Hi friends!

Picture books hold a very special place in my heart, and I’m thrilled to share Issue 1 of Of Pages & Picture Books, a free guide I’ve created to uplift the picture book community and spread the word about some of the phenomenal stories awaiting little readers. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, a librarian, or just someone who loves picture books, this guide is here for you to reference while reading with little ones. Below you’ll find suggested themes to explore, activities, fun facts, inspiration, and more from nine amazing picture book authors to enhance the reading experience of their book. 🫶

• Gwei the Hungry Ghost written by Emeline Lee; illustrated by Basia Tran

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The story was inspired by the hungry ghosts of Chinese folklore. I've always been intrigued by ghost stories and was excited to write about these wandering spirits who eat and eat but never feel full. The story also features the Hungry Ghost Festival, which occurs in the seventh lunar month (around the end of summer). During this time, the realm of the living is believed to open up to visitors from the dead. Hungry ghosts can roam around in search of food, but it’s not a wholly scary time. It's also an opportunity to honor ancestors with offerings of food, incense, and burning fake money.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   One of the main themes is the idea that friendship feeds the soul. Noodles, dumplings, and egg tarts are delicious, but they can’t quite satisfy the hunger inside Gwei. Only when he shares his food and makes a friend does he finally feel fulfilled. Could you discuss a time when you gave up something you wanted to help someone else? How did you feel about it? The book also touches on honoring one's ancestors and family who’ve passed on. What are some other cultural traditions and holidays that relate to this?
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   I love so many books! But I'd say one of my favorite childhood picture books was Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola, and one of my recent favorites is Navigating Night written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Angie Kang. Strega Nona features a magical pasta pot that goes out of control, and Navigating Night explores identity, immigration, and family as a girl and her Baba make Chinese food deliveries one rainy night. Very different books, but both are wonderful!
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   Eating your favorite foods could be great way to celebrate a story about hungry ghosts! The book also features a shadow puppet show, so cutting out paper puppets might be a fun craft related to the book. If you're into origami, you could also fold paper lotus flowers to honor the practice of setting lotus lanterns afloat on rivers during the Hungry Ghost Festival. These lanterns help guide lost souls into the afterlife, as seen in the final pages of the book.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I did a lot of research into spirits of Chinese mythology and loved learning about many strange and eerie types of ghosts. Besides hungry ghosts, water ghosts are quite fascinating. Like sirens in Greek mythology, they dwell in water and lure victims into the depths with them. Nightmare ghosts can turn into darkness itself. And tricker ghosts can shape-shift into different animal forms. More ghosts and fun facts can be found in the illustrated “Select Guide to Ghosts in Chinese Folklore” in the back of the book.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I've always been drawn to tangible art forms, and picture books are a great example of that. Plus, it's such a privilege to create stories for the littlest of readers! Since I'm a text-only author, I also appreciate the opportunity to work with incredibly talented artists who bring my words to life. For Gwei the Hungry Ghost, I was lucky enough to collaborate with the phenomenal Basia Tran, and I'm so thrilled with how our book came out. Credit also goes to our editor, Sydnee Monday, and art director, Jasmin Rubero. Picture books are truly a team effort!

Emeline has shared a free, printable activity kit to accompany Gwei the Hungry Ghost. She is available for school and library visits (both in-person and virtual).

• Where Do Stories Live? by Meenal Patel

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The seed of this story and the title question came from a spring walk, which I find particularly awe inspiring in Minnesota where I live. During the walk I saw a grassy park covered in dandelions and had a playful conversation with my husband about dandelion lifecycles, which brought me to the title question. “Where do stories live?” took me down a rabbit hole to more questions. That rabbit hole of questions led me to think about how stories are all around us in the everyday and how we can honor the stories outside ourselves through paying attention to them.
   
