Aya Kakeda and I have been working through the color rough stage for one of our upcoming Picnic Heist projects. She’s using gouache and colored pencil, and even at this phase, the emotional tone is already there — rhythm, light, energy. This is one of my favorite parts of the illustration process.

We opted out. We opted out of our book distributor knowingly selling our books directly to AI companies for model training. Creators deserve consent, credit, and control over how their work is used. Stories belong to the people who create them.

I’m buzzing with excitement! IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE by me and Vikki Zhang sold out its first print run! #picturebook #YeehooPress @picnicheist.bsky.social @janetbruins.bsky.social @cwillbc.bsky.social @picturebookseh.bsky.social

Today was Kids #Pollinator day at HCP and though I forgot to take photos of my human audience, I did capture a few #bumblebees and a slug. It was fun to share with young #readers and their families. 🐝 @picnicheist.bsky.social @janetbruins.bsky.social @canscaip.bsky.social @cwillbc.bsky.social

Exciting news! 🌍✨ Dakari Helps the World is on its way! World rights acquired from award-winning author Tricia Elam Walker & illustrator Kristen Uroda. Honored Publishers Weekly included this rights report—check it out! 📖 #PWAnnouncement #DakariHelpsTheWorld #BookNews #KidLit #PictureBooks

Cover reveal! 🎉 Monkey’s Sweet Surprise by @ediblewords.bsky.social, art by Bonnie Lui, is coming Nov 2025 from Picnic Heist! A festive Lunar New Year tale full of sweets, heart, and humor. 🍍🐒 #CoverReveal #PictureBook #LunarNewYear #MonkeysSweetSurprise

Thank you, @janetbruins.bsky.social for hosting our Goodreads giveaway

My author dream is coming true!!! @picturebookseh.bsky.social @janetbruins.bsky.social #kidlit #Libsky #SELbooks

Just in case anyone is wondering, IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE is flying into stores soon and the pub date is May 20th! 🐝 📕 #pubdatechanged #itwassupposedtobetoday #CanKidLit @picturebookseh.bsky.social @janetbruins.bsky.social Illustrated by Vikki Zhang!! 🌟

Buzz over to Goodreads! We’re giving away copies of If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe—a whimsical, rhyming picture book full of wonder and surprise. By @booksbycindy.bsky.social illustrated by Vikki Zhang 💕 Enter here through May 5: www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

We’ve acquired Kindergarten Blues by Carolivia Herron, illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic—two NYT bestsellers! Announced in this week’s @publisherswkly.bsky.social Rights Report. Coming 2027. Our first official title—and what a way to start! 💙 #kidlit

Exciting news! Had the pleasure of joining Book Friends Forever podcast to discuss my publisher's journey with @alvinaling.bsky.social and Grace Lin 😍 We talked about publishing diverse books in the current political climate, thoughts on finding a literary agent, and more! Episode airs next week~

🚀 Just wrapped up our Fall 2025 presell with Ingram, and they’re excited for Picnic Heist’s debut! Coming this year: 📖 The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup (8/5) 🌙 Milo’s Moonlight Mission (8/12) 🐵 Tales from the Zodiac Kitchen (11/18) Can’t wait to share these! ✨📚 #PicnicHeist

Hello! Janet here.. main worker bee at Picnic Heist, a brand-new publishing house dedicated to crafting beautiful picture books. I have zero social media experience 😂, but here I am—nice to meet you all! I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of our publishing journey chaos. Excited to connect!

We invite you to be part of our creative journey! Follow us for book recommendations, author spotlights, and a behind-the-scenes look at our publishing process. Let’s celebrate stories that inspire and uplift together. 🌟🍉 #PicnicHeist #PictureBooks #Diversity #inclusivity