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.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 10, 2025

 A NYC couple, one a psychiatrist and the other a playwrite, read a newspaper story about a penguin couple at the Central Park Zoo. When the chinstrap penguins paired up to start families, Roy and Silo, both males, built a nest and took tuns sitting on an egg-shaped rock. When another penguin laid an egg she couldn't care for, zookeepers gave it to Roy and Silo who took turns keeping the egg warm until it hatched and then they all lived together happily. The two authors published their (often banned) book about the little family in 2005. The are Peter Parnall and Justin Richardson, and their book is And Tango Makes Three.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 3, 2025

 Although this English writer, born in 1881, won several awards for her children's books and poetry, she is best remembered for the hymn lyrics she wrote to a traditional Scottish tune, published in 1931. She was a shy, sickly, nearsighted child who spent most of her days in the attic, surrounded by books. Her father encouraged her to write from the time she was five. Who knew the hymn she wrote would become a hit on the pop charts in 1971 when performed by an English singer? The hymn is Morning Has Broken, sung by Cat Stevens, also known now as Yusuf Islam.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 27, 2025

 This New York City cartoonist worked as the art director for magazines and made his debut into the world of children's books when he illustrated "The Carrot Seed," written by his wife Ruth Krauss in 1945. He wrote and illustrated his most famous book in 1955, about a toddler with a magic writing implement, and it has never gone out of print.  He was bald and said he drew characters without hair "because it's so much easier."There were other book in the series, but none did as well as the original. The book is Harold and the Purple Crayon and the author/illustrator is known as Crockett Johnson, but his real name was David Johnson Leisk. 

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 20, 2025

 This former elementary teacher from Los Angeles now lives in Plainfield, MA. A mom of three, she has written over 70 children's books. Her best known are part of a series, begun in 2008, about a small, colorful vehicle. Over 20 million of these books have sold, and they include some in Spanish, such as El Camionsito Azul. The author is Alice Schertle, and her series began with The Little Blue Truck.