   My hope is that this story invites readers to bring their own experiences, curiosities, and imaginations to the question “where do stories live?”. I hope it helps them see how stories connect us to our communities, the natural world, our cultures, and each other. And that it encourages them to continue to be curious about the stories that live around them and within themselves.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   Some of the book's themes and discussion points:
   
   Theme 1: Curiosity and Connection
   Stories live all around and within us and all of our stories are connected.

   
   Early in the story, Avni is noticing the wider world. As the story progresses, she connects the wider world to her specific experiences, objects, and relationships. In this way her expressions help her understand that stories live all around us and within us and that all the stories in our world are inextricably linked. We (nature, humans, history) are inextricably linked even as we journey through each of our unique days and lives. When we share our own stories and are curious about other peoples’ stories, it helps us understand each other and see how we are all connected.
   
   Theme 2: Expression
   Stories live all around us and we can express them in many ways.
   
   Through Masi’s (aunty's) gift of a journal, Avni explores how her stories can manifest outwardly – her expression of what she notices, collects, the connections she makes between herself and the wider world. She learns that she can tell stories through drawing and writing. There are many ways to process and express stories and each one of us has to find what feels true to ourselves. Isha’s expression unfolds as movement. She explores the idea of lifecycle through her curiosity of butterflies that she translates into a flipbook and later into a dance.

   
   Theme 3: Honoring Through Creating
   Stories live all around us and we honor them through expression.

   
   Avni is a collector. She notices the details in the world around her and when her curiosity is sparked she collects tangible things that make her wonder about the world around her. The birthday note from Masi makes her wonder if you can collect stories. But how do you collect something that is intangible? Throughout the book she explores creative expression and finds that when we create, we are connecting and honoring the things we notice and pay attention to in the world. That expression is something we leave behind, so in a way the expression of a story becomes an artifact in itself. Something that might be passed along that expresses the story to someone else.

   
   Theme 4: Cultural Threads
   Our cultural and relational histories are woven into us through everyday moments like language, dance, food, textiles, literature, art, religious rituals, and how we take care of each other.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   One of my favorites as a child was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I loved the tactile nature of the short pages and the holes in them. It's such a playful way to use the structure of a book. And I think this book inspired me to want to be a butterfly when I grew up.
   
   A recent favorite is the Chirri and Chirra series by Kaya Doi because they are so playful and imaginative in both the text and art.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   Look for the stories in their everyday lives whether that's on a walk to the park, in the objects in their homes, or in their favorite dinner. After you find a a place with a story, choose a way to tell that story. It could take many forms – a drawing, a dance, a song, in writing or telling someone the story out loud.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   While I was painting the illustrations for Where Do Stories Live?, I listened to a set of albums on repeat that put me in a focused state of mind. A lot of it was instrumental, calming, and in a variety of languages. A lot of José González, Cinematic Orchestra, Khruangbin, Arooj Aftab, Beach House. I also listened to a couple audiobooks that speak to nature in beautiful, layered ways – Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl. Both of the authors read the audio versions of their books and I loved hearing their voices with their words while I painted all the nature bits and pieces in the illustrations.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   It's an honor to get to create for kids since they are so open, imaginative, and keenly observant! Picture books offer such robust opportunities as a storytelling medium – you can express the story through the words, pictures, sound of the read aloud, and even with the structure of the book. For this particular book, the pictures are largely telling the specific story of this day long journey that the sisters are going on. I put a lot of details in the art that add layers to the story and hopefully allow readers to discover new things that bring depth the story each time they read it. And then the words are telling a broader story with the hopes that it leaves the book open enough that the reader can bring themselves into the story.

Meenal has shared free printable activity sheets for Where Do Stories Live?

