Learning From a Christmas Classic by Maria Antonia

We are so excited to have Maria Antonia join us today to share about Religious Picture Books!

Maria Antonia learned to write her name at five years old and tried typing with an old manual typewriter at age eight. However, it was when she met the computer that she never turned back. Many years later, she still clickety-taps out her stories onto the screen, stories that have turned into picture books like The Christmas Elephant and Barnaby the Runaway Sheep. In addition to writing, Maria also enjoys sipping a nice cup of hot tea and capturing the world with her camera. She has lived in Sunny Spain, Busy New York City, and currently resides in the Great White North of Canada. Her website is: http://mariaantoniawrites.com

Every year, when I was a kid, I remember gathering around the television to watch The Charlie Brown Christmas Special. And I know we're not the only family who had this tradition. It's become a classic!

However, there was a time when, before the special first aired on December 9, 1965, everybody thought it would be a flop. The executives didn't think jazz music belonged in a cartoon. And then there was the controversial speech near the end of the program ... But wait! I'm getting ahead of myself. 

That's What Christmas is All About, Charlie Brown

The plot of Christmas Special follows underdog Charlie Brown as he's chosen to direct his first Nativity play. What he wants is to find the true meaning of Christmas, but what he gets is all the commercialism surrounding the holiday. Charlie Brown is about to give up in despair. "Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I don't really know what Christmas is all about. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

That's when his friend Linus steps forward. "Lights, please. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night..." Linus goes on to recite the whole passage from the Bible about that first Christmas night, ending with: "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Did you know that Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts Gang, had to fight to keep this monologue in the program? Everybody thought it would be the kiss of death, but Schulz insisted. I'm glad he stood firm, because this scene, as simple as it is, holds its own even today. The words Linus speaks from the Bible not only inspired Charlie Brown but countless television viewers. Despite the dire predictions that this half-hour special would be a flop, it went on to win an Emmy in 1966 and would become a beloved classic watched year after year. 

What made this work? I often think about such things as an author. For me, I think it worked because the religious part wasn't forced. It fits in with the theme of the story.

And this is something that can help us when writing "religious books" for children.

Story First

My first rule is that story must come first. People love hearing a good story. And the message needs to naturally flow out from that story. You don't want something to come across as too preachy. This is what I did for my book, The Christmas Elephant. My story takes place during the performance of a Nativity play. I worked hard to make sure the story about two sisters would stand on its own two feet. The message of Christmas needed to naturally flow from what's happening on  the stage.

Hooray for Backmatter

The Author's Note at the end of the book is a wonderful opportunity for picture book authors to convey a little something more to their readers. Because I (and my publisher) wanted to add a little more to the Christian message of the story with an application from the Bible, including Bible verses, we put it all in the backmatter. (I also added some fun facts; so my backmatter is jam-packed with all sorts of extra material for parents and teachers!)

Keeping it Kid-Friendly

A lot of picture books written years ago tended to be wordy. And for many of us, those are the picture books we grew up with. But people's vocabulary has changed over time, and so has their attention spans. Part of the challenge of religious books is how to deal with the jargon that's often involved. Remember your audience and keep your words kid-friendly to today's children. This is not to say that kids can not handle hard things or even hard words. I think we should address all sorts of topics, but we need to make sure it's done in a way so that it's accessible to today's children.

Overall, religious books are a great way for parents and grandparents to share their faith with their little ones. Like Charles Schulz, authors need to find the right balance in bring such stories to life. 

Note about the photo: I told you our family loves the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

About the Book: Ellie wants to be an elephant in the Christmas play but her know-it-all sister says she’ll ruin everything. When Baby Jesus goes missing, Ellie must find him, or the play will be ruined (but not because Ellie is an elephant)!

Thanks so much for joining us, Maria!

You can find Maria on her website is: http://mariaantoniawrites.com, Instagram @ofmariaantonia, Facebook @ofmariaantonia, and Twitter/X: @ofmariaantonia1.

