Tag: picture books

Author, Book Recommendations, Chapter Books, Interviews, Picture Books, STEM

Recommended: MY CAT CAN’T TELL TIME (BUT I CAN) by Rebecca J. Allen

Mila’s cat, Muffin, can’t tell time. Muffin wakes her up early every morning! Tired of having her sleep interrupted, Mila attempts to teach Muffin how to tell time. She tells her about the hour hand, the minute hand, and hour and half-hour units.

Will Mila’s teaching work? Will she ever get a full night of sleep?

Find out more about the book, read an interview with the author, and enter our BIG BOOK GIVEAWAY! Continue reading Recommended: MY CAT CAN’T TELL TIME (BUT I CAN) by Rebecca J. Allen

Halli GomezLeave a comment
News, Publishing & Promotion, Reading

Do You Believe in Book Fairies?

One of the hardest things for debut authors, even for established authors, is finding new ways to reach out and address your audience. Your readers. Whilst we have social media, interviews, podcasts and such all at our fingertips, nothing really beats seeing your book out in the wild with excited readers. Before I was a writer, I was (and still am) part of a worldwide … Continue reading Do You Believe in Book Fairies?

Guest ContributorLeave a comment
Book Recommendations, Picture Books, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. This week we are featuring ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks and illustrated by Simone Agoussoye. The title is a great description of this new fascinating picture book biography. Ona was an enslaved girl who lived with her … Continue reading Featured: ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks

Michelle Leonard3 Comments
Author, Book Recommendations, Picture Books

Interview with Bea Birdsong, author of I WILL BE FIERCE!

I recently had the pleasure of hanging out with author Bea Birdsong at the Whirlikids Festival at McIntyre’s Books and was thrilled to get a sneak peek of her debut picture book, I WILL BE FIERCE!, releasing on 4/23/19.  Here’s the publisher’s description:  It’s a brand-new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world like a brave explorer heading off on an epic fairytale quest. … Continue reading Interview with Bea Birdsong, author of I WILL BE FIERCE!

Michelle Leonard2 Comments
Conferences & writing retreats, Creativity and Craft, Writer's Life

Conferences – Sharing What I Learn

September 28 – September 30, 2018, I spent the weekend at the SCBWI Carolinas “Word and Line” conference. The weekend was filled with craft, networking, and catching up with fellow writers and Pennies. But you know the feeling you get after spending a week or weekend at a workshop or conference filling your mind with ideas, tips, inspiration, and motivation? It’s a little exhaustion, a … Continue reading Conferences – Sharing What I Learn

Halli Gomez8 Comments
Cybils book awards
Book Awards, Creativity and Craft, Writer's Life

6 Reasons Writers Should Judge a Book Award Such as the CYBILS [Updated 2020]

Writers frequently hear that one of the most important things they can do to improve their craft is to read. Read in their genre. Read broadly. Read critically. Today I’m going to ask writers to consider going one step further. Don’t just read, but to serve as a judge for a book award. Judging a book award forces you to read A LOT over a … Continue reading 6 Reasons Writers Should Judge a Book Award Such as the CYBILS [Updated 2020]

Rebecca J. Allen4 Comments
Book Recommendations, Writer's Life

The Literary Couples We Love

Happy Valentine’s Day! The true origins of Valentine’s Day are unknown – in 496, it signified the start of spring. It was also believed Valentine was a person who gave love to the world. Similar to what we now know as Cupid? Whichever story is true, both represent joy and happiness. At The Winged Pen, we help spread happiness by talking about our love of … Continue reading The Literary Couples We Love

Halli GomezLeave a comment
Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Holiday Gift Ideas: The Winged Pen’s Favorite Books

Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is in ten days. That means the gift-giving season is right around the corner! For most of us, it’s panic time. But the Pennies at The Winged Pen are going to make this holiday season easier for you. Below are some of our favorite books. They are great choices for the readers in your life (including yourself!) Gita  City of Saints … Continue reading Holiday Gift Ideas: The Winged Pen’s Favorite Books

Halli Gomez2 Comments
Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Books That Scared the Bejeesus out of Us

Though I relish everything having to do with ghosts and monsters, I’m also the person who levitates off the sofa during every single jump scare in “Stranger Things,” much to the amusement of my son. Today is Halloween, a time when, it’s said, the veil between the living and the dead grows thin, and we’re allowed both to scare and be scared. It got me … Continue reading Books That Scared the Bejeesus out of Us

Gita Trelease2 Comments
Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Fall Releases on Our Radar!

Fall makes me long for crisply cool, slightly overcast days. Why? On days like this, I enjoy exerting myself in the yard, cleaning up my summer gardens and preparing the cool season garden, and then hopping in the hammock with a book. Here are a few new releases for fall that have caught my attention. Picture Books Miguel’s Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and His Dream … Continue reading Fall Releases on Our Radar!

Michelle Leonard6 Comments
Book Recommendations, Picture Books

A Donated Library: Books for Refugee Children

Children’s books paired with passionate book people are a potent combination. On April 27th of 2017, I was reminded just how potent. A few months ago, I was chatting with my neighbor on our driveway. She shared a few frustrations regarding processes at her work in an organization which helps place refugee families in the greater Seattle area. These families have run from war, famine, … Continue reading A Donated Library: Books for Refugee Children

Mark HoltzenLeave a comment
Creativity and Craft

Are There Genres in Picture Books?

We always talk about genres in novels, but what about in picture books? Are there any? Are they the same as for novels? Is it even helpful categorizing picture books into genres? It seems to me that picture books can definitely fall into the adventure, mystery, sci-fi, horror (monster books), and fantasy genres, even though we don’t usually do this. Instead, we think of them … Continue reading Are There Genres in Picture Books?

Karin Lefranc2 Comments