A Quick Hello and Storystorm Links!
Hi new subscribers! I have the feeling many of you got here via Tara Lazar’s blog, where she’s hosting Storystorm during the month of January. For those who are not familiar, Storystorm asks you to generate a picture book idea a day for the entire month of January. It's fun, inspiring, and most importantly, low-pressure.
Storystorm one of the first communities I joined when I started out trying to write picture books and it’s something I still look forward to and do every year. That’s why it was so much fun to write for blog post about the ideas that sparked Make Way and my next book, World More Beautiful.
In case you’re one of the folks who asked over on Tara’s blog, here are some links to things referenced in my post:
The
Influences exerciseAbout the replica of Nancy Schön’s Make Way for Ducklings statue in Moscow - WBUR
The Fuse8 n’ Kate podcast on Miss Rumphius
Emma Bland’s Smith and Becca Stadtlander’s wonderful picture book biography, Mr. McCloskey’s Marvelous Mallards
Also, in the months leading up to the release of World More Beautiful, I’m planning on sharing some of my research and doing a Substack series on the works of Barbara Cooney. If there’s a specific question you have or a particular book of Cooney’s you’d like to see featured, please post it here (or just reply to this email)!
Random Interesting Things
Speaking of Nancy Schön, this recent Boston Globe article shares the political aspects her more recent sculptures. The article concludes with Schön saying, “Sometimes I want to tell people to forget the ducks . . . I’m not a fiddler with one string.”
Schön’s thoughts on how the political shows up in her work, and the fact that her ducks have also been made to use political statements despite their cuteness, reminded me of this post I wrote a few months back . . .
This vegetarian tortilla soup is nice and warm and spicy for the cold days of January.
This one-pot tortellini soup was good, too! (and came together quickly on a weeknight).
This stand up special from comedian Sheng Wang made me laugh really hard.
Upcoming Events
I still have a couple (free!) virtual visits available to celebrate World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday, February 7th. If you are a classroom teacher or school librarian and would like to sign up, you can do that here.
(Or, if you know a teacher or librarian who might be interested, feel free to forward them this newsletter!)
Books I Read and Loved Recently (Picture Books)
Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good by Nonieqa Ramos, illustrated by Nicole Medina
Butt or Face? by Kari Lavalle
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (I know I’m sharing this one a month too late, but trust me— if you celebrate Christmas, you’re going to want this one for next year.)
Like So, written by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
The Quiet Forest, written by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Abi Cushman
When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
What I’m Reading and Loving Right Now (for Adults)
The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
*Please note that all books mentioned above contain affiliate links to Bookshop.org, a site that helps support local independent bookstores.