Religious Picture Books With Sidura Ludwig

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

Hi! I'm Sidura Ludwig, writer of books for children and adults. 2024 has been a busy year for me, with my debut picture book RISING (illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, Candlewick) published in May, and my debut middle grade novel SWAN: The Girl Who Grew (Nimbus Publishing) out in Canada in September. SWAN comes out in the US March 2025! I'm thrilled that RISING recently won the 2024 Canadian Jewish Literary Award for children. I got my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (where I met the amazing Stefanie!) in July 2021. I live in Thornhill, ON with my husband, three kids and a geriatric, toothless Havanese dog.

When I wrote RISING, I thought I was writing a picture book about making challah. I didn’t realize I was writing a book about my relationship with God.

Let me back up. During the early days of the pandemic, we all remember how upside down everything felt. Weekly routines blended into weekend routines, which blended into “what routines?” Who knew when we would get back to a world we recognized?

But the one routine that didn’t change for me and my family was getting ready for and celebrating Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish 25-hour period of rest from sundown on Friday to one-hour after sundown on Saturday. For religious Jews, there are a number of rituals and restrictions we follow during that period in order to “keep” Shabbat. In those early pandemic days, I still got up early on a Friday to make my challah dough. I still prepared all the foods my family enjoyed eating for Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch. We still lit Shabbat candles when Shabbat came in and took comfort in the prayers and rituals around our Shabbat table. We may not have had guests, but for those 25 hours, life felt more normal than any other time of the week.

At the time, I was getting my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. That semester, I took the Picture Book Intensive. My advisor, Jane Kurtz, challenged us to write a non-fiction picture book. RISING was born out of that challenge. It started with the mixing of ingredients. A mother and child rising early in the morning to spend quiet time together with this weekly ritual. But as the day goes on, as the child’s anticipation and excitement for Shabbat grows, challah becomes something so much more than a loaf of bread. It’s the food that connects her to her family, to her community, to her history and to her faith. Challah becomes an anchor for her, and in the end, the ritual is a comfort she can count on week after week after week.

Maybe this was my love letter to God. A thank you for granting me one of many rituals that sustain me through joyous, and difficult, times. Religious books that pose big questions are important for young readers, who have big questions themselves. But so too are religious books that show the “doing,” the actions that make up faith and allow us to connect with each other and something greater, time and time again.

Thanks so much for joining us, Sidura!

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

The Secret to Writing Scary Stories for Children.......Humor with Ashlee Ridlon

We are so excited to have Ashlee Ridlon join us today to share information about Scary Picture Books!

I’m Ashlee, aka, Author Ash. I’m a children’s book author of many fun, interactive and engaging picture books! As a former kindergarten teacher, who continues to teach part time in my town’s elementary school, I love to combine my love for literacy and children through writing stories that both touch on important topics in childhood and are FUN!

I live in Southern Maine with my husband, Nate, and two children, Josh and Avery. I also live with my four cats and dog, Ruby! My love for children’s literature started early through my Mother, who is also an educator. I remember the magic of read-alouds and the creativity it sparked. I then shared that passion with my own children and later, students. Through my books, I hope to share the magic, creativity and FUN of children’s literature with others.

As a person who is fascinated by the supernatural and all things that go bump in the night, I knew that I wanted to write a “scary” story for those who love a spooky tale! Think back to the Halloween picture books your teachers or parents read to you as a child. The dark illustrations, the anticipation of trick or treating, the thrill of a good scare. I wanted to capture that all, but with a twist.

As a teacher, I have first hand experience with different genres of children’s books and how my students react to them. And although they have sat mesmerized by beautiful books, books that taught them life lessons and a chapter from our class book, what really got their attention was humor! Add interaction and you have them hooked!

That was my challenge: write a scary story for children aged 2-8 that encompasses humor and make it interactive. The silliness of the “scary” story brings down the fear level and makes it more approachable to young children. The interactive features keep them engaged. Easy enough, right? Wouldn’t it be great if it always was?

For all my books, I always start with research. Which books in this genre speak to me? What do I like about these types of books? The illustrations, storylines, prose or rhyming? Learning what you like and will be interested in should be the first step in your writing process. Look online, but better yet, get your hands on these stories. For me, it was easy! I work in an elementary school, but a library works too!

Then I outline. Who will be the characters (my daughter helped me decide on a “chicken” as my main character.....get it?), what will be the main events in the story, how will it end? I find having an outline a vital part in the writing process. It’s where I organize my thoughts and it helps me not get lost down rabbit holes while I write the actual story.

