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by Darshana Khiani & Abhilasha Khatri
Thank you Tara for having us on the blog. We are so excited to tell you about our new book and reveal the cover!
You asked how this book was formed. Before I answer, you should know I’m the type of person who needs a pending critique meeting or a class assignment to be motivated to write a new draft. First drafts are torturous! It should be no surprise that MONGOOSE’S HOLI PARTY started from a contest.
Many of you may have heard of Susanna Hill’s writing contests throughout the year. In 2014, she had a spring writing contest and it had to be a fractured fairytale. Back then there weren’t many light-hearted, funny South Asian stories. I decided to cross “The Little Red Hen” story with a group of animals in the Indian jungle who wanted to throw a Holi Party.
Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrating Spring. It’s about friends, family, friendship, and forgiveness. It’s a time for new beginnings. I had so much fun brainstorming this mash-up—trying to figure out which elements to keep while weaving Indian culture. My favorite aspect of the story was creating colorful personalit-driven excuses for Mongoose’s not-so-helpful friends. I am fortunate Abilasha signed on to illustrate. Her charming sweet style is perfect for making these playful characters come alive.
Here are a few words from Abhilasha:
Some picture books are simply a joy to work on—and MONGOOSE’S HOLI PARTY was one of those projects that had me smiling from the very beginning. I had so much fun bringing the animal characters to life, giving each their own personality, and capturing the joyful chaos of Holi through colour, movement, food and little details for children to discover. I was also incredibly lucky to work with an awesome team who gave me the creative freedom to explore, experiment and truly enjoy the process. It was such a lovely experience illustrating this heartwarming story about friendship, showing up for each other, and the joy of celebrating together!
MONGOOSE’S HOLI PARTY releases February 23, 2027 from Beaming Books!
Darshana Khiani is an author, engineer, and advocate for South Asian children’s literature. She is infinitely curious about the world and enjoys sharing her findings with young readers. If she can make a child laugh even better. Her debut picture book, How to Wear a Sari (Versify), was an Amazon Editors’ Pick. She enjoys hiking, solving jigsaw puzzles, and traveling. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Abhilasha Khatri is a Children’s Book Illustrator based in Nashik, near Mumbai, India. She has illustrated several picture books and chapter books and is best known for the “My Festival Series” books, published by Eternal Tree Books and the Divya chapter book series published by Capstone Publishing. When she isn’t drawing, Abhilasha enjoys watching movies and architectural documentaries, tending to her garden, and exploring new places with her husband and daughter.
I enjoy watching videos of creative people—throwing pottery on the wheel, blowing molten glass, upcycling thrifted clothing, and…collecting beach detritus. (I realize that last one requires explanation.)
On YouTube, creator “Emily Dubious” visits her mother at a picturesque Scottish fishing village. When the tide rolls out, Emily frolics down to the rocky shoreline with a trusty lidded glass jar, long tweezers, and a “handsome assistant” (her S.O.). She collects the marvelous hidden jewels of the beach: small shards of sea glass, sea pottery, and other water-worn wonders like “a goodly stick.” Emily greets the limpet “coven” clinging to the stone surf wall and then plunks her treasures into the glass jar with a satisfying plink.
Snippet from an Emily Dubious video
Special attention is given to the rarest bits, like glorious shades of pink and turquoise (which she dubs “pank” and “ah-kwah”). There are shards of floral pottery, pieces adorned with letters or even words, and oddly-shaped nubbins. When she departs the beach, her glass jar is full and her knees are moist from the encroaching sea.
But the video that has inspired me today is different from Emily’s usual fare. She welcomed followers into her art studio to share what happens to the jar of goodies after the treasure hunt. She separates bits by color, by shape (there are hearts!), by size and a host of other criteria, filing them into cardboard jewelry boxes that have been skillfully Tetris-ed into thin drawers. What doesn’t find a box home may reside in wee glass jars lining her walls so she can readily locate her favorite oddments. All this comes with a caveat—what began as chaos in a used Bonne Maman jar gets sorted in her own special order, which may then devolve into chaos again as she re-sorts and re-organizes these bits to create jewelry and art.
THAT’S WHEN IT HIT ME! Chaos to order and then back to chaos and around again is THE LIFECYCLE OF CREATIVITY!
