Betsy Bird

I mention 3 new ones in the review.

Review of the Day: My Bicentennial Summer by G. Neri, ill. Corban Wilkin Neri takes the facts of what happened when his family embarked on the road trip to beat all road trips, and ties that summer during the bicentennial into the state of the country today. Deeply fun, ut...

Neri takes the facts of what happened when his family embarked on the road trip to beat all road trips, and ties that summer during the bicentennial into the state of the country today. Deeply fun, utterly smart, and visually arresting. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/15/r...

Press Release Fun: It’s Time for the 15th Annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! And now, a word from Mr. James Kennedy...

And now, a word from Mr. James Kennedy . Sure hope you like singing rats! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/14/p...

Guilty Treasures: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, with Grace Lin Podcast Episode · A Good Story Well Told · 02/12/2026 · 1h 4m

You lucky dogs. You didn't know you'd wake up this morning and get a chance to hear @authorgracelin.bsky.social talking about the movie Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with @jonathanauxier.bsky.social & Matt Bird on their podcast, did you? Kick off your weekend right! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...

A Nicholas Day/Corey Tabor Cover Reveal and Q&A? It’s Gotta Be a Look at A Riddle of Eels

"An irony of having so many excellent nonfiction books for children is that it can appear that we already know everything... That’s not true, of course. But it can feel that way." Nicholas Day & Corey Tabor discuss their latest eel-rific book: afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/13/a...

It's a cover reveal!!

She's Cinderella...

She's an axolotl...

She's...AXOLOTL-ELLA!

Illustrated by @liantomato.bsky.social & coming from Ten Speed Press in June!

It’s an Axolotl-Ella Cover Reveal and Q&A with Kate Messner and Lian Cho Regenerative body parts and feathery gills are not usually part of the original Cinderella story.. but maybe they should be! We discuss glass slippers and smiling reptiles in today's cover reveal and ...

Regenerative body parts and feathery gills are not usually part of the original Cinderella story.. but maybe they should be! We discuss glass slippers and smiling reptiles in today's cover reveal and Q&A with @katemessner.com & Lian Cho: #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/12/i...

Ooo! Hot hot tip! Thank you!

Kids Can Press Publisher Preview (Spring 2026) When they're not having to deal with faux Franklin AI schlock, the folks at Kids Can Press are releasing a pretty keen line-up of titles this year. Take a gander!

When they're not having to deal with faux Franklin AI schlock, the folks at @kidscanpress.bsky.social are releasing a pretty keen line-up of titles this year. Take a gander! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/11/k...

Door’s Open! A Cover Reveal and Q&A with Mel Rosenberg on Emily Saw a Door Writing children's books? There's no set deadline to publish your first. We talk with Mel Rosenberg about his first picture book at age 74 and his unique path to publication.

2 weeks to go to the release of "Emily Saw a Door," and so I'm reposting the cover reveal and Q&A that @fuse8.bsky.social did with author Mel Rosenberg back in June! (A shout out also to amazing illustrator Orit Magia). Don't forget to pre-order...

afuse8production.slj.com/2025/06/11/d...

The Rare Dual Cover Reveal: Mary Kay Carson Discuses Before It Was a Wildfire AND Before It Was a Hurricane! Imagine a Pinter play as an informational book for kids, highlighting a natural disaster, and you'll have a sense of what author Mary Kay Carson has pulled off with her dual releases in 2026. Hear her...

Imagine a Pinter play as an informational book for kids, highlighting a natural disaster, and you'll have a sense of what author Mary Kay Carson has pulled off with her dual releases in 2026. Hear her words and see her covers! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/10/t...

Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour: A Talk with Laura Gehl and Alexandra Colombo About My Body Can We're a stop on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour today, so let's celebrate one of the Honorees with our customary flair (and interview questions).

We're a stop on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour today, so let's celebrate one of the Honorees with our customary flair (and interview questions). #STBA #AJL #jewishbooks #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/09/s...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

"It's just a book about a creative bunny." Due to a snafu, on the @fuse8nkate.bsky.social podcast we review today's book a little earlier than we should have. Was it worth bending the rules? You'll have to listen to find out. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/09/f...

Publisher Spotlight Spring/Summer 2026 Preview (Part Two) Today we're viewing books from Barefoot Books, Beetle Books, Child's Play, Cicada Books, and Creston Books. Quite the line-up!

Today we're viewing books from Barefoot Books, Beetle Books, Child's Play, Cicada Books, and Creston Books. Quite the line-up! Thanks @pubspotlight.bsky.social! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/08/p...

