I have a few openings on my School Librarian Advisory Team for 2026 – if you're interested in taking the occasional survey, getting early copies of new books, & taking a peek behind the scenes of making kids’ books, it might be a good fit for you & your readers! Details: forms.gle/mkA9L5EuvjTu...

I took a publishing course this fall, and learned that while editors say they don't care about social media, publishing and marketing do--and they have a more significant voice at acquisitions than many realize. #KidLitChat

Someone made me a custom button of one of my book covers for its launch, and it was so sweet. If you want to buy an author a gift, what about an enamel pin with their favourite book cover? Or jewellery of the same? Etsy is great for this! #kidlitchat

Structuring a picture book can be tied to the emotional arc of a character, the pacing of the plot, the rhythm of language, or any combination of the 3. But above all, you’re bound by the formal constraints: roughly 13 page spreads. Form is like the Jillian Michaels of pbs: merciless #kidlitchat

I was fortunate to do a fall course with Kyo Maclear, and also attended CANSCAIP in Toronto, where you can do one-on-one meetings with editors. Both turned into community building opportunities. This is what I love about Bookish, which I host--I meet fabulous people and learn so much #kidlitchat

Picture books usually come out 3 years after the contract is signed, so what's on shelves now doesn't reflect a current trend, so much as 2022. But I can say in terms of my own manuscripts, it's the more unusual ones editors have liked in 2024/2025. So maybe now's the time to go weird?! #kidlitchat

Light up the night sky with these #BookRecs 🔦 ✨ WHO NEEDS THE DARK? ✨ MOON POPS ✨ ELEANOR'S MOON ✨ THE MIDNIGHT CLUB ✨ THE KEEPER OF STARS ✨ LITTLE MOMENTS IN A BIG UNIVERSE ✨ THE JELLYFISH BUS ✨ I WONDER ABOUT WORLDS #Nighttime #Storytime #KidLit #BookSky

Make the most of those early sunsets with snuggly reads. We love a book list, and we love seeing Maggie Knaus' ELEANOR'S MOON and @mypbjam.bsky.social's THE KEEPER OF STARS on this one✨

In Toronto and feeling witchy? Here's the event for you! @picturebookseh.bsky.social

My undergrad English class on Young Adult Literature has just decreed Isaac Blum’s THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF HOODIE ROSEN meets the criteria for Young Teen Lit.... Thoughts? @youngteenlit.bsky.social

Not to freak you out about being half way through summer or anything, but here's a reminder that if you're planning to teach The Power of Sympathy in the coming year, @mypbjam.bsky.social and I are happy to Zoom into your classroom!

Reading is transformative so I’m 100% behind a National Year of Reading but instead of shaming parents/carers (“put our phones down and pick up a book”) let’s focus on access and choice for children. That includes reversing library closures and funding cuts. #readingforpleasure

Feeling lucky for this fantastic review! @picturebookseh.bsky.social @canscaip.bsky.social

An angle to explore: "Novels are empathy machines: they invite you to imagine what it might be like to be somebody else. So they are, at least potentially, an antidote to the misogynistic influence of the manosphere" www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Please join us!

"A family of witches desperately tries to entertain a cranky baby in this delightful picture book for fans of Little Witch Hazel and Go the F**k to Sleep." Enter to win a copy of Jennifer Harris / @mypbjam.bsky.social & Adelina Lirius' "The Witching Hour" from Tundra Books #💙📚

I sold one #pb this year (phew!)--that's 2028 covered. Working on 2029--but the pb market is slow. So focusing on what I can do to uplift and bring joy. On that note, hosting another virtual pb event for SCBWI this month! Tell me about your favourite pbs with ambiguous endings #kidlitchat

There's a moment when I get the first line in my head, and I know it's gold. That's all I need--one line, and it drives the whole pb manuscript. I know people who force themselves to write--but I could never force that line #kidlitchat

I queried my agent before researching query letters (whoops). But I was teaching professional writing at the time, and pulled out every trick. It worked! Be sensible, be persuasive, be clear. Also: research who you’re sending the letter to, but remember: don’t look like a stalker. #kidlitchat

I asked my spouse how many #picturebooks I’d need to publish to be taken seriously as an author. He guessed three. When I hit that it still didn’t quite sink in. I signed a contract for my sixth book recently, and am feeling very real now! #kidlitchat

A nice little blog post about WHEN A TREE FALLS. Thanks for having me, Sue! #kidlit @chroniclebooks.bsky.social @lookingglasslit.bsky.social @theremaybecats.bsky.social @picturebookseh.bsky.social @naomikirsten.bsky.social archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/2025/04/when...

Pajama Press is excited to announce that we are opening our submissions for middle-grade and YA fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction. Please visit the Pajama Press submission page on our website for more details. #opensubmission #YAbooks #middlegrade #fantasy #scifi #historicalfiction

Thanks @secondstory.bsky.social for sharing #picturebook THE WARMEST BLANKET IN THE WORLD by Tamara Levine and @elliearscott.bsky.social. It certainly is a cozy read of family and sharing. (I also learned about qiviut.) canlitforlittlecanadians.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-... 👍🇨🇦📚

In order to stay creative, I need to make time to read. I'm holding too much in my head related to my day job, volunteering, parenting, etc. Books are a palate cleanser for my brain. Latest obsession below! #kidlitchat

Just me, over on Instagram, @mypbjam, talking about Easter witches, shark girls, picture books, and what kidlit editors are apparently looking for in this weird moment... #kidlit #picturebooks

🌷At Picture Books, Eh! we're thrilled to share our spring releases! 🌧️☀️Read these books inside on a rainy afternoon, or outside on a sunny day picnic! #kidlit #EduSky #CanKidLit #ireadcanadian #teachers #librarians #parents @picturebookseh.bsky.social

Check out these Spring releases from Picture Books, Eh! #CanKidLit #kidlit

Looking for a kidlit critique group or hoping for one that better aligns with your interests? The Kidlit 2025 Critique Match is here: forms.gle/HsoHLUbQnMEH...