Illustration by Nina Victor Crittenden
Think of your current writing project and how it began. Was it just bits and pieces? Small, crumpled Post-It notes dotted around the house and forgotten at the bottom of your tote bag? Containing a working title and a character quirk? A jazzy repetitive refrain that didn’t repeat yet?
Most likely, it grew out of utter chaos, scattered ideas with no obvious common denominator. But, as you began to write, you endeavored to bend those mish-mash tchotkes into some kind of order with a story beginning, middle and end. Proud of the words on the page, you shipped it off to your critique group, only to realize that you needed to tear it apart and wrench it back together again. CHAOS→ORDER→CHAOS.
The process that makes you pull your hair out is actually just sorting chaos into order over and over until it finally makes sense. All those rewrites are a method of organization. We delight in taking something haphazard and molding it into a coherent, recognizable form.
Sculpting chaos into order is how we make sense of our collective human experience and share it with others. That may be why so many creative people feel a real NEED to be creative. I believe, then, that chaos can be a good thing to shake up and inspire us.
When your manuscript feels chaotic, it is not a time to panic, but instead a time to decide how you want to bring order to tbe piece. In other words, do not fear chaos.
Thank you, Emily Dubious! Thanks to Nina Victor Crittenden for the graphic!
My 16th book, PARTY ANIMALS AND THE 100TH DAY, with art by Anna Raff, will release in January 2027 and it’s available for pre-order now. Pre-orders help librarians, booksellers and parents to find the book!
Celebrate the 100th day of school with the Party Animals! When the Party Animals learn that not every day of school is a party, they hatch a plan to have 100 parties leading up to the 100th day of school.
Beatrix, Phoebe, and Theodore can make a party out of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. But it turns out school is not just one big party. Their solution? Have one party every day until the 100th day of school!
They have a bowling party, a thunder-and-lightning party, and a rock’n’roll party. After ninety-six parties, the Party Animals are tuckered out! Can Horace help them achieve their party dreams and get to 100?
We’ve all heard this phrase—it’s a social media staple. Tell me…without telling me.
The answer might be: “I ain’t never gone to The Statue of Liberty.”
(Honestly, New Yorkers tend not to do the tourist-y destinations. Plus, as a Jersey Girl, I must divulge that The Statue is in New Jersey.)
But that’s not what this is about.
This post is about your new picture book writing mantra.
You want your readers to know that your main character, Suzy, is quiet. But don’t you dare write “Suzy is quiet.”
Tell me…without telling me.
“Suzy’s slippers whisper across the carpet.”
(Or something similar.)
You’ve gotten her quiet nature across, and maybe suggested that she’s stealthy, too.
Sure, you’ve heard this tip before, typically in the form of “show, don’t tell.” But this new tip is one made for the new millennium. Shoot, it’s been the new millennium for a hot minute now, so maybe it’s made for the social media era or whatever we choose to call this point in time. No matter, it’s a good way to spruce up your picture book writing. “Suzy is quiet” is not only too direct, but it’s passive. So…
Tell me…without telling me.
by Sophia Gholz
Thanks for having me on the blog, Tara! I’m so happy to be here and excited to reveal the cover for my new book, TRUCK IN THE MUCK.
You asked me to share how the idea for this book formed and the truth is…it’s complicated.
The first book in this series, BUG ON THE RUG, developed after a bout of writer’s block, a self-inflicted writing challenge, and a late-night phone call with my little brother, whom I call BUG. The second book, BEAR AT THE FAIR, flowed easily after a family trip to the nearby annual county fair. Truthfully, I never planned to write more stories in this animal world. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I’ve found chasing ideas counterintuitive to the creative process. Instead, I have to sort of allow things to form organically. If it comes, it comes, and if not. Well then, there you go. But life, as it often does, had other plans.
Both BUG and BEAR were drafted before the pandemic and released after its peak. During those years, I often struggled with inspiration. Finding a silver lining when things are tough isn’t always easy and it’s something I thought about a lot. While I was stuck in the muck of my bubble at home, I spent many hours scrolling online. Then one day, I happened upon a beautiful image of a family traveling in their camper van…and then another picture…and another. I watched online as others explored the world with little more than a vehicle and roadmap, and I found it to be such a freeing idea. I especially loved the thought of traveling with friends, except my inner child turned the mental imagery into a van full of animals with a feathered duck at the wheel! Turns out, it was an image I just couldn’t let go of.
