News and Views
Creating Compelling Nonfiction
Want to learn more about creating compelling nonfiction for kids? Check out my panel chat with illustrator Dawn Lo, author Etta Kaner, and illustrator Brittany Lane. We are in conversation about our upcoming books One Tiny Bubble and Rock? Plant? Animal? Thanks to Taylor Lytle-Hewlett of Owlkids for moderating!
Both books will be available on September 15.
Expert Review: One Tiny Bubble
What do you do when your fantastic editor, Stacey Roderick of Owlkids Books, asks you for photo references of a one-celled life-form that lived over 3.5 billion years ago? You turn to an expert.
I’d like to thank Dr. William F. Martin of the Institute of Molecular Evolution at Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf for generously sharing his time and expertise to review the text and advise me when I needed to provide photo references for LUCA – our Last Universal Common Ancestor. LUCA is the one-and-only organism that every living being on Earth can be traced back to. It’s also the subject of One Tiny Bubble – my upcoming picture book with illustrator Dawn Lo, published by Owlkids Books.
Dr. Martin was also generous enough to provide an expert review of the finished book. Here’s what he had to say:
I can’t wait to share LUCA’s inspirational story and Dawn’s vibrant illustrations with our whole Earth family in September.
Sour Cakes Giveaway!
Enter to win one of two signed copies of my debut picture book Sour Cakes, illustrated by Anna Kwan and published by Owlkids Books! Told in striking, conceptual illustrations, this story explores empathy, emotional acceptance, mental health, and acknowledging difficult feelings in a warm, accessible way. A 2021 Ontario Library Association Best Bets selection! Visit Goodreads to enter!
Happy Indie Bookstore Day!
April 30 is Canadian Independent Bookstore Day – an initiative from the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association to celebrate our fabulous local indie bookstores. I’ll be spending time at one of my many favourite local booksellers, like Ella Minnow Children’s Bookstore, Book City, and Mabel’s Fables Bookstore.
Did you know that every book purchased from a Canadian indie bookstore on April 30 is worth one entry to win one of three prizes? Books written and/or illustrated by Canadian creators will be worth double. Books can be purchased in-store, online, or by phone. For more info about how to win, check out the contest rules.
And what a great day to pre-order a book! My upcoming picture book One Tiny Bubble, illustrated by Dawn Lo and published by Owlkids Books, is available for pre-order now. It’s a vibrant poetic story of one tiny bubble that sparked all life on Earth – including yours. You can find an indie bookstore near you on IndieBound.
Happy World Read Aloud Day!
Happy World Read Aloud Day! Today, I’ll be visiting virtually with grade 3 classes at Claremont Elementary School in Ossining, New York, to share my picture book Sour Cakes.
For everyone else, here’s a link to a video I made for another World Read Aloud Day. You can listen to me read from my novel Bog, which won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada in 2015. In Bog, a cave troll with a grudge against humans is forced to confront his own prejudice when he embarks on a quest into human territory. Read on!
Cover Reveal: One Tiny Bubble
It’s cover reveal day! I’m thrilled to share the cover of One Tiny Bubble! This nonfiction picture book is gorgeously illustrated by Dawn Lo, written by me, and published by Owlkids Books! It’s available for pre-sale now and coming to a bookstore near you in September 2022.
One Tiny Bubble is the true story of LUCA - our Last Universal Common Ancestor. Over 3.5 billion years ago, a few ingredients bubbled together to create LUCA. No big deal? Think again! This one-celled being, which was tinier than a cupcake sprinkle, triggered mighty changes on our planet. You and every unique life-form now on Earth share this one relative, making us all part of one LUCA family.
Grounded in science, One Tiny Bubble is a poetic reminder of our fundamental connection to the extraordinary life around us, and perhaps, among the stars.
Dawn and I can’t wait to share this book with readers in the Fall!
Sour Cakes an OLA Best Bet
Happy news! My debut picture book Sour Cakes has been selected as an Ontario Library Association Top Ten Best Bet for 2022! I’m so proud to share this honor with illustrator Anna Kwan and publisher Owlkids Books! More Owlkids Best Bets are listed here, including Stephanie McLellan, Zoe Si, Marie-Claude Ouellet, Rogé, Deborah Kerbel, and Angela Poon! Congrats to all! The full list will be announced on February 2. Thanks to the Best Bets committee for all the work they do! You can check out past Best Bets lists for fabulous reads.
Praise for Sour Cakes
I’m thrilled with the positive response to my debut picture book Sour Cakes, illustrated by Anna Kwan and published by Owlkids Books. Since its first review in Publishers Weekly, it has received many lovely reviews that point to the same thing: this book provides a wonderful way into conversations about emotional health and acknowledging difficult feelings with compassion.
“This sensitive narrative shows the significance of empathy in meeting people where they’re at.” Publishers Weekly
“An ode to sibling relationships and how, in particular, a sibling can lift you up when you are in the stormiest, heaviest of moods.” Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
“Empathetically acknowledges children’s big feelings and engagingly models emotional health.” Kirkus Reviews
“A wonderful antidote to … toxic positivity…. An uplifting and meaningful story about difficult feelings, the strategies we use to express them, and a reminder that there are supportive people you can turn to.” Canadian Children’s Book News
“By accepting big, negative emotions without condemning them or dismissing them, this book is great for launching discussions about when and how to express moods and feelings.” School Library Journal
[5/5 Stars] “Sour Cakes, a sensitive story, presents a great opportunity for discussing feelings, how we can express them, and the importance of empathy. Highly Recommended.” Canadian Review of Materials
For suggestions on how to use this book as a discussion starter, please see the Discussion Guide and Colouring Pages.
Explore SCBWI BookStop
Are you looking for a book to read or give as a gift? SCBWI BookStop to the rescue! You can check out my debut picture book Sour Cakes (illustrated by Anna Kwan), plus so many more books to love!
Sour Cakes: Available Now!
Happy book birthday to Sour Cakes! Today, I’m celebrating with a lemon curd cake. My hope for this book is that it will reach those who need to read it. May Sour Cakes spark conversations about big emotions that are both sweet and sour.
You can read a BookFlap post titled Sweet & Sour Siblings, where illustrator Anna Kwan and I talk about creating Sour Cakes. BookFlap has fabulous kid-lit content to love and explore. Please check it out and subscribe!
Thanks to author L.E. Carmichael, you can also read a Cantastic Authorpalooza post about the book: Sparking Conversations About Emotions with Sour Cakes. Please also check out other posts in the Cantastic Authorpalooza series, plus Lindsey’s excellent books!
Many thanks to Owlkids for producing such a beautiful book! May it find its way in the world!