A Moment for My Hero

I have a lot of heroes, like Jesus (obviously) and Dolly Parton and whoever invented Diet Coke, and that list also includes Harold Underdown. If you want to write children's books, you need to know about Harold (genius) and his website (so good). I attended one of his conferences years ago, and it led to a book deal. Want to know more, check out the link below:

Harold Underdown

The Numbers Are In

Math is not my thing, but Picture Book Industry Statistics? I'm all over it. Here are a few key takeaways from recent studies, with a link to more below:

• 01

  21. 82% of parents read picture books to their children 3+ times per week.

• 02

  22. 60% of children aged 2-8 own over 50 picture books.

• 03

  23. 75% of picture book purchases for young children are influenced by parental recommendations.

• 04

  31. 90% of elementary school teachers use picture books in daily lessons.

• 05

  32. Picture books improve vocabulary by an average of 12% in preschool children when used in weekly reading programs.

• 06

  33. 85% of kindergarten teachers report that picture books enhance social-emotional learning (SEL) in students.

• 07

  41. 35% of picture books now include interactive elements (e.g., pull-tabs, touch-sensitive pages).

THE STATS

Got Jesus, Need Books?

 

Look no further than Paraclete Press. If you are looking for beuatiful faith based childrens books, or want to write them and need inspiration, click the link for more information: 

Paraclete Press

"For more than 40 years, Paraclete Press has presented the Christian faith in written work, sacred music, and visual art— from ancient spiritual writings and classics to contemporary works, including devotionals, seasonal studies, poetry, fiction, children's books, and recordings. Partnering with Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox voices, Paraclete Press is known for publishing books and music of spiritual depth, thoughtfully created and beautifully presented"

What a Character!

 

Ya'll know I love a "Top Ten" list - and this one targets common charcater-based misteps illustrators may make in their picture book artwork. 

No purpose. Too perfect. It is a great article. And yes, it is about illustration, but authors need to understand how their illustratoprs work so they can give them great material to work with. 

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Character Development

Cute New Book Alert

 

HOW A BEAR BECAME A BOOK: THE COLLABORATION THAT CREATED WINNIE-THE-POOH

by Annette Bay Pimentel (Author), Faith Pray (Illustrator)

Published by Henry Holt and Co., 2026

“How a Bear Became a Book tells the story of how writer, illustrator, and editor came together to craft Pooh's first adventure. But deeper than that, this book introduces our youngest readers to how stories begin and where they can go. As Pooh's voice enters the text, he slowly comes to life in the art.”

Click to buy

Take It from Mary...

 

THIS! This is one of teh most common issues I see when I am hired to critique a pictuer book manuscript. Mary explains on her website, "[o]ne of the biggest challenges I encounter in my editorial practice is picture books that show character change in a clumsy or overbearing way. Picture books, more than any other category of kidlit, are about character change, a moral, or a lesson. A strong takeaway is expected because we want our young readers to be eating a little bit of medicine (the moral) with their syrup (the story). Like those cookbooks for moms who want to sneak veggies into brownies. But how do we do this effectively, without turning readers (and agents and publishers) off with too much lecturing? It’s all about character!"

Mary Kole Editorial

Convergent Books (& Leeanne Morgan)

 

What does a faith-based imprint have to do with a really (really) fun Saturday night I had in June 2025? Let me tell you - it's all about Leeanne Morgan. She is a brilliant comedian that I had the good fortune to see in person last summer, and her latest book will debut from Convergent in August 2026. These people just happen to publish the most wonderful books, and I can't wait for my copy. (No, it's not a picture book, but it will be fabulous nonetheless). 

Convergent Books