I’m so thankful to have found Duck and his easy-going personality in the silver lining of that time period. TRUCK IN THE MUCK was a much-needed reminder for me that even in muck, we can sometimes find luck…and a whole lot of fun! I fell even more in love with this story when I saw the brilliant way illustrator Susan Batori designed Duck’s truck and brought all of his buddies together. *Spoiler: keep an eye on the pages for familiar faces from BUG and BEAR.
Thanks again for having me and Duck on the blog! I hope everyone enjoys navigating muck with Duck, his sweet group of friends, and his quirky old truck.
TRUCK IN THE MUCK releases July 15th from Sleeping Bear Press!
Sophia Gholz is a children’s book author, music lover, magic seeker, and avid reader. She enjoys writing fiction with humor and heart. When writing nonfiction, she pulls on her love of science and her strong family background in ecology. Previously, Sophia worked as an advertising copywriter and made a career managing visual artists in New York City. Sophia is the author of The Boy Who Grew a Forest, a NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book and Florida State Book Award gold medalist. This is Your World: The Story of Bob Ross, Bug on the Rug, ARLO and more. When she’s not writing from her home base in Florida, you can find Sophia reading, visiting schools or exploring the great outdoors with her family. For more, visit SophiaGholz.com.
Susan Batori is a Hungarian illustrator, graphic designer and a character design addict. She studied graphic design at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary. As an art director at DDB Advertising Agency, Susan designed many print ads, websites, posters, and packages. That’s how she discovered drawing hilarious characters was much more fun. She also loves creating new digital textures, reading, watching great movies, drinking coffee, walking in a forest or pampering herself with a good salted caramel ice cream. Since 2012, Susan has been working as a freelance children’s book illustrator. For more, visit Susanbatori.myportfolio.com.
by Sheri Dillard
At the beginning of every year, my agents, Liza and Ginger, schedule a phone call with all their clients. They call it the State of the Union, and it’s a “check-in,” of sorts. We talk about manuscripts on submission, reactions to any responses so far, and thoughts on current projects.
On one of those calls, we brainstormed story ideas. My debut picture book COWHIDE-AND-SEEK had just come out, so most of our ideas were game-inspired. The conversation was fun and lively, and I took lots of notes. But it wasn’t until Liza said, “How about tic, tac, toe?” that something clicked for me.
A story about three friends popped into my head. Three BEST friends who were always together—three in a row! But what would happen if one of those friends got left out in some way?
As a preschool teacher, I love watching young children make new friends. The kids tend to bond quickly as they explore the classroom and playground. For many, school is the first time they are around other children without their parents nearby. And sometimes, whether it’s a group of peers or a one-on-one friendship, managing new social situations can be tricky.
In my new picture book TIC, TAC, AND TOE, we see three friends having fun together. But when they find a tandem bike and it becomes clear that it won’t work with three, Tic and Tac leave Toe behind. They don’t even realize that Toe feels hurt and left out. They ride around, have fun, and sort of forget about their friend Toe. It’s only when they see something they think Toe will love that they remember him. When they find him sad and alone, they realize what they’ve done.
While reading this story, the reader might stop and say, “Oh, look at Toe. How do you think he’s feeling? Why do you think he’s feeling that way?” Asking questions while reading books can be like “practice” to help children learn how to recognize others’ feelings in real life, too. Stories about friendship, empathy, and kindness can guide kids on what it means to be a good friend.
I love how my books, so far, are connected to some of my favorite childhood games. (And I’ve got more game-inspired stories that I hope to publish someday! Maybe I’ll have my own three-in-a-row? Fingers crossed!)
What are some of your favorite childhood games? Maybe there’s a story idea in there somewhere? Good luck and have fun!
Thanks, Sheri!
TIC-TAC-TOE will be published this coming Tuesday, November 4, by Reycraft Books. But you can win a copy right here!
Leave a comment and a winner will be randomly selected next month!
