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!
picture books
It’s Official!
Guess what arrived? In June, illustrator Dawn Lo and I were honoured to win the 2023 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award in Canada for One Tiny Bubble, and I just received this lovely recognition of it!
I have so much gratitude to Owlkids Books for taking on this project. Karen Li first championed the project, Stacey Roderick was such a thorough and vigorous editor that she was a dream to work with, Dawn Lo brought one tiny bubble to life with the magic of her brush, Alisa Baldwin designed it so well that the book won second place in the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design (Children’s Category), and the marketing and publicity team at Owlkids have been on point and supportive at all times.
This book began during my MFA at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and I want to acknowledge the wisdom of faculty advisor William Alexander and workshop leader Cynthia Leitich Smith, who enthusiastically welcomed my fledgling manuscript, as well as the support of my writing partners who read many early drafts of this manuscript.
Thanks also to Dr. William F. Martin, author of many scientific articles on life’s early evolution and professor at the Institute of Molecular Evolution in Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. Dr. Martin enthusiastically reviewed the text and illustrations, and I greatly value his expertise.
And of course, I must recognize the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and its members. This award is implemented by the SCBWI and peer-selected by its members. I’m grateful for their support.
If you’d like to learn more about One Tiny Bubble, please check out these resources:
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!
Recommended Books about Monsters
Hey monster-loving readers, you can now check out my list of great middle-grade books about monsters and facing our fears on Shepherd.com.
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!
Teaching Assistant at Vermont College of Fine Arts
I’m excited to be heading to the July 21 to 29 residency for the Vermont College of Fine Arts as a Teaching Assistant in the Picture Book Intensive semester! This will be the first time the residency happens in Colorado Springs – a huge transition for everyone. I’ll be working with faculty member Loree Griffin Burns to support the students during residency and for the rest of the semester too. I’ll also be delivering a lecture and reading. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn more about how to mentor children’s writers. I’ve been prepping my lecture, and I can’t wait to share it. Plus, it’ll be wonderful to soak up all the wisdom and creative energy of an in-person residency. I’m especially excited to connect with my fellow Teaching Assistant Laura Obuobi, author of the fabulous picture book Black Gold, and to see so many friends deliver their graduating lectures. These writers are brilliant, folks.
Here’s my lecture topic. If it’s available to the public, I’ll be sure to share a link:
Generating Story Approaches: How Else Can You Tell It?
You’ve written a good story, or you have a good story idea. How can you make it great? One way is to improve the writing craft skills you’ll need to write it. Another is to consider the optimal approach to writing it. Taking the time to generate and assess alternative story approaches at the start of your writing process and during revision can elevate a good story to greatness. This lecture will explore the process of generating alternative story approaches using mentor texts as our guides.
Reading in Colorado Springs: Monster vs. Boy
While I’m in Colorado, I’ll also be visiting local bookstore Tattered Cover for a reading and presentation of my new middle-grade novel Monster vs. Boy, which will be published on July 11. If you’re around and available, I would love to see friends there!
When: Saturday, July 29 at 6 to 8 pm
Where: Tattered Cover Book Store, 112 N. Tejon St, Colorado Springs
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?
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.
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.
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.
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!
My Journey to Becoming a Picture-Book Author
In a few weeks, my debut picture book will be published by Owlkids Books. I’m counting the days!
It’s a journey that began years ago, when I first fell in love with picture books as a child and, later, when I fell in love again as I read them aloud with my daughters. I adore how picture books are kind of like poetry—simple and short, yet layered and deep. How they’re a read-aloud delight of rhythm and patterns, repetition and humour, colour and wonder. How they’re a way to connect to a child reader, heart to heart, with great authenticity and emotion.
I began my quest to become a picture-book writer by analyzing picture books I adore. How did they work their magic? Later, I started critiquing the manuscripts of friends, applying what I was learning to understand how they were written. I’m grateful, in particular, to Frieda Wishinsky, who patiently taught me much during our coffee dates. Finally, I began to write my own tentative picture-book manuscripts, celebrating my messy experiments and learning from trial and error.
I became more and more excited by the possibilities of the picture-book format, so excited that I enrolled in an MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). My first semester was a Picture Book Intensive with wonderful faculty advisor Liz Garton Scanlon, and it was an explosion of growth and learning.
I read and analyzed over 220 picture books during that semester, and I wrote critical essays to gain more insights. You can read my articles on “How to Revise a Picture Book” (Part 1 and Part 2), which I first wrote at VCFA and later published in CANSCAIP newsletters.
And I wrote and revised 12 picture books during my first semester, including metafiction, fiction, narrative nonfiction, concept books, rhythmic/lyrical, dark/difficult topics, and wordless. I explored how to limit my words so that the illustrations could take up more space in the story. How to set up highly illustratable moments with my text. How to build a frame for my story that supports the characters and plot. How to hold a manuscript lightly so it can grow and change into what it wants to be. How to write narrative nonfiction using fiction techniques. How to rewrite a single spread twenty or thirty times until I found what works. How to play with strong verbs, rhythm, and repetition. How to cut, cut, cut words to distill my manuscript into its essence.
One of my manuscripts during this semester was titled If I Wrote You a Poem, and it went on to become Sour Cakes, wonderfully illustrated by Anna Kwan.
This manuscript began as a collision of two ideas: writing about creativity and a sibling who supports another during a low time. When I let go of it being a manuscript about creativity, it became a conversation between the siblings. I wrote the first six lines and had to let it sit. Then I wrote the next twelve lines and let it sit. Then the whole story emerged. I needed to respect the creative process, not force it to be about a theme I’d predetermined, and I needed to find the characters’ voices. I did plenty of exploratory writing on the characters so I could deepen the story.
