Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for March 28, 2023

 This author/illustrator's first book, inspired by her daughter's love of cupcakes and obsession with a certain color, came out in 2016. It grew into a series of colorful titles. The is Victoria Kann (who began writing with her sister Elizabeth) and her first book was Pinkalicious.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for March 21, 2023

 This New York author wrote training manuals for the Army during WWII and came home to work for magazine publisher Conde Nast. There he met his wife, an illustrator, and their friends the Reys (of Curious George fame) encouraged them to try a picture book. Their book, Harry the Dirty Dog, came out in 1956 and is still beloved today. Others followed, but, sadly, when the couple divorced in 1968, the writer never wrote another book. The author was Gene Zion and his wife was artist Margaret Bloy Graham.

Tuesday KidLit Trivia for March 14, 2023

 This Jewish author/illustrator, born in Brooklyn in 1916 to Polish immigrants, knew what discrimination felt like, and he thought stories for children should represent kids who didn't often see themselves in books. His Caldecott-winning collage style books were among the first to feature an African-American main chatacter, Peter, who found simple joys in his urban neighborhood. This is Ezra Jack Keats, and his most famous book is The Snowy Day, published in 1962.

Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Words challenge

 It's a tough challenge--write a story with a beginning, middle and end, in just 50 words. Here's my entry this year: 

Starting Over (50 words) by Deborah Holt Williams

Wildfire! “Take one thing,” said Mom. “We’ll go get Granny.” Layla grabbed the box Gramps carved. Shelter news: Layla’s house--OK, Granny’s cabin--gone, except her old tub. Granny cried and moved into Layla’s. In the box? Seeds from Granny’s old gardens. The tub? A planter, for a new garden.