Mo Davey

Turn off AI. Pick up a crayon. Google Gemini offers “a new way to bring your imagination to life.” Adobe Firefly promises “The ultimate creative AI solution.” And Craiyon invites you to “Create AI Art.” Don't believe the tech hype.

1/2 Crockett Johnson would turn 119 today, and Harold (of purple crayon fame) turns 70. What does it mean to celebrate Johnson or Harold today? It means to celebrate human creativity, to resist the lure of the algorithm, and to become an active dreamer.
blog.oup.com/2025/10/turn...

Thank you 🥰🌳

Off to Bologna this week! Excited and nervous all at once.

I did the same with Cara and Hive. It’s tricky to know which ones to stick with. Insta is still my favourite due to the layout and visuals but the algorithms are dreadful.

Meta stealing copyrighted books for its AI-training isn’t just criminal, it’s dangerous. Several of my older or out of print stolen titles have outdated medical info in them, now being fed into its maw to eventually poo out wrong AI info on critical women’s health, baby safety advice, etc.

"Children's Book Roundup: March 2025." www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/chi... @candlewickpress.bsky.social @berbaybooks.bsky.social @modavey.bsky.social @timothyknapman.bsky.social @jeanjullien.bsky.social #booksky

Thank you so much for reviewing I Am Tree Rex! 🥰

Tip #3 on how to use my picture book ‘I am Tree Rex!’ In the classroom. Why did Rex disguise himself as a tree? What would you do? #kindyteacher #preschoolteacher #homeschoolcurriculum
#picturebooks
#environmentalactivism
#kidlit

It’s back to school time here in Australia. I am Tree Rex! Is the perfect classroom book to help develop visual literacy or be one of the 1000 books you can read before starting school. Buy a copy or borrow one from your library! #visualliteracy #kidlit #treeconservation #dinosaurpicturebook

Another publishing house gets swallowed, leaving Australian literature on shaky ground Penguin Random House's acquisition of Text Publishing leaves Australian publishing further concentrated in the hands of a few multinational companies.

I wrote about PRH's acquisition of Text Publishing and my skepticism about the reach of Charters of Independence and such like.

And yet again, I express despair at the ALP's reluctance to put their money where their mouth is on funding AU arts and culture.

www.crikey.com.au/2025/01/30/t...

All about KidLitArtPostcard — Gina Perry Illustrations

Oh hi, it's just me reminding you that #KidLitArtPostcard is one week away. February 6th! Read more here: www.ginaperry.com/postcard #kidlit

AUTHOR PEN PALS AUTHORS and ILLUSTRATORS! ​SIGN UP HERE  FOR THE 2025 PROGRAMME ​

Have you signed your class/school up for 🇦🇺2025 Author Penpals? www.authorpenpals.com www.authorpenpals.com

A colorful digital painting of a cute red and orange snake hanging from a branch and looking excitedly at a juicy red cherry against a mostly green multicolored textural background. Watermark: AnnaDaviscourt.com

Happy Lunar New Year!!
🐍
#LunarNewYear #YearOfTheSnake #DigitalArt

Good morning from an overcast Sydney. If it was a sunnier day I would be swimming like my latest character Chirpy! #kidlitartist

Hi Bindy!

Graphic for All About Picture Books: A retreat for Storytellers 4 days/3 nights June 1-4 Highlights Foundation

Need something positive to look forward to? Announcing the perfect retreat for picture book creators! "All About Picture Books" June 1-4 at The Highlights Foundation. The manuscript I wrote at Highlights last fall was picked up by Simon & Schuster. Highlights works! #kidlit #illustration #writing

Chirpy is my new little character that I am having the most fun playing with and exploring his world. #boardbookart #kindykids #kidlitartist

I asked a child what their fave book from last year was and their answer was a series that was published about a decade ago. A good reminder that a book is always new to a child who hasn't read it. The constant publishing hustle for novelty has nothing to do with what children want. #KidLitUK

Jon Klassen on the Art of the Board Book (Gift Article) Your imaginary audience has a note taped to them: “I can’t read. I can’t talk. I don’t care about stories, plots or characters. What do you have for me?”

Jon Klassen on #BoardBook magic www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/b...

Here’s the deal: Make reading your hobby this year. It’ll expand your mind, grow your perspective, and if you grab a library card, you’ll be supporting authors too (yes, in places like the UK, AU, NZ, and Canada, libraries pay authors!). Reading isn’t just fun—it’s a win for everyone.

Caption reads: Best Bedtime Books and the books featured are Pajamarama, depicting children in colorful pajamas, and The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime, showing a mischievous mermaid.

Text reads: Author of the Year, Audrey Perrott, with book covers for Moo Hoo, showing a sobbing cow holding an ice cream cone, and A Hat for House, with a yellow house next to a tree with orange leaves.

Cover of the book The Last Book Wanderers, shoeing children who appear caught in a magical world with flying books and a dragon.

Cover of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, showing a windblown girl with light skin and glasses appearing to approach some suspicious-looking branches.

If you're on Instagram, my kids and I just shared our roundups of our favorite middle grade novels and picture books of 2024! If you want to check it out, I'm @llavoieauthor there, too (or you can find my account via the link on my bio). Here's a sneak peek at *some* books we included:

Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.
Reading graphic novels is reading.

The SoA has joined a new creative industries coalition calling on government to protect copyright in the face of generative AI.
See our three key principles and read more below.

#CreativeRightsInAI

societyofauthors.org/2024/12/16/c...

A must-read and a must-act-upon!

I’m on the list! And I still have a few slots available - check out the SignUp Genius on my website for details!

Call to acknowledge all writers behind celebrity books - The Society of Authors The Society of Authors is calling for celebrities, publishers and agents to acknowledge the writers behind celebrity books, particularly for children

The @societyofauthors.bsky.social is calling for celebrities, publishers and agents to acknowledge the writers behind celebrity books, particularly for children
societyofauthors.org/2024/12/09/c...

Love this idea!

Editor and AD friends, please fill this survey out to help Debbie get accurate information out to #kidlit illustrators!

Dysania [dahy-SAY-nee-yuh]
(n.)
-The state of finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

Used in a sentence:
“I struggle with dysania every day, but Mondays are just the worst!”
_
grandiloquent-word-of-the-day-2025-calendars.backerkit.com/hosted_preor...

Governance Institute of Australia's 2024 Ethics Index has revealed that artificial intelligence #AI is Australia's top future ethical concern www.governanceinstitute.com.au/ethics-index/