• Three Pieces of Broken Glass by Emily Barth Isler; illustrated by Vesper Stamper

1. What inspired your book?

   
   Three Pieces of Broken Glass is based on a true, family story, but I didn’t get the idea to make it a picture book until many years after I first heard it! The story at the center of the book is one told to me by my husband’s grandmother, Inge Isler, about the day she was released from a work camp on the Isle of Man, in the UK, in 1939. She was only fifteen, and she had been separated from her parents in England after they all escaped the Nazis in Germany, and was alone at the work camp while her parents desperately tried to get her freed. One day, her mother dropped a cup and it broke into many pieces; her father was dismayed, but her mother believed it was a good sign, a sign that Inge would be released from the camp! Indeed, it was-- that was the day they got word their daughter was going to be freed and reunited with them in London. To this day, Inge’s two sons have kept shards of that broken cup, which the family has passed down through generations, and believes to be good luck.
   
   A few years ago, my father-in-law, Inge’s son Robert, was talking about the shard as a good luck charm, and I thought, “wow, this should be in a Children’s Book!” Not only did I want to preserve the family stories for my own kids-- Inge’s great-grandchildren-- but I wanted to write a book that would connect the larger historical stories of Jewish people forced to leave Europe before and during World War II, and to keep those memories alive in hopes we can all help to work towards making sure that those kinds of horrors never happen-- to any people-- again.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   The book explores themes such as finding meaning in our lived experiences, even the hard times; accepting that everyone makes mistakes; honoring history and the past; and keeping memories alive through storytelling. Most families or communities have stories like the ones Grandma Inge tells in the book-- the stories of how they came to be where they are, or of the journeys they embarked upon to find home, freedom, or love. These stories can be useful messages for kids just beginning to understand some of the harder parts of history: war, migration, or family separation, for example. I wanted the book to offer hope, but to also be realistic about the hard things that have happened in many families’ histories, mine included. I hope the message that kids take away from the book is of the value of learning from the past and honoring our ancestors’ stories. Finding beauty in broken things is also a universal message across cultures, so I hope that resonates for people of all backgrounds.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?

   
   I remember my parents and grandparents reading to me almost constantly as a child-- how lucky I was!-- and so many of those books have stayed with me into my own adulthood. At This Very Minute by Kathleen Rice Bowers and illustrated by Linda Shute, first published in 1983, is one that I remember vividly. It has a blend of joy and sadness-- a gentle realness about the world-- that I appreciated as a little kid. I also loved Harry the Dirty Dog, all of the Lyle, Lyle Crocodile books, and the George and Martha series. I credit those all with teaching me so much about how to write picture books! More recently, I love Our World is a Family: Our Community Can Change the World by Jennifer Jackson and Miry Whitehill, illustrated by Nomar Perez; Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp by Minoru Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, illustrated by Chris Sasaki. Both of them pair very well with Three Pieces of Broken Glass, actually, as they are all about immigrants, family stories, and the tangible memories of history we carry with us even in hard times. They are all books committed to helping readers understand their role in trying to make the world a better place for all. (Which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite picture books: Miss Rumphius! A perfect classic!)
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   If possible, this book should be read with a parent or grandparent-- I hope it will inspire elders to share family stories with the kids in their lives! In that way, it sets off a chain of storytelling. Kids love learning about their loved ones’ pasts, and I hope the book gives them the language and opportunity to ask questions.

   
   After reading the book out loud to school groups or storytime participants, I like to ask the listeners if they have any objects at home that help them remember family stories, or any treasured artifacts that have been passed down from generation to generation! I have heard some great family stories that way.

   
   Also, we are so lucky that teacher-librarian extraordinaire Jennifer LaGarde (aka librarygirl.net !) had me and Three Pieces of Broken Glass illustrator Vesper Stamper on her podcast, The Reader’s Heart, recently to talk about the book, after which she created some really awesome classroom and home activities to go along with the book!! They’re free and available here: https://www.librarygirl.net/post/the-reader-s-heart-podcast-guests-emily-barth-isler-and-vesper-stamper
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?

