I usually try to review the latest and greatest or upcoming picture books here, but someone told me about this book awhile back, and, well, it's published by Neal Porter/Holiday House, and that usually means the reader is in for a treat. I missed this one when it came out in 2019, so I'm rectifying … Continue reading Hum and Swish – Perfect Picture Book Friday
I missed last week's post due to Kidquake, the elementary school program of the Litquake Literary Festival in San Francisco. We wrangled about 800 kids, plus their teachers and chaperones through four assemblies, 10 workshops, and hundreds of books. All FREE for registered classes. And only one fire alarm pulled by a particularly exuberant child. … Continue reading Express Delivery From Dinosaur World – Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF
I found Action Jackson while wandering through the library the other day, looking for mentor texts for a picture book biography about artists that I'm writing. Although the longer text (1,885 words) reveals that it's an older title (2002), I wanted to feature it here because I LOVE it! The opening: "In the afternoon, Jackson … Continue reading Action Jackson – Perfect Picture Book Friday
I don't often feature long nonfiction books, but I was smitten and gobsmacked (I love both of those words) by "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies," a new 148-page picture book by the poet, Joyce Sidman. Maria Merian was born in Germany in the mid 1600s. If you haven't heard of her, you're not alone. She's … Continue reading The Girl Who Drew Butterflies – Perfect (Older, Nonfiction) Picture Book Friday
So while I'm hanging out in my igloo, staring at my computer screen under the guise of writing a novel during NaNoWriMo, I get an email about the "Haiku on Mars" submission I wrote about on my blog in May-- Ground Control: Dear Going to Mars Participant, (gotta love those personalized notes from editors) Thank you … Continue reading Ground Control to Major Tom – Haiku Update
I spent some delicious time with a few hundred Ansel Adams photographs today. But, surprisingly, the most memorable moment came not in the form of an image but as one of Adams's favorite quotes. It hit me head on: "People say that what we're seeking is the meaning of life. I don't think that's what … Continue reading What Does Literature Do to You?
Years ago when we first moved to San Francisco, I found a painting by Lance Morrison at a local gallery. "Jilanne," it said. "Take me home and I will be your writer's muse." The hummingbird, flapping its ethereal wings faster than the eye can see, looking solitary, magical, and somewhat spiritual, whispered its way to … Continue reading The Art of Cohabitation — Do Opposite Muses Attract?
I have this friend with a shimmering mind. She’s an extremely brainy woman (moonlights at Google and teaches computer science at a San Francisco Bay Area college) who’s married to an extremely brainy man (also a Googlonian), and together they’ve produced a sweet 2 yr-old girl who's already been hired by Google to design and … Continue reading Wadder or Folder?
Jilanne Hoffmann 