Susan Edwards Richmond is a children’s author and poet. A passionate birder and naturalist, Susan teaches preschool on a farm and wildlife sanctuary in eastern Massachusetts. She earned her M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Davis, and is an award-winning poet with five collections of nature-based poetry for adults, including Before We Were Birds (Adastra Press) and Birding in Winter (Finishing Line Press). She is happiest exploring natural habitats with her husband and two daughters and learns the native birds wherever she travels. Her debut picture book, Bird Count, releases tomorrow. Happy Book Birthday, Susan! Susan, thank-you so much for stopping by to talk abou

I love that biographies offer us a window into the adventures, decisions, and struggles of people we admire. It's fun to discover little known facts or aspects of people I thought I knew. But it is even more fun to learn about the people I've never heard of. Introducing me to new heroes and guides. I was unaware of the adventurous Lucy Evelyn Cheesman, who overcame childhood illness and persisted in her desire to be outdoors exploring and discovering insects, despite danger, disease, and disapproval. The fact that she traveled alone, "collected over seventy thousand specimens—some that hadn’t been recorded by scientists before," AND wrote children's books on insects makes her a hero in my bo

Christine Evans is a children’s author and a British ex-pat living in sunny California with her windsurfing husband, two busy kids, and a lazy Yorkshire Terrier. She has a particular passion for history and nature. She’s written for Highlights, High Five, and ABCMouse.com. Christine is also the webmaster and webinar coordinator for the SF/South region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her debut picture book, Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Travelling Bug Hunter, releases tomorrow! Happy Book Birthday! Welcome Christine, thank-you so much for stopping by to talk about your debut picture book and writing. ME: Tell us a little about yours

When I was younger my grandmother and I spent hours on the beach looking for interesting rocks, shells, and sand dollars. It's no wonder I have what some may call an exploding collection of shells from around the world. Abalone from Japan, Limpets from Scotland, Conchs from the Cayman Islands, and a Sea Biscuit from the Bahamas. Plus, so many others. I also have rocks from just about every beach and trail I've hiked. I can't help it. To top it off, I have ther collection of rocks that my grandmother always intended to tumble and make into jewelry. Maybe someday, I'll be able to do finish her dream. But I can't blame my grandmother for my other cherished collection. I try to find a special or

Poetry provides a wonderful vehicle to make inferences, determine themes, and cite textual evidence in complex, yet manageable texts. ~ Michelle Schaub Michelle Schaub is an award-winning children's author. Her children's poetry collection, Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day At The Farmers' Market, won the 2018 Growing Good Kids Award. Fresh-Picked Poetry was also a 2018 Illinois Reads selection and 2018 Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year. In 2020, she will publish her third book with Charlesbridge, Dream Big, Little Scientists. Notably, Michelle's poems have appeared various anthologies, including Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud, and The Poetry Anthology for Celebr

It's interesting how perspective changes things. Those paper brick building blocks that seemed gigantic when you're a two-year-old and that English sheepdog that was the size of a bear are all a lot smaller when you look at them as an adult. And a simple stick can be a plant support to a gardener, a sword or a baton to a child, or a bridge to a snail. If you enjoyed the "groundbreaking" and exciting way that Brendan Wenzel demonstrated these differences in perceptions of an item in They All Saw A Cat, you are going to LOVE Brendan's newest picture book. This time, he examines how the world sees and interacts with one stone, asking "When is a stone more than a stone?" A Stone Sat Still Author

It’s crazy that one name appears on the front of a book when things should really read like movie credits. ~ Brendan Wenzel Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator with great affection for all things furred, feathered, and scaly. His work has appeared internationally in magazines, animations, and in several books. Brendan is a proud collaborator with many groups working to protect and conserve wild places and creatures. His debut picture book, as the author/illustrator, They All Saw A Cat, is a 2017 Caldecott Honor book. His latest picture book, A Stone Sat Still, released on August 27th. Welcome Brendan, ME: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write/illustrate? How long

I remember my kids fascination with the fables about how animals got their stripes, shells, or why spiders made webs. Fantastical stories explaining natural phenomena, and often the wilder the better, dominated our library piles for many years. Inexplicably, since none of us really like spiders, the Anasi fables were some of their favorites. If you like these "How and Why" fables and stories about birds and nature, then you will enjoy this story. It is the second such picture book from Annemarie Riley Guertin. Her first was How the Finch Got His Colors (2018). Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves Author: Annemarie Riley Guertin Illustrator: Helena Pérez García Publisher: Familius (2019) Ages: 5

It takes months of writing, years to be published, and five minutes for someone to read it. ~ Annemarie Guertin Annemarie Riley Guertin graduated from Wheelock College and Fitchburg State University, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education (summa cum laude). Annemarie works as a district literacy coach and reading interventionist in Salem, MA. She lives in Haverhill, MA, with her husband Michael and their two children. “A newly minted, international author,” Annemarie’s debut picture book, How the Finch Got His Colors released last year. Her second book, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves, released on September 1, 2019. Annemarie, thank-you so much for stopping by to tal