September 2024

September 26, 2024

Good News–from East to West

and everywhere in between!

Illustration by Shiho Pate

Happy Book Birthday

by award-winning

Sarah and Ian Hoffman

illustrated by

Chris Case

(Magination Press/APA)

Jacob—the star of one of the most banned books of the decade—is back in this kid-friendly story about book banning, censorship, and LGBTQ+ rights.

"Jacob—whom readers may remember from the oft-banned JACOB’S NEW DRESS (2018)—discovers that a beloved book has been removed from the school library… It not only addresses naysayers who may be concerned about a child “turning gay” after reading LGBTQ+ books, but also winks and nods at those already in the know… useful as an entry point for more in-depth discussions."

"A timely story about censorship…There’s a lot to like here: the child’s-eye perspective on the impact of book bans; the gentle depiction of why representation is important; and the ending that doesn’t offer a saccharine resolution, but leaves room for hope. It’s a book that shouldn’t be necessary—but given the current climate, it should be a helpful conversation starter for children experiencing book bans and the grown-ups seeking to explain them.”

@eastwestlit • Instagram

As featured:

ALA Annual 2024 in Photos

Launched by:

As featured on

Book Birthday Blog

What are some ways readers young and old can help protect the right to choose what we want to read?

S & I Hoffman: We have lots of ideas on our website, including:

Send trusted educators your support, whether it’s a kind word, a note, or showing up for board meetings.
Report book bans and challenges to the ALA and PEN America.
If censorship at your school is creating a hostile climate toward people of color and/or LGBTQ community members, file a report with the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Talk about the effect of books bans on your life or your community, because the haters can take away our books, but they can’t take away our stories.

Sarah and Ian Hoffman have written four acclaimed books about Jacob, including JACOB'S ROOM TO CHOOSE, JACOB’S SCHOOL PLAY, JACOB’S NEW DRESS, and the recently released JACOB'S MISSING BOOK. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This fourth book in the Jacob series is a kids-eye view of book banning, meant to support kids who are experiencing book bans, raise awareness of the impact of book bans on kids, and celebrate kids’ own creative solutions to adult-created problems.

We believe that all kids should be able to see themselves represented in books. We believe that books can offer language that reflect kids’ lived experience in affirming ways. And we believe that books can teach kids how to be allies with empathy and creativity.

Our books help kids who are different to feel seen and be accepted by their communities, and kids who aren’t different to be empathetic and kind.

@eastwestlit • Instagram

In addition to picture books, Chris Case enjoys making comics—regardless of the format, he connects with stories that feature vulnerable characters having interactions that feel authentic, and stories that spotlight small moments. Chris likes grounding stories in feelings and perspectives that are relatable to young readers, and setting them in a way that’s a little offbeat or surprising. When he’s not drawing or painting, Vermont-based Chris, a former teacher, is an education bureaucrat.

EW Illustrator Highlight – Chris Case

Happy Book Birthday

Illustrated by

Luciana Navarro Powell

Written by Elly Berke

(Tilbury House)

A pass-it-forward tale of kindness, friendship, and the connections we discover when we listen to others, wonder, and ask about our coming-here stories.

“… Powell’s soft and welcoming, watercolorlike illustrations capture present and past at once as each immigrant’s history is revealed. An affirming narrative centering identity, belonging, and community.”

Let's celebrate our differences and similarities through the telling of stories reframing the question of “Where are YOU from” …

A charming slice-of-life peek into a friendly town that shows that each act of heartfelt connection can lead to many more …

Cultural Representation Reflection
TeachingBooks

Also available from Tilbury:

A 2024
Colorado Book Award Finalist

KidLit Connection

Luciana Navarro Powell's coming-here story started in 2002, when she moved to the U.S. from Brazil. Indeed, the colors, vibrancy, and warmth of Brazil infuse her work with a sunny optimism, humor, and warm human-animal-landscape interactions. She’d love to ask YOU about your very own coming-here story.

EW Illustrator Highlight –
Luciana Navarro Powell

Happy Book Birthday(s)

Illustrated by

ペイト　シホ

Written by
Kimberly Derting

(Abrams)

Follow along as a young boy becomes a big brother and experiences the new noises, smells, and “firsts” a baby sibling can bring, including baby’s first steps …

With simple, sweet rhyming text—and Shiho’s stunning, full-color illustrations—BABY STEPS is a great read-aloud and an ode to siblings everywhere.

With a playful, bold style that combines all of her talents using sumi ink, pencil and digital media, Shiho creates both warmth and a kind of simplistic imperfection in her Work that is both endearing and enduring.

