Could say that WHALE, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED is an unexpectedly fun read from @caseylyall.bsky.social & illus by Kathryn Durst but I'd expect no less than fun & fab from Casey Lyall. It's a whale of a #picturebook w humour (From Tundra Books) canlitforlittlecanadians.blogspot.com/2026/06/whal...

WELCOME TO THE NEXUS! (April 6, 2027)

Thank you to @kidsbookcentre.bsky.social for including Vampire Jam Sandwich in their Spring 2026 list of Best Books for Kids & Teens! It's an honour to be in such excellent company! Check out the full list here: bookcentre.ca/collections/...

So thrilled to see that Vampire Jam Sandwich was listed as one of the Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year for 2025! Truly an honour to make this list. Thank you, Bank Street College of Education! Check out the full list here: www.bankstreet.edu/library/cent...

Remember: Ms Maus is a Unitarian Universalist. And she did not use the encyclical as support for her case. A deeply held conviction is available to everyone, INCLUDING NON-THEISTS. Look at her reasoning, it’s universally applicable.

We've got some WHALE-y big news!!! Whale, That was Unexpected is a July/August 2026 Kids' Indie Next List pick! Thank you @americanbookseller.bsky.social! Check out the full list here: www.bookweb.org/news/julyaug... #IndieNextList #WhaleThatWasUnexpected #CaseyLyall #KathrynDurst #TundraBooks

For a summer adventure MG read: Gnome is Where Your Heart is Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities For your Summerween PB needs: A Spoonful of Frogs Vampire Jam Sandwich For the kid dipping their toe into solo reading: The League of Littles

Hey, Hamilton area folks, please join me for a storytime at Dundas Driving Park in June 25 at 10:30 am! We’ll have some cloudy fun. 💨🌧️🌈📚

Today's the day! I Used to Be a Dinosaur is roaring its way onto a bookshelf near you! I'm so excited to finally be able to share this one with everyone! "A hilarious, surprisingly informative standout." - SLJ, ⭐'d review Visit your local bookstore to pick up a copy today!

Thrilled to see Whale, That was Unexpected included in @literaryhub.bsky.social's list of 10 Great New Children's Books Out in June: lithub.com/10-great-new...

Again, let me point out that there is NO way to implement this without MASSIVE violations of EVERYONE'S privacy. Providing any kind of biometric data, including a face scan, to an app controlled by any of the companies currently doing this is a BAD IDEA. globalnews.ca/news/1189461...

"A classic but contemporary tale for 3-to-7-year-olds featuring a hilariously grumpy seafarer and her trusty dog sidekick who get swallowed by a whale." Win a copy of @caseylyall.bsky.social & Kathryn Durst's "Whale, That Was Unexpected" from Tundra Books #💙📚 www.librarything.com/ner/detail/5...

DO YOUR STRETCHES AND THANK ME LATER

A great new review for I Used to Be a Dinosaur from Booklist! Thank you for the kind words. "Absurd exaggerations of her supposed past as a T. rex are paired with playful wordplay, including an Old MacDonald twist (“E.I. E.I. no”), adding to the humor and child appeal." (cont'd)

Hey all. It's come to my attention that some people are scooping my comics and changing the captions, adding themselves as as co-creators. Also that some are scooping my comics & adding their own branding. All without permission. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS.

Part of being an AI user in creative works is convincing yourself that everyone ELSE uses it too, because otherwise you have to confront the reality that you're a faker and a fraud

Real good bit about the slippery slope of genAI use. A battle we're already fighting, especially against the C-suite.

The Horn Book said lovely things about Whale, That was Unexpected! "Art and text work delightfully together, each expanding the other, to create a sea story with attitude well suited for a lively read-aloud." Thank you, @thehornbook.bsky.social!

This benefits a neighborhood school where more than 70% of kids were in hiding at the height of the ICE occupation.

Save the date! Kathryn Durst and I will be at Take Cover Books in Peterborough on Sunday, July 19th from 12:30 pm to 2 pm for a WHALE of a good time! We'll be celebrating the launch of Whale, That was Unexpected with a storytime, games, and more! Click the link: takecoverbooks.ca/events/54596...

Dino-sized news! @slj.com gave I USED TO BE A DINOSAUR a ⭐! "While the main text utilizes a bouncy, rhythmic rhyme, Lyall expertly uses prose breaks for comedic timing, particularly as the hen laments the 'teeny-tiny arms' she inherited from her T.rex ancestors." (cont'd)

Silver Birch Express honour books go to The League of Littles written by @caseylyall.bsky.social and illustrated by @sarafaber.bsky.social and Plant Attack!: The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself written by Erin Silver and illustrated by @whatwouldjuliedraw.bsky.social ! @orcabook.bsky.social

Shelf Awareness gave Whale, That was Unexpected a ⭐! "Lyall's matter-of-fact presentation of the farewell party solidly grounds the story in comical territory, and the accumulation of characters is a treat. Maude's and Claude's outsize personalities are magnified by Durst's descriptive art."

A thread worth reading.

A lovely review from Publishers Weekly for I Used to Be a Dinosaur! "Clean rhyming verse bounces consistently along, while well-strutted mixed-media illustrations evoke crayon, collage, and other crafty textures that lend a homespun dimensionality to scenes focused on both eras." (Continued...)