   
   I learned so much creating this book-- it is my first published picture book! I think the best things I learned and my favorite stories from the process all come from collaborating with the book’s amazing illustrator, Vesper Stamper! https://www.vesperillustration.com/ Vesper is a talented artist and brilliant writer herself, and she brought so much to the storytelling of this book with her gorgeous paintings. We didn’t speak or meet until long after the book was finished, as is typical for most collaborative author/illustrator relationships (most, but not all!). I was thrilled to learn after the book was published how much of her own family stories Vesper brought into her illustrations-- for example, the pink goblet in the book that the granddaughter breaks is based on a real item handed down to Vesper from her grandmother! She brought so much to the story that makes it even more meaningful!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   I have just always loved picture books. I loved being read to as a child, and then just never stopped loving them. When I had my own kids, my favorite thing to do with them was to read to them-- I got to discover all my old favorite picture books all over again, plus to learn about new ones that came out when my kids were toddlers. Our favorites during those years include Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, still makes me cry every time), Click Clack Moo (written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin), and A Good Day by Kevin Henkes. Oh, and Hippos Go Berserk! By Sandra Boynton has one of the most inventive rhyme schemes!! And Subway by Christoph Niemann is absolutely brilliant. And One Morning in Maine is a delight.... I could go on and on with books I love!

For middle grade readers, Emily is also the author of The Color of Sound.

• The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed; illustrated by Hatem Aly

1. What inspired your book?
   
   I came up with the concept for The Book That Almost Rhymed when I was pitching a completely different manuscript to publishers. The feedback I got on the other manuscript was that it "rhymed too much", and I was having trouble selling it. My agent asked me if I wanted to write something that didn't rhyme, and I struggled to write without rhyme. The opening hook for that book stuck with me ("The other day I wrote this book. You won't believe how long it took...") and served as the launching point for the story.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   This story explores themes of sibling relationships, collaboration, and (of course) rhyme! I hope young readers are able to see each other in a new light after reading this book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   My favorite picture books as a kid were from Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Now, as an adult, my favorite picture book is The Giving Tree.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   I love when people come up with their own sequel to the book that almost rhymed. It's fun to see kids come up with new rhyming stories that don't quite make sense.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I was surprised to learn that rhyme is difficult to pitch to publishers, given that it limits translation opportunities.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I came to picture books through poetry and music. I'm not a musician, but I love the alliteration and rhythm of poetry, and picture books are an extension of that.

• Do You Know the Dark? by Roz MacLean

1. What inspired your book?
   
   I was initially inspired by the beauty of darkness as it shows up in my life. We moved out of a city to a less crowded area in recent years, and I’ve appreciated seeing the stars in the night sky. I’m also always paying attention to the moon. I like the phenomenon that happens in darkness, where my sense of self and self consciousness is much looser. The world is also more mysterious because you can’t quite make things out.
   
   I’m also really interested in the “shadow” in a psychological sense. The parts of our selves and our experiences that are called dark, because there isn’t brightness or certainty. But those dark moments can be really rich and transformative. There can be a kind of dissolving and reconfiguring. I love that in darkness we can barely see ourselves but we can see out into the universe.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   There are so many gifts in darkness. I was especially interested in rest, or being unproductive, and how necessary and generative this is. It’s easy in our hyper stimulating and demanding world to take rest for granted, but it’s so essential.
   
   I was also interested in darkness as a space of uncertainty and mystery, and how we can hold what is unknown. I think there’s a bit of surrender needed for that, which can allow for the emergence of something new or unexpected. Inner space can allow reflection and dreaming. I also wanted to have the theme of discovery and awe thread through the book.
   
   For discussion, I would recommend readers reflect on differences they notice when they are rested or not, and even think about different times of the year when days are shorter or longer. What do they need to feel a good balance?
   
   Also, readers can talk about mystery as a concept. Like some things are unknown and mysterious, but that doesn’t mean they’re negative, and maybe that’s where we can ask questions. Thinking about the stars, space, or the deep sea could be a good starting point for that.
   