'Bluesky has overtaken its flailing rival X in hosting posts related to new academic research, indicating the platform is fast becoming the go-to place for scholars to share their work.'

I run a wild instagram account where I talk about children's books by staging scenes with dolls. Every week, my family brainstorms ideas, builds furniture, sets, and props. Handle there is also @mypbjam #kidlitchat

I WOULD GIVE YOU MY TAIL from Tanya Tagaq and illus by Qavavau Manumie, both of Nunavut, (from Tundra Books) puts the emphasis of happiness coming from gratitude but never in a preachy way. It's quite lovely and serene. canlitforlittlecanadians.blogspot.com/2025/04/i-wo... 👍🇨🇦📚

Children's Writers: Check out this PW article about the current state of the middle grade market. The editor of my debut MG novel, Eileen Robinson, is quoted. #kidlit #middlegrade #writingcommunity @charlesbridge.bsky.social www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

I think the question is: how don't picturebook writers use poetic techniques? Cadence, assonance, consonance, and more--all crucial for a successful read-aloud picturebook #kidlitchat

If you live in Canada and support independent bookstores, please make your voice heard! #CanKidLit #IndieBookstores #CanLit #BookSky

For anyone who needs to laugh: The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime (Sumner and Gregory), We Are Definitely Human (Fang), and The Spider int he Well are all wonderfully funny recent picturebooks #kidlitchat

TOPIC: We all need a good laugh . . . right? Which kid's books would you nominate for Best in Funny, either recent or classic? (Extra points for your own books if comedy is your thing!) And how do you use humor in your work, if at all? #kidlitchat

The CBC is an important institution, beholden to no large US media giants. It advances Canadian literature, art, and music, not to mention ensuring Canadian representation. Support the CBC #cankidlit

To those posting about 🇨🇦 books for young people: add #CanKidLit #CanYALit #IReadCanadian or a related keywd to your posts (posts only, replies not incl) & it will be be pushed to CanKidLit feed: bsky.app/profile/debb... If you notice anyone pushing NON-🇨🇦 #KidLit content to feed, pls let me know.

Looking for Canadian #KidLit #YALit authors, illustrators, organizations as well as book bloggers who focus on boosting #CanKidLit? I've created a Starter Pack to help get you started: go.bsky.app/CzuFhAd

Hey #KidLitArt folks - I want to start a new Starter Pack for Canadian #KidLit artists. If you: - Mainly do art for children or children's books - Are Canadian/ Canadian PR - Want to be included in this pack Pls reply or send a DM!

I think of it like the sales pitch on the cover flap. Funny story: the press ended up using the logline for my first picture book, SHE STITCHED THE STARS, as a preface to the book. #kidlitchat

In January I wrote a picturebook manuscript on an oddball topic I swore would make my agent despair—and she loved it! And another I initially worried was too experimental to sell comes out in June, and got a great review in Kirkus this week. So I guess my 2025 mantra is “go weird!”?! #kidlitchat

🎈Happy Book Birthday to KENZIE'S LITTLE TREE! Please check out KENZIE'S LITTLE TREE in libraries & anywhere you buy books! #kidlit #CanKidLit #EduSky #ChronicIllness #IBD #arthritis @picturebookseh.bsky.social @pb25vibes.bsky.social @orcabook.bsky.social @westwoodcreative.bsky.social

Want to support us and other Canadian children's book publishers? Here are some ways to do it ⬇️ 🇨🇦 Request Canadian children's books at your local libraries, bookstores and in your classrooms 🇨🇦 Buy and borrow Canadian children's books 🇨🇦 Share and celebrate Canadian children's stories and art

#youngteenlit #itstimeforyoungteenlit #mglit #tlsky #Publishers, we are asking for a new category of literature that falls in between middle grade and young adult. Middle schoolers need Young Teen Lit and librarians are eager to purchase! #youngteenlit should have the following 5 elements (1/6)

NEW FOR SPRING! "A reassuring story of family and friendship." —School Library Journal WHAT IF MARTY DOESN'T LIKE MY PARTY? is coming MARCH 18, 2025. Told in a graphic novel format, this story is a loving portrait of a sweet sibling relationship 💙 #NewBooksForSpring

Hi! We're Skype a Scientist! We're a free program that matches scientists with classrooms, scout troops, libraries, & other groups for Q&As all about science. Get matched with a scientist for a virtual conversation! We have 30+ types of scientist & match weekly. www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

The Brooklyn Public Library has announced that any teenager in America is now eligible for a Brooklyn Public Library card.
Teens can sign out ebooks + audiobooks 
The move is designed to combat censorship, with some titles listed as "always available." www.bklynlibrary.org/media/press/...

We talk a lot about Sendak—as we should. But Ruth Krauss was incredibly innovative with language. And Virginia Lee Burton did amazing things with visual layout and composition. I feel like they should all be the subjects of masterclasses. #kidlitchat

Established in memory of artist Wallace Edwards, the Wally’s Imaginarium Fund is available to support art-based activities for children, emphasizing storytelling through the visual arts in ways to explore and expand their creativity. To learn more, visit www.wallysimaginarium.com