MrsPowellsBooks

INTERVIEW WITH #KIDLIT #PICTUREBOOK AUTHORS AND #AGENTS HUSBAND-AND-WIFE TEAM JAMES AND LUCY CATCHPOLE, PLUS A CRITIQUE/AMA GIVEAWAY By Danna Zeiger (and her kids) We just missed Disability Pride Month (July!) but I would love to extend the festivities with James and Lucy’s important picture books: YOU’RE SO AMAZING!…

I highly recommend these books - and reading this interview to learn more about the authors. Through life experience they grasp the challenge of wanting to be a typical kid when life is atypical. #kidlit writersrumpus.com/2025/08/05/i...

#Skybrarians,
If your district had gifted you these red poofs for K-2nd grade, how would you use them?

A black cat selfie staring into the camera while sitting on the lap of his owner while she is trying to update her website.

Not getting as much done as I expected this morning.
Shadow only sits on my lap when I’m at my desk. When I’m writing, we are a great team. When I’m trying to do things outside my comfort zone (like promos and my website), he’s a distraction.
#kidlit #cats

We are home! It’s amazing how fast he can bounce back even with stitches in in head. He insisted on stopping by his dorm on the way home from the hospital for church clothes so he looks the part today.

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores. An online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book community.

Having too much time on my hands with my phone in my hands led me to find out that Bookshop.org has ebooks too. I’ve ordered physical books through them (and love that my closest indie is listed on the return address), but I missed the memo about ebooks.

Spending the weekend with doctors & nurses instead of on screen SCBWI friends. Gaining subject matter rather than technique.
The stream of consciousness I thumb typed while 24yo was in surgery is more raw and terrifying than a horror novel, but with a happy ending. He woke up and is healing.

Thanks for sharing. Even that little bit feels supportive. 🙂

I love Capstone books!

My 1st and 2nd grade library kiddos are drawn to them, searching for books of this specific size hoping to find one.
Excited to read these.

I am a mom, a grandma, and an elementary school librarian who buys books I see on Bluesky. One I pre-ordered arrived in the mail yesterday. 🙂

The staircase into the children’s section of the KC public library. Behind the handrail is painted to look like book bindings, similar to the wall outside the library.

Love that library! I only get to visit as a tourist though. What are the requirements to earn the glasses?

That’s cute, thanks! Our library needs more new board books, and Familius is local. 🙂 I’ll tell the #librarians, but that isn’t the one I was vaguely remembering. (I’m afraid I’m going to be embarrassed when someone mentions it because it’s somebody I’ve interacted with directly.)

Not embarrassing. They make tails so we can go all out when we play make-believe. Nephew's girlfriend makes great money at birthday parties wearing a tail! #kidlitchat

On the subject of the "having kids"...
I was sure I would write more once the kids moved on to college. I even called writing my "empty nest project." But you know what? The texts, calls, video chats, and visits I love so much take almost as much time as living with high schoolers. #kidlitchat

Bathtub answers are the best! Maybe it's water itself that does the trick. 🙃 #kidlitchat

That sounds like a great approach, especially for those days that we do feel burned out. We might not be so deflated after we have started.

Wow! That was fast! Congrats!

A fun interview that feels even more fun because my copy is on the way! And the swag too! Happy mail will help me get back into the “morning librarian at an elementary school” groove. Back to school comes quickly!

What a beautiful book loving kitty!

For years, I’ve watched the event board at my closest indie, looking for author friends’ book signings. This week when I looked, it was my name on the board. It shouldn’t have caught me by surprise since I was there to make arrangements, but it did in the best way. Anyone near Fresno? #kidlit

That is so cute! Congrats on writing your kids’ favorite book. 🙂

Yes. Writing and unpacking boxes will be there for you when life calms down. Making memories is far more crucial. I’m sorry about your vehicle struggles. It stinks to have those hit with the other challenges. Hope you find peace, especially during your trip.

A tuxedo cat with a black, heart-shaped nose stands between two hardcover picture books illustrated by Jason Greco. The book on the left shows her sleeping on a pile of books and the one to the right depicts her peeking through the pages of a book as if it were a tent.

If you are wanting to join in the #selfpublishedauthors appreciation this week, I would love more reviews for my LIBRARY KITTY books. I will cheerfully send DRCs to anyone wanting to join the fun. As a school #librarian these include the sounds & blends learned in K-2nd. #kidlit

I would kid that this means we are safe as picture book authors, but what if someone uses the word inclusive to describe our books…

Ingram Spark has been worth it for me, but I chose IS because I needed full color hardcover picture books. We knew to expect very little customer service & that’s exactly what we got. Slower printing for than for customers & questions still unanswered. But the books are pretty can be ordered online.

New Books! Meet Libby, the Library Kitty. Yes, she really did sneak into the school library and returned whenever she was put outside the school gates. This persistent cat inspired Academic Play’s first…

Happy #smallpressday Being #caturday also, today seems to be the perfect day to buy THE LIBRARY KITTY. Or review it if you already own it. It’s available through your favorite retailers or through links on Academic Play’s website. #kidlit

academicplaybooks.com/new-books/

Several of these wear a similar facial expression as my college kid. Guessing you didn’t plan “talking/smiling on one side of the face” to reflect diversity, but brain tumor patients often have that look, especially when pressure builds with tumor growth.

I get that longing. Life gets in the way of our plans. The good thing about writing is that it will still be there for us when we have the energy to give it. 23yo’s mri was moved till his birthday next week due to the doctor’s schedule. It feels like I’m holding my breath while others are in motion

Requested a DRC through Edelweiss and yes, I am preordering. You should too! It’s the right message for right now, in addition to being adorable. 🙂

This is so tempting! I would get so much done!

But the grandbabies like to push the “videochat with grandma” button. And the cats. Is it possible to write without claws in your lap?

Thank you to the illustrators of the world for making words come to life! The image Jason Greco sent me last night made me cry. Not happy tears because it's so amazing. But the tears that chemo moms feel because chemo sucks. But cancer sucks more. His image reflects all of that. #kidlit #chemo