I chose to make one of the problems in the story unique, as I set it up to be a challenge to the readers. Can they be brave enough to read this book and hear this spooky story? Or will they be too scared and prove Chicken right? Setting up a type of dare to the readers, especially with anything deemed “scary” is a great way to increase engagement. They want to prove they are brave! Thus, my title, This Book is TOO Scary For You!

I then decided to follow the lead of other great interactive and silly books, such as When I Say Ooh, You Say Ahh by John Kane and ask the readers to do and say something when they see different characters. I did this in my story, when different scary characters appeared. Bam! I found my interactive feature!

I added humor to the story through the main character, Chicken. During the story as he is telling the children his “scary” tale and ghosts, bats, jack-o-lanterns and more are popping up, he is not seeing them. Instead, he believes that the readers are making it up to make him STOP scaring them. The redemption for the readers comes at the end when Chicken finally sees the scary creatures and deems that “This story may not be TOO scary for them, but it is for him!”. The readers feel brave and it adds the last touch of silliness to the story.

Adding humor and interactive features to your scary stories for young children can make being “scared” fun! For older children, you can crank the scariness level up but keeping humor will help readers stay engaged so the “fear factor” isn’t overdone.

Happy writing!

Thanks so much for joining us, Author Ash! 

You can find Ash on her website at authorash.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorash1012, and Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ashlee-Ridlon/author/B0C1P5Y393.

Picture Books for Older Readers with Jeff Gottesfeld

We are so excited to have Jeff Gottesfeld join us today to share information about Picture Books for Older Readers!

Jeff writes for page, stage, screen, and television. He has won awards in America and internationally, including from American Library Association, Association of Jewish Libraries, The Christophers, National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Alliance for Theater and Education. His current focus is picture book texts for children. His prize-winning picture books are The Tree in the Courtyard (Knopf, 2016, illustrated by Peter McCarty), No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon’s Battle for Women’s Rights in Japan (Creston, 2020, illustrated by Shiella Witanto), Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Candlewick, 2021, illustrated by Matt Tavares), The Christmas Mitzvah (Creston, 2021, illustrated by Michelle Agatha), and Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry (Creston, 2023). Upcoming are We All Serve (Candlewick, 2026, illustrated by TeMika Grooms), about the extraordinary lives of American’s military brat children, Honor Flight (Candlewick, 2026, illustrated by Matt Tavares), about the Honor Flight program that flies aging veterans and their volunteer “guardians” to Washington DC to visit their monuments, and Strike! For the Right to Read! (Creston, 2025), with Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kim Holt), about the 1939 Alexandria VA sit-down strike to integrate its then-segregated library. A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, he now lives in Los Angeles. Visit him at www.jeffgottesfeldwriter.com

I always admit that I am the most imperfect messenger for a picture book about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC, and the Tomb Guards who protect the sacred rest of our three Unknown Soldiers every moment of every day. I didn’t serve in the military. In fact, none of us four Gottesfeld brothers, nor my parents, nor grandparents, served. But as I grew up, I have become passionate in my belief that the United States military is the greatest fighting force for good the world has ever known. And so, passion for a subject is the starting place for every nonfiction picture book. I had it, in spades.

Of course, passion is less than useless when there’s no focus. For me, the starting place is the idea. Ideas come from everywhere. Some writers mine their own lives. That’s not me. I travel widely, read voraciously, and am always on the lookout. Museums? Check. Foreign newspapers in English or French? Check. Obituaries? A gold mine. The idea for Twenty-One Steps came on a visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2016, when I saw a tombstone that said, UNKNOWN. That flashed me back to a boyhood trip to Arlington, and to the realization I knew practically zero about our nation’s secular shrine. I was determined to write the book by the time we left the cemetery that day. 

Next, a point of view. There’s a lot of ways to tell a story. Some may be okay, some may be good, and usually one is just awesomely great. I struggled with this text until I got the idea that maybe I could tell the story from the point of view of the first Unknown, interred in 1921. That turned out to be the perspective, because that Unknown could be anyone, and thus belong to all of us. Try a few points of view. All it takes is time. 

