Blog
Kim T. Griswell’s Pinky
Today I am thrilled to welcome children’s author Kim T. Griswell, whose childhood lovey shares a name with one of Lucy’s seventeen dollies in Lucy’s Lovey. Though Kim’s Pinky wasn’t exactly a baby doll. Who was your childhood lovey and where did it come from? Girls growing up in the early 1960s were supposed to […]
Why I Will Never Forget Henry
A few weeks ago, I came across these painted rocks in Colchester, CT. I’d stopped at Starbucks, thinking a caramel latte would cure my blues over the national news. But the rocks are what lifted my spirits. Thank you, anonymous artist, for reaching out to strangers. I think of these rocks often now, particularly when […]
The Hippo Years
THE HIPPO YEARS by Diana Murray We had no idea what a fateful day it was when my husband (long before we were married) went to a health insurance expo in Manhattan. He came home with some free swag, including a hippo puppet from HIP insurance. Of course we had to try it on and […]
Robin Newman’s Perfect Little Doll
With my fiftieth birthday around the corner, not to mention the highly anticipated arrival of my AARP membership card, I must confess that my childhood lovey memories have faded a bit. I couldn’t tell you any of their names, but what I do remember is that my twin sister and I each had a little […]
The Magical, Musical Baby Bear
A Magical Lovey by C. C. Payne An older lady in the church choir had given my mother the yellow teddy bear near the end of her pregnancy. So “Baby Bear,” as we came to call him, occupied my crib even before I did. Once I was placed in the crib too, Baby Bear and I […]
Loss and Living Life
I have been absent from blogging for well over a year, and so after many long, contemplative hikes with my rescue dog Buddy, I decided I needed to share where I’ve been before I move to the next phase of my life as a published author. In May 2015, my husband lost his job again. […]
Jane Yolen’s Picture Book Boot Camp
In March 2014, I had the pleasure of attending Jane Yolen’s first Picture Book Boot Camp. The retreat had been announced in the fall of 2013, right after my husband lost his job. Something told me this was a once in a lifetime experience, and when I approached my husband about the opportunity to spend […]
Experience of a Lifetime
I am a firm believer in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, which is why I didn’t hesitate to apply for Emma Dryden’s weeklong workshop, held in July 2014. Yes, I adore Martha’s Vineyard, but add Emma Dryden to the experience? I was in. This year, veteran children’s book editor and publishing consultant, Emma D. Dryden returns to the […]
Baking Day at Grandma’s Is a Winner in More Ways Than One
Baking Day at Grandma’s is a picture book bundled in love, warmth, and thoughtfulness. At its core, it speaks to a family (grandma and her grand cubs) spending quality time together. Not only is Anika Denise’s text a pitch-perfect rhyme—and one that makes you want to clap along (and bake a cake) with the charming […]
Maddi’s Fridge
A few months ago, an online promotion for Maddi’s Fridge caught my attention. Lois Brandt’s new picture book, illustrated by Vin Vogel, seemed exactly the kind of story I wanted to share with elementary kids, with my grandchildren, and also with our local libraries. As a weekly volunteer in a second-grade classroom, I read a […]