   I also recommend talking about what readers like and don’t like about darkness. Readers might feel scared or anxious, and that’s ok. Holding space for all of the experiences is also very much in line with the book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   As a kid I loved Robert Munsch’s books, especially The Paper Bag Princess. In my adult years I’ve really been loving Shaun Tan’s work. The Red Tree was a really lovely discovery for me. Working in schools I would read a lot of Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggy series with kids, and I enjoyed those a lot.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   There’s an activity kit available at mackidsschoolandlibrary.com. It includes colouring sheets, some crafts like finger and shadow puppets, telescopes, as well as a word search.
   
   It could be interesting to imagine and tell or draw about a dream you'd like to have. Star gazing is always great if possible!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   I looooved researching the deep sea creatures. I found so many and couldn’t include them all. I also found out there’s something called Vantablack, which is the world’s darkest material. It doesn’t reflect any light!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   I was a little bookworm as a kid, and I’ve always loved drawing and painting, so I think it was a combination of my loves. I would get really drawn into beautiful picture books and had a feeling like, “wow, a person made this.” It’s always felt magical to me, and especially after working in schools as an adult, I saw how engaging and powerful books can be for kids. So, all those things came together into a bit of a dream job.

• MORPH, The Magnificent Metamorphosis of Ernest and Moe by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (out in January 2027)

1. What inspired your book?
   

   MORPH began as a doodle of a plump green caterpillar admiring himself in a hand mirror. The first sentence, “Ernest was not comfortable in his skin” led to MORPH the Magnificent Metamorphosis of Ernest and Moe. As with most picture books, this story underwent many metamorphoses of its own. My passion for moths inspired me to do research and destined Ernest and Moe to become moths instead of butterflies.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   My favorite thing about this story is the multiple layers for conversation and meaning. It’s a friendship story that takes a deep dive into change. Is change really constant? Does everything change, or do some things never change? Can we control change? Is change interpreted in the same way by everyone? What is destiny? I also think that when one talks about change, it opens the door to discuss control. And, thus, a reader can relate to feelings of worry and anxiety— like Ernest and Moe do in my book.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   My favorite book was Never Tease a Weasel, by Jean Conder Soule and illustrated by Denman Hampson. I thought that the recent book, The Boy Who Became a Parrot by Wolverton Hill and illustrated by Laura Carlin was brilliantly enchanting in every way.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   There is moth trivia at the end of the book that I hope inspires readers to explore the real-life world of moths by observing them in nature and by reading more nonfiction books about them.
   I had so much fun making up my own moth wing patterns, shapes, antennae, colors, and sizes on the end pages. Moths are incredibly varied and they beg for artists to make up beautiful creatures of their own. I hope to have some fun craft projects on my website soon as well.
   To celebrate the publication of MORPH, I’m throwing a Moth Ball party with my local bookseller. I plan to have a few moth mask patterns on my website so kids can make and decorate their own Moth Ball Masquerade masks!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   That there are no definitive ways to differentiate moths from butterflies. The moth world is full of exceptions. Therefore, when researching and writing factual information, the word “most” was used in “most” examples.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   I’m descended from a long line of artists and collectors. My grandmother collected picture books—treating and displaying them as if they were precious works of art. My mother inherited that appreciation and added to that a passionate belief in the importance of books, reading, and literacy.
   
   I’m captivated by the fact that picture books are an art form which combines storytelling in both the writing and visual medium. It has always been my dream to make books for young readers and I’m truly grateful for the supportive community of agents, editors, publishers, librarians, booksellers, and book lovers, that allow me to do so.

• Into the Mighty Sea written by Arlene Abundis; illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

1. What inspired your book?
   
   My debut picture book, Into the Mighty Sea, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso, is the story of a Cuban American girl named Mariel, who sees her world through colors that represent her emotional state in a social setting.
   
   She draws and paints to calm her big feelings, but when her brother rips her art, she must sail through a big sea of color or get lost in the swells.
   