Sheri Dillard is a children’s author and preschool teacher/librarian, and she hosts regular storytimes at her local indie bookstore. She is the author of several picture books, including two game-inspired ones, COWHIDE-AND-SEEK and TIC, TAC, AND TOE.
Sheri lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Mark, and has three sons who are always (mostly) happy to join her for a board game or two.
CALL ME GEBYANESH is based on the real-life experiences of a girl, Gebyanesh Addisu, who immigrated from Ethiopia to Israel with her family when she was seven-years-old.
Although Jewish, she struggled to fit in with her different skin color and very different culture. When I first met her on a trip to Israel ten years ago, she was a high school student and greatly impressed me with her fluent English, her modesty, and her love of learning. We lost touch for a while, but resumed correspondence some years later, and when I approached her to collaborate with me on her immigration story, she was enthusiastic. We met virtually about twenty times, and when she told me about her teacher giving her a new Israeli name on her very first day of third grade, I knew we had a hook. This incident sent Gebby on a roller coaster of emotions and a search for her identity until she was a young adult—when she finally had the courage to reclaim her name and her Ethiopian heritage.
Many authors write books about living people without collaborating or co-authoring. If the subject already has a lot written about them, it may not be necessary to work directly with them to create a picture book from their story.
However, I feel extremely lucky to have been able to get Gebby’s story directly from her and to learn first-hand about her struggles and eventual triumphs. So when my editor advised naming Gebby as a co-author to give the book more authenticity, I was happy to do so. Though I did all the writing, it is Gebby’s story, and she put in many hours with me crafting it into a picture book.
P.S. Gebby is now 27 and a graduate student in Ancient History at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I am so grateful that we have become close, life-long friends.
Arlene Rosenfeld Schenker is giving away a copy of CALL ME GEBYANESH to one lucky blog reader.
Leave a comment below and good luck!
Have you ever read THE END by David LaRochelle? (illustrated by Richard Egielski)
It’s incredibly clever! Mr. LaRochelle spins a fairytale in reverse. He begins at the end and ends at the beginning. There’s all the fairytale flavor you’d expect—a princess, a knight, a dragon—plus some sweet lemonade as a bonus.
This picture book was in heavy bedtime rotation when my kids were little. And it also inspired me to revise my own work backwards, turning lemons into lemonade.
I often get stuck in my manuscripts at the middle. Maybe you do, too. Sure, it’s where the bulk of the story takes place, but it feels like it can be purposefully pedestrian, walking from point A, to point B, to ho-hum let’s-get-on-with-it C.
Yikes, I don’t want my audience to be lulled to sleep! But as a writer, I have so much more fun writing the opening and the closing. Those scenes can really pack a whack.
So sometimes when I’m stuck in the middle, I decide to work backwards. If I have a genius idea for the conclusion, I’ll write that first. Then I ask myself, how would you logically get here? What happened one step ago?
Then I write that part.
I go from C, to B, and then back farther to A. Somehow the logic of the story falls magically into place that way.
What happened right BEFORE this scene? What makes the most sense to occur PRIOR? These simple questions can really free up your work. It’s one of my revision go-tos, inspired by THE END. (Thanks, David!)
Do you want more revision tips?
I filmed a revision video of my best ideas for Karen Ferreira’s 2025 Children’s Book Mastery Summit. It begins next week, July 28. You can check it out using my link here.
Other writing experts like Charnaie Gordon, John Fox, Brooke Van Sickle, April M. Cox, Cameron Sutter (Plottr), Vicky Weber, Joe Bunting (The Write Practice), and Daniel David Wallace will also share their expertise with you during this event.
Is this the end? Nope. It’s just the beginning (or middle) of your kidlit publication journey. I hope you’ll join me!
Today we are celebrating the author/illustrator debut of Erika Lynne Jones, ZARA IN THE MIDDLE, a multi-generational picture book about finding your voice and the strength of family. You may be familiar with her other illustrated works, such as THE LOUD LIBRARIAN or BLACK GIRLS: A Celebration of You! Now she is also be a published author.
Congratulations on your author-illustrator debut, Erika. Tell us about ZARA IN THE MIDDLE.
