The Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is particularly vibrant, and among its many offerings is a mentorship program named for Cynthia Leitich Smith!
I have been the program’s mentor twice, most recently working with the wonderful Carol Kim.
Happy Holidays, Cynsational readers!
Effective immediately, this blog is on winter hiatus. We’ll return after the ALA Midwinter Conference with more inspiration, insights, and info on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing. In the meantime, you’re welcome keep up on those topics with me on Facebook,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Thank You, Neighbor! by Ruth Chan (HarperCollins, 2021).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A With Kekla Magoon by Sanina Clark from Publishers Weekly.
I spent an informative and inspiring hour talking with authors A.S. (Amy) King, Jason Reynolds, Francisco X. Stork, Bill Konigsberg (not pictured), and Cory McCarthy about mental health. In the course of our conversation, we covered our own mental health,
Continue Reading Young Adult Authors on How Writing about Mental Health Saves Lives »
Kristen Balouch is an author and illustrator of award-winning picture books, most notably Mystery Bottle (Hyperion Books for Children, 2006), which won the Ezra Jack Keats Award. In addition to writing and illustrating books for children, she is a fabric designer and gardener.
All of her passions,
Continue Reading Author-Illustrator Interview: Kristen Balouch Talks Inspiration & Design »
Stories are the work of a community, not a creator in isolation. I am struck by this truth every single time I hold my debut picture book, Gitty and Kvetch, illustrated by the phenomenal Ariel Landy (Atheneum, 2021), in my hands. Its pages carry the fingerprints of all the people who have poured into my life and this story.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Sayre.
April Pulley Sayre, award-winning author and photo-illustrator died Nov. 6 in South Bend, Indiana after a battle with advanced metastatic breast cancer. She was 55.
Much of April’s work focused on natural history, and because of her passion for conservation,
The Cynsations team is thankful to have you as a reader!
Cynsations blog is on hiatus for the week. We’ll return on November 29 with more inspiration, insights, and information related to the children’s-YA publishing community.
In the meantime, keep up with Cynthia Leitich Smith on Facebook,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: I Am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun, translated by Deborah Smith (Scribble US, 2021).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Today I’m talking with Nick Thomas, Senior Editor at Levine Querido, an independent publisher of books for young readers that was founded by Arthur A. Levine in 2019.
Nick, thank you for joining me!
Thank you for having me! Cynsations is one of my favorite websites—I use it as a resource all the time to learn from creators and publishing people I respect.
Continue Reading Editor Interview: Levine Querido’s Nick Thomas on Perspectives & Accessibility »