Ann Marie Stephens

Most Anticipated Books of 2026!
@nmillerillo.bsky.social @noranickum @kimberley A. Gordon Biddle @Carrie Finison IG @fatima_ordinola @chloeitoward.bsky.social
@brennajeanneret.bsky.social @jilanne.bsky.social
#NationalYearOfReading2026

My former first grade student!!! 🧡🤗🎉

My first #kidlit purchases of January are full of love and coziness. 🤍🩵 #laurensoloy #vernkousky 👍🏼📚

Love Finds a Way|Hardcover For fans of Love Is My Favorite Thing and I Need a Hug comes a sweet story about the healing power of love. Perfect for Valentine’s Day and beyond!Oscar the bird is worried that one day love wil...

LOVE FINDS A WAY by Vern Kousky www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-finds...

Wombat Waiting

"Wombat Waiting tells the story of a 'Destiny Dog': a dog determined to find her person, against all odds — even deadly fires sweeping through southern California." — @kaaauthor.bsky.social mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/10/cove...

Kirkus review with an image of the cover of CLAYDATE by Dev Petty and Lauren Eldridge. The cover shows an anthropomorphic potato and purple and green unicorn dragon and reads: The two balls of clay introduced in Claymates (2017)—one brown, one gray—now play god, with mixed results. While the gray ball slumbers, the brown one creates a whole new blob made of blue and green clay. “I take a short nap and you make a new friend?” asks the uncertain gray ball. When it becomes clear that the new creation prefers to take the shape of a unicorn dragon, the gray ball decides to make an accompanying knight to do battle. Unfortunately, it turns out that the brown one is better at making things than its friend. Kids with peers or siblings whose artistic talents exceed their own will instantly sympathize with the gray’s increasing frustration at its inability to make a cool sword (it looks like a banana), a knight (his resemblance to a lumpy tuber lands him the nickname Sir Potato), or a horse (don’t ask). Happily, innate talent is less important than fun when it comes to using one’s imagination—a message that goes down easy, accompanied by a heavy dose of wit and whimsy. Once more, Eldridge’s sculpted creations, photographed against an artist’s desk, charm; her visual gags meld effortlessly with Petty’s written ones, rendering this book just as marvelous a read-aloud for groups as for lapsit storytimes. Additionally, Eldridge’s gift for wresting keen facial expressions—from glee to overt horror—out of her clay creations is without compare. A sublime blend of the snarky and sweet.

Our first ⭐️ starred ⭐️ review for CLAYDATE, the long-awaited followup to CLAYMATES, from Kirkus!

⭐️ “A sublime blend of the snarky and sweet.”

You can find this madcap silliness by me and @eldridgestudio.bsky.social in April.

Available for preorder now!

#kidlit #picturebooks

It’s the most WONDERFUL time of the year: a VERY SPECIAL ICYMThem Book List & recap of 40+ fabulous #kidlit books of 2025! - Erin Dealey, Children's Author Our VERY SPECIAL ICYMThem Book List 2025 -- 43 fabulous picture books and must-read middle grade novels we don't want you to miss!

Fab #kidlit 2/ @laurenkerstein.bsky.social @suefliess.bsky.social @amstephens.bsky.social @fuse8.bsky.social @hellonathanc.bsky.social @bshum79.bsky.social @nadinepresley.bsky.social @heatherbrockmanlee.bsky.social @kidlitjennaj.bsky.social @senickel.bsky.social erindealey.com/authors-and-...

Sorting Sweets: KidLit Confections Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie

Yes! I just read CATERWAUL by @amstephens.bsky.social and it's adorable (it's one of a series, but works totally on its own, so you can have options!) bookshop.org/a/8835/97816...
It was my #KidLitConfections recommendation last week. i-am-so-grateful.blogspot.com/2025/12/pean... #KidLitChat

Happy book birthday to:

🎂 Gabby Torres Is the Best Winner Ever by Angela Dominguez

🐈 CATerwaul! by Ann Marie Stephens @amstephens.bsky.social

We can’t wait to read them! Thank you for being part of BookBreak!

illustrated cover of CATERWAUL by Ann Marie Stephens and Jenn Harney. Several kittens are helping to pack stacks and stacks of boxes, many of which are labeled with various sorting tags like "red" and "blue" or "keep" and "donate." The kittens aren't being as helpful as you would hope. Two are unspooling rolls of toilet paper and winding it around themselves and everything else. Two are making a ruckus by banging on pots and pans. Others are more interested in playing with the boxes than putting things inside them. The title, CATERWAUL! is displayed in a bold, red and orange font that looks like wide paintbrush strokes diagonally across the top third of the cover.

close-up photo of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Pie: a full pie in a pink glass pie plate, with one slice missing. The pie has a flaky, chocolate crust, with thick, fluffy layers of peanut butter mousse, dark chocolate mousse, and vanilla whipped cream.

Happy book birthday to CATERWAUL by @amstephens.bsky.social and @jennharknee.bsky.social <3 I sorted through all of my yummy dessert recipes to find the perfect #KidLitConfections recipe to share with this! Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie! Recipe & blog post coming later today...

