some grease. Then, off we ride!

We are rolling smoothly now, as a crew, but the journey from four wheels to two is one we’ll never forget. In our driveway, on our street, and in parking lots across our town - we practiced balance, grip and pedaling, and got a feel for wide open spaces.

Learning to ride is a formative and unforgettable experience for many kids and parents - the hope of flying, the fear of trying, and the freedom of goodbye-ing when you ride away… just you, your bike and the wind…

The brand new picture book TOGETHER WE RIDE, which zoomed onto shelves April 26, follows a family as it embarks on this thrilling adventure. Written by Valerie Bolling, and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita (Chronicle), this spirited, celebratory story captures the journey to two wheels in tight, inventive rhyme and joyful, precise pictures.

Bolling, the author, begins the story with a single word: Inside. Readers are welcomed into the family’s garage, where every detail brings us close to the main character and her life. Hanging bikes. A basket mid-weave. Chalk swirls on the concrete floor. Juanita, the illustrator, etches and places each item in delicate lines and soft-yet-bright colors, reflecting a family that’s abuzz with creativity and action.

Then outside they go, exiting the garage and entering a bright San Francisco day - the Golden Gate Bridge arching red in the distance, over waves of blue. Quick stride, Dad and daughter take off… but then, Slip, slide, tossed aside. The main character lands with a bang in the bushes, yellow angles emphasizing the pain and disappointment that comes with taming a tipping bike.

Bolling’s just-right words, which often physically underscore action on the page, emphasize emotion and propel the story forward. The concise style is a perfect match for the experience of learning to ride, where communication comes in quickly delivered redirections and exclamations, and what matters most is presence and proximity - where Run beside gives you the confidence to Coast, glide.

As summer and Father’s Day near, TOGETHER WE RIDE’s arrival is impeccably timed. So, with excitement to share this title with tons of families in my world, who are embarking on similar moments, I sat down for a chat with Valerie to learn more about how this special story came to be! I hope you enjoy my Author Spotlight with Valerie Bolling:

---

3 Questions with Valerie Bolling

TOGETHER WE RIDE is so creatively composed. I love the verbs that you constructed (hug-cried, goodbyed) - so succinct, yet packed with emotion. How did you find these perfect new words?

Thank you for that compliment, Anitra. For TOGETHER WE RIDE, I challenged myself to write a book with as few words as possible and to use the same end rhyme throughout the text. Therefore, I had to choose words carefully and make sure each one counted. Since I like playing with words, it was fun finding the right words and creating a couple of my own, like “hug-cried” and “goodbyed.”

Take us into your writing space. When are you there, and what things do you surround yourself with, when you are creating?

I used to write only in my office, often with a scented candle burning and a cup of herbal tea. Now I write in many places around my home – family room, kitchen, bedroom, and deck (weather permitting, of course). Some of my best writing ideas come to me when I’m not at home. During walks I’ve thought of new story ideas or how to increase the tension in a draft or revise an ending. Sometimes I dictate notes into my phone. I’ve even written or revised drafts during long car rides. I can write anywhere. I just need time ... and quiet.

What advice can you share with writers who want to make sure that every word counts and drives the story forward?

That’s a good question, Anitra. For a short text, like TOGETHER WE RIDE, think about the image or feeling that each word conveys, and ask yourself if fewer words can be used to convey that image or feeling. For longer texts, be willing to cut words that do not move the story along. This could be an entire scene, or it could be descriptive words that are unnecessary because the pictures will do the work. No matter what you’re writing, delete filler words, like “really,” “very,” “so,” etc. 

---

Great tips! Thank you so much for visiting the blog, Valerie! You can order TOGETHER WE RIDE through your local indie, or purchase it today, here.

Valerie Bolling is the author of the 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning and CT Book Award finalist LET’S DANCE! (March 2020). In 2022 Valerie is happy to welcome TOGETHER WE RIDE (April) and RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! (October). Sequels to these books as well as a Scholastic early reader series, RAINBOW DAYS, are slated for 2023. A graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers College, Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years. She currently works as an Instructional Coach for Greenwich Public Schools and is on the faculty at Westport Writers’ Workshop. She is also a WNDB mentor and deeply immersed in the kidlit writing community, particularly involved with SCBWI, the 12X12 Picture Book Challenge, and Black Creators HeadQuarters. Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing. Learn more at linktr.ee/ValerieBolling.

