Twenty years ago today, my very first picture book, If Kisses Were Colors, illustrated by Alison Jay, was published by Dial Books for Young Readers. Time flies, but timeless themes endure, and If Kisses Were...

Here’s the gorgeous cover of my next picture book, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOPE. Tamisha Anthony has captured child moments of hope with beautiful story-telling illustration vignettes. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOPE will be published...

When I give workshops for beginning picture book writers, I always urge them to be brave—to leave room for an illustrator to help tell the story. I describe the picture book genre as a “linear...

Over the years, I have gotten better at patiently accepting the long production process that is a picture book’s journey from acquisition to publication. One way I do this is to enjoy each little milestone...

Today is the official “book birthday” of Good Night, Little Engine! A year or so ago, Grosset & Dunlap contacted me about writing a rhyming bedtime story featuring the Little Engine. The book would be part of the publisher’s...

When I visit schools, I like to share with kids that my book-writing process is often lengthy. I emphasize the role of revision in all good writing—and that revision takes time but is fun. However,...

If you’re writing fiction, you don’t have to worry about facts, right? Not necessarily. For some strange reason, if an author doesn’t create and maintain a smooth interface between make believe and real facts, a...

Crazy Questions Children’s writers ponder all sorts of crazy questions and often go to great lengths to find out the answers. I love sharing weird facts, hopefully fostering innate wonder and a desire to read...