Free, print-ready Masquerade Mask template for Oct.29 Canadian Kidlit Masquerade (or classroom activity)

I was thrilled and deeply honoured that SAM & EVA has been nominated for a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award this year in the CCBC Book Awards. After the invite-only event for winners and nominees, some of the Toronto area kidlit/YA authors are throwing an public Unofficial After-Party Canadian Kidlit Masquerade Ball on Oct.29th, 2018 from 7 pm - 2 am at the Lula Lounge not only to celebrate writers, illustrators, editors and publishers who create awesome stories for kids and teens, but also to raise funds for Books With No Bounds. Children's/teen writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, booksellers, teachers and librarians are all welcome!

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Advice For Young Writers: Three Questions for Nancy Tupper Ling and Andrea Offermann (THE YIN-YANG SISTERS & THE DRAGON FRIGHTFUL)

Thanks to Nancy Tupper Ling and Andrea Offermann for answering Three Questions for me today! Their picture book, The Yin-Yang Sisters And The Dragon Frightful, comes out on Sept. 18th from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. Synopsis: "When a fearsome dragon takes over their village bridge, twin sisters Mei and Wei have opposing views of how to fix the problem. Wei wants nothing more than to confront that stinky old dragon head on, but Mei favors a more thoughtful approach... an empowering sibling story about celebrating differences."

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A canned ampersand in the sand (in honour of Ampersand Day)

Sept. 8th was Ampersand Day, so I celebrated with a canned ampersand in the sand.

SAM & EVA is nominated for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award!

I was incredibly honoured to find out that SAM & EVA (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) has been nominated for The Canadian Children's Book Centre Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. I am especially honoured, considering the other finalists in the same category. For more info about each of these books as well as other finalists in the CCBC Book Awards, see this press release from the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

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My biggest piece of creativity advice for writers & illustrators (all ages): make time to PLAY.

No matter how busy I am, I always try to carve out a few minutes every day to do some art and writing purely for the fun of it. No pressure to show anyone or have anything be perfect....just to PLAY.

I find if I don't make regular time to just play and experiment, then I slip into a rut, not pushing myself to try the new and different, and I also start losing the joy.

DON'T LOSE THE JOY.

Make time to play.