Kaylani Juanita is an illustrator based in Fairfield, CA, who illustrates inclusive picture books, editorial art, and afros. Some of her clients include Chronicle Books, Cicada Magazine, and DEFY. Her work has been recognized by Society of Illustrators, The Huffington Post, as well as BBC. California grown and raised, she's studied at Cal Arts and CCA for a BFA in Illustration. Her mission as an artist is to support the stories of the under represented and create new ways for people to imagine themselves. You can find her lurking in public secretly drawing strangers or writing nonsensical stories about who knows what.

---

*** Win TOGETHER WE RIDE **

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 5/13/22 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Author Spotlight: Hope Lim

Stories of formative childhood years are the most fun to recount and imagine and so lovingly passed, from generation to generation. These tales from a not-so-distant past let us know where we came from and form a steady surface upon which new adventures are stacked in unexpected but connected patterns.

The distance between my childhood and my children’s youth spans 30 years and 170 miles - not too great chasm, really. While advances in technology have made our childhoods dissimilar, in many ways my hometown is exactly as it was when I was a child. All of the same buildings and street signs. No Blockbuster, of course, but this thigh-scalding slide still stands, for better or worse!

Enlivening the scenes of my past is something I feel compelled to do - in park trips, parades, shopping outings, and the library, of course. Those places made me who I am and, in turn, made my children who they are.

Parents who have moved across the country or world have an even greater distance to traverse, when conveying these moments to their children. However, stories, momentos, photographs and, when possible, homecomings can intertwine to create an incredibly rich living history that begs for a new chapter that only the next generation can write.

The picture book MOMMY’S HOMETOWN, which arrives on shelves April 12, captures the challenges and immense rewards of deeply connecting young generations to their roots. Here’s the gorgeous glowing cover of this anticipated title…

MOMMY’S HOMETOWN by Hope Lim, illustrated by Jaime Kim (Candlewick), is a picture book about a child who has heard many nighttime stories about Mommy’s village, a place where “mountains nearby stood like giants” and an old river moves through the village “like a long thread.” In Mommy’s stories, the river is especially important - a place of adventure, treasure and carefree joy.

Mommy’s beautiful memories of playing in the river, so often recounted, become part of the child’s dreams. At last, the time has come to visit Mommy’s beloved place firsthand. With images of billowing clouds and the pebbled riverbank in their minds and hearts, they travel by train and finally arrive.

But, when they begin walking down the streets, the child finds not a small village, but a big city, where old stores and houses sit small and out of place next to new shiny tall buildings. “Is this really the same place where Mommy grew up?” the child wonders. “Everything is different from her stories.” The child’s longing to see things as Mommy did - the dirt roads, the pebbled paths - is affecting and powerful. So much has changed, making Mommy’s past feel out of reach.

Linking Mommy’s vibrant stories to the present seems an impossible task, especially when they finally arrive to the river - only to find it quiet and empty. No one splashes, as they did in Mommy’s tales. But Mommy and child wade into the water anyway. Soon they find themselves playing in the icy, swirling river, just as Mommy did as a girl.

As they walk home in the dusk, Mommy’s Hometown is aglow. Once sleepy old stores and homes now shine with activity and joy, a beautiful parallel to the light and life that the visit gives to Mommy’s stories, which now burn in the child’s imagination, even brighter than before.

Time will always separate parent and child, and stories will forever play a crucial role in invigorating the past. MOMMY’S HOMETOWN shows that even though the threads that connect these two worlds and experiences can feel delicate and tenuous, open and seeking hearts make the bonds alive and unbreakable.

I sat down for a chat with Hope to learn more about her story and the power of picture books! I hope you enjoy my Author Spotlight with Hope Lim:

---

3 Questions with Hope Lim

Thanks for stopping by the blog, Hope! Can you share what inspired this beautiful story?

My hometown in Korea and my memories of that place. Since moving to America, I have visited Korea to see my parents numerous times and always noticed the changes since my previous visit. One summer, I took my kids and husband to the old river where I used to play as a child. Watching them play and catch fish, I was overtaken by a sense of nostalgia because everything around the river was different from my childhood. At the same time, I was touched by the fact that my kids were reenacting exact scenes from my childhood decades later. At that moment, I wanted to write a story about the passage of time and the changes that took place. I also wanted to capture the new, special memories my kids created in my hometown, where my parents’ love and their steady presence remain the same as this old river. 

The emotional tension between what the child expects to see, and the reality experienced, is so palpable. How did you hone in on the best way to express this longing?