The next step for me is to figure out the story beats. Every story has beats, like music. The beats are the big notes of what happens. In Twenty-One Steps, a few of the main beats are meeting the first Unknown, his homecoming, his burial before 150,000 people, and the posting of the first Tomb Guard at midnight on July 2, 1937. There are others. If the writer knows the beats, the story is easier to tell. Of course, good research will help figure out the beats. 

Then, I write. And write some more. Until I’ve got a draft. 

Finally, I fix it. This can happen in a month, two months, or sometimes it takes five years and forty or fifty named drafts. Maybe if I’m stuck I’ll put it away for a few months. But there also comes a time when I’m fixing and fixing, and it isn’t getting any better or worse. 

That’s when I know it’s time to stop. I’ve got a manuscript. And so will you. 

I do want to add a few words about figuring out the right audience. I’m pretty ruthless about the subjects I choose. It’s not just that I’m interested in them, but it’s that I think there’s a universe of readers and book buyers out there that care, too. I try to match subject, grade level, and language, but always with no upper limit on whom the reader might be. That is, K to age 120 for The Christmas Mitzvah, first grade to age 120 for Food for Hope, and grade three to age 120 for Twenty-One Steps, a book about which I have presented to as many adult audiences as kid ones. 

I was a young athlete before I ever became a writer, and would counsel young writers to approach writing like an elementary school or middle school athlete approaches a sport. Basically, no school-aged tennis player will beat Carlos or Serena, and no school-aged soccer player is going to start for the USMNT or USWNT. Being young is the time to learn from the best, and practice. So, young would-be writers need to read, read, and read some more. Smash the screens, and read. Reading good writing gets it inside you. And then, when they write, keep the expectations reasonable. Strive every day to get just a little better, or make it just a little better. There’s a long way to go, and you will get there one good sentence at a time. 

Thanks so much for joining us, Jeff! 

You can find Jeff on his website at www.jeffgottesfeldwriter.com. You can also check out his books Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Christmas Mitzvah, and Food For Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry.

Writing on Important Moments and Milestones for Children with Mariam Gates

We are so excited to have Mariam Gates join us today to share information about Milestones Picture Books!

Mariam Gates, M.Ed is the bestselling author of the Good Night Yoga series and many more books for young people. She has a master’s degree in education from Harvard University and years of experience in the classroom as a Mindfulness Educator and Special Education Teacher. Mariam and her work have been featured in numerous publications to include Parents, Time for KiDS, and New York Magazine as well as teacher, parent and kid lit blogs. As a Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness expert, she teaches children and adults at workshops and conferences around the country. She also teaches weekly at public schools in Northern California. Her forthcoming (9th) book OLIVE ALL AT ONCE (Sounds True, September 2024) follows the titular character as she navigates the many (and sometimes contradictory) ways she feels about significant events in her life (the first day of school, a friend’s birthday party, being with her baby sister, and more.) As Olive sorts through her sometimes mixed-up feelings she teaches young readers that it’s okay, and part of being human, to feel many different ways---all at once.

As a children’s book writer, I am always looking for and receiving inspiration. To me, almost anything has the potential to be a story. (If I see Girl Scouts selling cookies, I start imagining a cookie that gets sent around the world delivered by a little chipmunk postman or a cookie competition between a group of friends that goes somehow awry). For those of you who are writers, you may relate to that moment of hearing a turn of phrase, or seeing an image and getting that feeling that this could be something. Of course, some of those pan out and others don’t (like the aforementioned cookie ideas) but the ones I find most compelling are those that feel like a window into the rich inner lives of children.

During the pandemic, and for quite a bit afterward, I was struck by the ways in which many children had a mixed experience of the world being shut down around them. Of course, for so many it was incredibly challenging, but for others, having that much time at home with their families was not all negative. It made me start to think about the ways in which, even in less extreme times, in many of the important moments and milestones in our lives, we do not feel just one way.

As adults, we know that taking a child to kindergarten (or off to college) is a combination of joy and sadness. We know we can feel both fulfillment and loss a the same time. We even have relationships that we appreciate and also struggle with, and the list goes on. I started being more aware of how true this is for children. But what also felt clear is that we don’t often reflect to them that having ‘mixed feelings’ and holding the contradictions of life is a part of being human. Instead we want them to feel ‘happy’ on the first day of school, when they get a new sibling, or attend a birthday party. I wanted to create a book where the protagonist was able to explain feeling ‘more than one way’ at a time. I wanted to celebrate the importance and humanity of that.

