Cheryl A. Johnson

Life on the Sunrise Channel

It felt so good to drag the kayak to the water this morning and paddle up the channel. Nature is a balm for the soul.

The American Coots are increasing on the lake and will be in the hundreds in coming weeks.

#naturephotography
#americancoot
#lifeonthesunrisechannel

The Big Blue Trio is installed and ready for ArtPrize!

Head downtown Grand Rapids for this free event, and with over 150 venue sites, you'll find artwork everywhere ~ on sidewalks, in parking lots, on buildings and inside of them.

September 18~October 4

#ArtPrize2025 #naturephotography

Happy Book Birthday to Stacy S. Jensen and Victo Ngai! It's always an extra special day to celebrate a book when the author is one of your critique partners!

Woohoo ~ it's a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

@stacysjensen.bsky.social
#picturebookrecommendations

Enjoy your weekend!
#naturephotography
#sunflowers

FAVE FOUR

If you'd like to see other kidlit recommendations, pop on over to cherylajohnsonwrites.weebly.com.

@katemessner.com
@sarahsbrannen.bsky.social
@hellomrforrest.bsky.social
@dpilutti.bsky.social
@suzannekaufmanart.bsky.social

#favefourbuygiftborrow
#kidlit
#kidlitrecommendations

Life on the Sunrise Channel

It’s a dreary, rainy day here on the channel. Perfect for hunkering down and doing edits to my moon story so I can get it to my agent soon. It should be going out to publishers this fall.

#kidlit
#writingcommunity
#writing

Happy World Photography Day!

This is one of my favorite shots from our trip to Maine. I love the seafoam dinghy, its reflection, the subtle orange and yellow lobster traps, and the blue movement of water.

www.pictorem.com/profile/Cher...

#WorldPhotographyDay
#WorldPhotographyDay2025

Another Good Listen ~ 2025

Love note marginalia. A mystery to solve. A crotchety neighbor.

@avenkind.bsky.social
#anothergoodlisten
#audiobook
#audiobookrecommendations

A must-have for every child's collection of books, as well as classroom libraries. Kids, parents, and teachers will love going back in time to read and see what and who lived on the land before the young boy did.

@stacysjensen.bsky.social
#kidlit
#kidlitbookstack
#kidlitrecommendation

Moon Moments

Tonight's glowing orange sunset due to hazy, Canadian wildfire smoke.

#moonmoments
#naturephotography
#sunsetphotography

Life on the Sunrise Channel

We've had a male molting Cardinal at our feeder recently. At first I thought something was wrong, but nope, just molting.

#naturephotography
#moltingcardinal
#cardinalphotography

A stunning Lake Michigan sunset. #naturephotography #sunsetphotography #lakemichigansunset

FAVE FOUR

If you'd like to see other kidlit recommendations, pop on over to cherylajohnsonwrites.weebly.com.

@chanastiefel.bsky.social
@jstremer.bsky.social
@gordywright.bsky.social
@kellycrull.bsky.social

#kidlit
#kidlitbookstack
#kidlitrecommendation

Thank you!

Moon Moments

This past Friday was a waxing crescent with 7.3% illumination.

Slivers of the moon are hard for me to capture with much clarity, but I'm happy with this one. I darkened it to show more of the surface.

#naturephotography
#moonphotography
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

I'm in and excited to be back at The Atrium at Uccello's this fall for ArtPrize!

Can't wait!

#artprize2025
#greatblueheron
#naturephotography

Happy Friday!

I saw a bouquet a few weeks ago of alstroemerias and roses in similar colors and loved it so much I created my own!

#flowers
#bouquets
#happyfriday

Thank you! I was thrilled that I caught it.

Lunge and spear

Quite the technique that Great Blue Herons use!

I love making a weekly trip to a nearby park/trail as there's always something going on.

#naturephotography
#greatblueheron
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

Another Good Listen ~ 2025

A leukemia diagnosis. Survival. And the journey of reentering everyday life.

This memoir is read by the author herself, Suleika Jaouad.

#anothergoodlisten
#audiobook
#audiobookrecommendation

Life on the Sunrise Channel

A 'what did I get myself into?' Common Grackle with a hungry fledgling.

#lifeonthesunrisechannel
#naturephotography
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

FAVE FOUR

If you'd like to see other kidlit recommendations, pop on over to cherylajohnsonwrites.weebly.com.

@underwoodwriter.bsky.social
@steenahernandez.bsky.social
@nancycastaldobooks.bsky.social
@cgroenink.bsky.social
@patzmiller.bsky.social

#kidlit
#kidlitbookstack

Thank you so much for letting me know. ♥️

Showy Sunsets

I absolutely love the angled, rippled cloud.

#naturephotography
#showysunsets
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

Moon Moments

I am in awe of the moon every time.

I've revamped and revised my moon story and will be sending it to my agent soon. I haven't seen a picture book like mine out there, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it finds a home in the universe.

#moonmoments
#naturephotography

Another Good Listen ~ 2025

Family responsibility. The power of friendship. Coming of age as an adult.

Maame (Ma-Meh) is one of those books I kept thinking about when I wasn't listening to it and popped an earbud in even if I only have 5 minutes.

#anothergoodlisten
#audiobook

Life on the Sunrise Channel

My recent trip to a nearby trail did not disappoint. Wood Duck mama with babies, the giant snapper I shared yesterday, and this Red-winged Blackbird repeatedly dive bombing a Sandhill Crane.

#lifeonthesunrisechannel
#naturephotography
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

Can't wait to read this!

Life on the Sunrise Channel

We definitely have turtles on the channel, but I've never seen a Common Snapping Turtle here. Found this guy at a nearby trail, he was kind enough to let me take some pics.

#lifeonthesunrisechannel
#naturephotography
#turtlephotography
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt

Life on the Sunrise Channel

Finally! We're a little behind schedule over here on the channel for any mama Mallard and her ducklings to make their debut. And you got to love a bright green tree reflected water in the evening sunshine.

#naturephotography
#kidlitinspiration
#writingprompt