I used to tell my kids about my childhood memories in my hometown and wished to take them back to the old days, knowing how much fun they would have. Then, when I took them to my hometown for the first time, I realized how different it was from my stories and wondered if they were able to draw the contrast between my stories and reality. As I wrote this story, I asked myself that question, and it prompted me to see things from the perspective of the child in me. With every visit, I was able to reintegrate into my parents’ daily routine and remember what it was like to walk through the different neighborhoods of my hometown. By the end of my visits, I always had a renewed appreciation of many things in my hometown and felt fortunate to have a place to visit and stay. I think experiencing all these different emotions helped me to express both disappointment and longing. 

Your storytelling is so clear and true. How did life lead you to picture books, and how does this form suit your style?

When I became a mother, I read a lot with my kids and was really drawn to the power of picture books, where a single word or illustration can convey deep emotions. I also became fascinated by the way my kids viewed the world around them and kept a journal of their unique child-like perspectives and our everyday adventures. My kids were very close to each other and played wonderfully, always doing something fun together. I felt compelled to write something inspired by their play and imaginary friends, which eventually led me to the path of a picture book writer. In addition to the power of picture books, I love the combination of illustrations and text as art and words are two of my favorite things. When I write a picture book text, I enjoy the practice of leaving room for illustration. Trying to write in a way that conjures images is like leaving an invitation to a space that is open to many exciting possibilities. I truly look forward to seeing the visual worlds an illustrator creates, and how she or he brilliantly fills the space left by the text. When I receive the final art, I am always reminded of how happy I am to be part of the book making process. 

---

Thank you so much for visiting the blog, Hope! You can pre-order MOMMY’S HOMETOWN now, here!

Hope Lim is the author of I AM A BIRD, illustrated by Hyewon Yum, and MY TREE, illustrated by Il Sung Na. Born and raised in South Korea, Hope Lim now lives with her family in San Francisco.

---

*** Win MOMMY’S HOMETOWN **

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 4/8/22 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Spotlight: Perfect Pairing

One of my favorite things about being a mom is getting to live in two worlds at once - my adult life, full of the people and experiences of my past and present, and all of childhood, through the inventive eyes of my three daughters.

My youngest, Miss L, has an especially wild imagination. She names and renames her sisters and our pet, on the regular. Such recent monikers include Magenta, Gus Gus, Onion and Swea-dwea. She often talks about a fictional world of her own creation, called Osimonio Beo, which has it’s own language, naturally. And why walk to your destination, when you can cartwheel or chassé?

Miss L isn’t alone in her adventures. She has a partner in crime, her best friend Nate. Together they recently invented a holiday (“Minias Month”) that exists for exactly 11 days, which happens to be the days between their birthdays. And for Halloween, this is who they chose to be: Edna and Philister Greenbean.

There is the what-meets-the-eye world. And then, there is the world in which Miss L lives, which seems like the best possible place to be, honestly. There, rules are few. But when there are rules, they are a glorious twist-and-take on the rules of the adult world, which she’s growing to understand each day. Miss L’s imagination entertains her, surprises us all, and has a way of revealing what her brain is up to, as it grows and grows and grows.

As children’s book authors, we get to tap into that world every time we write. It’s a bit like visiting Neverland, each time we jot down an idea or dive into a new story. Two brand new picture books live and play in this landscape of imagination with great success, and I am blessed to call the authors of these titles dear friends and critique partners. In fact, all of our debuts have released in the past four months! (Woohoo, WestPBCG!)

January 25, 2022, brought the release of SEEKING BEST FRIEND, by Alison Marcotte (pictured), illustrated by Diane Ewen (Beaming Books). Meet Alison and her book!

… and March 8, 2022, delivered STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP, by Clothilde Ewing (pictured), illustrated by Lynn Gaines (Denene Millner Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). Say hi to Clo and STELLA!

In writing critique groups, some stories arrive in raw iterations, as concepts explored. But both of these manuscripts entered our story swap quite fully conceived. As authors, we often talk about the importance of voice in writing. Alison and Clothilde both have a unique talent for telling stories rooted in the rhythm and sound of childhood joy and wonder, and you’ll find exactly that in these stellar debuts.

