Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 22, 2025

 Born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in 1934, this author/illustrator grew up in a happy home filled with art supplies, scraps of lumber from her father's workshop and fabric from her mother's sewing room. Her favorite medium was collage, and after graduating from the UW/Madison she went to art school in Milwaukee and worked as a freelance illustrator. Her first book as an author and illustrator was Growing Vegetable Soup in 1987, but perhaps she is best known for her artwork in the book by Bill Martin Jr. where the alphabet climbs up a coconut tree. The book, chosen by President Obama to read to visiting children, is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the artist is Lois Ehlert. 

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 14, 2025

 He was the author, she was the illustrator for numerous books featuring animals, including Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas and a novel called The Mouse and His Child. The couple married in 1944, and they are perhaps best known for their series of picture books in the 1960's about a young badger who loves bread and jam. The couple divorced and the husband remarried and moved to England, where he described why writers and artists create. "They can't help it...Art, like babies, is one of the things that life makes us make." This is Russell and Lillian Hoban, creators of the books about a badger called Frances.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 8, 2025

 I was happy to learn that this Canadian Indigenous singer/songwriter, who sang Now That The Buffalo's Gone and other songs about Native Americans, had written a children's book. Her chapter book Tapwe and the Magic Hat came out in English and Cree. I was a bit disappointed to learn that she is actually an Italian American, born in Massachusetts. When this was revealed, she was removed from the Order of Canada and the Canadian Hall of Fame, but she has done a lot to raise awareness of Native issues and culture. This is Buffy Sainte-Marie, born Beverly Jean Santamaria in 1941.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 1, 2025

 It's a rare occurance, but this Irish school teacher's 2001 book was so successful he was able to quit his day job and focus on his writing full time. The author, Eoin Colfer, wrote about a 12 year-old criminal mastermind whose family is in dire financial straits, so he decides to steal fairy gold. The book became an 8-book series and a Disney movie. This is Artemis Fowl.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 24, 2025

 In honor of my 19 year-old cat Maggie May who passed this week--This author/illustrator from Oregon began drawing cats at age 2. She studied art in Paris hoping to become a portrait artist but devoted herself instead to painting cats. Her book Mittens, about a cat with six toes, became a best-seller soon after it came out in 1936. This is Clare Turlay Newberry.

June 2025--an amazing month

 As June comes to a close, I'm so grateful for all the wonderful things that happened this month. June 1st I got the clear mammogram report, "No evidence of cancer." It's been 12 years, but still always a relief to get that annual letter! On the 4th, I signed the contact for my third picture book with Familius publishing, "Nighty Night, Bears." This means a lot to me because the very first book I ever learned to read on my own was "Little Bear" by Else Homelund Minarik. 

On the 5th, we invited a petsitter over to meet our dogs and it turns out he was the man who saved our dog Lacy's life when she was hit by a car! The driver never stopped, and this man, Mike, got her out of the street and held her until we got there in minutes. We drove straight to the animal hospital, and I never got his name of contact info. She had a broken pelvis but has healed beautifully, and Mike was thrilled to see that she's doing well.

On the 13th, three good things--started the day by getting the Wordle word in two guesses, got a "champagne rejection" from agent Miranda P. wanting me to know that my story "Toys Ahoy" intrigued her and she would reconsider it if I revise. And...after 7 years together, Jim and I got married! Very small gathering but just a lovely day.

There have been some sad days, too--a funeral for a friend from my cancer group, and our 19 year old cat Maggie May passed away. Jim has had some issues with back pain. But the month will end joyfully--on the 29th, grandson Oliver will turn 3 years old! And July will start off happily with Jim's brother and sisiter-in-law arriving from Boulder on the 1st to celebrate Jim's 75th birthday on the 2nd. We'll be off to my nephew's wedding in Boise on the 25th and my kids will arrive to visit on the 28th! Life is so good. 

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 17, 2025

 It's a fact--snails have both male and female reproductive parts. 400 Virginia elementary students were denied an author visit when one parent saw a video of this author where she referred to her book Snail and mentioned this fact. The parent insisted the visit be cancelled, which it was, with no explanation. But, the author had a contract and insisted she be paid. The principal told the school librarian she'd have to pay the author out of her own pocket! The author refused to take the librarian's money and instead went to court. The school board ended up paying author Erica S. Perl, who feels that authors and their contracts (and binary snails) need to be respected, and children need author visits.