I’m honoured that One Tiny Bubble , illustrated by Dawn Lo, has been included in the TD Summer Reading Club 2024! This club is Canada’s biggest, bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, interests, and abilities. It’s offered at more than 2,000 public libraries as well as online. I love how it celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators and stories, and inspires kids to read!
nonfiction
Join Me at the CNE!
On August 28 at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm, you can find me at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto! I’ll be in Kids World at the Storybook Nook, reading from my picture books Sour Cakes (illustrated by Anna Kwan) and One Tiny Bubble (illustrated by Dawn Lo). I’ll have a few books for sale too. I hope to see you there!
Chat with Crystal Kite Award Winners
I participated in a picture-book chat with illustrator Dawn Lo about One Tiny Bubble, which won the 2023 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada. NYC indie bookstore Books of Wonder hosted us along with other talented picture-book creators who had won the Crystal Kite Award in their regions. This award is peer-selected, voted on by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, so it feels like a special honour.
You can watch our Chat with Crystal Kite Award Winners. Plus, there’s a link to buy signed copies of the books!
One Tiny Bubble Wins Crystal Kite Award
Illustrator Dawn Lo and I are thrilled to announce that One Tiny Bubble has won the 2023 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada! In case you’re not familiar with it, this is a peer-selected award, voted on by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can check out all the winners here, but let me just say that One Tiny Bubble was selected from a stellar list of finalists! Thanks so much to the SCBWI members who voted and to the SCBWI staff for implementing the award.
I have to mention that this isn’t the first time a book of mine has been honoured with this award. My middle-grade novel Bog won the 2015 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada. It’s an honour to be recognized once again!
Prepping for Canadian Children’s Book Week 2023
I’m busy prepping my upcoming presentations for Canadian Children’s Book Week 2023! From April 30 to May 6, 2023, I’ll be touring along with many other talented creators (25 authors, 6 illustrators, and 1 storyteller in total), sharing our love of reading with young people in schools, libraries, and homes across Canada. Here’s the full list of touring creators, including where each will be. I’ll be touring in-person in Ontario, and I can’t wait. Check out the gorgeous Book Week poster below, illustrated by Jeni Chen, who will be touring virtually in Ontario and Manitoba. Thanks to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and their sponsors and partners for helping to connect kids with books!
Design Award for One Tiny Bubble!
I’m thrilled that One Tiny Bubble received second place in the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children’s Category. A huge congrats to designer Alisa Baldwin and the Owlkids Publishing team! Dawn Lo’s wonderful illustrations gave them so much to work with. You can read the list of winners here.
Drawing in the Reader into a Non-Fiction Picture Book
Many thanks to Anne-Marie Strohman for her insightful writing-craft review of my picture book One Tiny Bubble, illustrated by Dawn Lo. Anne-Marie and I both attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she is certainly a writer to watch.
In her article, Anne-Marie looks at how my writing choices pull the reader into the story of LUCA – our Last Universal Common Ancestor – through the use of direct address, invitation to the reader, kid-friendly comparisons, alliteration, repeated sequences, and more. She begins:
“Non-fiction books are meant to provide information to young readers. But many non-fiction books also tell the reader a story. And some of the best non-fiction books go the extra mile to pull readers into that story. Exhibit A: One Tiny Bubble: The Story of Our Last Universal Common Ancestor by Karen Krossing.”
You can sign up for the KidLitCraft newsletter for more great content.
The Writing Quest: A Q&A with Karen Krossing
I first crossed paths with Anne-Marie Strohman when we both attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), and I quickly learned that she is an insightful writer and a fabulous community organizer. It was an honour to be interviewed by Anne-Marie on KidLitCraft, especially because she asked so many thoughtful questions. We discussed writing inspiration, what I learned at VCFA, writing quests, and more. Please take a look, and don’t forget to sign up for the KidLitCraft newsletter for more great content.
Writing Mentorships Available (Giveaway!)
GIVEAWAY ALERT! Enter to win one manuscript critique with me (either a picture book or the first ten pages of a middle-grade or young-adult novel). To enter, leave a comment below or on one of my giveaway posts on social media before January 31, 2023. I’ll announce the winner on February 2.
One of the reasons I completed an MFA in Writing for Children and Youth was to improve my mentorship skills. In the three years since I graduated, I’ve connected with a wonderful new agent and signed six new book contracts with fabulous publishers. Now I feel ready to offer creative mentorships to writers of fiction and nonfiction for children and youth, and I’m celebrating with a giveaway!
My mentoring is informed by my background as an editor and writing workshop leader as well as my MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. My own published works include fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle-grade and young-adult novels, and short stories for teens.
I see my role as a writing coach who listens to and supports writers in expressing their stories in their way. For me, mentorship is a way to give back, pay it forward, and promote community with the goal of helping all voices in our world feel worthy, heard, and valued. I want to share my writing craft knowledge and experience to help you to write the best book you can.
If you’re looking for a manuscript critique or a long-term mentorship, please check out my Mentoring page or email me to chat about options.
UPDATE: And the lucky winner of my giveaway manuscript critique is Andrea Mack! I’ll message you, Andrea, so we can get started! Thanks to everyone who entered and for those who contacted me about my mentorship services!
One Tiny Bubble a Best Informational Book from the Chicago Public Library!
Today is Evolution Day, which marks the anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, published on 24 November, 1859. So it’s a great day to share that my evolution-themed book with Dawn Lo – One Tiny Bubble – is included as one of the Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers in 2022. Thanks, CPL!
Nonfiction Book Launch and Panel Talk
Local book friends: Please save the date! You’re invited to an in-person book launch with Heather Camlot, Mireille Messier, and me. Please join us for readings and book sales by Mabel’s Fables Children’s Bookstore. Plus, we’re thrilled to announce that our nonfiction panel discussion will be moderated by award-winning author and editor Mary Beth Leatherdale.
Guest Post: Sparking Connections With One Tiny Bubble
Today on L.E. Carmichael‘s Cantastic Authorpalooza blog, I talk about my childhood love for science, which grew into my first nonfiction STEM book One Tiny Bubble, illustrated by Dawn Lo. I discuss:
- how I saw my role as a translator of high-level scientific concepts into child-centred language and experiences.
- how I used my fiction-writing skills to craft nonfiction.
- how I helped to connect the child reader to the content.
To check it out, go to “Karen Krossing: Sparking Connections With One Tiny Bubble.” Also, please check out L.E. Carmichael’s fantastic books!
National Science Reading Day
September 21 is National Science Reading Day! Owlkids Books helped me make this video about why I love to read and write about science, including two book recommendations. What science books do you love to read?
Creator Chat: One Tiny Bubble
Today on the Picture Books, Eh! blog, I chat with illustrator Dawn Lo about our upcoming nonfiction picture book One Tiny Bubble and reveal a sneak peak!
To check it out, go to Creator chat: ONE TINY BUBBLE!
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.
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.
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!
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!