The Importance of Play

A couple weeks ago I met with my daughter’s teacher for our end-of-year conference, and during the conference I asked her, what we should do this summer to prepare my daughter for next year. I was quickly reminded of the importance of play.

First Book Trailer Release

Coming Soon: A new kind of picture book for creative children. 

Today, I released a short book trailer on YouTube, which is also now on the home page of my website.

Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain one as he grows up.”

The picture book I will release this fall is a celebration of children’s artistry and imagination. Children will be invited to draw, color, and imagine their own illustrations in The Nighttime Adventures of Calvin and Ollie.

 

Children’s Literature Past and Present: What’s Changed?

The world’s largest library, the U.S. Library of Congress recently made a collection of historic children’s books publicly available online. These relics from the past, some of which are 100 years old, would likely not be viewed by children today, but now anyone can view these children’s books for free online. All of the books in the collection were published in England and the United States before 1924 and are no longer under copyright, meaning they can be enjoyed and shared by anyone.

Our Lives in Barcelona: Things We’ve Learned So far

 

We’ve been living in Barcelona for a few months now, and we’re learning all the important things, like how to say “thank you,” “good morning,” and “doughnut” in Spanish and Catalan, that sandwiches are a breakfast food, and restaurants don’t serve dinner until it’s our bedtime. We’re also learning other important things like how to share toys and cookies at the park, what to do when someone throws sand on you, and what to do when you throw sand on someone else.

On Becoming an Author

There are people who impact our lives in major ways with seemingly small actions. My kindergarten teacher is one of those people for me.