The Weekly 411 (6/20/25)
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| © Cyndi Harvell |
June 20, 2025 vol. 25
The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. We can also be found on Bluesky. This week's illustration is by Cyndi Harvell.
Kid Lit & Publishing News
Turning the Tide on Middle Grade Books
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway for the picture book, Mud to the Rescue! How Animals Use Mud to Thrive and Survive, by Tonya Konerman, illustrated by Melanie Cataldo (Web of Life Children's Books), out now. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
About the Author: Tanya Konerman is a children’s author, writing fiction and nonfiction in prose and verse. She is fascinated by—and in awe of—our natural world, including all the amazing creatures who use mud every day. Mud to the Rescue! is Tanya’s debut picture book. Tanya lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her family. For more information, visit TanyaKonerman.com.
About the Illustrator: Melanie Cataldo is the illustrator of Home by Another Way by Barbara Brown Taylor, Hiding Baby Moses by Judith L. Roth, and The Stranded Whale by Jane Yolen. She lives in Worcester, Massachusetts, with her family. For more information about Melanie and her artwork, visit melcataldo.com.
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Gus Hearts the Bus, by Lindsay Leslie, illustrated by Geeta Ladi (Sleeping Bear Press) out on July 1. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
About the Book: Do you know that feeling when you discover something amazing? Gus has that feeling. When Gus and his family go on an outing and take the city bus for the first time, Gus realizes he HEARTS the bus. And from that moment on, Gus learns everything he can about buses and tries to turn every outing into a bus outing. Finally, Gus gets the chance to ride a bus in The Big City—and to show off what he knows. Gus Hearts the Bus is a story about finding your passion—and jumping on board!
About the Author: Lindsay Leslie HEARTS writing books for kids. She wrote this one based on the many hours spent riding the bus in her hometown of Austin, Texas, with her novelist husband, Ryan Leslie, and two sons, one of which resembles Gus to a tee. She is the award-winning author of Dusk Explorers, illustrated by Ellen Rooney, and So You Want to Build a Library, illustrated by Aviel Basil. Please visit her online at lindsayleslie.com.
About the Illustrator: Geeta Ladi is a passionate picture book illustrator who began her creative journey working with children to address learning challenges in math and science. For over a decade, she designed learning toys, led creativity camps, and used storytelling to simplify complex concepts. These experiences led her to illustrate picture books, including the award-winning My Brain Is Magic by Prasha Sooful. Based in Chennai, India, Geeta loves to travel and draw people and architecture.
Experimenting with Narrative POV in Picture Books
Where is the Kid Lit Community Online?
The Vicious Cycle of Book Publishing
Where to Find an Illustrator for Your Self-Published Children's Book
Both these books look fantastic! I just love the nature theme in Mud to the Rescue and the theme of finding your passion in Gus Hearts the Bus. Both stories are super important for young readers while giving a fun message. I look forward to checking them out!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read and share both of these books. Readers will love reading about animals and mud and will relate to Gus and his love of buses.
ReplyDeleteI'm ready to find my passion with Gus!
ReplyDeleteThese books look great! I especially love the mud book! My kids love the mud!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win a book!
ReplyDeleteBoth books sound wonderful and I can’t wait to read them. Congrats on your publications.
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