I get the distinct pleasure to interview the amazing Tammi Sauer this week! For any of you unfamiliar with her, Tammi Sauer is a full time author who presents at schools and conferences across the nation. She has 25 published picture books with major publishing houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Random House, Scholastic Press, Simon & Schuster, and Sterling, and she has many more on the way. In addition to winning awards, Tammi's books have gone on to do great things. Nugget & Fang was made into a musical and is currently on a national tour, Wordy Birdy was named a Spring 2018 Kids' Indie Next pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and a Barnes & Noble Best

Susanna Leonard Hill, is encouraging writers to practice their craft, while participating (playing) in a fun contest - her 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest. There is still time to join the fun. Post your story on your blog between now and Wednesday October 31st by 11:59 PM EDT. Then add your post-specific link on her blog (here) or add your entry to the comments. Even if you can't participate, be sure to stop by and enjoy reading all the entries. The rules are simple: Write a 100-word Halloween story for children using the words shiver, cauldron, and howl. For more details, visit Susanna Hill’s website. Here is my 94-word entry. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Ho

One thing I love about Christmas is the feeling of friendship and goodwill that often permeates the holiday. It's so universal, it can even pause a world war. Okay, I agree that the Christmas hype, currently erupting in every store, seems to get earlier and earlier every year. It's barely Halloween and already the stores are displaying Christmas items. Never mind that Thanksgiving comes first. Or that avoiding Christmas music until after Thanksgiving becomes increasingly impossible each year. HOWEVER, don't let any of this frustration keep you from looking at this amazing book. Annie and Paolo have created a wonderful addition to both your friendship and Christmas book collections. The Chri

A year ago, I had the pleasure to interview Annie Silvestro. This year, she released a beautiful book about Christmas, trains, and friendship from the point of view of a little pine tree. I have the pleasure of talking with her a bit about this new book and writing. For some basic information on Annie, and to read about her delightful book Mice Skating, see our earlier interview (here) and #PPBF post (here). Welcome back Annie! I am so exciting that your third picture book, The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains released September 18th! Thank you so much! ME: Did the process of creating and publishing The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains differ from that of Mice Skating or Bunny’s Book Club? How

Here it is, the review you've been waiting for all week. Heidi Stemple's amazing nonfiction story of how Frank Chapman turned his love of birds into the creation of the Audubon Magazine and a world-wide, citizen science event that resulted in counting 56,139,812 birds in 2016! When I first saw this cover, I couldn't wait to read the book. Both because I love birds (and enjoy participating in a number of citizen science projects involving birds) and because I was immediately fascinated by Clover Robin's cut paper illustrations. As a Girl Scout leader, my troop of Brownies & Juniors created a bird quilt for a retirement community. We chose our favorite birds and made felt collages of them on f

Have I got an amazing treat for you this week! I am joined by the funny, talented, and generous Heidi Stemple. If for some reason, you know don't who Heidi Stemple is. Heidi has co-authored 28 or so books with her mother - who is none other than the amazing Jane Yolen. She has also written numerous short stories and poems (a complete list is on her website), a concept picture book - One If By Land: A Massachusetts Number Book (America by the Numbers) (2006), and part of a nonfiction series - Witch Haunts (Scary Places) (2016). But she is especially proud of her newest picture book, Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends (Young Naturalist), which released October 2, 2

I can guarantee you that wondering through the library or bookstore, which is a favorite past-time of mine, I would not have gravitated to this book. Ever since I snuck peeks down the hall at The Blob as a small child and my college boyfriend insisted on showing me a Freddy Krueger movie, I have avoided scary movies and books. Horror and grossness are really not my thing. BUT, I am very glad that one of my critique partners wrote this book. That gave me an incentive to read it. Fortunately, the format allows you to focus on the science and statistics, if an image is too freaky. Despite myself, I enjoyed this book and can see it being wildly popular with millions of children (and adults). An

You probably know this author from her recent picture book Daddy Depot (Feiwel & Friends, 2017). But did you know Chana has written 23 non-fiction books for kids and over 95 magazine articles? She’s also been an editor for Scholastic’s Science World magazine and taught a year-long Writing Workshop to classes of energetic and creative kids at a local high school. Hope you enjoy this interview with my amazing critique partner, Chana Stiefel whose newest book, Animal Zombies, released Aug. 28, from National Geographic Kids. ME: Chana, thank-you so much for stopping by to talk about writing and your newest picture book. CHANA: My pleasure, Maria. Great to be here! Tell us a little about yourself

Part of my family immigrated from Lebanon. While I've personally never been a true immigrant, my father was in the Amy. We moved every couple of years. Sometimes it felt ( as a small child) like moving to another country. There were major differences between the speech and traditions of the southern and northwestern states. Enough that as a new kid, in a non-base, public school, one stood out like a sore thumb. I am not belittling any immigrant's experience. And I know it is so much worse when discrimination, misunderstanding, and racial bias are involved. With the changes in the climate and the current state of politics world-wide, there will only be an increase in the numbers and extent of

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Lindsay Bonilla. Her newest picture book, Polar Bear Island, releases tomorrow, October 2nd. After Lindsay Bonilla toured Spain and Portugal teaching ESL, she told stories to school children in Haiti and Ghana, taught workshops to youth pastors in Guatemala and El Salvador, and performed street theatre in Puerto Rico and New York City. These experiences made her "passionate about building understanding and relationships across cultures while inspiring the imagination." She lives in North Canton, Ohio with her husband and two sons. Welcome Lindsay. Thank-you so much for stopping by to talk about writing and your newest book, Polar Bear Island,