The story is about Zara who loves living next door to her Grandma Jane and Granny Gladys, but sometimes it’s tough being stuck in the middle of them! Both her grandmas think they know what’s best for her, and Zara is too worried she might upset them if she says what she really wants.
For context I’ll add that the three main characters are planning Zara’s birthday party, which for me adds emotion, tension and fun to the dynamic. I look forward to hearing how others relate to the story and what kinds of memories it invokes.
Is there anything in this story inspired by real life?
Yes, the story incorporates some pretty big aspects of my childhood and adult life. Zara is very much me on the inside growing up and some of those remnants remain today. I would be so concerned about everyone else being happy, and specifically happy with me, that I wouldn’t voice my truth.
While I wrap the story in humor, not feeling free to voice my opinions about things was actually quite heavy. But writing was therapeutic because I got to imagine the good that would have come out of finding my voice earlier in life. And maybe in the process, I got to leave some hints for caretakers about opportunities to stop and check in with less vocal little ones about what’s on their mind and in their hearts.
In my adult life, I’ve been blessed with one of the best moms and one of the best mother-in-laws that a person could have. When we first became a family, I noticed they expressed themselves differently, but at the same time had similar intentions to love and support us. It was fun to exaggerate aspects of their personalities to tell a heartwarming story. So yes, I had lots of real-life inspiration in this story.
Erika’s mother-in-law & mother having holiday fun
What Easter Eggs/personal touches did you add to the illustrations and text?
I had a blast infusing some of the personality traits of my mom and mother-in-law into the grandma characters. My late mother had an affinity for drinking—and recommending—prune juice and wearing pearls like Grandma Jane. Also my mother-in-law LOVES baking and makes a mean poundcake just like Granny Gladys. I thought it would be fun to have her contribute to the book, so I had her hand write one of the recipe cards in one of the spreads for me.
Did you have any “ah-ha” moments when writing?
I did actually… I was preparing for a talk I now do called “Illuminating You in the Picture Books You’re Creating”, where I encourage writers and illustrators to look at their childhood books for clues about what kinds of stories they might want to create.
While preparing for that talk, I realized I was subconsciously influenced quite a bit by books I loved reading when I was a child when creating the storyline and illustrations. For example, I loved reading Big Dog… Little Dog by P.D. Eastman. Something about the way he contrasted the characters’ traits and personalities to create tension with words and simple images enthralled me, and of course, it all worked out. I realized I did the same with Zara’s grandmothers by showing the beauty in their differences, and likewise, it all works out. Also, I found the first short story I wrote when I was five or six, and I mean it was SHORT. I found it in the back of a book called My Book About Me, which was an interactive book by Dr. Suess and Roy McKie. It just so happened to be about me having a birthday party (just like Zara). So I thought, “What synchronicity!”
What’s your favorite spread or moment in the book?
That’s tough, but I do think it’s the messy kitchen scene. I enjoyed incorporating my sense of humor into this climactic, chaotic moment. Zara’s grandmas got so carried away with their own agendas that they literally and figuratively overwhelmed her. I also had fun drawing all the little kitchen things.
One lesson I learned during the revision process was to look out for ways readers might misinterpret a book’s words and art. I tweaked the original sketch of the kitchen scene because my editors and art directors were concerned that it could be perceived that the grannies dumped flour on Zara. That was not my intention! I didn’t want the scene to pull readers from the story or take away from the story’s heart. So I revised the scene to show the family love and support, even though the grannies initially expressed it in an overwhelming way.
You can see the re-draw made for a much better flow in the spread, so ultimately the change was a win-win!
Thank you for all the behind the scenes fun, Erika!
ZARA IN THE MIDDLE releases July 8, 2025 from HarperCollins. The book is available for pre-order everywhere, but if you’d like a signed copy or other FREE Zara goodies, visit Erika’s website to learn more about her pre-order giveaway.
And we also have a giveaway right here! Comment with who you’d like to share this story with and why. A random winner will be selected to receive a signed copy of ZARA IN THE MIDDLE at the end of July!
Good luck!
When I was pregnant with my second child, I read my young daughter many “New Baby and Big Sister” books. Sing-songy books about how being a big sister is the best thing in the world! Factual books about how babies grow and are born. And more than a few books about how being a big sister is a job—complete with the responsibilities of finding Mommy clean diapers and playing quietly when the baby sleeps! (Woohoo!)
