Can you ever get too much of a good thing? Do all wishes necessarily turn out badly in the end? Is there always a price to be paid for "magic"? Even though it's hard to imagine ever getting sick of chocolate (or gelato), I suppose if I ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner EVERY day, it might (eventually) loose it's appeal. And as many kids have discovered (for instance, in Home Alone, Jimmy Neutron, and Freaky Friday) the lack of rules and parental guidance isn't all it's cracked up to be - at least after a while. Liam Francis Walsh has created a sure to please picture book that looks at the consequences of a wish that "parents were more fun." [Come on, be honest. Who didn't wish that, a

This week, I have a very special treat for you. The author/illustrator and cartoonist Liam Francis Walsh has stopped by. He is “an award-winning cartoonist, author, and illustrator, originally from northern Wisconsin. He grew up on a dairy farm with lots of siblings and books and a pet crow." Now he lives in the Italian part of Switzerland. His cartoons appear in The New Yorker magazine pretty frequently, and he’s the author/illustrator of Fish (Roaring Brook Press 2016) and an upcoming graphic novel. His second picture book, Make A Wish, Henry Bear, released April 30th. Welcome Liam, thank you for taking a moment to chat with us. ME: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write

This year is the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. And as you can imagine, there are a ton of books being released about the moon or featuring the moon. I found a real treasure for this week's #PPBF pick. It is different from all the ones I've seen so far, as it is entirely wordless. It's also John Hare's picture book debut. Field Trip to the Moon Author/Illustrator: John Hare Publisher: Holiday House (2019) Ages: 4-8 Fiction Themes: The moon, adventure, creativity, humor, and friendship. Synopsis: It's field trip day, and students are excited to travel on their yellow spaceship bus from their space station to the moon. Climb aboard the spaceship bus for a fantastic field trip adventur

Have I got a treat for you! During Storystorm, this January, Nancy Churnin mentioned the fact that she, Adah Nuchi, and Leslie Kimmelman had all released picture books on Irving Berlin within a two-month period. That even though all three addressed his immigration, entire life, and love of music, they each found a special thread to follow, thus creating three very distinct books on the same subject matter. I was so intrigued, I reached out to the three authors and asked if they would be willing to do a joint interview. To my infinite pleasure (and given the title of this post I am sure you aren't surprised), they all said yes. So, this week I have a special post - a three author interview on

The amazing Annie Silvestro, the author of the delightful picture books, The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains, Mice Skating, and Bunny's Book Club, has done it again. If you've ever experienced stage fright or had a case of nerves, I bet you remember that fluttery feeling in the pit of your stomach. Someone may have even been told that you had butterflies in your stomach. Don't we grown-ups say the darnedest things! Imagine a kaleidoscope (yep, that's the collective noun) of butterflies in your stomach! Now, imagine what a child would think that saying meant when she developed a case of first day jitters about kindergarten. This is an ingenious and beautiful exploration of overcoming the nerv

John Hare spent his youth in Kansas drawing comic strips about snakes, making spoof yearbooks to entertain his friends, and writing stories about a crime-fighting crocodile. After working as an art director and graphic designer, he picked up a brush and painted a scene for his son's nursery. That's when he realized he still wanted nothing more than to bring stories to life. A dad, illustrator, writer, armchair philosopher, self-proclaimed chef, latent runner, wannabee musician, and all-around goofball John Hare lives in Gladstone, Mo with his wife and two children. He lives to get wrapped up in a good project and to give it the love and creativity that it deserves. His debut picture book, Fi

Do you remember summer camp? The nervousness of being away from home, the uncertainty about what would happen all week, and the fear that no one would like you and you won't fit in. Not to mention the overwhelming responsibility of taking care of all those little campers in your cabin. Wait, you were thinking back to attending summer camp, not being the counselor? Well, I suppose the same fears and worries affected everyone there. But once the gear was stowed, rules read, and the s'mores roasting, most everyone was relaxed and ready to have a fun week. That's not to say there weren't hurt feelings; moments when a camper (or counselor) just wanted to go home. But usually, it turned out to be

Kristin L. Gray is the author of the middle grade novel, Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge, a 2018 Bank Street Best Children’s Book. She lives in Arkansas with her family, two dogs, and an alert bearded dragon, who is clearly NOT a dragon as he has never once breathed fire. Kristin's first picture book Koala Is NOT A Bear, releases tomorrow. Welcome Kristin! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat about your books and writing. Thanks for having me! I’m a big fan of your posts. ME: Aw, thanks. *Goofy smile* Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write?) KRISTIN: I write at home, while my kids are in school. S

Anyone who'sever read the Sunday comics knows the cartoon Peanuts starring the beloved Snoopy, his sidekick Woodstock, and Charlie Brown. (Or they've seen the movie, TV specials, or books). But do you know about Spike - the dog on whom Snoopy is based or the child Sparky - who worked hard until he made his dream of being a cartoonist come true? This wonderful picture book biography is the story of how Sparky became one of the most beloved cartoonists around the world and his supportive, unusual hunting dog Spike. Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever Author: Barbara Lowell Illustrator: Dan Andreason Publisher: Cameron Kids (2019) Ages: 4-8 Nonfiction Themes: Biog