Beth Anderson's Blog, page 20
July 25, 2020
Most Wanted: The Revolutionary Partnership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams
I’m popping in with a “perfect picture book” on Saturday. I’ve found a history sister in Sarah Jane Marsh. Her energetic writing brings fascinating detail and humor to the page, bringing to life a nugget from history. And I love that she’s found a way to share historical tales in a longer form of picture book—double the typical page count.
Title: Most Wanted: The Revolutionary Partnership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams
Written by: Sarah Jane Marsh
Illustrated by: Edwin Fotheringham
Disney/H...
July 17, 2020
Old Rock (is not boring)
It’s been a while since I’ve done a post for Perfect Picture Book Friday. Here’s a new picture book that caught my attention. It’s creative nonfiction or possibly informational fiction—it’s hard to determine the lines these days—combining the fun of fiction with the joy of science.
And…Thanks to all who participated in the Everyday Hero Giveaway for a copy of Smelly Kelly and His Super Senses. Congratulations to the winner, Marie Karan! I hope we all continue to notice and appreciate so many wh...
July 16, 2020
166 years ago today, Elizabeth Jennings boarded a streetcar…
166 years ago today, Elizabeth Jennings boarded a streetcar in New York City. She was in a hurry to get to church. But, when the conductor ejected her because of her race, too-late-for-church took a backseat to too-late-for-equality.
Seven months later, the young school teacher sat in a Brooklyn courtroom, waiting for the white judge and jury to return the verdict on her case against segregation on transportation. Segregation was a tradition, not a law. And her case would depend upon the jury se...
July 10, 2020
James “Smelly” Kelly, Everyday Hero
My two 2020 picture books are both set in New York City, both feature transportation, and both highlight heroes. But the stories are very different.
Lizzie Demands a Seat, released in January, is the story of how Elizabeth Jennings won the first courtroom victory against segregation on transportation in 1855. She was bold and brave, full of grit and grace in her battle against systemic racism. She carried forward the fight of her ancestors and handed it to those who followed after her. Her story...
July 3, 2020
Mining for Heart: “Mining for Hugsby’s Heart” by Dow Phumiruk
What a treat to have an author/illustrator share the process of “mining for heart”! I’m always fascinated to learn more about how illustrators think. Here, the amazing-how-does-she-get-so-much-done Dow Phumiruk shares her process with her forthcoming book, Hugsby.
AND…Dow is generously offering a GIVEAWAY of one of her books – your choice! Just leave a comment below to be eligible to win.
The winner of last week’s GIVEAWAY of Kat and Juju by Kataneh Vahdani is Ryan Garney! C ongratulations!
Mini...
June 26, 2020
Behind the Scenes: “Lessons from Kat and Juju” by Kataneh Vahdani
When Kataneh Vahdani jumped from the animation world into children’s literature, she found she had a lot to learn. But, with one look at her bio, you’ll see she doesn’t shy away from new experiences! In this Behind the Scenes post, Kat shares lessons from her first picture book – the kind of lessons you don’t find in a textbook.
AND Kat has generously offered a GIVEAWAY to one lucky commenter on the blog! So please leave a comment after the article to be eligible to win. We’ll announce the win...
June 12, 2020
We Are the Change
Here’s an essential picture book for everyone—black and brown and white, young and old, now and forever. A beautiful and powerful collection.
Title: We Are the Change, Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders
Written by: Harry Belafonte (introduction)
Illustrated by: Selina Alko, Alina Chau, Lisa Congdon, Emily Hughes, Molly Idle, Juana Medina, Innosanto Nagara, Christopher Silas Neal, John Parra, Brian Pinkney, Greg Pizzoli, Sean Qualls, Dan Santat, Shadra Strickland, Melissa Sweet, and R...
June 5, 2020
Behind the Scenes: “Tackling Difficult Topics” by Amalia Hoffman
There’s no denying it – we are living in difficult times. Helping kids make sense of what’s happening in the world isn’t easy. Picture books offer opportunities to process tough topics, see how people responded in times of crisis, and how they persevered with the power of hope. Today in Behind the Scenes, Amalia Hoffman shares her experience writing a story about a Holocaust hero.
GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of The Brave Cyclist: The True Story of a Holocaust Hero....
May 23, 2020
The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, a day late! Here’s a fascinating story for all those kids into video games. The seeds of invention always seem to be planted in childhood!
Title: The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer
Written by: Marcie Wessels
Illustrated by: Beatriz Castro
Sterling, 2020, biography
Suitable for ages: 6-10
Themes/topics: video games, invention, discrimination
Opening:
On the streets of Cologne, Germany, a boy named Ralph Baer made hi...
May 15, 2020
Behind the Scenes: “Back Matter to the Rescue!” by Laurie Wallmark
Dont know what to do with all that amazing information you dug up in your research? You hate to waste all those fascinating tidbits.but word count worries creep inwhats an author to do? Heres Laurie Wallmark to the rescue!
Back Matter to the Rescue! by Laurie Wallmark[image error]
One of the challenges in writing a nonfiction picture book is that the word count is so limited. Theres so much more youd like to includewhether its to further explain whats in the text or to give additional informationbut dont...