If you have a young reader with a wild imagination, who plays their way through an ever-new and evolving world, SEEKING BEST FRIEND and STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP pair just perfectly. Here’s more about these creative books, both of which would be great additions to your bookshelf or next library haul:

---

SEEKING BEST FRIEND

SEEKING BEST FRIEND is a story about a girl on the hunt for a best buddy. To spread the word about the position, she posts a sign in her neighborhood. At first, the criteria seem simple: Must be kind. A passion for bugs would be neat. Who should apply, but an ant eater - not exactly who the girl had in mind. So a revision to the sign is required.

Each time the girl adjusts the posting, however, a new candidate appears, bringing a wild cast of characters onto the page - from a robot and pirate, to a giant soaring dragon. Children will delight in the chaos that ensues as the girl’s peaceful hideout is overrun by eager creatures. After fending off an increasingly unruly cadre of applicants, the girl revises her job description and at last attracts the perfect friend: Position filled.

SEEKING BEST FRIEND is a colorful and silly read aloud with a strong heart. In exploring the qualities and characteristics of favorite dress up and playtime roles, the story reveals what all children, young and old, seek: A friend who sees, accepts and loves who we are and wants to share our interests and time.

(An Edna to your Phillister!)

---

STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP

STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP is story about a girl who absolutely does not want to go to bed. Sleep? Boring! So she and her partner Roger, a stuffed hippo, decide to keep the sun up. That way, nighttime never arrives. The clever notion serves as a hypothesis that Stella and Roger test through a series of playtime experiments.

They make all sorts of noise, to keep the sun awake. They eat cereal in the afternoon, to trick the sun into thinking its morning. They even try to deliver coffee to the sun, via trampoline - an idea that proves hot, splashy and futile: This is a disaster. Stella says. The sun is tougher than I thought. But then Stella remembers her friend, who just moved to a country on the other side of the world. Kamrynn is waiting for us to go to sleep! If we keep the sun up here, she will be stuck in bed for a hundred years!

STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP delivers the very best kid logic, exploring the enormous role that routine plays in children’s lives with insightful nuance and surprising humor. In the end, Stella realizes the importance of the sun in terms that do not bend to adult rationale, but instead align perfectly with what is central to her - allowing the sun to bring daytime fun to a beloved and distant friend.

---

Huge congrats to Alison and Clo, for creating such fun and imaginative stories, which embrace and reflect childhood in all its playful glory. These whimsical tales mark the beginning of two exciting careers for two extraordinarily talented women. Here’s more about these fabulous creators and humans!

The Creators

Alison Marcotte is a Chicago-based writer. She is a member of SCBWI, the Chicago Writers Association, the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, and the Off Campus Writers Workshop, and a freelance writer for American Library Association's American Libraries magazine. When she’s not writing, she’s often exploring Chicago, running (and trying to brainstorm new ideas), or spending time with family. Seeking Best Friend is her debut picture book.

Clothilde Ewing is a children’s book author with years of storytelling experience - for CBS News, The Oprah Winfrey Show, President Obama's re-election campaign, Chicago City Hall and The Chicago Community Trust. She was inspired to write a picture book after reading editor Denene Millner's New York Times opinion piece "Black Kids Don't Want to Read About Harriet Tubman All the Time." Today, Millner is the editor of Ewing’s debut.

---

One lucky reader will win BOTH books!

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 3/25/22 

GOOD LUCK!

Illustrator Spotlight: Lauren Eldridge

But, how though?

How does Lauren Eldridge do it?

How does she create 3D characters and scenes out of everyday things? How does she make static objects crawl and careen and captivate?

With raw materials, art tools, and crazy amounts of talent, Lauren Eldridge - the illustrator of new title HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS - builds picture books that feature not only humans, creatures and critters, but entire ecosystems that reflect our world at its most alive, exciting and magical.

Jaw-dropping, mind-blowing stuff, Lauren makes.

Wanna see? Check out this video…

Lauren’s dimensional illustrations are stunningly detailed and expressive. They also have palpable presence and power — to stop you in your tracks and capture your imagination, to incite laughter and spark wonder, to hold your attention and stoke your curiosity.

I’ve been awestruck by Lauren’s work since first seeing CLAYMATES (depicted in the video above), a completely original story by Dev Petty, featuring clay characters imagined and enlivened by Lauren. I reviewed the ground-breaking story in a Kidlit Craft feature a few years back, which marked my introduction to Lauren and her unique process, perspective and storytelling.

