PB Rising Stars

⭐️ Calling all 2026 #PBRisingStars applicants! ⭐️ Make sure to check your eligibility before preparing those applications! In order to apply you: ⭐️ Must be 18 years or older ⭐️ Must be a PICTURE BOOK creator ⭐️ May be Unagented OR agented but must not have a PICTURE BOOK deal sold by an agent ⭐️ Must not have been or be scheduled to be a PICTURE BOOK MENTEE in another program any time between January 2025 and September 2026 ⭐️ Must not use AI engines to create art, text, or application responses Any questions about eligibility? Drop them in the comments below and we’ll answer them! 💫And don’t forget to mark your calendars with our application window: February 27 - March 13 2026. This is our LAST year at PB Rising Stars, so don’t miss your final chance to apply! 💫 #kidli #kidlitart #picturebooks #kidlitillustration #kidlitpostcard

⭐️ Interested in being a 2026 #pbrisingstars Mentee for our fifth and FINAL year? ⭐️

Check your eligibility below and let us know if you're applying!

Any questions? Leave a comment, and we’ll answer them!

Check out website out here: www.pbrisingstars.com/mentees

#kidli #kidlitart #kidlitpostcard

Emily, this makes us so happy!!! And I love how it is bringing applicants together!!! We are cheering you ALL on and hope to see you at the Informational Ice Cream Social on January 13th!

Thanks so much for supporting our program for all these years! We are so excited to cross the milestone of providing free mentorship to over 130 picture book creators in 2026 for our fifth and final year!!!!

The Weekly 411 (12/5/25) A one-stop place for all your kid lit information needs.

Our weekly big list of kid lit links is up (Dec 5): kidlit411.com/2025/12/the-... Inside: @pbrisingstars.bsky.social mentorship, PB Revision Tips, Query Letters, more. Thanks Yuliya Kalé for the illustration and @namrataag.bsky.social for the PB giveaway.

⭐️Today is the day! ⭐️

Every single important #PBRisingStars 2026 date is officially live on our website!

So run, don’t walk, to pbrisingstars.com to learn more and see what our FIFTH and FINAL year of mentorship has in store!

#kidlit #kidlitart #kidlitillustration #kidlitartist #kidlitpostcard

Did you miss the live debriefing about our big announcement? No problem! We are answering some of your biggest questions about the FINAL year of #PBRisingStars!

Wondering what applicants can expect for the final year of PBRS? Watch the video below to hear!

#kidlit #kidlitchat #kidlitpostcard

What a wild ride 2025 has been!
I'm thrilled to share my PBRS experience and honored to be a featured author for November with SCBWI Kansas Missouri Region sharing my experience as a PB Rising Stars mentee. @pbrisingstars.bsky.social

www.scbwi.org/regions/ksmo...

I cannot say enough wonderful things about PBRS. Seriously, it is ✨life-changing✨. If you want to jump-start your PB career, make brilliant and incredible friends, and grow as a creator and person, you NEED to apply next year!!! #kidlit #kidlitart @pbrisingstars.bsky.social

⭐ It's time!!! Our biggest announcement EVER is officially here.

*SOUND ON TO HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENT*

If you want to debrief, discuss, and ask questions, join us TONIGHT, October 30th, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Zoom. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

✨3 days until our BIG announcement!!
We're pulling back the curtain on all things PBRS and giving hints leading up to the final reveal!

Read to see what 2022 mentee turned co-director @laylafallah.bsky.social has to say about what makes PBRS so special + a major hint for Thursday! #pbrisingstars

text reads: giveaway! win books from past mentors! with four picture book covers of BOLD, BRILLIANT AND LATINE, SALON SATURDAY, WHAT IF YOU WISH?, and WEIWEI'S WINTER SOLSTICE

⭐️ GIVEAWAY TIME! ⭐️
We’re just ONE WEEK from our big, history-making #PBRisingStars announcement, so let’s celebrate with 4 incredible picture books from past mentors! 📚✨

To enter:
1️⃣ Follow us on Bluesky
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Tag a friend (1 tag = 1 entry!)

Winner announced on 10/30 with our big news!

Shoutout to Alyssa Reynoso-Morris @bxstoryteller.bsky.social @anneappert.bsky.social and @michellejingchan.bsky.social !!!

text reads: giveaway! win books from past mentors! with four picture book covers of BOLD, BRILLIANT AND LATINE, SALON SATURDAY, WHAT IF YOU WISH?, and WEIWEI'S WINTER SOLSTICE

⭐️ GIVEAWAY TIME! ⭐️
We’re just ONE WEEK from our big, history-making #PBRisingStars announcement, so let’s celebrate with 4 incredible picture books from past mentors! 📚✨

To enter:
1️⃣ Follow us on Bluesky
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Tag a friend (1 tag = 1 entry!)

