Ready for the Spotlight (Candlewick) by Jaime Kim and Millions of Maxes (Dial Books) by Meg Wolitzer, illustrated by Micah Player, are Amazon Picks for January! Congratulations, Jaime and Micah! See all of Amazon’s January picks here Millions of Maxes will be published January 11, 2022. Pre-order it here Ready for the Spotlight will be published January 25, 2022. Pre-order it here
In a starred review of Some Days (The Experiment) by Julie A. Stamm, illustrated by Chamisa Kellogg, Kirkus says “This beautiful picture book shares an affirming message that honestly and unapologetically reflects life with a parent who has a chronic illness. . . . A loving, tender celebration of the mother-child bond.” The review also makes special note of the art, saying “Kellogg’s illustrations notably construct an unshakeable parent-child relationship using warm, vibrant colors and joyful expressions. Love and acceptance radiate on every page. ” Read the full review here Get the book here
Barroux has been selected as a member of the jury for the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition. Born in Paris and raised in Morocco, Barroux has an instinctive passion for travel and exploring other cultures. It’s no surprise that he approaches each new book he is illustrating as if it’s the beginning of an adventure. Barroux strives to create unusual artwork, and when creating picture book art, he always tries to surprise the little kid that is inside of him. He studied photography, art, sculpture, and architecture in France at the famous École Estienne and École Boule, and his mastery of these other mediums influences his illustration. He began illustrating by creating linocut images, and continues to try out various techniques in his work – from collages with antique papers, to oil pastels, to interesting color palettes. Despite all of the countries and far-away lands he’s explored, Barroux still believes that life in books is more extraordinary, where dogs can fly and trees are blue. Congratulations Barroux! http://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/about/the-2022-juries/jury-detail/5801.html?spe=322
Vroman’s Bookstore is hosting a special Storytime with Michael Slack and his new book Dinosaurs on Kitty Island (Dial Books) January 8, 2022 2pm PST. A playdate between intrepid kittes and cautious dinosaurs doesn’t go quite as planned in this hilarious story of friendship and compromise. To learn more about the Storytime and save a spot go here Get the book here
Paletero Man (HarperCollins) by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player, and Friday Night WrestleFest (Roaring Brook) by J.F. Fox, illustrated by Micah Player have both been named to the Mockingbird Reading list. The list, for younger readers, was created by the Abilene School district inspired by the interest and enthusiasm generated by the Texas Bluebonnet Award. See the full list here In addition, J.F. Fox was recently featured in Publishers Weekly, with an editorial entitled A Call to the Children’s Publishing Community: Join the Fight for School Librarians. See the editorial here Get Paletero Man here Get Friday Night Wrestlefest here