School Library Journal said lovely things about The Band of Bigs, book 2 in The League of Littles series: “The second book in this series comes out swinging...brings humor for all ages. Kids will be able to find themselves in the characters, as they not only range in age, but also race and gender.”

Hear Canadian creators read from their new picture books at the first Great Canadian Picture Book Party of 2026. Join the fun via Zoom on Monday, April 27 from 7-8:30pm ET. Sign up through CANSCAIP. If you're not a member, message [email protected] for the link. #CANkidlit #kidlit

Some suggestions for notebooks in pocket format that are NOT Moleskine. It's a thread 🧵 ⬇️

Picture books, eh! is running the first 2026 edition of The Great Canadian Picture Book Party on Monday, April 27th at 7pm. Sign up through CANSCAIP. If you're not a member, message [email protected] for the link. @picturebookseh.bsky.social #kidlit #CanKidLit

So I have been off social media on purpose, again, but I am swinging back in with a COVER REVEAL, and a fun chat with Betsy Bird about my new book, Witchward Bound! afuse8production.slj... Come over and meet Butter and Owl.

Avi Lewis: "We have shoved Canada Post so far into the market mindset that every few months we have a national conversation about why isn't Canada Post making money. Does the ambulance service make money? Do the police services make money? We're talking about a fundamental public service."

There is no ethical consumption of HBO’s Harry Potter series

If you live in the Middlesex County area (of Ontario) and you're interested in writing, check out this program that I'm running at the Strathroy Public Library on Saturday, April 11th from 10 am to 1:30 pm. More info below, but here's the link to register: middlesex.libnet.info/event/15937686

It's my birthday! A preorder makes a lovely gift! I'm just saying! 😂❤️

Rounding out the trio of June books - the Kirkus review for THE BAND OF BIGS is here! Thanks, Kirkus! "A lighthearted caper with a dash of familial intrigue." - Kirkus Reviews THE BAND OF BIGS (illustrated by @sarafaber.bsky.social, and published by Greenwillow Books) arrives on June 23rd!

Squeezed by data centers' relentless demand for electricity, a Nevada energy company just said it's going to stop supplying energy to Tahoe. The city has a year to figure out how to meet 75% of its energy needs without it.

The first review for I USED TO BE A DINOSAUR is in! Thanks, Kirkus! "A solid primer on evolution doubling as a silly story of the ultimate identity crisis." - Kirkus Reviews I USED TO BE A DINOSAUR (illustrated by Laurie Keller and published by Greenwillow Books) hits shelves on June 9th!

I'm offering a picture book critique to help celebrate the launch of this year's Picture Books, Eh! roster. Check out the post for details! 😊❤️

Want more picture book news? Follow our 2026 Bluesky #PictureBooksEh creators through our Starter Pack!

#GIVEAWAY To celebrate the launch of #PictureBooksEh 2026, we’re giving away 4 manuscript crits & many PBs! Details on website below. To enter: 1. Follow @picturebookseh.bsky.social 2. Like + repost this post (extra entry for tagging a friend) 3. Winners announced Mar. 27 at 9 am #kidlit #cankidlit

The first review for Whale is in! Kirkus Reviews said: "Stand aside, Pinocchio. There’s new whale bait in town, and she’s got her own kind of flair." ...which, I think we can all agree, Maude would be pleased by. (Even if she doesn't show it 😂) Thanks, Kirkus!

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard day! I'm Gina Perry, an author and illustrator looking to work on new, cute picture book projects. I'm rep'd for books by Sean McCarthy Lit. See more work at: www.ginaperry.com #kidlitart

Hello #kidlitartpostcard ! I am Charlene Chua & I illustrate for kids. 🌟Interested in new book projects + other kids-related projects 🌟 Portfolio - charlenechua.com#kidlitartpostcardRep' by Tracy Marchini Literary #kidlitart #kidlit #illustration

Hi !!! Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! I’m Sarah and I’m a children’s book illustrator (and aspiring author). I’m very interested in children’s book projects. View my Portfolio - sarahnevillestudios.com Currently looking for representation #kidlitart #kidlit #illustration #canadianillustrator

I have 3 books coming out in June: I Used to Be a Dinosaur (w/ Laurie Keller), The Band of Bigs (w/ @sarafaber.bsky.social), and Whale, That was Unexpected (w/ Kathryn Durst.) They're available to read digitally on various platforms. Message me if you're interested in & I will give you the info!

Absolutely devastating for book publishers in Nova Scotia. Canadian arts and stories deserve better. www.halifaxexaminer.ca/dismantling-...

Hurray, I'M BUSY by @michaelianblack.bsky.social and me launches today from @simonkids.bsky.social! Educators: Help us celebrate & I'll record a special video msg just for your students. More: debbieohi.com/2026/02/imbu... #KidLit #BookBirthday #Edusky #LibrarySky

If you are a Canadian author and you're not yet registered for the Public Lending Right, read this thread! Registration costs nothing and you get money every year if your books are in libraries.

So many amazing donations from authors, illustrators, agents & editors to the #PublishingForMinnesota auction! Bidding now open, ends Jan. 30th: www.32auctions.com/publishingfo... #KidLit #BookSky #EduSky #WriterSky

If you're headed to @onlibraryassoc.bsky.social's Super Conference this week, make sure you stop by the HarperCollins booth @ 10 am on Friday! @jessicavitalis.bsky.social and I will be signing copies of our @forestofreading.bsky.social nominated books! (And I've got fun swag to hand out!) #OLASC2026