   Mariel is a facet of myself as a child and it’s inspired by my journey with social anxiety.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   My work honors resilience through mental and emotional health. I write for kids who long to belong. To be a mirror that can help make sense of broken pieces, while finding beauty in them—like a kaleidoscope. Those important themes are highlighted in my book.
   
   As a child who was severely bullied in school, books were at times my only friends and a vehicle to escape my reality. I longed to see a protagonist that symbolized my unique cultural experience.
   
   Born to parents who migrated as refugees from Cuba, their suffering, oppression and diaspora, were the arbiter of all experiences and relationships. My father is also a former political prisoner so there was no going to my parent’s homeland.
   

3. What was your favorite childhood picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?

   
   The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch! In this picture book, Elizabeth was the princess who saved Prince Ronald from the dragon. This book not only made me fall in love with reading, but helped the process of coping with being bullied. It was my first personal alignment of purpose. Elizabeth’s intelligence, bravery, confidence and determination helped me cope with my struggles as I lived vicariously through her character’s message of being your own heroine.

   
   I used to dream of being the witty and courageous Paper Bag Princess. Little did I envision that my personal alignment with this book, would be the compass that navigated my path to become a children’s author.

   
   A recent favorite is In Case of Las Moscas by Jackie Morera and illustrated by Marina Ruiz Johnson.
   
   A tiny misunderstanding snowballs into a wild adventure in this playful picture book that pokes gentle fun at what's lost in translation between Spanish and English.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?

   
   I would recommend an art activity such as making a paper sail boat and then painting it while talking about what emotions and examples make us feel certain ways. This is my go to activity that I incorporate during bookstore events and school visits. It’s also a great way to incorporate social emotional learning.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?

   
   Learning how to subtly weave color therapy into my story. Researching how colors influence how we feel and behave was fascinating. It was such a psychological experience and my favorite part of writing Into the Mighty Sea.
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?

   
   After staying home for over a decade to be the full-time caregiver of my children, I decided to go back to college. Initially to finish up my child development degree so I can teach again, but while taking a children’s literature class, I started a blog that connected motherhood and picture books. Something so powerful ignited within me and a dream was born. Penning my own stories with a desire to not only see my culture and childhood experiences represented in traditional publishing, but heal wounds of never quite belonging.

• I Guess I'll Go Eat Worms by Linda Liu

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The premise and title of my book I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS is inspired by this silly, somewhat morbid, nursery song I learned as a kid, whose opening lyrics go: “Nobody likes me / Everybody hates me / Guess I’ll go eat worms.” I think that song has stuck with me all these years because, aside from being an ear worm, those lyrics capture such an honest, raw emotion I’m sure every kid has felt at some point. And such honest, raw lyrics deserved a refresh for kids of today to commiserate with!
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   WORMS follows two separate characters who, unbeknownst to one another, are both suffering from loneliness and social isolation. Individually, they wallow in their self-pity and resentment toward the world—that is, until they meet each other. Oftentimes, when people feel rejected by their peers, their first instinct is to retreat into themselves. But WORMS demonstrates that only by opening yourself up and extending empathy and acceptance toward another individual can you break that never-ending loop of loneliness.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   MISS SPIDER’S TEA PARTY by David Kirk was a big comfort read of mine in elementary school. It’s about a kind but misunderstood spider who just wants to invite other insects over for a tea party, but they all assume she wants to eat them! I think it would pair nicely with WORMS—though worms are decidedly food not friends in my book!
   