It’s been an honour to collaborate with Owlkids and Anna Kwan on Sour Cakes. It’s become all I’d hoped for when I first typed my tentative words into a blank file – a conversation between two siblings, a big one who wants to play and a little one who feels sour. Sour Cakes is told only in dialogue as Big and Little navigate how to acknowledge one’s difficult emotions and how to support someone who’s feeling those big feels. It springs from my family experiences with mental-health challenges, and it’s a deeply personal book.
I look forward to writing picture-book manuscripts for years to come, some that will find a publishing home and some that will not. In fact, I have two more picture books under contract, which I’m excited to share. Still, it’s the writing journey that calls to me. The open-hearted wildness of writing in this format that I treasure for a child audience who I value.
New Book Deal: My Third Picture Book
This week, I signed a contract for my third picture book! I’d like to share all the details, but for now, I can tell you that it’s a nonfiction picture book scheduled for Spring 2023 with Groundwood Books. Oh, the anticipation!
This manuscript took 28 drafts (so far) to find its path, and it’s had plenty of help along the way. A shout-out to my critique groups and partners for all their insights. A special shout-out to the Vermont College of Fine Arts, which helped me learn how to write this new-to-me genre. And much gratitude to my agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown for her support, as well as Groundwood for seeing the potential in this manuscript.
New Book Deal: My Second Picture Book
A year ago, I announced my debut picture book – a story of two siblings told in just 230 words to be published by Owlkids Books in Fall 2021. Yesterday, I reviewed the illustration roughs for it by Anna Kwan, and they were brimming with life and emotion. I can’t wait to share more about this book!
Now, I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed a contract with Owlkids Books for a second picture book! I’m thrilled to be working with the talented Owlkids team once again. This time, it’s a nonfiction picture book, and I’ll share more about it later. The germ of the idea began when I was watching a documentary, and after much research, I wrote my first draft in my third semester at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Fifteen drafts later, it was accepted for publication, which is scheduled for Fall 2022.
A special shout-out to my critique partners who patiently read many drafts, to VCFA faculty William Alexander and Cynthia Leitich Smith for critiquing early drafts, and to my agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown for her support.
Time to celebrate!
Profile of Soyeon Kim
I’m excited to share my profile of the talented Soyoen Kim in the CANSCAIP NEWS Spring 2020, available to members and friends of CANSCAIP. Her latest book is A Last Goodbye, which was written by Elin Kelsey and published by Owlkids Books. Kirkus Reviews calls it “Staggering” and it is!
How to Revise a Picture Book (Part 2)
During my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I wrote about how to revise picture-book manuscripts. I’m happy to share this as a two-part article in the CANSCAIP News.
The first part was published in the Spring issue, and it focuses on beginnings and endings. Now, the Summer issue includes the second part on how to revise the messy middle.
For the article, I visited my local archive—the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books in Toronto—to seek original manuscripts that became acclaimed picture books. I then analyzed how three authors revised their manuscripts, including Kathy Stinson’s Red is Best (illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis, published by Annick Press), Linda Granfield’s The Road to Afghanistan (illustrated by Brian Deines, published by Scholastic Canada), and Paulette Bourgeois’s Franklin in the Dark (illustrated by Brenda Clark, published by Kids Can Press).
Many thanks to the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers for publishing both parts. Thanks also to Kathy Stinson, Linda Granfield, and Paulette Bourgeois for permission to quote from their archived material. Happy revising!
New Book Deal: My Debut Picture Book
I’m thrilled to announce that I just signed a contract with Owlkids Books for my debut picture book!
Picture books hold a special place in my heart. They’re a joy to read aloud. You can share them with any age. We are never too old for picture books! They create magic in only a few words. And to see my words illustrated? Priceless.
This picture book began as a germ of an idea that I finally put to paper when I needed to write a lyrical story during my Picture Book Intensive semester at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Nineteen drafts later, it landed a contract. Who says picture books are easy to write?
A special shout-out to my Picture Book Intensive faculty advisor – Liz Garton Scanlon, author of the Caldecott-honoured picture book All the World. Liz is an inspiration.
My critique partners – both at VCFA and in the Great White North – read this manuscript more than once. Thanks to you all!
And of course, I need to thank the talented folks at Owlkids Books, who saw the potential in this manuscript. I am so grateful!
More about the book later, but for now I’ll tell you that it’s scheduled for publication in Fall 2021, and I can’t wait!
Now where did I put that bottle of champagne?
How to Revise a Picture Book (Part 1)
As one of my many explorations during my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I wrote about how to revise picture-book manuscripts. Now, that writing has become a two-part article in the CANSCAIP News!
For the article, I visited my local archive—the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books in Toronto—to seek original manuscripts that became acclaimed picture books. I then analyzed how three authors revised their manuscripts. This included Kathy Stinson’s Red is Best (illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis, published by Annick Press), Linda Granfield’s The Road to Afghanistan (illustrated by Brian Deines, published by Scholastic Canada), and Paulette Bourgeois’s Franklin in the Dark (illustrated by Brenda Clark, published by Kids Can Press).
Many thanks to the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers for publishing the article, and to Kathy Stinson, Linda Granfield, and Paulette Bourgeois for permission to quote from their archived material.
You can read the first part of the article here (in the Summer 2019 issue). This part discusses beginnings and endings. The second part will explore how to revise the messy middle of a manuscript.