Betsy Bird's Blog, page 19

Cover Reveal: Daniel Nayeri’s The Teacher of Nomad Land WITH Alternative Book Jacket Designs!

We have quite the treat for you today, folks. First and foremost, the important thing to know is that Daniel Nayeri, fresh off his Newbery Honor win for The Many Assassination of Samir the Seller of Dreams, has a brand new middle grade novel out this year! Called The Teacher of Nomad Land and out August 12th, the book focuses on Iran during WWII.

Usually at this point I’d include a publisher’s description, but you know what’s even better than that? Getting the facts straight form the author...

Publisher Preview Spring/Summer 2025: Part One Featuring Cuento de Luz, Post Wave, Lantana, Little Island, and Marble Press

Ha ha! It’s been a minute but I’m finally ready to show you a whole PLETHORA of cool books coming out this year from small publishers far and wide. Thanks to the machinations of Ellen Myrick and Publisher Spotlight I’ve all SORTS of books to show to you today. Enjoy the following!

The Vase with the Golden Cracks by Fran Nu��a, illustrated by Zuzanna Celej

English ISBN: 9788419464958

Spanish ISBN: 9788419464934

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

The art of Kintsugi is the star of ...

The Origins of The Giant Jam Sandwich (with full credit to Christina Hoover Moorehead)

Okay, this is one of those rare moments when you learn something important and you want to let the whole dang world know about it. I’ve already discussed this discovery on my podcast Fuse 8 n’ Kate, but without the information being freely available (and searchable) online, I didn’t feel that I’d done my due diligence.

Activate diligence… NOW!

Not long ago, Fuse 8 n’ Kate discussed the picture book The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway. In the course of our discussi...

Publisher Preview: Enchanted Lion (Spring 2025)

What’s better than a publisher preview where you get to see all their books early? A publisher preview from a publishing company never before featured on this site, that’s what! Yes, I am here to announce proudly that this is the very first Enchanted Lion Publisher Preview to grace A Fuse #8 Production, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Thanks to the efforts of Claudia Zoe Bedrick, today I am going to show you a full range of their Spring 2025 season. Everything you could hope for, to perk up ...

Confidence, Language, and Awesome Abuelas: Julio Anta and Gabi Mendez Discuss the Upcoming Speak Up, Santiago!

Considering the news, and the state of the country today, you can probably understand why, when asked whether or not I’d like the interview the creators of a graphic novel that explores the linguistic insecurity that so many American-born Hispanics who don���t speak Spanish face today, I didn’t just jump at the chance. I LEAPED at it! I HURDLED at it! I broke down walls, doors, and other sundry barriers to get to it!

Meet Eisner Award-nominated author Julio Anta and illustrator Gabi Mend...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Fox All Week by James Marshall

Sometimes everything comes together so beautifully. Kate had been asking for a while for me to come up with a fox-related picture book title in which the fox wasn’t evil. Meanwhile, Jerrold Connors has been creating a picture book biography of James Marshall called JIM! (which I interviewed him about this past week) in which Jim is portrayed as his famous fox character. The time just seemed right to put these two things together. The James Marshall Fox series had multiple volumes, so which o...

Press Release: Kidlit for Los Angeles

The children���s publishing industry is uniting to support a fundraising initiative launched by four picture book authors in response to last week���s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Kidlit for Los Angeles���founded by Caroline L. Perry, Charlotte Offsay, Tara Luebbe, and Jocelyn Rish���has been flooded with donations from authors, illustrators, and industry professionals.

Top auction items include a complete set of signed Diary of a Wimpy Kid books with an original sketch from crea...

Newbery/Caldecott 2025: Final Prediction Edition

Kind of hard to believe it’s almost here. In the thick of 2025 we have a little time left to try and predict what it is that will win the most prestigious awards in American children’s literature. The tension is high. The books? They are strong. I tell you, the state of children’s books was fantastic in 2024. I have surprisingly few personal villains (a.k.a. books that I REALLY don’t want to see win anything so, naturally, they will). And there are just so many wonderful potential winners th...

Exclusive spread for MIXED FEELINGS by Liana Finck

Sometimes, you just want to do an exclusive spread from a book.

Who amongst you remembers the picture book You Broke It! by New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck when it was released last year? Welp, Finck’s back with a whole new title, and I’ve got the fancy dancy spread to prove it.

Mixed Feelings by Liana Finck hits bookstore and library shelves on January 21st. The publisher chooses to describe it this way:

Presented in illustrated vignettes and beautifully articulate text, each s...

Exclusive Spotlight: All Eyes on JIM! A Jerrold Connors Q&A on James Marshall

We’re doing something a little different today. You may already be familiar with my colleague and fellow School Library Journal blogger Travis Jonker. Travis writes over at the wonderful 100 Scope Notes site. Usually we don’t collaborate on much, but today we are pleased to reveal two sides of the same book. JIM! by Jerrold Connors is the story of James Marshall. Over at 100 Scope Notes, you’ll get an exclusive reveal of the book’s case cover, never before seen on this good green earth. And ...