Yeah you did!

Today we check out the Spring & Fall books of @redcometpressbooks.bsky.social. Here are some highlights to whet your whistle for the months ahead (and restore your faith in humanity in general). #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/05/p...

Avoiding the Purple Beret Conundrum: An Ink Witch Q&A with Steph Cherrywell Are you curious at all about this clever little Stonewall Honor winner? Then I suspect you're going to truly enjoy my talk with its creator here today.

Are you curious at all about this clever little Stonewall Honor winner by @stephcherrywell.com? Then I suspect you're going to truly enjoy my talk with its creator here today. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/04/a...

Nosy Crow Publisher Preview (Summer 2026) There's something for everyone in today's preview. Picture books. Board books. Middle grade fiction. Nonfiction. Books for every possible taste, so we haven't a moment to waste. Let's get into it!

There's something for everyone in today's @nosycrow.bsky.social preview. Picture books. Board books. Middle grade fiction. Nonfiction. Books for every possible taste, so we haven't a moment to waste. Let's get into it! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/03/n...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Flotsam by David Wiesner Today, it's all about the fish. Fish and photography, baby. Flotsam turns 20 years old this year, so we finally have a chance to determine if it's a modern day classic or not.

Today, it's all about the fish. Fish and photography, baby. Flotsam turns 20 years old this year, so on the @fuse8nkate.bsky.social podcast we finally have a chance to determine if it's a modern day classic or not. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/02/f...

Review of the Day: A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff Sometimes an author just works themselves up to the book of a lifetime and you are lucky enough to watch that happen in real time. That’s pretty much what we have here. The kids that get to read this ...

Sometimes an author just works themselves up to the book of a lifetime and you are lucky enough to watch that happen in real time. That’s pretty much what we have here . The kids that get to read this book for the first time are lucky too. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/02/01/r...

Then you are a man of discernment and taste.

Elsewhere Editions Publisher Preview (Spring & Fall 2026) We've a mere four titles in today's publisher preview but whatta four it is!

We've a mere four titles in today's publisher preview with Elsewhere Editions of @archipelagobooks.bsky.social, but whatta four it is! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/30/e...

Amid ICE’s violent crackdown, two publishing professionals will host an online auction featuring more than 500 items and services donated by members of the industry, to benefit Minnesotans and immigrants buff.ly/V1dQfDD

A Rare Bird of an Interview: A Talk with Elisha Cooper Today, Elisha talks with us a bit about his latest title, as well as its debt to Where the Wild Things Are, PLUS he has a very nice rant about respecting children's art, and he also confesses which bo...

Today, Elisha Cooper talks with us a bit about his latest title, as well as its debt to Where the Wild Things Are, PLUS he has a very nice rant about respecting children's art, and he also confesses which book did him in "in the best way". #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/28/a...

ALA Youth Media Awards: The Interviews, Videos, and Behind-the-Scenes of the Winners Here's the full roster of the new ALA YMA winners (Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) including a collection of behind-the-scenes info with interviews, videos, and reviews of some of the titles.

Here's the full roster of the new ALA YMA winners (Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) including a collection of behind-the-scenes info with interviews, videos, and reviews of some of the titles. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/27/a...

Full by the end, but yes. Mostly committee folks. Makes for a different vibe entirely.

The ALA YMAs are starting and we are IN the room! Almost no publishers and virtually no authors or illustrators in the room. So strange…. And fun!!

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton A classic Boynton gets our official podcast treatment. How has it aged? I'll let you guess our answer to that one.

A classic Boynton gets our official @fuse8nkate.bsky.social podcast treatment. How has it aged? I'll let you guess our answer to that one. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/26/f...

Winnie-the-Pooh Celebration Week: Day 5 – New Pooh-Related Titles Worth Exploring To wrap up our Pooh coverage, we end today with two Winnie-related releases and what they have to say about the silly old bear in the 21st century.

To wrap up our Pooh coverage, we end today with two Winnie-related releases and what they have to say about the silly old bear in the 21st century. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/23/w...

Winnie-the-Pooh Celebration Week: Day 4 – The Strange Case of Lottie the Otter a.k.a. The Bane of My Existence Meet Lottie: My nemesis. For several years I was at war with this sweet little pearl-wearing otter. Sit back, kids. because I've a tale to tell.

Meet Lottie: My nemesis. For several years I was at war with this sweet little pearl-wearing otter. Sit back, kids. because I've a tale to tell. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/01/22/w...