The question was, how to do it? I knew Olive, in Olive All At Once, was going to go through the first day of school, a new sibling, a birthday party, and grandparents visiting and do it all with the accompanying complex feelings each of those events brings. But that still felt hard to show. What really helped me was when I found a way to have her have agency in all of it. In Olive All At Once, the narrator is in a dialogue with Olive. Olive is the one explaining that she does not feel just one way while the unseen narrator is trying to tell a more traditional (and predictable) story. Giving Olive the ability to ‘correct’ the narrator throughout made the story, and her character, really come alive for me. She was the one who knew how full her range of feelings could be. She was the one teaching that to the narrator, and then to the reader. 

I am thrilled with how Olive All At Once turned out and as with all of my books, I hope it helps kids feel more welcome and more a part of this big world. 

 Thanks so much for joining us, Mariam! 

You can find Mariam on her website at mariamgates.com or Instagram @mariam.gates.

Ten Favorite Milestones Picture Books

From losing teeth to losing confidence, there are countless milestone experiences that children face. Reading books can help build emotional resilience as kids better understand such experiences and learn how to handle the potentially difficult milestones they will face. Check out some of our favorite books that tackle childhood milestones!

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia Rueda

When Cat loses a tooth, the tooth fairy brings him a coin. But he wants to meet the tooth fairy! When he tries to trick her into coming again, she leaves him a note—and a tooth-collecting challenge! Will Cat and his new partner Mouse collect all the teeth—without getting eaten? This fun story is a great way to celebrate losing teeth!

Maple by Lori Nichols 

Just before Maple was born, her parents planted a maple tree. As she grows, the tree grows—but the older she gets, the more she needs a real friend. When her parents plant another tree, Maple learns that she’ll be a big sister—and that sisterhood, combined with special trees, is just what she needs. This story is perfect for big siblings!

On the First Day of Kindergarten by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Laura Hughes

 From riding the bus to sliding down the slide, painting a picture, and going on a field trip, there are so many things to love about kindergarten! This cumulative story is perfect for kids who can’t wait—as well as those who are nervous!—to start going to school. 

Waiting for Baby by Rachel Fuller

Waiting for a baby is exciting—and full of questions! In this book, a little boy asks all kinds of questions as his mother sorts through baby clothes, visits the doctor, and prepares for the new arrival! A perfect read-aloud for expectant parents, this book allows readers to answer new baby questions in a fun and engaging way.

Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

All Charlotte wants is a pet, but her parents’ gift of a pet rock is not what she had in mind. But despite the challenges of caring for a pet rock, Charlotte and her rock eventually become friends. Then, to Charlotte’s surprise, the rock cracks—revealing a surprising new pet! Complete with Charlotte’s rules for caring for a pet rock (which can be applied to any pet!), this story is a fun read-aloud—great for any child with a new pet!

Hello, New House by Jane Smith

In this simple picture book, a young girl leaves her old house in the city for a new house in the country! While many things are new—including some scary new sounds!—there are still so many things that are the same. This sweet book reminds readers that no matter where we live, the most important things will always remain the same. 

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

This lyrical picture book addresses every child who feels left out at some point or other. Perhaps it’s because they didn’t go on trips like everyone else, maybe their lunch is different, or it could be that the games kids play at recess aren’t games the child plays well. In warm, poetic ways, this story addresses the beauty and insecurity that coexists in those moments, while offering hope for connection. This book is perfect for any child (and adult) who feels alone sometimes—which means all of us! 

Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada by Jimmy Fallon, illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez

Calling all dads! This book is a hilarious way to train your child to say Dada! As animal parents each take turns saying Dada, their babies don’t seem to listen… until everyone says Dada together at the end! The fun illustrations and simple repetition is sure to have your child saying Dada way more than Mom would like!

Bike On, Bear! by Cynthea Liu, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Bear can do just about anything—except ride a bike! No matter how hard he tries, it never seems to work. But when a new community park opens that doesn’t allow training wheels, Bear is willing to do anything to hang with his friends. He heads to the library to learn all he can about bike riding. But will it be enough? This fun story is great for kids who are struggling to try new things—because sometimes all we need is a little extra push (pun intended)!

