Maggie Tokuda-Hall, y’all! @maggietokudahall’s relentless passion, humor and conviction are palpable on and off the page. Here are some highlights: ▪️The influence of Judaism’s reverence for narrative and the importance of using stories to understand the world around us ▪️Judaism sits at the intersection of so many identities, which makes intersectionality critical for expansive Jewish storytelling… Read more »
CKPritchard
Talking Jewish Picture Books with Katherine Locke
What a gift to kick off this week’s Jewish American Heritage Month conversations around kidlit with the award-winning author Katherine Locke! @bibliogato talked about everything from writing characters with a similar lens to our shared fears around reciting the Hanukkah story in public. Here are a few of my favorite bits of Katherine’s experience and wisdom:… Read more »
Celebrating Children’s Books in Honor of Jewish American History Month
(Conversations previously held on 5/17/21 via @carolinepritchardwrites) I learned about Jewish American Heritage Month for the first time this past January and my mind, unsurprisingly, went straight to the world of children’s books. I remembered my worn copy of Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins, the one Jewish book we owned & the same one that… Read more »
Jewish American Heritage Month Picture Book Stack
(Originally posted to @carolinepritchardwrites on May 5, 2021) Here’s to celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month with a sassy little picture book stack. It’s got all the Jewish basics: big questions… immigration journeys…mooing monkeys… mysterious magicians… Ladino… talking matzahs… RBG… spider apologies… Goodnight Moon parodies… multicultural Shabbat celebrations… daring book rescues… and the most *brilliant* anthology… Read more »
Interrupt Anti-Asian Racism: Amplify Asian American Voices, Experiences and Stories
(Originally posted on @carolinepritchardwrites on 2/10/21) The recent attacks against the Asian community are inextricably tied to a history of anti-Asian racism in our country. It is one of the many reasons terms like “Kung flu” are not just hateful but dangerous and need to be called out in real time. As a white and… Read more »
What questions about the white supremacist insurrection do I need to ask and answer for myself to shift towards accountability and action?
(Originally posted on @carolinepritchardwrites on January 7, 2021) For white people like me to engage in hard, honest conversations with kids *and* adults, we have to interrogate our own biases and do the work for ourselves. Demanding answers and resources from BIPOC folx, often strangers, repeats the same cycle of expecting free labor from those… Read more »
8 Nuggets of Wisdom from 8 Days of Mini Picture Book Craft Talks
That’s a wrappp! The 8 Days of Picture Book Craft Talks series is officially in the books (…because why NOT end on a bookish pun). After the intensity of this past year, my hope was to swirl the values I cherish from both Hanukkah and picture book writing— community, connection and resilience— into a tiny,… Read more »
Craft Talk with Joanna Ho: Digging Deep to Find Fresh Words
The #1 NYT bestselling author and lyrical guru Joanna Ho lets us peek into her mind and learn how to dig deep to find fresh, poignant words! Joanna reveals how the unique heart of your story is often buried under layers of cliches. Some of my favorite nuggets of wisdom from this conversation: 💜Ask yourself:… Read more »
Craft Talk with David Bowles: First Person Narration
What a rush diving into first person narration with the prolific, award-winning author and translator David Bowles! David explains why first person point of view is rare in picture books, and why it may be necessary to tell a full, empathy-inducing story. Here are some of David’s many insightful gems: 🗣 Wondering whether to use… Read more »
Craft Talk with Elana K. Arnold: Writing Difficult Topics for Young Readers
Consider me verklempt. I am overwhelmed with gratitude, inspiration and hope after this conversation with Elana K. Arnold around writing difficult topics for young readers. Elana is a craft expert, of course, but it’s her soulful approach to the world and her readers that resonates above all else. NOTE: we had some lively troubleshooting issues early on… Read more »