Kathy Fork

Woman standing outside the San Rafael Public Library dressed in an “orange is the new black” costume and holding the picture book, Vampire Jam Sandwich.

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🎃

Support your local library and sink your teeth into a book!

2025 Fall Fundraiser + Scholarship Auction | Whale Rock Workshops | Whale Rock Writing Workshops Join Whale Rock Workshops’ 2025 Fall Fundraiser + Auction! Bid on manuscript critiques, Ask Me Anythings, artwork, yoga, and signed books to support our 2026 Scholarship Fund and help writers of all b...

Whale Rock Literary Workshop's Fall Fundraiser is live! Lots of great opportunities for manuscript critiques, craft support sessions, etc with kidlit writers, editors, and agents. Check it out here! @sharibecker.bsky.social
www.whalerockworkshops.com/fall-fundrai...

I see what you did there... 😆👹 Our first round of working together has been magical! Beyond thrilled to have teamed up with you and SteelWorks!

The feeling is mutual! Dynamic duo...here we gooooooo!!!!

Welcome to SteelWorks, Kathy Fork! We can’t wait to share her memorable characters and stories full of humor and heart. A former teacher and librarian, Kathy has an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. Kathy is represented by Julie Romeis Sanders. #kidlit

Absolutely thrilled to share this news! I couldn’t have asked to team up with a better agent and agency! @juliebookagent.bsky.social @steelworksliterary.bsky.social

More info at my IG account @babyfork

Jon Klassen reading his book, The Skull, at Womb House Books in Oakland, CA.

What a thrill to hear one of my favorite author-illustrators, Jon Klassen, read The Skull and discuss it and his other work at Womb House Books in Oakland.

There should be more adult book club events featuring kidlit!

It’s a great bookstore and they also have an amazing record store in a rock-walled lower level!

A selection of fall themed picture books.

Cozy fall picture book vibes at Word After Word Books in Truckee, CA. 🍂🍁📚🍁🍂

A pen & ink drawing of a bat holding a pumpkin trick or treat bucket.

Having fun with Mike Lowery’s “Big List of Spooky Sketch Book Stuff” for the month of October. Today’s prompt was “a spooky bat.” Maybe mine is more cute bat…rhymes with fruit bat!

A doodle a day keeps the doldrums away!

Halloween picture books on a shelf at Grass Roots Books in Corvallis, Oregon.

‘Tis the season for spooky picture books! 👻🎃☠️

Here’s a nice selection at Grass
Roots Books in Corvallis, Oregon.

(And I’ve got a manuscript that would fit perfectly in that empty spot!) 🧙‍♀️

Egg cream drink at Junior’s in NYC

I read and reread Harriet the Spy when I was a kid. Harriet’s routine included drinking an egg cream at her favorite luncheonette. Finally tried one at Junior’s in NYC. An egg cream contains no egg or cream. It’s made with seltzer water, milk and Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup. It was good!

Exterior photo of Alice’s little haunted bookshop

Picture books on shelves

Picture books on shelves

A monstrously good selection of picture books at Alice’s Little Haunted Bookshop in Olde Mistick Village!

BookPeople Events Presents Liz Garton Scanlon (author of ALL THE WORLD) in a storytime and signing celebrating BIG LITTLE BABY on September 13th at 10:30AM

Bring your young and future readers on September 13th for a special storytime with Liz Garton Scanlon where she'll be reading her newest picture book, BIG LITTLE BABY.

More info + RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/bookpeople...

@lizgardensalad.bsky.social

PBParty 2025 Honorable Mention badge with cartoon animals wearing party hats.

I just won another honorable mention in #PBParty! 🥳 I now have four: 2025, 2024, 2022, and 2021. Over 1,000 entries are received each year, and my picture books have consistently placed in the top tier. Thanks for running this fantastic contest, @mindyalyseweiss.bsky.social & judges! #amquerying

Image showing a postcard with an illustration of people outside a public library and things that can be found in the library: books, computers, cooking classes, music classes, tools, ideas, voting, community. Postcard reads Drawn to Freedom at the top. Artwork by Nate Powell. Unite Against Book Bans.

Send an electronic #DrawnToFreedom postcard to your local library to let them know you support them and the freedom to read. Your message can be a powerful tool to build support for libraries. The form is live now—you don’t have to wait for #RightToReadDay!
uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-rea...

Some much needed great news!!

Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books Are Real Literature KQED's Forum · Episode

🎧 Listen to the podcast!

Children's book authors @aidawrites.bsky.social, @lauragleestudio.bsky.social & Mac Barnett, the Library of Congress’s new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, spoke with @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social about the vital role of picture books in literacy.

Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen on Substack A FILM ABOUT LOOKING AT PICTURE BOOKS

If you’re a SCBWI member you can register to get access to watch the film and attend an online Q&A with Yuyi Morales on April 5. 🌷

I’m full of rage every day! 🤬😖

Texas may change how schools select library books. Critics say it could lead to more bans. Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.

It is beyond disappointing that Texas State Senator Royce West—one of only two Democrats on the Senate Committee on Education K-16—voted in favor of book-banning SB13. What was he thinking? If you're his constituent & you appreciate the freedom to read, ASK HIM. www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/t...

Texas may change how schools select library books. Critics say it could lead to more bans. Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.

“Everyone should be able to find something on the shelf that reflects their experience, their identity and their beliefs — and we’re seeing that attacked as a concept.”
— Deborah Caldwell-Stone, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
#UniteAgainstBookBans
www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/t...

I use italics within brackets. I try hard to only use them when absolutely necessary, but it can depend on the piece. One picture book manuscript might only have a couple while another has more. My mentor said that she heard editors aren’t as opposed to them as they used to be. 🤷‍♀️

K.A. Holt smiling, holding two copies of the book "Redwood and Ponytail" at a book fair booth with various children's books displayed in the background.

Creating and Protecting Unknowable Connections in Children’s Literature: bit.ly/4hX6I5j #AAASLkq

🙋‍♀️😬😆

Hi #picturebook friends! Just a reminder that the #valentiny and #sillylovesonnets contests are both going on right now with a deadline of 2/14 at 11:59 pm - in case you need a little break from stalking #PBParty for updates. 😂🙃

#MSWL Day 2025: Search Tips & Features This is "#MSWL Day 2025: Search Tips & Features" by The Manuscript Academy on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Hello Friends! Welcome to #MSWL Day 2025! 🎉

This is our first #MSWL Day on Bluesky, and we have new features to share!

Rather listen than read? Here’s a how-to! vimeo.com/1055984106

Here’s our Bluesky search guide: youtu.be/LnZt1MCjKZE?...

My PB is dual POV and I think both my MCs would enjoy making (and eating) s’mores together! 🐲🔥🍫🗡️

I’d love to be added as well! This is my fifth year entering #pbparty! 🥳

Got this one!