It’s another new picture book announcement! WHOO-HOO! Grounded in the Jewish value of tikkun olam, or “repairing the world,” WHEN LESS IS MORE follows one child as they find all kinds of small ways to bring more joy and light to their community by doing less harm. The book reminds readers that sometimes doing less — less blaming, less littering, less holding on to what we no longer need — can infuse more kindness, beauty, and empathy into our own lives and the lives of everyone around us. It will be illustrated by the fantastic Niyati Froind and published by Kalaniot Books! Coming to a bookstore near you in fall 2027!

I had the honor of visiting the incredibly creative and inquisitive K-4 students of Radburn Elementary School in Fair Lawn, NJ this week! Together, we came up with so many BRAINSTORMs and also practiced tools for getting through our worried feelings and WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW.  🙂

I’m so happy to report that Kirkus Reviews (which is known to be pretty underwhelmed by most books) gave FINDING FORGIVENESS, written by me, and illustrated by the fabulous Diana Mayo, a rave review! I can’t wait to share it with you all when it releases on Aug. 5th (available for pre-order now! 😊). In the meantime, you can read the full Kirkus review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rebecca-gardyn-levington/finding-forgiveness-2/

Check out this gorgeous cover for my upcoming book, SOME DAYS I’M THE WIND, illustrated by the incomparable Dinara Mirtolipova! This one comes out on Sept. 9th and I can’t wait to share it with you all! 

I am so very happy to finally be able to share the acquisition announcement in Publisher’s Weekly for my picture book, I WISH THAT YOU KNEW, coming next summer. It will be illustrated by the amazing Alyssa Russell and published by Little Bee Books!

I WISH THAT YOU KNEW comes from a deeply personal place. It started as a poem I wrote to my best friend, my Gram Gram, who passed away in 2013. I was missing her so much, looking back over the last decade and feeling sad about how much I never got to share with her. And yet, so much of who I am today is a direct result of her guidance, humor and love. She is with me. Every day.

I ended up turning the poem into a picture book about a little girl celebrating all the ways her grandmother influenced her life, even as she processes her grief. It is set at the grandmother’s unveiling ceremony which, in Jewish tradition, occurs around the first Yahrzeit, or anniversary, of a loved one’s passing.

This is a book about honoring those we have lost by remembering the happiness, comfort, and wisdom they brought into our lives. It is about the imprints that the people we love leave upon our hearts long after they are gone.

I can’t wait to share it with all of you in 2026. xoxo

I am super-excited to be part of author and poet Michelle Schaub ‘s POEM SHARE event! Every day in April, on her fabulous blog POETRY BOOST, you will find a video of a poet reading one of their poems. And guess what? Today’s my day! Check me out, reading my poem “Giraffes Are Tall, But That’s Not All,” which was originally published in the Feb. 2023 issue of Countdown Magazine….

The Poughkeepsie Children’s Book Festival in Poughkeepsie, NY is absolutely one of my favorites and I was so happy to attend again this year. I met so many wonderful and engaged young readers as well as teachers and librarians, AND I got to meet and reconnect with fellow author friends to boot! What a joy to spend a day surrounded by fellow book lovers!

Last week, I had the most wonderful time sharing my books with the students of both Wilson Primary Center and Jefferson Primary Center in Summit, NJ.  After reading Whatever Comes Tomorrow, I had the students help me practice some of the ways I’ve learned to manage my worried feelings whenever they come up. And, of course, we talked a bit about my writing life and I was able to read my latest book Write Here, Write Now!  The students were so inquisitive, attentive and kind. I even was able to enjoy lunch with a small group of kids. I enjoyed our chat so much. It was an extra special visit because my oldest son attended Wilson Primary Center for Kindergarten (and he’s now a high school senior!) so it was a surreal full-circle moment for sure! Thank you to the staff and PTOs of both WPC and JPC for a fabulous day!

I had the pleasure of being a guest on author and trauma therapist, Danielle Render Turmaud, PhD ‘s wonderful new podcast You, Me, & The Writing Journey. We talked about why we write, despite the lack of control and unpredictability of this business, and how we navigate our anxieties through it all. I hope you’ll take a listen! Check out Episode 8: “Coping with Anxiety, and Whatever Comes Tomorrow.”