Monthly Archives: January 2019

Successes of 2018

For being a writer, I am surprisingly into numbers. I love counting things! It helps me keep my stuff in order and my thoughts organized.

This year I accumulated some pretty significant numbers.

As part of Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days Of Christmas For Writers, we were challenged make a list list of our successes for 2018. Then we were asked to post those results for the world to see (brag).

Here are mine. The numbers first, and then a few extras at the end.

Ideas. This grew out of Tara Lazar’s Storystorm. She challenges writers to come up with 30 ideas in the month of January. This year I took it to the next level. I kept it up the entire year. In the end, I had 435 ideas. And since I decided to start early (Dec. ’17) I actually have a list of 478 new ideas.

Books read. I studied All sorts of kidlit books this year. Many were old classics I hadn’t picked up before. 17 Young Adult. 8 Middle Grade. 18 Chapter Books/Easy Readers. 5 Miscellaneous. And 1032 Picture Books. That’s 1080 kidlit books read.

Writing. I challenged myself to write a new picture book first draft every week. I also wanted to participate in Paula Yoo’s Picture Book Writing Week. In total, I ended up with 58 new stories written.

Conferences/Classes – 4, including the big SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles.

Critiques – I have several critique groups and individual critique buddies. With them I had 10 stories critiqued. I also had the opportunities for professional critiques with agents, editors, and published writers. 9 critiques with them. 19 times, I went through the critique process.

Awards/Challenges/Contests. With scholarships, art contests, writing contests, poetry challenges, twitter pitches and other opportunities all around, I entered 12 challenges.

Other accomplishments.

I actively submitted to agents, and a few publishers when requested.

I received some amazing praise for my work, both art and writing, from some highly respected individuals.

I got a new job as a youth librarian, where I made an eight foot wide snowflake.

I received a grant from the Nevada Arts Council to help further my career.

Overall, a pretty exciting year!

Favorite Picture Books of 2018

I love picture books.

They are the perfect marriage of text and art.

Throw in a bit of heart, or humor, or invention, and it becomes something truly special.

I read 1032 picture books in 2018. Most of them were very good. But with so many picture books out there, it is hard to stand out. For me, a stand-out is usually the one I remember. The one I find myself thinking about long after it’s been read.

The following are those books. The titles that are bolded are my top 11 favorites. (All books are listed in the order I read them last year.) The second column is the author, the third is the illustrator.

