Happy Book Birthday! 🥳

Congratulations to Laura Stewart on the publication of ORCHESTRA FOR OLIVER: EVEN THE SHORTEST LIVES ARE SPECIAL. Read more about this very personal story and what’s next for Laura on our blog.

scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2026/04/book...

Celebrate Easter with Danna Smith! Hoppy Easter, readers, writers, and bunnies of all kinds! 🐰🌸 We’re thrilled to celebrate the holiday in the best way possible - with books, of course! 📚 And what better way to celebrate than with prol...

www.seasonsofkidlit.com/post/celebra...

Celebrate Passover with Ana María Shua! Hi readers, writers, and pet lovers of all kinds! 🐾 Today marks the start of Passover - a holiday celebrating freedom and faith. What better way to celebrate than with prolific author Ana María Shua ...

www.seasonsofkidlit.com/post/celebra...

MOWMT 31: Look to the Librarians with Lynne Marie In the past twenty-five plus years that I've been immersed in writing and publishing children's literature, I have heard many pieces of advice over and over and over. One that stands out is: get to kn...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-3...

MOWMT 30: Gifting a Giggle with Kari Ann Gonzalez How do you engage readers? There are so many ways! High-interest content, gorgeous thought-provoking illustrations, impeccable rhymes and lyrical language, or my personal favorite, gift readers a gigg...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-3...

MOWMT 29: The Culture of a Name with Maria Wen Adcock Picture Books About Cultural Name Awareness by Maria Wen AdcockWhat’s in a name? In a very practical sense, our names are our identities. When someone says our names, we know they’re talking to us. Cu...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 28: Growing Global with Helen H. Wu How a Picture Book Can Grow Into Global Licensingby Helen H. WuWhen we talk about mentor texts, we often focus on voice, structure, or page turns. But sometimes, a mentor text teaches us something lar...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 27: Exploring the Why of Board Books with Robin Currie It happened the other day – a stroller child at the next table was chewing a copy of a board book I authored! When I told his mom, she said, “Oh, he loves to chew that one!” Take that, awards judges! ...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 26: Diving into the Details with Lisa Rogers It’s All in the Details by Lisa RogersPrecision in writing can be hard-won. As writers, we can get carried away by our words, without making sure that each one communicates what we intend. Sometimes, ...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 25: Finding Voice in NF with Lydia Lukidis Finding the Right Voice & Tone in Nonfiction Picture Books By Lydia Lukidis Writing compelling nonfiction for children isn’t just about sharing facts, it’s about sparking curiosity and making learnin...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

Happy Book Birthday! 🥳

Congratulations to Christina Fecher on her debut picture book SANTA’S SUMMER VACATION IN MICHIGAN. Read more about the story and what’s next for Christina on our blog.

scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2026/03/book...

MOWMT 24: Squirrels, Porcupines, and Bears, oh my! with Erin Dealey Squirrels, Porcupines, and Bears--oh my!Mentor texts with animal characters and how the rules, as well as my upcoming book Squirrel Draws Big Feelings evolved… No animals allowed!Twenty years ago, whe...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 23: The Value of Strong Verbs with Alayne Kay Christian Simply stated, the value of strong verbs is movement. They define action that serves to move the story forward and give it spark. Strong verbs paint pictures that give the illustrator more to work wit...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 22: Page-Turning Secrets with Mary Boone MOWMT: The Secret to Writing Page-Turning NonfictionBy Mary BooneFacts matter. Accuracy matters. Research matters.But here’s the truth: Kids don’t fall in love with books because of footnotes, bolded ...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 21: Magic That Makes Us Feel with Danielle Render Turmaud The Magic in Books That Make Us FeelBy Danielle Render Turmaud, PhDHave you ever opened a book and found yourself taken on an emotional journey that you never expected? The transformation can be insta...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

MOWMT 6: Jumping Right In with Mel Rosenberg I love picture book stories that practically force you to turn the page right from the very start. The recipe is not rocket science. Start with something mysterious. Something unexpected, something st...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-6...

MOMWT 14: Magic in Mentor Texts with Lynne Marie Conjuring magic in picture books isn’t as easy as it may seem. First, the magic must be seeded in the ordinary world. It can’t just come out of nowhere, magically or not. Since essentially everything ...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/momwt-1...

MOWMT 20: Climate Fiction for Young Readers with Blair Northen Williamson Climate Fiction for Young Readers: Teaching Big Ideas Through Small, Powerful MomentsBy Blair Northen Williamson“Climate change” is a big phrase for little ears. It carries rising seas, warming waters...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-2...

Celebrate Persian New Year with Rashin Kheiriyeh! Hi readers, writers, and celebrators of all sorts! 🌸 Today marks Persian New Year, a beautiful holiday that welcomes the arrival of spring and celebrates renewal, hope, and fresh beginnings. And what ...

www.seasonsofkidlit.com/post/celebra...

MOWMT 19: Origin Stories for Beloved Objects with Nancy Churnin Children have a natural curiosity about the world. How and why were Band-Aids invented? Who created the giant balloons for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? How did Winnie the Pooh and Teddy Bears get t...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 18: Surprising Rhyme with Laura Lavoie If you’ve read any blog posts I’ve written for Storystorm or Picture Book Builders, you probably know that I tend to brainstorm the titles of my picture books before I draft. When I came up with the t...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 17: Discussing Luck with Donna Marx Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss the topic of luck. The popular phrase, “Luck of the Irish”, was originally coined in the 19th-century during the American Gold...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

🥳
Congratulations to Lisa Wheeler on the publication of IT TAKES A FAMILY TO SERVE, a timeless tale celebrating military families. Read more about Lisa and what’s next for her on our blog.

scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2026/03/book...

My pleasure!

MOWMT 16: Board Books with Claire Freeland When I transitioned from writing picture books to writing board books, I was struck by their unique challenge. Instead of a focus on plot and story, the focus is on rhythm and participation. One of th...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 15: Fresh Perspectives with Leah Schanke Writing for Children from a Fresh Perspective by Leah SchankeHave you ever found a historical figure you would love to write about, only to discover there are already multiple biographies about them o...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 13: Boosting Bold Backmatter with Lauren Kerstein Lauren H. Kerstein Boosts Bold Backmatter That Grabs the Reader as Much as the Text Everything I’ve ever learned, I learned from a picture book! The beauty of writing nonfiction picture books is that ...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 12: Metafiction Mentor Texts with Evelyn Bookless Using Metafiction To Turn Reading Into A GameGreetings, March on Mentor Text readers!When I was inspired to attempt to write a story based on a childhood game after being dazzled by THE LEGEND OF ROCK...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...

MOWMT 11: Heart and History in PBs with Jolene Gutiérrez As a teacher librarian, many of the resources I share with my students feature important history. Dry nonfiction isn’t enough to hook readers--these stories need to have heart. I want my students to w...

www.rateyourstory.org/post/mowmt-1...