Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 24, 2026

 This author/illustrator's books, set in Busytown, feature animals which make his art accessible to kids of all cultures, but he's been criticized for assigning only traditional role models to his male and female characters. He got a bit better at this in later books--moms as well as dads took the train to work, boys learned to bake a pie, but Mother Cat never did learn to change a tire. He was born in Boston, served five years in the Army, moved to New York City and hoped to become a commercial artist, but found a job illustrating for Golden Press. His first book, Best Word Book Ever, came out in 1963 and was followed by several other crowded, cheerful colorful books in the late 60's and early 70's. This is Richard Scarry.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 17, 2026

 The New York Public Library has stood on 5th Avenue since 1911, guarded by two stone lions. What book has been checked out most often in the library's history? And what did Mayor LaGuardia name the two lions during the Great Depression?  The book is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and the lions were named Patience and Fortitude, two qualities the mayor felt the public would need to get through tough times.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 10, 2026

  This innocent, sometimes foolish young boy has been a beloved character in Puerto Rican folklore for over 200 years. The tales about him have been called a repository of Puerto Rican culture and a symbol of resistance to colonial represssion, but millions of children simply enjoy his stories for fun. England has their Jack stories, and Puerto Rico has Juan Bobo.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 3, 2026

 This Missouri artist's work is instantly recognizable due to her recurring use of black and white checks, black with white polka dots, cherries and small flowers. She set up her own art studio in the family linen closet at age 9 in 1961. As an adult, she originally wanted to illustrate books but was persuaded to try her hand at greeting cards. Her first to be nationally distributed featured a stack of bowls on a chair and the message, "Life is just a chair of bowlies." Her cards were a huge hit and she founded her own company in 1982. Her art appeared on calendars, fabric, dishes and more. She did eventually illustrate books for children, including versions of Mother Goose and The Night Before Christmas, but she has continued designing greeting cards and has a darkly humorous line, called Engledark. This is Mary Engelbreit.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 27, 2026

 Some parents might have punished their young daughter for fibbing as she told the neighbors about her 3-legged cat named Spot, the ghost in the attic, the family's trip to Paris, and more. But this Indiana author's parents called her "imaginative" and encouraged her to write her stories down. She went on to have over 50 published books, ranging from fun picture books like Muncha, Muncha, Muncha and Penny & Pip to children's biographies of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Buffalo Bill Cody and Eleanor Roosevelt. The American Library Association gave her the 2026 Children's Literature Legacy Award for demonstrating "integrity for all children's lives and experiences." I heard her speak many years ago on the importance of writing "a shitty first draft." This is the funny and still imaginative author Candace Fleming.

Nighty Night, Dinos reviewed by School Library Journal (Coming out in June of this year!)

 Nighty Night, Dinos received a very nice review from School Library Journal (see below). 

Deborah and Anna, feel free to share this with your friends, family, followers, and fans. Familius will do the same. We will also add a portion of this review to your book's metadata. 

Williams, Deborah Holt. Nighty Night, Dinos. ­illus. by Anna Doherty. 32p. Familius. Jun. 2026. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9798893960501.

Toddler-Gr 2–Dinosaurs have a busy day full of noisy activities, engaging all day long, stomping, swimming, flying, and creeping. The simple, rhyming verse quickly transitions from the excitement of playtime to the quiet routine of bedtime. The story succeeds by detailing gentle rituals performed by diverse prehistoric creatures. Readers watch as T-Rex pulls a blankie tight, sleepy Stegosaurus plops next to tired Triceratops, and ­Brontosaurus hugs a toy bear. Even Ankylosaurus curls up snug, and Parasaurolophus is ready for a pillow. The writing effectively uses action words alongside soothing bedtime cues, making it an excellent read-aloud choice for winding down, concluding with the warning to “Whisper now, don’t make a peep!” so the dinos can sleep and grow “healthy, big and strong.” The accompanying visuals are essential to the book’s success, creating vivid, warm, and comforting scenarios in the transformation of large, potentially scary dinosaurs into relatable, sleepy friends. The illustrations beautifully highlight the necessary contrast in emotions: moving from the high-energy, noisy action of day to the quiet routines of night. By depicting these massive animals engaging in soft, humanlike domestic acts, the artwork successfully grounds the imaginative scenario in blankets of comfort for children. VERDICT The rhythmic text of this charming and effective story, along with its imaginative depiction of large creatures engaging in gentle rituals, will make this a great addition to anyone seeking soothing read-alouds for the young.–Richard Winters

Congratulations again!

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 20, 2026

 This artist's gentle illustrations are perfect with the humble, respectful text in 2013's The Cart that Carried Martin, by Eve Bunting, about the wooden cart and two mules that carried the body of Martin Luther King through the streets of Atlanta. The artist began writing books of his own in 2012, often biographies of lesser-known Blacks of note, such as Jerry Lawson, who revolutionized video games, poet George Moses Horton, and football-player-turned-artist Ernie Barnes. I met him at a Highlights workshop before his writing was published, and I'm so pleased with his success. As kind as he is talented, this is Don Tate.