Book-A-Day Almanac
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics and the new books on their way to becoming classics.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
Elementary School, Picture Book, Preschool The first week of February has been set aside to celebrate children’s authors and illustrators. I’ve already written about the author of the book of the day, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Jane Yolen. Today I would like to sing the praises of illustrator Mark Teague. I recently had the pleasure of sharing an […]
Bedtime, DinosaursFeatured on February 4
Where Is the Green Sheep?
Babies and Toddlers, Picture Book, Preschool Around this time of year Ohio celebrates Sheep Day! In Wayne County at the Sheep Research Unit, Ohio State University faculty, staff, and students convene to discuss how to successfully raise sheep. If I were anywhere near this event, I’d go because I have a soft spot for sheep. Instead I’ll pick up the book […]
Animals, BedtimeFeatured on July 13
The Moon Jumpers
Picture Books, Preschool books March 30th marks the New Moon, and moon cycles always remind me of a 1957 title by Janice May Udry, The Moon Jumpers, which won a Caldecott Honor for its illustrator, Maurice Sendak when he was just thirty years old. It has now been almost two years since Maurice’s death, and the outpouring of affection […]
Award Winning, Bedtime, CaldecottFeatured on March 27
Good Night, Gorilla
Picture Books, PreschoolToday marks the birthday of Peggy Rathmann. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Peggy studied commercial art and crafted picture books at the Otis Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles. In 1991 she published her first book, Ruby the Copycat, and was immediately hailed by Publishers Weekly as a “Promising New Author.” Promising indeed. Within […]
Animals, BedtimeFeatured on March 4
Stories 1 2 3 4
Elementary School, Picture Book Today illustrator Etienne Delessert celebrates his birthday—he has been creating children’s books for more than fifty years. When I was a young critic in the 1970s, the avant guard of illustration consisted of Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), Tomi Ungerer (No Kiss for Mother), Edward Gorey (The Shrinking of Treehorn), and Etienne Delessert, […]
Art, Bedtime, Imagination, TrendsettingFeatured on January 4
Corduroy
Elementary School, Picture Book, PreschoolOn August 11, 1908, Don Freeman was born in San Diego, California. Freeman showed early skills as both a musician and an artist. In the late twenties he moved to New York City to make a living. He arrived a few days before the stock market crash and always carried a guilt complex about the […]
Bedtime, Teddy Bears, ToysFeatured on August 11
Margaret Wise Brown
Babies and Toddlers, Picture Book, PreschoolToday marks the birthday of one of the greatest children’s book creators of the twentieth century, Margaret Wise Brown. Although she died suddenly of an embolism at the age of forty-two, Brown wrote more than one hundred books, including Runaway Bunny and her classic Goodnight Moon. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Brown grew up on Long […]
Animals, Bedtime, RabbitsFeatured on May 23
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
Elementary School, Picture Book, Preschool Today marks National Doctor Day, when we should show our personal doctor appreciation with a card or a gift. It commemorates March 30, 1933, the first use of anesthesia in surgery. If by any chance you want to give a book as a gift, for yourself or your doctor, I can think of no better […]
Animals, Award Winning, Bedtime, CaldecottFeatured on March 30
Interrupting Chicken
Elementary School, Picture BookFrom March 22–28, we celebrate World Folk Tales and Fables Week, established to encourage children and adults to explore the lessons learned from folk tales and fables. Although folk and fairy tales form the basis of world literature and culture, adults have often questioned introducing them to children. After all, the material in these legends […]
Award Winning, Bedtime, Caldecott, Fairy Tale, Family, FolktaleFeatured on March 23
Tooth Fairy Day
Elementary School, Fantasy, Picture Book, PreschoolOn February 28, Tooth Fairy Day commemorates our love and affection to the kindly tooth fairy and her generosity to children. Many retain wonderful childhood memories of placing a tooth under the pillow and finding some coins in the morning. But does the tooth fairy visit everyone—all over the globe? In Throw Your Tooth on […]
Bedtime, Family, HumorFeatured on February 28
Harry the Dirty Dog
Elementary School, Picture Book, Preschool Today for children’s authors and artists week, I’d like to honor a nonagenarian who published her first children’s book sixty years ago, Margaret Bloy Graham. Born in Canada, Margaret moved to New York in the 1940s to work as a commercial illustrator. During that time she became good friends with two other U.S. immigrants, Hans […]
Animals, Bedtime, Dogs, HumorFeatured on February 5
Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.
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