   As for a recent favorite, I’d pick SPIDER IN THE WELL by Jess Hannigan (I’m sensing a spider theme…). It’s also about subverting social expectations, but in a delightfully cynical way. I’d say MISS SPIDER’S TEA PARTY, SPIDER IN THE WELL, and I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS each teach readers something different about navigating the social world using bug-driven narratives.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   On the last page of I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS, I’ve included an easy recipe for Worms ’n’ Dirt for readers who will surely be craving worms by the end of the book! The recipe serves two (you and a friend), but it’s also easy to make in batches for classrooms, birthday parties, picnics, etc. What better way to break the ice with a peer or marinate in the book’s message than over a sweet, wormy treat? I hope a lot of readers partake!
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   A fun fact about I GUESS I’LL GO EAT WORMS is that it began as a college senior project! I had written the story and made a full dummy with finished art, and my agent Thao had actually gone wide with it when I first signed with her. Just like the characters in the book, initially nobody liked it… in fact everybody hated it! WORMS was soundly rejected by every publisher we had pitched to.
   
   Years later, I was at brunch with my team at Henry Holt (brilliant Mark Podesta, effervescent Mariam Quraishi) celebrating the release of my debut book, HIDDEN GEM. I mentioned a book idea I had that no one would take a chance on… well, they were immediately intrigued, and the rest is history! I’m ever so grateful WORMS eventually found a home, and thanks to the team, the final product turned out sooooo much better than college-me could have ever dreamed of!
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   

   Being a weird, lonely kid raised by non-English-speaking Chinese grandparents in a predominantly Caucasian American suburb, I had a hard time interacting with teachers, peers—basically the entire world around me. Picture books were both an escape from the world as well as an entry into it. Though I came to picture books through my illustration background, I’ve always been writing poems and short stories. My picture books are driven by messages I wanted to tell my past self, as well as any reader who’s gone through moments of self-doubt, fear, or uncertainty—which is everyone at some point or another! So I hope after WORMS I will have more opportunities to share those messages with you all!

• Hot Dog! The History of America's Favorite Sausage written by Christine Van Zandt; illustrated by Steven Salerno

1. What inspired your book?
   
   The idea for this book arose in a brainstorming conversation with my literary agency while talking about funny “history of” books that would align with my prior one about underpants.
   Writing about sausages fits into my background since my family is from Germany and we ate a lot of them. We had a mischievous dachshund so creating Frank de Wienerdog as the book’s narrator felt right—kids find dachshunds hilarious.
   

2. What themes do you explore in your book, and what do you recommend readers discuss as they read those themes?
   
   Interconnection is the main theme. The book shows people across the globe and across time eating similar kinds of sausages. Readers can discuss how their favorite foods connect to their past and to their present.
   

3. What was your childhood favorite picture book, and what’s a recent favorite?
   
   I loved fairy tales—and still do. Cinderella was a go-to book. I have a collection of Cinderella stories from around the globe. I enjoy how different cultures depict this story, which brings me back to interconnection.
   

4. What activities do you recommend readers do after finishing (or while reading) your book?
   
   A delicious way to enjoy the book is to accompany it with a hot dog. Try the Curly Snake Dogs recipe in the back.
   Teachers can dive deeper into the STEM. I have a free lesson plan including geography, history, and math at LitLinks: Easy ways to connect lunch with geography, history, and math lessons - Patricia Newman.
   

5. What’s your favorite fun fact from your writing or researching process?
   
   Since The Odyssey is in the news, I’ll share a fun fact I found when researching. One of the earliest written mentions of sausages is in that famous poem by Homer (written 750-650 BCE). Odysseus is described as “rolling around from side to side as a cook turns a sausage.”
   

6. What drew you to the picture book space?
   
   When I studied picture books in college for a children’s literature class, I remembered how much I loved picture books and looked into the craft of writing one. Picture books share similarities with poetry; both require a careful selection of words. For picture books, you also need age-appropriate content and text that leaves room for art. Writing picture books is challenging (fitting together the pieces of a puzzle) and gratifying when you see your book connect with a child.

Thank you so much to these incredible authors for joining me and to all the agents, publicists, and friends who've supported me as I launch this project! Stay tuned for Issue 2! 🫶

*All of the featured books except for MORPH (January 2027) are out now. If you're a picture book author and would like to have your book(s) featured in the next issue, please reach out to me via email or DM. :)