Brian Gehrlein's Blog, page 4
September 7, 2021
Author Spotlight: Charlotte Offsay
Happy Tuesday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
You know the times. And times is hard. Sometimes you write a book. Other times you don't. Sometimes there is a Picture Book Spotlight post. Other times there isn't. Sometimes it's Tuesday. Like today. Unless of course, you are reading this on Wednesday. Then it is not Tuesday. And you are in the future. And I am either one day older, dead, or I have been happily enslaved (like you) by our benevolent robot overlords (praise them). Either way....
August 26, 2021
Author-Illustrator Spotlight: Jonathan Mckee
Happy Thursday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
It's that time of year again. That wonderful time of year when I redefine the word tired and fall asleep every night, imploding like a dying star onto my pillow, only to scrape myself out of bed with a spatula to do it all again the next morning. Yes, that's right...it's back to school for this teacher.
Despite the zombie-like state I now find myself in, I wouldn't change a thing. Because through the adrenaline-fueled, paradoxical, simult...
July 31, 2021
Agent Spotlight: Kaitlyn Sanchez
Welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Ahhhhh...the end of July. Harry Potter's birthday. The death of summer fast approaching in the northern hemisphere. And back to school commercials and store displays in full swing, subsequently triggering all teachers...
This of course includes myself. Sweet freedom is but a few weeks from ending. But if I'm totally honest, I get a little excited when August rolls around because I actually love teaching. Each new school year is a chance to start fresh. A ch...
July 19, 2021
Agent Spotlight: Mary Cummings (New Agency Alert!)
Happy Monday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Today is July 19th. Unless you are reading this in the future. If you are reading this in the future, have the robots taken over? Have the Mole People invaded? Do people fly jet packs to work? There are so many questions. At any rate, as I type these words, it is currently July 19th, 2021 and that marks exactly 3 months until my debut picture book, THE BOOK OF RULES, is released to the salivating masses.
Dennis has informed me he will try t...
July 3, 2021
Author & Illustrator Spotlight: Jon Klassen
Happy Saturday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Many congratulations to Gisela Luz and Meg Auchenbach for winning the Jemiscoe Chambers-Black picture book dummy critiques! More Agent Spotlights just around the bend so be sure to subscribe and share PB Spotlight with any kidlit querying authors and illustrators you know.
Today, we have a fun Spotlight on author-illustrator Jon Klassen for his newest book, THE ROCK FROM THE SKY. This book was much anticipated for me and I think he really ...
June 23, 2021
Agent Spotlight: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black
Happy Wednesday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
UPDATE: For those of you who participated in Kidlit Zombie Week, I'm still going through pitches but will announce my "mini-mentee" soon! Speaking of zombies...are you looking to mix up your brainstorming game? Start a new picture book? Pull yourself out of a flaming creative tailspin!? Check out my post all about brainstorming. It could be the...start of something new...(and now you have High School Musical stuck in your head) You're welc...
June 18, 2021
Zombies! Brains! Brainstorming! Oh my!
Happy Friday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Today marks the last day of ,#KidlitZombieWeek--an odd little happening I accidentally inspired. Cause sometimes you write a book. Sometimes it’s Tuesday. And sometimes you inspire an annual zombie-themed kidlit celebration of resurrecting dead manuscripts through the magical zombification of revision…
Even if you didn’t participate in Kidlit Zombie Week, this post spotlights some brainstorming techniques I use that hopefully will help you g...
June 10, 2021
Agent Spotlight: Lisa Amstutz
Happy Thursday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Ah, Picture Book Spotlight. The serious picture book blog for serious kidlit creators. That's right, there is absolutely nothing funny about this post, so wipe that smile off your face. Get serious, people! My new vision for this site is that it will be a place where happiness goes to die. It will be like a black hole of joy. And my bios at the end of every post will be actual, dry bios...with actual facts about me. Get ready for all the fa...
April 6, 2021
PANDO Cover Reveal with Kate Allen Fox
Happy Tuesday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
It's been a minute, friends. About that...life has been fairly crazy at the Gehrlein casa. I'm currently balancing teaching and working to finish my final class in grad school (Masters in Education with an emphasis in Reading), and Katherine and I welcome our second baby boy in just under 3 weeks. BAH! Send positive vibes our way so we transition well into this next chapter of our lives.
Today, I am super excited to share our first-ever pi...
February 9, 2021
Agent Spotlight: Hilary Harwell
Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Picture Book Spotlight!
Let's keep this little introduction short and sweet, shall we? Nothing more annoying than a rambing, purposeless, meandering, redundant, repetitive, wordy introduction before an awesome agent interview, am I right? You won't get that from me on this blog. Certainly not. No way. As a picture book author, I know every word counts and I am always economical in my writing. I would never intentionally write fluffy, silly, superfluous introdu...