Featured in
PW's Fall Sneak Peeks

From Shiho's Blog:

Blog — Shiho Pate

Shiho Pate was born in Hokkaido, Japan, and raised in Aichi. She received her degree in illustration from the Savannah College for Art and Design and worked for indie gaming studios before she started breaking into children’s books. Among many other books, she illustrated RAMEN FOR EVERYONE by Patricia Tanumihardja, which was a 2023 Indie Next Pick and a Junior Library Guild Selection. Shiho lives in Southern California with her husband and their daughter.

EW Illustrator Highlight – Shiho Pate

Happy Book Birthday

Illustrated by

ペイト　シホ

Written by
Tommy & Charlie Greenwald

The second title (of four) in a brand-new Beginning Reader series that follows a new-found family of rescue pets

"Stressful new adventures provide opportunities for three rescue pets to comfort and support each other. A series of tersely told episodes that are spread out over the pages in easily digestible bits follows an adorable trio: a cat named Tiger and two dogs named Moose and Bear. . . In Pate’s luminous, freely brushed illustrations, the feelings of the very young-looking animals are patent on their expressive faces at each moment . . . Sweet, low-key lessons in togetherness."

The On-Sale Calendar

Launched by:

"… charming … Moose and Bear are lovable characters that children will immediately connect with. Readers will root for Moose, who has one eye, and Bear, who has three legs, from the first page. Their funny dialogue is similar to Laura Vacarro Seeger’s “Dog and Bear” series and James Marshall’s “George and Martha” books. Budding readers will devour this series opener and be eager for more. A highly recommended new addition to the beginning chapter book section."

“The representation of older, special needs dogs in this is wonderful, and much needed in the world of dog books. The level of text complexity also fills a gap in children's literature in that it is slightly longer than a picture book but not quite a beginning novel … Moose and Bear are just goofy enough to get children giggling, but also has serious themes of family and togetherness.”
Ms. Yingling Reads

Here’s to “finding (our) home” with publisher Angus Yuen-Killick (R) and creative director
Mike Yuen-Killick (L)

Happy Book Birthday

A MG anthology, edited by Henry Herz, by 16 fabulous authors, including

NYT-bestselling

Stacia Deutsch

(Albert Whitman)

Portrays the magic of Hanukkah for each person who celebrates it, as well as what it means to be Jewish.

“A brilliant Hanukkah anthology that engages readers with Jewish culture and tradition. … VERDICT: This beautiful anthology of Jewish tradition that emphasizes empathy, small kindnesses, and hope is the perfect read for all students."

publishersweekly.com

"Sixteen acclaimed authors offer their varied perspectives on this joyous holiday of light and miracles. … Recurring themes include passing down recipes, uncovering family secrets, testing and forming friendships, dealing with loss, encountering paranormal spirits, and navigating complex family histories that shape the present. Many stories delve into the nuances of Jewish identity, in times of both crisis and joy, addressing issues such as bullying, grief, good deeds, and quintessential Hanukkah traditions, like eating potato pancakes, lighting candles, and playing dreidel."

Also available:

Forthcoming from Stacia:

www.staciadeutsch.com
@staciadeutsch
www.facebook.com/staciadeutsch

Amazon

#57

(as of 09/25)

#78

(as of 09/25)

Happy Book Birthday(s)

by award-winning
Janet Nolan

Illustrated by Amy Zhing

(Albert Whitman)

The second book in the
“Get Ready” series …

A behind-the-scenes look at the preparations – candy, costumes, decorations, and jack-o’-lanterns—that happen before ghosts and goblins can say “trick or treat!”

Illustration © Amy Zhing, throughout

“… [J]oyous … Sparkles with anticipatory, Halloween fun.”

Produced by Lilly Heavenrich

"VERDICT: This delightful Halloween-themed story would be a wonderful addition to any library’s collection, perfect for sparking excitement and enthusiasm about the spooky season.”

Quote from Sarah Scheerger

Excerpt from

Oct 1st Blog Post

Amy Zhing’s delightful illustrations are filled with adorable characters creating homemade costumes. There are hand-drawn butterfly wings, spools of ribbon for a unicorn, and the final touches of paint being put on a robot costume. My favorite is the mummy giraffe wrapped in toilet paper.
—Janet Nolan

"Energetic, instructive, and endearing."

Happy Book Birthday

by award-winning
Janet Nolan

Illustrated by Emily Cox

(Albert Whitman)

This true story includes a foreword by bat biologist Dr. Merlin Tuttle, who came to Austin to advocate for the colony by educating residents about the ways in which bats are good for the environment, and for humans too.

Illustration © Emily Cox, throughout

More than one million bats nest under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, and fill the sky every evening from spring to fall.

Discover how the people of Austin, Texas, stopped being afraid of the more than one million bats nesting under the Congress Avenue Bridge and, instead, welcomed them. Now, tourists from all over the world come to Austin to watch the Brazilian free-tail bats fill the sky every evening in early spring.