When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

Imagine all the adventures that swimming can bring! When you can swim, you can jump off bridges into the canal, see another world in the ocean, enjoy twilight swims in a pond and feel waterfalls down your back! With lyrical language and gorgeous illustrations, any child who is nervous about swimming will be ready to jump right in!

I hope you enjoyed these Ten Favorite Milestone Picture Books!

For more great ideas, feel free to check out 10 Favorite Identity Picture Books or 10 Favorite Mindfulness Picture Books!

And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss more great ideas and future blog posts!

Identity Picture Books with Laura Obuobi

We are so excited to have Laura Obuobi join us today to share information about Identity Picture Books!

Laura Obuobi was born and raised in Accra, Ghana but has been living in the United States since 2003. Laura received an MA in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught for 8 years as a preschool teacher. Her time in the classroom with preschoolers set the stage for her transition into writing for children. Laura is a graduate of the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Besides creative writing, Laura also finds joy in drawing, collaging, and painting.

When I wrote Black Gold, I didn’t set out with the theme of identity at the forefront of my mind. I was simply thinking about myself as a child, and the physical, psychological, cultural, and even spiritual attributes I have that make me who I am. And isn’t that what identity is about? 

When I think about what identity means, I consider the following: 

What is your name? Where are you from geographically? What is your ethnicity? Which neighborhood did you grow up in? What kind of family do you come from? Who are/were your caregivers? What values and moral codes were instilled in you? How were you raised? What values, moral codes, or belief systems have you adopted? What is your personality? How do you like to dress? What colors are you drawn to? What is unique about you that no one else in the world has? Which socio-cultural groups do you affiliate yourself with, feel most connected to, and/or at home with? Where were you raised? Are you religious? Which religious societies are you a part of? Where do you worship? How often do you visit this place of worship? What festivals and holidays do you celebrate? How do you celebrate these festivals and holidays, and with who? What habits, behaviors, and activities do you like to participate in? All these questions and more, point to the kind experiences that shape our perspective of self, impact how we show up in the world, and reveal who we are.  

The beauty about writing picture books about identity is that you can take any one of the questions above and use that to craft a story or poem that answers the question: who are you? 

The following picture books all answer the question “who are you?” and highlight various aspects of identity. (These are just a few books that stand out to me, and is not at all prescriptive, but I hope it gives you a sense of how the topic of identity can be written as a picture book.)

Your Name is a Song - Jamila Thompkins-Bigelow and Luisa Uribe

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners - Joanna Ho and Dung Ho

Say my Name - Joanna Ho and Khoa Le 

I’m From - Gary R. Gray and Oge Mora 

I am Golden - Eva Chen and Sophie Diao 

I am Brown - Ashok Banker and Sandhya Prabhat 

Alma and How She Got Her Name - Juana Martinez-Neal 

Where Are You From? - Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim 

Hair Twins - Raakhee Mirchandani and Holly Hatam 

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story - Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal  

The Day You begin - Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez

Mommy’s Khimar - Jamila Thompkins-Bigelow and Ebony Glenn

Sankofa: A culinary story of resilience and belonging - Eric Adjepong and Lala Watkins 

Even books where the character shows or describes their understanding of a universal concept such as love, can fall under the theme of identity because in these books, the character is exploring and explaining what love means to them, and how they express this universal concept called love. 

I am Love by Peter H. Reynolds, is one; my picture book - What Love Looks Like illustrated by Anna Cunha - is another.  

Reynold’s book shows the character describing the various ways they express and embody love, while my book shows the main character exploring and experiencing what love looks like with her father. 

Picture books about identity aren’t only restricted to fiction. They can be non-fiction too. A perfect example is Before She was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome. In this biography picture book about Harriet Tubman, we get to see and learn the various roles and jobs Harriet Tubman took on, in her life’s journey and work as an activist and abolitionist. These various roles and jobs all reveal and answer the question: who was Harriet Tubman?

And so, I think that identity covers a wide range of subjects that inevitably answer the question, who are you, and what makes you special, different, unique, powerful, interesting? 

If you were to write a picture book about identity, what would you write about? 

Thanks so much for joining us, Laura!

You can find Laura on Instagram: @lauraobuobi or her website at
lauraobuobi.com.