While each of these titles proved helpful in their own way, I found myself on a search for a book that emphasized the many facets of siblinghood as a lifelong bond. I wanted to read my daughter a story that recognized the unique experiences siblings share—a book filled with the kinds of moments siblings laugh about together even as adults, from squabbling and mischief-making to teaming together and resolving conflicts.
I knew the Beverly Cleary quote, “If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.”
Chock-full of hormones and fueled by ample adorable new baby + sibling moments, it was a joy to write BECAUSE OF YOU, I’M A SISTER.
Here’s the amazing cover featuring art by the incredibly talented illustrator, Lisa Chow:
Like me, Lisa is a sister and a mother of two girls. Her style is quirky. Her humor is dry. She gets excited about ideas and runs with them in a flurry of color and swirl. I’d really like to get coffee with her. And I’d also like for you to hear from her in this cover reveal post!
Thanks Jen! I would love a coffee! Anytime!
When this manuscript came across my desk, I knew it was meant to be. As a big sister and now mother of sisters, I could immediately picture all the silly and sweet and downright annoying moments I wanted to capture in this book.
For example, I definitely got my start in art by practicing on my childhood home’s living room walls. And as a big sister to two little brothers, I had to learn how to split desserts into thirds. Thirds! Do you know how hard that is?!
But my most favorite illustration in the book is a four-act story of misunderstanding and betrayal over cupcakes. You’ll have to read the book to find it!
We cannot express how lucky we feel that this story resonated with Frances Gilbert and Elizabeth Tardiff at Doubleday Books for Young Readers. They took the humor and heart in the story and amplified it, literally making dreams come true. They made Because of You, I’m a Sister an ideal gift for baby showers, new big sisters, and even grown-up siblings.
We hope you love the final product as much as we do!
BECAUSE OF YOU, I’M A SISTER is available for pre-order now for a February 10, 2026 release.
Jen Fier Jasinski
is giving away either a 30-minute AMA virtual session or a copy of the book (winner’s choice) to TWO blog readers!
Please leave a comment to enter and two winners will be randomly chosen at the end of July!
Good luck!
We’ve got THREE Grand Prizes this year!
Before I announce who they are, here’s what everyone should do with all their story ideas on a regular basis:
Firstly, please gather your ideas.
Then, sort them.
- Separate pebbles from seeds.
- Sift for diamonds.
- Do your ideas pass the litmus tests?
- You may have to draw a diagram first.
Once you have ideas that you like, start fleshing them out. If you’re a Grand Prize winner, you’ll have the opportunity to share your BEST FIVE IDEAS with a kidlit agent (or Tara). They’ll respond with feedback recommending which ideas may be best to pursue as manuscripts. (Saves time writing stories that won’t be marketable!) To present your ideas in the best light, I recommend writing them out like jacket flap…you know, that marketing copy on the inside cover of a picture book. Here’s jacket flap for my June 2025 release, FLAT CAT, THE CLASS PET:
Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn’t squashed under the lunch lady’s rolling pin. He wasn’t smushed by an avalanche of library books. He was just flat. And most of the time, Flat Cat liked it just like that.
Until one day, when Flat Cat, in the mood for a change of scenery, slips into his friend Willow’s backpack and accompanies her to school, where he gets folded into a paper airplane, passed as a secret note, and used as a bathroom pass. Will Flat Cat be able to escape the chaos? Or will he realize he is keen to be loved and adored?
Go to your local library (which may be in your own house) and read as many jacket flaps as you can to get a feel for them. You can also read jacket flap marketing text online at book retailers.
Then start writing your own for your upcoming masterpieces! If you’re a GRAND PRIZE winner, five of these pitches are what you’ll present to receive feedback.
Without further ado, here are the three winners!
Melissa Morgenlander (paired with Liza Royce Agency)
Shuba Mohan (paired with Stephen Fraser)
ET Charles [bethsbiblio] (paired with Tara Lazar)
I will be emailing you this week to arrange your prizes. Then I will be announcing the daily prizes.
I’ve been dealing with various health issues this year, so I appreciate your patience!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 