A Diasporic Grandparent Picture Book Manifesto, by Sahar Golshan , by Sahar Golshan, illustrated by Shiva Delsooz (Annick Press)  hits bookstore and library shelves today in Canada with Annick Press.  One of the thumping hearts of this story is a badass, joyously loud diasporic grandmother.  Māmān Bozorg, the Persian word for grandmother and the name of the character in question, was present in every draft of the book. And still, I wasn’t always certain about her place in this fictional story. Is my book playing into a trope? Grandparents, and grandmothers in particular, ab ..read more

When You Meet a Dragon, by Tanya Lloyd Kyi  (Orca Books) comes out this month. So I thought I’d pop by the Picture Books Eh! site to talk about my favourite part of the project. ​illustrated by Udayana Lugo (Orca Books) WHEN YOU MEET A DRAGON is the story of a small child who encounters an overwhelming problem. A ferocious dragon threatens the town. But a child can’t fight a dragon alone! So neighbours are roused, friends recruited. Even a few animals join the fight. And then... some people have other ideas. Interior illustration by Udayana Lugo from I have to admit, when I wrot ..read more

“I Wonder”: Was It a Cat I Saw?, by Laura Bontje Was It A Cat I Saw  (Amicus Ink), written by Laura Bontje, illustrated by Emma Lidia Squillari. ​Do you remember the first palindrome phrase you ever learned? One that always impressed me when I was a child was  Able was I ere I saw Elba . I couldn’t have told you a thing about Napoleon aside from the fact that he was exiled on the island of Elba, but I was fascinated by the way a palindrome could tell a story. Fast forward a few decades, and there I was, trying to use palindromes to tell a story myself. Like many stories,  W ..read more

Looking into Oma's Bag: a Conversation between Michelle Wang and Sam Nunez by Michelle Wang, illustrated by Sam Nunez (Arsenal Pulp Press) ​when this book quietly and unexpectedly crept up on me. My mother-in-law had been diagnosed with dementia a few years ago. Growing up, our children always loved it when their grandparents came to stay from Vancouver a couple times every year, but their most recent visits seemed different, and things started disappearing around the house. We eventually realized that lost keys, eyeglasses, cordless phones, and even soap dispensers were ending up in Oma ..read more

A Diasporic Grandparent Picture Book Manifesto, by Sahar Golshan , by Sahar Golshan, illustrated by Shiva Delsooz (Annick Press)  hits bookstore and library shelves today in Canada with Annick Press.  One of the thumping hearts of this story is a badass, joyously loud diasporic grandmother.  Māmān Bozorg, the Persian word for grandmother and the name of the character in question, was present in every draft of the book. And still, I wasn’t always certain about her place in this fictional story. Is my book playing into a trope? Grandparents, and grandmothers in particular, ab ..read more

“I Wonder”: Was It a Cat I Saw?, by Laura Bontje Was It A Cat I Saw  (Amicus Ink), written by Laura Bontje, illustrated by Emma Lidia Squillari. ​Do you remember the first palindrome phrase you ever learned? One that always impressed me when I was a child was  Able was I ere I saw Elba . I couldn’t have told you a thing about Napoleon aside from the fact that he was exiled on the island of Elba, but I was fascinated by the way a palindrome could tell a story. Fast forward a few decades, and there I was, trying to use palindromes to tell a story myself. Like many stories,  W ..read more

Working the night shift, by Katie Arthur by Katie Arthur. Published by OwlKids Books. Out in March 2024. ​I started thinking about the story that would become   three and a half years ago. We were still in the first wave of the pandemic, and my kids were one and three. As anyone with small children can tell you, you are never not busy when you’re caring for them. Even when you are technically not “doing” anything, you are always doing something. Usually five somethings. Usually all at once. It’s the absolute best, but… it also leaves very little time for much else. And yet somehow in ..read more

The Path to a Positive Pink Shirt Day, by Lana Button is coming up. On Wednesday, February 28, students across Canada will wear pink shirts to elementary school, and pledge to stop bullying. So, who exactly is this bully? As an early childhood educator and a picture book author, I am coming at this conversation focusing on our kindergarten to primary grade pink-shirt-wearing students– and I am not a fan of name-calling. Pink Shirt Day is about being kind, standing up for a friend, and speaking out when we see unkind behaviour. And I would add- that we need to leave space for our peers and ours ..read more

A ROOF! By Stephanie Ellen Sy by Stephanie Ellen Sy, illustrated by Daniel Tingcungco (Kokila)  I remember the exact moment when I wrote A ROOF! It was January 1st, 2022, and I had just received my second COVID-19 shot. Unlike the first one, this vaccine knocked me out, leaving me in bed all day, with time to catch up on the news. The headlines were all about the heart-wrenching aftermath of Typhoon Rai in the Philippines. It was a reminder of how devastating natural disasters are sadly common in my part of the world. So, lying in bed, I began typing away, jotting down A ROOF! in my notes ..read more

Flying High as Picture Book Co-Pilots, by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail When I first met Fred Carmichael in November 2010, he was seated at a small table in a restaurant in his hometown of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. I shuffled up to him in my bright blue parka, egged on by a new pilot acquaintance who happened to be related to Fred. “You have to meet him,” my friend said. “He’s a legend.” I can’t remember what I mumbled at Fred in my shyness. I was writer-in-residence at Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon, but I was 28 years old and my imposter syndrome was raging. I know I gently placed a cop ..read more