You can also preorder her new book, What is Love here! It comes out on 06/18/24! 

Community Picture Books with Rina Singh 

We are so excited to have Rina Singh join us today to share information about Community Picture Books!

Rina Singh is an award-winning Children’s Author and Spoken Word coach. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Concordia University, Montreal, and a teaching degree from McGill University. As a writer, she is drawn to real life stories about social justice, the environment, and wildlife preservation.

Grandmother School, (Orca Books) which won the BC Yukon Prize for literature affirms the life-changing power of education.  111 Trees, (Kids Can Press) won the Social Justice literature award and inspires us to become eco-feminists. The Lion Queen was among the New York Library’s Best Books of 2023.

Her books have been translated in many languages and have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.

A lover of poetry, photography, beautiful books, and trees – she lives in a blue house in Toronto.

Reading picture books that explore community helps children forge deep ties to the world around them. These books play a crucial role in children’s development by nurturing empathy, comprehension, and a feeling of being part of something larger. With relatable stories and vibrant artwork, they expose children to various cultures, customs, and situations, encouraging them to value both their own community and beyond.

I’m going to share two of my books with you.

111 Trees by Rina Singh and Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer Published by Kids Can Press.

My inspiration for writing 111 Trees was Sundar Paliwal, an eco-feminist creating wonders in the small community of Piplantri in Rajasthan, India. I have been alarmed about nature and what we as humans have done to our environment. And gender inequality has always infuriated me. I gravitate towards stories that can help restore the balance. I got excited when I heard about this man planting 111 trees every time a girl was born in his village. I knew I had to write about him.

In Sundar’s story everything came together–– nature, activism, eco-feminism, and community. Since the story seemed too good to be true, I needed to see the village to believe it. So, in 2016, I went to India and planned a trip to Udaipur but was unable to get Sundar’s contact. I flew there anyways. (I don’t advise anyone should arrive unprepared like I did). I reached the village by taxi, and the local school principal welcomed me and contacted Sundar for me. I toured the village with him and then he invited me to meet his family. It was a beautiful day. He told me his story.

After the heartbreaking loss of his mother in childhood, and then his young daughter in adulthood, Sundar had a revelation in his grief–– he drew three lines 111 in the sand for three things: Water, Daughter, Trees, that became his mantra of action. He turned a desert village into a thriving community surrounded by forests. Marianne Ferrer helped me bring the story to life. The book got many awards including the 2021 Social Justice Award. Kat Caric, a blogger called the book a small miracle and said it could change the planet! Wow!

GRANDMOTHER SCHOOL by Rina Singh, Illustrated by Ellen Rooney. Published byOrca Book Publishers

Grandmother School was inspired by true events that happened in 2016 in Phangane, a small village in Maharashtra, India. It is so remote that you probably wouldn’t find it on the map.  I read a news clip that Yogendra Bangar, the village teacher thought to himself – that everyone in the village could read, write, and do enough math to get by except the 29 grandmothers. So, he built Aajibaichi Shala, a one room school for grandmothers. He invited them to attend, provided them with school bags and gave them bright pink saris as uniforms. They were all over the age of sixty, and the oldest grandmother was ninety. Some were hard of hearing and many of them forgot what they had learned too easily, but they all came, dressed in their bright pink saris. They were excited to go to school for the first time in their lives. I fell in love with the story.

The idea to write a fictional story set in that village came from a personal memory. The two characters are based on my grandmother and me. Biji, my grandmother was the most loving person and had also never gone to school. She used to tell me stories and I regret not teaching her anything in return. I dedicated this book to her memory.

I wanted to discover the joy that education would bring to the community of grandmothers. This is one of my favourite illustrations. Learning to sign her name was a milestone moment in Aaji’s life. The book is brilliantly illustrated by Ellen Rooney, and it won the 2021 Christie Harris Children’s Literature Prize.

Many of my stories are rooted in small and even remote communities that have been transformed by one individual’s activism. I personally don’t picket, march, rally, plant trees, or start schools for illiterate grandmothers, but the act of writing about these everyday heroes is my contribution to social change.

Maybe I’m an activist of words.

Thanks so much for joining us, Rina!

You can find Rina on her website www.rinasingh.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @storiesbysingh.

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.