Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
The world of children’s literature is a rich landscape of teaching and learning. Many acclaimed writers seek to share their knowledge, building up the next wave of writers for young people.
Mark Karlins, author and poet, died Jan. 1, 2022. He was 74.
He was born Sept. 19, 1947. He was originally from New York City, and many of his picture books are set there. In a Children’s Book Review interview with Luisa LaFleur he said,
I have been a fan of Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s work for decades now. We’ve been together in a writing group since 1997. I can’t imagine letting a manuscript go to my agent without having this amazing writer and friend cast her eyes on it first. I feel so fortunate that she is in my writing circle—my life circle.
Aimee Sicuro’s illustrations for my picture book, Bright Sky, Starry City (Groundwood Books, 2015), blew me away. There were so many elements that just opened up the universe of my story about a girl who loves the sky. When I saw the illustrations, I became convinced that Aimee had read my mind.
Continue Reading Guest Interview: Uma Krishnaswami & Aimee Sicuro Explore Creative Pathways »
Threads of Peace: How Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World (Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2021) took me all of nine years from contract to publication. When I began writing my first draft, I knew I’d need to look for photos.
I had decided to use a combination of archival images and photographs that my husband and I had taken in India and the United States in places important to the lives of both Mahatma Gandhi and Reverend King.
I was born and raised in India and had always been a reader since I was a child. Most of my time while in school and outside school was spent in the library. We didn’t travel much. We couldn’t afford to travel much. But my parents filled my life with books.
Continue Reading Cynsations Intern: Suma Subramaniam on Her Love of Books »
By Lindsey Lane
When an author or an illustrator gets the news that their book is going out of print (OP) or out of stock (OS), it is a blow. A tragedy. It feels like a death in the family.
After all, a book is a creation, something that sprang from our imaginations,
Learn more about Uma Krishnaswami.
In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.
Reflecting on your personal journey, what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
Today we welcome author Clete Barrett Smith, discussing his new novel, Mr. 60% (Penguin Random House, 2017).
I heard Clete read the opening chapter several years ago for his graduate reading at Vermont College of Fine Arts. It gave me chills,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Clete Barrett Smith on Writing Challenging Stories & Mr. 60% »
Today we welcome author Kate Hosford to chat about How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea,
illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska (Carolrhoda Books, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Each day when the Queen wakes up, three maids dress her,
