Many of you know that I regularly do author interviews monthly for the Picture Book Builders blog, but today I had an opportunity to be a guest blogger on Only Picture Books and had a chance to interview the fabulous Katrina Moore. I think Katrina is one of the most inspiring authors I know. Come find out why…. 🥰

This just in from down under! My poem, “ONE GRAIN OF SAND,” accompanied by a beautiful illustration by Anna Bron, is featured in the March 2025 issue of Countdown Magazine. I don’t know about you, but this girl from NJ can’t wait for summer to arrive in this hemisphere! 

I’m so honored to learn that AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? was chosen for this year’s Michigan Association of School Librarians annual MISelf In Books list!

More about this honor from the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services website: “About 5 years ago, the dynamic selection committee was formed from a group of passionate, certified school librarians with the goal of creating an inclusive list of PreK through 12th grade fiction and nonfiction titles “that are based on books that they see learners reading and enjoying in their libraries.” The list includes books published in the last 2 years and offers PreK-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 sections. Visit this website to see all the lists created since 2020.

This just in! The first professional review for I WILL ALWAYS BE… from Publisher’s Weekly!  Can’t wait to share the book with everyone on April 15th!

My author copies of WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW have finally arrived!!! So excited to get kids excited about all different types and ways of writing so they can discover what feels “right” for them! Illustrated by the super-talented Andrea Boatta & published by Capstone! Avail for preorder NOW & on shelves Jan. 1st!

Whoohoo! LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN is named one of “The Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2024″ by Tablet Magazine! What an honor!

What a whirlwind week I’ve had! First, I had a wonderful opportunity to read LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN to the 3s and 4s classes at Temple Sinai, in Summit, NJ! (The kids were the CUTEST!) and THEN, I visited the famous Books of Wonder children’s bookstore in NYC and got to sign copies of most of my books for them to sell for the holidays, and THEN, I did an event at the Summit Free Public Library where I talked to families about Hanukkah traditions and taught them how to play dreidel! Whew! Here are some pics from the week:

Every day in December, Betsy Bird (Librarian Extrordinaire and book influencer) releases a list on the School Library Journal blog of her favorite books of the year on various themes. It is considered a HUGE honor and the highest form of praise to have a book selected on one of her lists. So when I saw that AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? made an appearance on her Dec. 4 list of  “Transcendent Holiday Picture Books,” calling it: “Far more fun than any Passover picture book has any right to be” I was FLOORED!  She also said: “I want to tip my hat to the marketing genius that was selling this book as, “a rambunctious Passover hide-and-seek story for fans of Where’s Waldo? and The Gingerbread Man.” Guess what? That was ME!!! That’s how I originally pitched the story to my agent, who pitched it to my editor, who bought the book and used it in all the marketing copy! I’m so grateful for this honor. Thanks, Betsy for loving this book!

On Dec. 1, I had the pleasure of celebrating Hanukkah picture books with Books of Wonder and fellow creators Charlotte Offsay, Jane Breskin Zalben, Joyce Schriebman, Sarah Mlynowski and Elissa Brent Weissman! Check out the replay here and listen to me read LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN and hear these other wonderful authors read their amazing books!