News

New Book Deal Announcement!

I’m delighted to share that my third picture book, and my first nonfiction book, will be coming in Spring 2025 with Beach Lane Books! ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, spotlights alpacas living in North and South America and how, as different as their upbringings and surroundings may be, the result is the… Read more »

B IS FOR BANANAS earns starred review!

Thank you to School Library Journal for this fabulous starred review for B IS FOR BANANAS! “PreS-K–This is the toddler book of all toddler books, and one to leave preschoolers squealing. Laughter will be the name of the game every time this book is read; it is hilarious! A little banana is supposed to be… Read more »

Banana Pie!

Check out this adorable banana-themed pie from Stephanie Hockersmith of Pie Lady Books! If you haven’t checked out all of her pies yet, they are a must-see. What’s better than a combo of books, art, and dessert?! I’m feeling inspired to try making a banana cream pie or some banana bread or something now! See… Read more »

It’s a Book Birthday!

🍌B IS FOR BANANAS is out today! I feel so lucky to have gotten to make this book with our amazing Team Banana. Thanks to Estrela Lourenço for her amazing illustrations and friendship! Thanks to Cheryl Eissing for her wonderful editorial eye, and for reigning me in when I try to put leeches into too many… Read more »

B IS FOR BANANAS is an Amazon Best Books Pick of April 2023

B Is for Bananas, illustrated by Estrela Lourenço, and coming out April 11th, 2023, has been selected as an Amazon Editor’s Pick for the Best Books of April for Ages 3-5, along with one of my picture book author idols. Can you guess who?!

Oregon Book Awards Ceremony

Last night I attended the Oregon Book Awards Ceremony, as a finalist for the Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature. What a night! So much fun to celebrate friends old and new. Huge congratulations to my critique partner Dane Liu for her win for FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER! It was an honor to be… Read more »

2023 Oregon Book Awards Finalist

Yippee! Counting to Bananas is a finalist for the 2023 Oregon Book Awards for the Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature, along with some other incredible books! Congratulations to all the finalists!: Zoey Abbott of Portland, Pig and Horse and the Something Scary (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers) Cathy Camper of Portland, Arab Arab… Read more »

Kirkus calls B Is for Bananas “an a-peeling alphabet adventure”

🍌The first review is in for B IS FOR BANANAS, and Kirkus Reviews calls it “an a-peeling alphabet adventure”! So happy for our team with illustrator Estrela Lourenço, editor Cheryl Eissing, and all the other amazing folks at Flamingo Books. 😍 And thank you Kirkus Reviews! 🌛Read the full review here. 🌟Preorder your copy. 🍌Release… Read more »

2022 Undies Case Cover Award Winner

Congratulations to all the winners of School Library Journal’s 2022 Undies Case Covers Awards! And hugest congrats to Estrela Lourenço, the mastermind behind the case cover for our book, COUNTING TO BANANAS, winner of the category for best “Something to Read.” I have loved the case cover she made all along, but recently found out… Read more »

Portland Book Festival Appearances

Do you know about Portland Book Festival? This daylong event features 100+ presenters in all-ages events, pop-up readings, an extensive book fair, food carts, and more at Portland Art Museum and neighboring venues, including me! It’s coming up on November 5th, 2022. Come see me at: Story Time with host Emily Arrow for a reading of Counting to Bananas… Read more »