Cover Reveal: Luck Charms the Prince by Lee Wind, ill. James Fenner
I don’t think I’m saying anything particularly new or shocking when I point out that LGBTQIA+ content produced by children’s book publishers has appeared less and less often in the last two to three years. It’s gotten to the point where finding queer content is getting embarrassingly sparse. That’s why [...]
Recent Posts
Jeff Kinney in the Hot Seat: A Video Interview of 21 Questions for a 21st Book
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Fight or Flight is out October 20th and in celebration I decided to hit the man with 21 distinctly silly questions.
“Excellence, expertise, and Black Joy.” A Black Barbie Discussion with Dinah Johnson and Laura Freeman
Maybe you saw the Netflix documentary. Maybe you owned one yourself. Or maybe this is a all new to you. We talk with the creators of an upcoming picture book bio about their truly cool title.
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Book Reviews
Review of the Day: Goodbye, Koi by Jack Wong
Anxious children, kids that feel deeply for animals, and young people who are worried about some big change in their lives will all be able to particularly relate to what Goodbye, Koi is telling them: sometimes, you have to give up what's familiar for a chance to glimpse the sky.
Review of the Day: The Shadow Stream by Kirk Lombard, ill. Parker Thornton
A rather magnificent book and a rarity besides. Defies expectations. How does it do it? Dunno. Come for the writing. Stay for the opossum funeral.
Review of the Day: Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Bagram Ibatoulline
Extraordinarily beautiful and more than a little wise, now you can convert your verse loving science haters and convert your science hating poetry-lovers, all in one fell swoop.
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Newbery/Caldecott 2027: Fall Prediction Edition
It's that time again! Time for the penultimate prediction post for the upcoming award season. We've all notched a few more reads at this point, and things are starting to solidify in our brains. So! Who's it gonna be?
Great Interview or THE GREATEST Interview? The Cover Reveal and Q&A of Ratface Does Not Want to Be Your Friend by Eliza Kinkz
Constipated and enraged. Today we feel that it is time to smack people awake with the cover reveal of the century.
Magical Realism, Colored Pencils, and the Story of Migration: We Discuss Mariposa’s Journey with Creators Belen Medina and Juana Martinez-Neal
Migration, whether it's by humans or insects, is the subject of today's book. We dive, and dive deeply, into its origins and the choices its creators made along the way.
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Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs by Bernard Most
Clowns! Misspellings! And guns guns guns. That's what we're getting with this legitimate 1984 charmer today.
Mexikid 2: Electric Boogaloo. Truthfully, It’s Called Mexikid Dreams. Look, I’m Just Excited to Talk to Pedro Martín Today.
Not only is Mexikid Dreams good, it may even be better than its predecessor. But how? I talk with its creator today to try to figure out how this could have happened.
Publisher Preview (Fall 2026): Post Wave, Tapioca Stories & Walker Books
I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but some of the books in this preview are titles that I am PARTICULARLY excited about. Read on to see why.
The 40-Year-Old Icon: A Redwall Celebration with Editor Patti Lee Gauch and Illustrator Sean Rubin
"The story of the brave, clever and loving, common man - the longshoreman shrew, the builder mole. Indeed, I felt as if Brian wanted to celebrate common folk, from the largest to the smallest." Today we celebrate an iconic series.
From the Archives (2018)
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Sep 17, 2026
Betsy Bird on Newbery/Caldecott 2027: Fall Prediction Edition
"Oh, lovely! Yes, I agree that the committee may have their objections, but it's the strongest Sweet contender I've seen ..."
Sep 17, 2026
Judy Weymouth on Newbery/Caldecott 2027: Fall Prediction Edition
"Betsy, as I read what you had to say about Newbery possibilities I kept thinking how much I had enjoyed reading/listenin ..."
Sep 16, 2026
Jenn on Newbery/Caldecott 2027: Fall Prediction Edition
"YESSS to the Queen's Granddaughter love! <3 I'm biased, but it's GREAT! ..."
Sep 16, 2026
Sally Robertson on Publisher Preview (Fall 2026): Post Wave, Tapioca Stories & Walker Books
"These are some great titles. They would great for nature story times. ..."
Sep 16, 2026
Heather Marvel on Newbery/Caldecott 2027: Fall Prediction Edition
"I agree with you on Shook. I enjoyed reading it, but I have been listening to the audio book with my kiddos on the way t ..."
Sep 15, 2026
Betsy Bird on Great Interview or THE GREATEST Interview? The Cover Reveal and Q&A of Ratface Does Not Want to Be Your Friend by Eliza Kinkz
"Rat back atcha! ..."
Sep 15, 2026
Kari Lavelle on Great Interview or THE GREATEST Interview? The Cover Reveal and Q&A of Ratface Does Not Want to Be Your Friend by Eliza Kinkz
"Well, isn't this rat-tastic!?! Congrats, Eliza! Thank you, Betsy! ..."
Sep 15, 2026
Emmy S. on Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs by Bernard Most
"The word "brontosaurs" is the plural of the word "brontosaur"! A brontosaur is any member of the genus "brontosaurus"! ..."
Sep 14, 2026
Robin Currie on Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs by Bernard Most
"Totally support your frustration about Bernard Most’s death omission. Those B/W and color books were very creative! ..."
Sep 10, 2026
Shannon on Mexikid 2: Electric Boogaloo. Truthfully, It’s Called Mexikid Dreams. Look, I’m Just Excited to Talk to Pedro Martín Today.
"Comments for Pedro: mid-to-late 1900’s? My side eye on this phrasing is strong. Two, your wife sounds lovely. Do ta ..."
Sep 9, 2026
Lisa Katzenberger on Publisher Preview (Fall 2026): Post Wave, Tapioca Stories & Walker Books
"These all look like beautiful books! I'm excited to have my picture book LOVE, LOVE, illustrated by the amazingly talent ..."
Sep 8, 2026
rockinlibrarian on Publisher Preview: Levine Querido (Fall/Winter 2026)
"BETSY. You mean to say you haven't read Jaclyn Moriarty?? I actually just finished her latest grownup book (Time Travel ..."
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