“Nolan smoothly tells this story for a young audience … celebrates an urban natural wonder.”

Quote from Sarah Scheerger

Excerpt from

Oct 1st Blog Post

There can be a delicate balance between accuracy and creativity in nonfiction illustration. Emily Cox got it just right. Her illustrations capture the magic, excitement, and suspense of waiting to see the bats fly while staying truthful to the bats and the bridge.
—Janet Nolan

Janet Nolan loves the collaborative art of the picture book—how a writer’s words and an illustrator’s art come together to create something magical. As an award-winning author, her picture books range from fiction to nonfiction to historical fiction. Janet has a BA from The Evergreen State College and a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Janet lives in Oak Park, Illinois, with her husband and their dog, Ladybug.

Happy Book Birthday

(Clarion)

A celebration of the extraordinary and ordinary power of dogs of all kinds, in sly and cheerful verse from celebrated poet David Elliott.

Features artwork from an all-star cast of eighteen bestselling and award-winning illustrators, including

renowned creator

"This collection of clever, compelling canine odes is a truly tail wagging choice to sit, stay, and savor. Paws-itively delightful."

"Utterly fetching."

"…A bouquet of art styles and media, fast-moving verse, and entertaining facts…"

Antoinette Portis is the author and illustrator for HC of the international bestseller NOT A BOX (a NYT Best Illustrated Book and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book)—the companion volume, NOT A BOX CITY is available now—NOT A STICK, I’M UP! and I’M STILL UP! (Bank Street “Best board books of the year”), A PENGUIN STORY (also chosen as a NYT Best Illustrated Book), and many more books for children. She attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and is a former creative director at Disney.

Happy Book Birthday

Illustrated by

Caroline Dittmann

Written by Andrea J. Looney

(Charlesbridge)

A Chicken Soup for the Soul—
Babies book

The eleventh book in the series playfully explains the importance of listening to others.

A sweet board book about the value of paying attention to others and listening to directions.

“Readers learn alongside the goat that when we don't listen to our friends, we may make them angry and cause additional problems. Children will love the expressions of frustration and surprise on the characters' faces… The important lesson taught in this book makes it an excellent choice for a read-aloud at home or in an early childhood classroom.”

—Children's Literature

Caroline Dittmann grew up in San Francisco, the oldest of five kids. She has worked as a seamstress for theater productions, a librarian, and a croissant baker. Now based in Portland, Oregon, she loves playing with shapes and colors and creating whimsical characters that make people smile.

EW Illustrator Highlight –
Caroline Dittmann

For more information, visit Jim here.

ILLUSTRATOR HIGHLIGHT

Luciana Navarro Powell

Spectacular September news!

Here’s to
The Freedom to Read:

Welcome, Ellen Hopkins – we are PROUD to represent the “most banned author” in America!

Publishers Weekly – September 16, 2024 – Life After the Ban (digitalpw.com)

Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2010-2019 | Banned Books (ala.org)

Celebrating…

… with award-winning author Alexandra Alessandri

Check out the bilingual musical story/video featuring ISABEL AND HER COLORES GO TO SCHOOL with Larkspur Reed Trio (composer Alejandra Odgers produced by Graywood Films):

Source: Facebook

*****

… Ernesto Cisneros

10 Children’s Books About Starting a New School – The New York Times

A September Selection:

*****

… Patty Cisneros Prevo

(Lee & Low)

Patty Cisneros Prevo is a first-generation Latina, writer, two-time Paralympic gold medalist, and proud mom and partner. She also works as the University of Wisconsin Health Program Manager of DEI. Her manuscript for TENACIOUS won the 2018 Lee & Low New Voices Award Honor and marks her debut as an author.
Stay tuned for her second book, ALL OF APOLONIA, soon!

Patty was at the Paralympics!

This time, two-time gold medalist Patty Cisneros Prevo attended the Paralympics as a spectator and speaker.

Giving Back for Back-to-School

BRAVO, Bob!

Acclaimed author and social advocate, Bob McKinnon, partnered with Penguin Young Readers, Welcoming America, Raising a Reader, Radio Flyer, and Booked Authors and raised private donations to create 100 Welcome Wagons filled with books about kindness and belonging, along with other resources, to provide support for new students in classrooms nationwide.

Much like the Welcome Wagon plays a key role in helping the new student, America, in AMERICA’S DREAMING, we hope these welcome wagons, filled with books about kindness and belonging, may also inspire children all around the country to stand up, be seen and feel like they belong – regardless of where they are from or what their gender, race, or class is.
—Bob McKinnon

Application and more info here: Welcome Wagon – Moving Up USA