I have a mushroom farm set in Mexico in my picture book, Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World. The location was deliberate. The illustrator, Robert Sae-Heng grew up in Mexico and his family had a mushroom farm! What an incredible coincidence! Have you ever wondered how to grow mushrooms? Most commercial mushrooms…
Author: Pragmatic Mom
50+ Great DIVERSE Early Chapter Books
I’m excited to be judging first-round Cybils this year in the categories of Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books. There were over 50 entrants for Early Chapter Books this year and we just finished picking the shortlist. Now, round 2 judges will take over to pick the final winners — 1 in each category! There…
My Art for the Aquent Talent Show 2023
I made a video of my watercolor paintings for my company’s virtual show. This is the long version. I submitted a shorter version that is half the length. I started watercolor painting as a form of mental health therapy back in 1995. I enjoy it so much that I’ve been taking art classes ever since….
76 Great Diverse Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens
Graphic novels are my secret weapon to get any kid reading. My recent discovery is that there are also multicultural, diverse, and inclusive graphic novels that bring kids into different perspectives like what it’s like to have hearing loss or go through a civil war. Graphic novels also let us experience new worlds, both present,…
March Madness: Basketball Books for Every Kid (ages 4 and up)!
Looking for basketball books for kids to read? Check out the best selections of this amazing sport, both fiction and nonfiction. This basketball post was inspired by The Harlem Globetrotters video that I watched on The Kid Should See This. It’s a wonderful combination of Stomp and the Globetrotters. Then I learned of the sad…
Hanukkah Upside Down: Interviewing the Sydney Taylor Book Award Honorees!
Congratulations to Elissa Brent Weissman and Omer Hoffmann, the author and illustrator of Hanukkah Upside Down, for being a Sidney Taylor Book Award Honoree in the picture book category! Let’s learn more about their book, how they celebrated, and more! Hanukkah Upside Down: Interviewing the Sydney Taylor Book Award Picture Book Honorees! Hannukkah Upside…
Wenham Tea House for Afternoon Tea
I used to take my mom to afternoon tea all over Southern California as a way of spending quality time with her. When my kids were very little, I brought them along as well and they were surprisingly well-behaved. The delicate China teacups all survived intact, despite tiny hands. Now that my children are all…