I love this!

photo of a close-up cropped photo of a slice of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Pie on a white plate with a pink and green floral border. The pie has a flaky, chocolate crust, with thick, fluffy layers of peanut butter mousse, dark chocolate mousse, and vanilla whipped cream. Behind the slice of pie, slightly out of focus, is a full pie with one slice removed.

illustrated cover of CATERWAUL by Ann Marie Stephens and Jenn Harney. Several kittens are helping to pack stacks and stacks of boxes, many of which are labeled with various sorting tags like "red" and "blue" or "keep" and "donate." The kittens aren't being as helpful as you would hope. Two are unspooling rolls of toilet paper and winding it around themselves and everything else. Two are making a ruckus by banging on pots and pans. Others are more interested in playing with the boxes than putting things inside them. The title, CATERWAUL! is displayed in a bold, red and orange font that looks like wide paintbrush strokes diagonally across the top third of the cover.

close-up photo of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Pie: a full pie in a pink glass pie plate, with one slice missing. The pie has a flaky, chocolate crust, with thick, fluffy layers of peanut butter mousse, dark chocolate mousse, and vanilla whipped cream.

I've been posting my #KidLitConfections recipes more regularly (I posted one just minutes ago! Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie, which pairs well with CATERWAUL by @amstephens.bsky.social & @jennharknee.bsky.social) i-am-so-grateful.blogspot.com/2025/12/pean... #KidLitChat

Woo-hoo! I'm thrilled to finally share the cover plus an interior spread of my upcoming book.

Young dinosaur lovers will be captivated.

@randomhousekids.bsky.social
#educsky #TLsky #Skybrarian #kidlit #dinosaurs

YouTube video by Kidzuko No Cats In The Library 🐱📚 | Reading Rainbow 📖 🌈 | Full Episode | @Kidzuko​

Reading Rainbow… is back! 🥹

This LeVar Burton/Reading Rainbow raised human is feeling all of the library joy. We hope your kids believe they belong in books, just like you ✨

Take a look, it’s in a book 📚🌈🦋🌌
youtu.be/gHAIjSkmnYI?...

The Dinosaur and the Bird: A Tale of Prehistoric Friendship

Cover Reveal: The Dinosaur and the Bird: A Tale of Prehistoric Friendship by Richard Ho and Jamie Green mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...

Flight of the Puffin

Into the Rapids

Opinions and Opossums

Happy birthday, @annbraden.bsky.social!

Deal announcement screenshot for BABY BOOT CAMP with author and illustrator headshots on light blue background.

Congratulations to @suefliess.bsky.social, @amstephens.bsky.social, and @tiffanyeverett.bsky.social on their latest deal with @sourcebooks.bsky.social. We can't wait for BABY BOOT CAMP to hit the shelves! #rhyming #BoardBook #PictureBook

From axolotl to whale shark, I have made a LOT of drawing sheets. I make a new one each month for my author newsletter: ginaperry.beehiiv.com What should I make for August? #kidlit #printables

Librarians Open New Worlds One Book at a Time The Glen Rock Library was a place of pure magic. I’m betting it still is! When I was younger, they offered a reading challenge, as...

My talented friend @laurenkerstein.bsky.social honors librarians and celebrates her forthcoming librarian picture book, HOPE RODE. Check out her inspiring collection of books here: imaginationsoup.net/librarians-o... #kidlit

Free summer fun ideas for the kids! 🐥⭐️ #jialiu #astrakidsbooks #stem #math #FamilyFun #SummerFun #kidlit #summerschool

Light blue broken crayon arranged in an L-shape, with a drawing of a girl floating on her back in a blue puddle. The illustration is integrated with the crayon mark, and the crayon label reads “periwinkle / florecita azul claro / pervenche.” Artwork is signed “D. Ohi.”

You never know what will come out of a #BrokenCrayon.

#Uplift #FoundObjectArt

Just Right

"Picture books are magic because they speak a universal language with images we all understand and feel." — @torreymaldonado.bsky.social mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/07/just...

Today on the blog: June’s Book of the Month is JIM! SIX TRUE STORIES ABOUT ONE GREAT ARTIST: JAMES MARSHALL, creatively written and illustrated by Jerrold Connors. lynnbeckerbooks.blogspot.com/2025/06/june...

A photo of the Random House Children's Books booth at ALA, highlighting a copy of WITCHYCAKES on the shelf.

A photo of the Random House Children's Books booth at ALA, with a closeup of a copy of WITCHYCAKES on the shelf.

Pics of my witchy baby in the @randomhousekids.bsky.social booth at #ALAAC25! If you were there, did you take a peek? 🌙🧁🐚💙

#kidlit #librarians #booksky

Whimsical world of books. So nice to see SUKA'S FARM in the classroom.

Book cover (GRETA EVER AFTER) and author headshot (Melissa Dassori) with Junior Library Guild gold seals.

@melissadassori.bsky.social's GRETA EVER AFTER has been named a #JuniorLibraryGuild selection. Congratulations, Melissa! #MiddleGrade #MG #fantasy

a cartoon character with a stethoscope on his head talks to a little boy ALT: a cartoon character with a stethoscope on his head talks to a little boy

Is your rhyming picture book suffering from ailments like uneven meter, wrenched words, or slant rhyme? The Rhyme Doctors can help! Explore our check-up services at www.rhymedoctors.com/critique-ser...

@eileenmeyerbooks.bsky.social @schaubwrites.bsky.social @patriciatoht.bsky.social #KidLitMegaFeed

Happy #nationalhugyourcatday 🐈 @jennharknee.bsky.social

Today on #picturebookplaces I’m chatting with the fabulous author duo Sue Fliess and Ann Marie Stephens about their picture book SO MANY BOOKS!

Don’t miss the full interview online! Visit heatherdawntorres.com/blog for details!

#AuthorInterview #picturebooksforkids #somanybooks

Happy book birthday to @antwaneady.bsky.social and London Ladd's The Gathering Table!