Small Reads for Brighters Days
[Still off the grid, but I’ll be back next week!] Wow, did I have a loony summer. That’s because Yvonne Pearson (author of Little Loon Finds His Voice) and I teamed up for 14 Minnesota storytimes about loons. FOURTEEN! Whee! Here’s a quick photo gallery, and I want to give big thanks to Yvonne, Cortney […]
I’ve done library storytimes for years, but it’s usually just an occasional event here and there. This summer, though, picture book author Yvonne Pearson and I are teaming up to do loon storytimes at ALL 14 branches of the East Central Regional Library in Minnesota! We’re calling it For the Love of Loons, and we’ll […]
I’m so excited to share the lovely news that Secrets of the Loon is a winner for the 2021 Riverby Award for exceptional nature books for young readers! Whee! I am hugely honored. This picture book launched right as the pandemic hit, all in-person events were canceled, and, like many 2020 books, it hasn’t had […]
October only: There’s nothing like getting outside to read a nature book! A couple of weekends ago, I got to share Secrets of the Loon with some families at a Minnesota park through Dakota County Library. It was a gorgeous fall day, and it was fun to talk about how a loon’s anatomy affects its […]
While writing Snowman-Cold=Puddle, I thought about the many different ways seasons are defined, including agriculturally, by temperature, by planetary alignment, etc. Many regions of the world have rainy and dry season instead of our four North American seasons. For me, as a kid and then a teacher, summer always started on the first non-school day, […]
In our icebox winter here in Minnesota, it’s hard to believe there are any birds flying north at this time! But a few species are beginning their journeys. If you’re talking about migration in your classroom, I’ve got two books you might want to share (and activities that go with both—just follow the links). Also, […]
One of the science topics I am constantly fascinated by is animal adaptations: how animals’ bodies and behaviors adapt to their environments. My favorite facts from Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) concern Northern wood frogs that freeze solid and earthworms that migrate vertically, just a few […]
We’re coming up on July 4—the day the United States celebrates its independence. Lots of picture books also celebrate independence, since it’s a crucial journey kids embark on. This includes my newest photo picture book, Secrets of the Loon. In it, Moon Loon has to learn LOTS of skills to become independent! To extend the […]
Looking for examples of great dads to share with young readers for Father’s Day? My new picture book Secrets of the Loon illustrates how both loon parents share all the responsibilities, from guarding the nest to giving hatchlings piggyback rides to feeding the chicks. You can expand the reading fun by partnering my title […]
Thank you SO much to everyone who came to the Facebook Video launch of Secrets of the Loon (photographer Chuck Dayton, Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2020). I can’t tell you how much I smiled as each familiar name popped up. I was very afraid nobody would come–there’s just so much going on in our virtual […]
