Tuesday, September 16, 2025

KIRKUS Review of Good Morning Main Street



GOOD MORNING MAIN STREET

Sweetly affirming and quietly clever.

One mild, sunny day, a town slowly awakens.

“Empty sidewalks doze. / Tree boughs gently sway. / Main Street blinks awake, quiet, still, and gray.” Minimally detailed, purplish drawings of two-story houses with subtle facial features move across the gutter in the foreground, while in the background, yellow sunbeams shine down on trash bins with sleepy smiles. “Soft light slowly spreads, / bin by sleepy bin. / Flag scoots up the pole. / Produce van pulls in.” Bailey’s text continues its easy rhythm and rhyme, combining charming whimsy such as a lamppost standing up straight and eggs that “scramble onto plates” with realistic, everyday events including workers opening shops, cleaning clock faces, and scrubbing sewer covers. Onward to flowers that “primp and preen” (Bailey makes rich use of vocabulary) and street market tents that smile! Lee’s naïve artwork perfectly complements the verse, planting subtle smiles on all manner of things living and nonliving. Keen observers of the art will notice a ubiquitous red cat that’s finally called out in the text toward the end. A diverse human population appears throughout; a bird’s-eye view of the town square is especially noteworthy. This book is best shared in an intimate setting so readers can spend time poring over the illustrations—crucial to the appreciation of the warm, lulling words.

Sweetly affirming and quietly clever. (Picture book. 4-8)



 

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LOBSTERS

I just LOVE it when I get to share good news, especially good book news! My latest picture book, I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LOBSTERS, splashes out from Charlesbridge Publishing in 2026. Thank you so much to my wunder agent Kathleen at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. , Eileen Robinson at Charlesbridge, and the incredibly talented Moving Doodles for making this happen.

And yes, my headshot is literally 10 years old. So just imagine it with a smattering of wrinkles.
 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS



Jazz hands! Happy dancing! Ear-to-ear grinning! I am thrilled to share the news that my picture book GOODNIGHT SCHOOL won a Florida Book Award. Thank you so much to the selection committee Florida Book Awards, and to the talented team behind this project, including the illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, my agency Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc., and my publisher Union Square & Co., now Hachette Book Group

GOODNIGHT SCHOOL is a love-letter to educators so I'm also sending big hugs and high fives to all the teachers, custodians, coaches, librarians, and administrators who keep our schools running both before AND after the bell rings.





 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

GOOD MORNING MAIN STREET

Union Sqaure Kids team for  


We have a cover - and isn't she lovely? Thank you to the talented Fiona Lee and the Union Square Kids team for making this book so beautiful. 

Rise and shine! From the author of Goodnight School, here is a lyrical, lively, and irresistible story about Main Street getting ready for the day!

As the sun rises, a shopkeeper arrives to open his store, and this sleepy little street begins to open its eyes. From lampposts standing up straight, fountains gurgling on, and flowers reaching for the sun, everyone is up and at 'em, looking their best. Well, everyone except the yawning bookstore cat. Can he keep up throughout the day to join the fun?

Bailey's clever wordplay and energetic story pairs perfectly with Lee's vibrant and expressive art, giving a bright and lively start to every morning.

GOOD MORNING MAIN STREET is available now on amazon for pre-order (just sayin'....)