Winner announced on 10/30 with our big news!

Picture book covers for SEASONS BY THE LAKE, ARLO ALL OVER AGAIN, and BANDAGE BUDDIES!

Did you know that THREE of our past mentees have picture books available for preorder NOW? Let’s take a minute to celebrate the hard work of these incredible #PBRisingStars creators and support their goals by placing preorders or making library requests!

Preorder here: bookshop.org

#kidlit

💫 We’re back on Bluesky and on October 30th, we're making our BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT EVER at #PBRisingStars! 💫

In 4 years, 78 mentors have helped 95 mentees grow their craft, confidence, & careers.

And soon… we’ll cross the ⭐️100 mentee⭐️ milestone!

But what's next?👀
www.pbrisingstars.com/subscribe

Hey, everyone!

Quick announcement from the PBRS team:

We’ll be taking the summer off BlueSky, so if you want to stay up to date on all things PBRS, giveaways and other fun, be sure to follow us on IG and stay subscribed to our newsletter.

See you there!

We’ve given you a BTS look at mentee selection, but what actually happens once they’ve been chosen?

It’s a two-week flurry of welcome packets, intro emails, bonding events & mentee orientation (which takes place TONIGHT! Eeeek!), all geared towards welcoming mentees to the #PBRS family. ⭐️

Think choosing a mentee was easy for our mentors? Think again!

Hear what @nellcrossbeckerman.bsky.social had to say about how WOWed she was by the talent and storytelling in her apps, and use this as motivation as you keep writing and revising this summer!
#pbrisingstars #kidlit #kidlitmegafeed

It's been ONE week since we announced our 2025 #pbrisingstars Mentees!

With 2,403 applications, Mentors had impossible decisions to make! Have you wondered what each mentor's process was like?!

Check out what Mentor Jackie Morera said about how she chose her mentee below👇🏾

#kitlitmegafeed #kidlit

It's time to ASK @natashakhankazi.bsky.social anything!!!!

Today only until 9 PM Eastern Time, comment your questions and Natasha will pop in today to answer!!!

Questions about publishing? An artist interested in writing? Let us know below!!! #kidlit #kidlitart #askmeanything #pbrisingstars

Please join us in supporting our co-director and dear friend, Trenise. Our hearts are breaking and we’re hoping to at least slightly ease the pain she and Travis are going through.

#Kidlit friends 💔 Please share this far and wide

Our dear friend, Trenise Sabin, was the victim of a major burglary over the weekend. She and her husband Travis have lost everything— from clothing and appliances to irreplaceable items from their recent wedding and the urn

gofund.me/ce50d993

2025 HMs PT 3:

@hkjenkins.bsky.social @cameronmukwa.bsky.social @karmicjoy.bsky.social @kleelouis.bsky.social @xichenillust.bsky.social @ctdrobinson.bsky.social

2025 HMs PT 2: @writtenbymegan.bsky.social @menalkhan.bsky.social @rgspaulding.bsky.social @serafinafinnegan.bsky.social
@dibbarangeen.bsky.social @mothermoonbooks.bsky.social @jenkraar.bsky.social

2025 HMs PT 1:
@robinbwechsler.bsky.social @clayadamah.bsky.social @melissakayvalente.bsky.social @traceykj.bsky.social @wendy-barton.bsky.social @carrieschneider.bsky.social @drexpander.bsky.social

2025 RUNNER UPs PT 2: @boragrove.bsky.social @mariannebtabner.bsky.social @jynhall.bsky.social @laurenmcpheters.bsky.social @scnaux.bsky.social @musingmommumble.bsky.social @inkcap-art.bsky.social

2025 RUNNER UPs PT 1: @escritoraviv.bsky.social @jessieleh.bsky.social @melissajmiles.bsky.social @caitbonnar.bsky.social @jennyreuel.bsky.social @gaylestern.bsky.social @mbwallarice.bsky.social @midfreeman.bsky.social

2025 MENTEES: @literarydesiree.bsky.social @cbgriffin.bsky.social @maureenstraka.bsky.social @domantics.bsky.social @nikkiacebooks.bsky.social @shsinnett.bsky.social @carolynsauer.bsky.social @pecrosby.bsky.social @brookebaum.bsky.social @realjackiegm.bsky.social

PRESENTING: the 2025 PB RISING STARS mentees, runners up, and honorable mentions! 🤩🤩🤩

We’re thrilled to work with our 28 new mentees, and we’re so proud of our RUs and HMs.

CONGRATS TO ALL!
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today’s the BIG DAY!!

Tonight, we’ll be announcing our 2025 #PBRisingStars mentees!

We’re so blown away by ALL of you who and are in awe of your talent. 🥹🥹🥹

Check out what Mentor Alliah L. Agostini said about reading all of your work, and we’ll see you soon! 👇🏾

#pbrisingstars #kidlit