MY FRIENDS MAKE ME HAPPY Thomas, Jan Thomas, Jan
THE RABBIT LISTENED Doerrfeld, Cori Doerrfeld, Cori
THE BOO-BOO THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Wittenstein, Barry Hsu, Chris
THE WORD COLLECTOR Reynolds, Peter Reynolds, Peter
THE TIPTOEING TIGER Leathers, Philippa Leathers, Philippa
HONK! SPLAT! VROOM! Gott, Barry Gott, Barry
IT’S SPRINGTIME, MR. SQUIRREL! Meschenmoser, Sebastian Meschenmoser, Sebastian
THE BIG UMBRELLA June, Amy Bates, Juniper
THE LITTLE RED FORT Maier, Brenda Sanchez, Sonia
A FIRE TRUCK FOR CHUCK Dunklee, Annika Cathon
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAB Fliess, Sue Bouloubasis, Petros
DON’T BLINK Rosenthal, Amy Krouse & Paris Roberts, David
VINCENT COMES HOME Bagley, Jessixa & Aaron Bagley, Jessixa & Aaron
IF WENDELL HAD A WALRUS Mortensen, Lori Phelan, Matt
GROW Platt, Cynthia Holden, Olivia
LITTLE BROTHERS & LITTLE SISTERS Arnaldo, Monica Arnaldo, Monica
THE TRUTH ABOUT BEARS Eaton, Maxwell III Eaton, Maxwell III
MY PET WANTS A PET Broach, Elise Barclay, Eric
BITTY BOT’S BIG BEACH GETAWAY McCanna, Tim Carpenter, Tad
CAN I BE YOUR DOG? Cummings, Troy Cummings, Troy
JULIAN IS A MERMAID Love, Jessica Love, Jessica
SUMMER COLOR! Murray, Diana Persico, Zoe
SHEEP 101 Morris, Richard T. Pham, LeUyen
SQUARE Barnett, Mac Klassen, Jon
SOMETIMES YOU FLY Applegate, Katherine Reinhardt, Jennifer Black
BROWN BEAR CAN’T SLEEP Cai, Yijun Cai, Yijun
A HIPPY-HOPPY TOAD Archer, Peggy Wilsdorf, Anne
FLOATY Himmelman, John Himmelman, John
LITTLE ROBOT ALONE MacLachlan, Patricia & MacLachlan Charest, Emily Phelan, Matt
A HOME FOR LEO Vogel, Vin Vogel, Vin
TWO PROBLEMS FOR SOPHIA Averbeck, Jim Ismail, Yasmeen
OVER ON A DESERT SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD Berkes, Marianne Dubin, Jill
LET’S GO ABC Greene, Rhonda Gowler Kirk, Daniel
ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT FLUFFY Boldt, Mike Boldt, Mike
TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH! Perry, Gina Perry, Gina
PRINCE GEORGE GOES TO SCHOOL Hart, Caryl Anderson, Laura Ellen
OFF & AWAY Atkinson, Cale Atkinson, Cale
PRETTY KITTY Beaumont, Karen Laberis, Stephanie
BLUE Seeger, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Vaccaro
LENA’S SHOES ARE NERVOUS Calabrese, Keith Medina, Juana
MABEL AND SAM AT HOME Urban, Linda Hooper, Hadley
LOST IN THE LIBRARY Funk, Josh Lewis, Stevie
INTERRUPTING CHICKEN AND THE ELEPHANT OF SURPRISE Stein, David Ezra Stein, David Ezra
CRASH, SPLASH, OR MOO! Shea, Bob Shea, Bob
GIRAFFE PROBLEMS John, Jory Smith, Lane
SNOW PONY AND THE SEVEN MINIATURE PONIES Trimmer, Christian Sima, jessie
NIGHT JOB Hesse, Karen Karas, G. Brian
THE VISITOR Damm, Antje Damm, Antje
MONSTER & MOUSE GO CAMPING Underwood, Deborah Chapman, Jared
ROCK WHAT YOU GOT Berger, Samantha Kerascoet
BABY’S FIRSTS Day, Nancy Raines Emberley, Michael
HOW DO YOU TAKE A BATH? McMullan, Kate Hanson, Sydney
FLY WITH ME Yolen, Jane & Stemple, Heidi E. Y. & Stemple, Adam & Stemple, Jason
ALLIE ALL ALONG Ruel, Sarah Lynne Ruel, Sarah Lynne
BENJI, THE BAD DAY, AND ME Pla,Sally J. Min, Ken
THE WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK Agee, Jon Agee, jon
PENGUIN & TINY SHRIMP DON’T DO BEDTIME! Berry, Cate Santoso, Charles
THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS Moss, Marissa Holmes, Jeremy
THE REPTILE CLUB Fergus, Maureen Ellis, Elina
OCTOPANTS Senior, Suzy Powell, Claire
BEST FRIENDS IN THE UNIVERSE Watson, Stephanie Pham, LeUyen
BUSINESS PIG Zuill, Andrea Zuill, Andrea
MEET THE LATKES Silberberg, Alan Silberberg, Alen
THERE’S A DINOSAUR ON THE 13TH FLOOR Bradford, Wade Hawkes, Kevin
NIBLET & RALPH OHora, Zachariah OHora, Zachariah
IS THAT YOU, ELEANOR SUE? Tusa, Tricia Tusa, Tricia
PEACEFUL FIGHTS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS Sanders, Rob Schorr, Jared Andrew
LOVELY BEASTS Gardner, Kate Smith, Heidi
THE DAY YOU BEGIN Woodson, Jacqueline Lopez, Rafael
ME AND MY FEAR Sanna, Francesca Sanna, Francesca
WATER LAND Hale, Christy Hale, Christy
WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES Higgins, Ryan T. Higgins, Ryan T.
LOVE, Z Sima, Jessie Sima, Jessie
HAROLD LOVES HIS WOOLLY HAT Kousky, Vern Kousky, Vern