Lauren’s talent is also front-and-center in the beautiful bedtime picture book SLEEP TRAIN, written by Jonathan London, and brand new book, HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS, written by Catherine Bailey. Feast your peepers upon Lauren’s crazy cool creations on this soaring, skittering cover…

HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), which publishes Feb. 22, 2022, is a playful non-fiction picture book about tuning into the world of bugs around you and recognizing the important role that bugs play in our environment. Set in a charming backyard, with skyscrapers seen in the not-too-distant beyond, readers follow two children - one in overalls, the other in a sunny tunic - as they set out to record and explore.

As author Catherine Bailey’s rhyming text gently bounces in introduction, illustrator Lauren brings us in close. Lean grass blades cluster and bend. Veined waxy leaves filter and reflect the sun. Fluffy soil below crumbles and compresses. The detailed cross-section lets readers know they’ve arrived — as special visitors to “secret cities” that buzz and crawl with activity and purpose, where lady bugs soar, butterflies perch and grasshoppers lurch…

The fun, fact-filled text draws clever parallels between bug work and human work, reminding readers that tiny critters aren’t pests, but busy and purposeful contributors to the planet. Spiders are architects. Termites are soldiers. Each bug has an important job to do that directly impacts the food chain, all the way up the ladder and back down again.

Each spread of HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS brings a different bug into focus. But nothing about the presentation is predictable. Sometimes, the horizon line arches and slopes, showing that our planet isn’t a series of tidy horizontal layers, but a dynamic and varied place. Other times the setting takes us deep, such as into the golden, glowing center of a honeycomb — a gorgeous sweet-treat for the eyes. Adding an extra layer of storytelling, the out-of-view sun slowly sets over the course of the book, communicating that bugs don’t stop hustling when the stars appear. It’s just another time for the critters to shine.

Do you want to know a little bit more about how Lauren creates this singular style of magic? If you’re like me, and you’d love a ticket for a trip into her studio, here it is! Come along on my first-ever Illustrator Spotlight with one of my all-time-favorite creators (and people!), Lauren Eldridge:

---

3 Questions with Lauren Eldridge

The bugs you created in HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS are incredibly vibrant and life-like! What was it like living with all these creatures for so long?

Thank you! They are pretty life-like but, thankfully, they don't really register as real bugs because they are so big. Most of the insects are between 8-12 inches long and (fun fact!) are bigger than the environments I created for them. It was actually pretty helpful to be creating them when I was because I shared my space with a pod of third graders a few days per week (thanks pandemic) that were learning all about insects at the time. They were able to hold up the bugs and discuss things like what/where a thorax or mandible might be with their teachers and classmates via zoom - which was really cool to see! However, the spider did kind of creep people out because that guy looks like it could possibly be a real bug.

What materials did you have at the ready (or were indispensable) while creating these fascinating bugs?

Welp, I absolutely needed wire, epoxy, foam footballs, Sculpey and paint for the majority of the bugs. The butterflies required cardstock and I used dried flower petals to give other insects (especially the bees!) more interest and texture.

Which was the most challenging bug to create, and how did you solve that dilemma and bring it to life?

I think the firefly was the most difficult because I wanted it to actually glow. Most of my process is trial and error (I learn a LOT through "failure") and this bug definitely made me learn a LOT. After trying many different methods of putting a light inside of the insect, I pivoted and decided to put on many, many coats of glow-in-the-dark neon yellow paint. Which also didn't work on its own. SO... I ended up really focusing on lighting during photography. I used gels to color the lights and had several very small, controlled beams pointing only on the insect's abdomen while the rest of the bug was lit differently. In the end, it worked through photography and I didn't have to mess with it in post production!.  

---

Thank you so much for visiting the blog, Lauren! You can order HUSTLE BUSTLE BUG now, HERE!

PS: Are you following Lauren on Instagram? Whatcha waiting for?! At @eldridgestudio, you get to go behind the curtain to see how her creations come together, piece by piece. And that’s something you don’t want to miss!

Lauren Eldridge is a 3-dimensional photographic illustrator. She earned her BA of Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture from University of Minnesota, her MA in Early Childhood Exceptional Education with a focus on Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and taught in special education settings for five years. Lauren employs materials like wire, clay, foam, cardboard, acrylic paint, paper, glass, plaster cloth, wood, fabric, and anything else a story calls for to achieve her visual creations. She lives with her husband and two mini-me studio assistants who keep her equal parts motivated and distracted in their home in Austin, TX.

---

*** Win HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS **

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my contest tweet by 2/25/22 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!