The Weekly 411 (8/29/25)
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| © Colleen Muske |
August 29, 2025 vol. 35
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 Colleen Muske.
Publishing News
How Publishing Has Changed Since 2015
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Tío Ricky Doesn't Speak English no habla inglés, by Maritere R. Bellas, illustrated by Jay Gómez (Lil'Libros), out on Oct. 25. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
About the Book: Knock, knock! Tío Ricky is in town, and he needs his nephew Enrique’s help! He doesn’t speak any English, so his nephew has to translate for him at the store, the post office, and the bank. But speaking Spanish feels like such a chore...until Enrique finds himself in a situation where his bilingual skills become life-saving. Enrique soon discovers that speaking two languages isn’t just helpful—it’s powerful, and it can strengthen family ties in ways he never imagined. It’s a heartwarming story in English and Spanish that shows you don’t need a superhero cape to be a hero!
About the Author: Maritere Bellas is a Puerto Rican award-winning author, speaker, writer, podcast host, radio segment co-host and bilingual parenting mentor who combined her passion for writing and her devotion to motherhood to create a platform of resources for parents raising bilingual, multilingual, multicultural children long before online resources were available. The author of two parenting books published in English and in Spanish, she is now the author of three bilingual children’s books and passionate about writing stories that highlight her Latino culture with universal messages for children from all cultures. She raised two bilingual, multicultural children and lives with her Greek American husband in Southern California.
About the Illustrator: Jayri Gómez is a Dominican illustrator who brings colorful worlds and endearing characters to life in every children’s book she creates. Since she was little, art has been her favorite corner, her safe place. She loves watching horror movies while she works, although her drawings exude tenderness. She lives in Santo Domingo with three cats, Momo, Ginny and Lilo.
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Messi's Magic, by Caroline L. Perry, illustrated by Luciano Lozano (Scholastic) out on Sept. 2. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
Filled with action-packed pictures and never-before-seen detail, it spotlights Lionel "Leo" Messi’s early years and shows how, even when facing loss, loneliness, and setbacks, he never gave up on his goal. Leo’s resilience and big-heartedness on the journey to become the G.O.A.T. are as inspiring as his dazzling style of play. This humble hero has ignited passion in millions and sparked the movement: Messi Mania!
About the Author: Caroline L. Perry is the author of the acclaimed picture book The Corgi and the Queen illustrated by Lydia Corry, as well as several forthcoming books for children. A lifelong soccer fan, a youth soccer coach, and mum to three soccer-obsessed kids (who can frequently be found squabbling over goal stats), Caroline also volunteers as a public-school writing instructor. She lives in Southern California with her family. Learn more at carolinelperry.com.
About the Illustrator: Luciano Lozano is an award-winning author, illustrator, and graphic artist based in Lionel Messi’s adopted city of Barcelona, Spain. Luciano’s picture books include Boys Dance by John Robert Allman, Ciao Sandro! by Steven Varni, and his very own Diana Dances. A self-taught artist who studied creative illustration in a postgraduate course at EINA University School of Design and Art of Barcelona, he also creates editorial
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, The Dog Who Saved the Bees, by Stephanie Gibeault, illustrated by David Hohn (Sleeping Bear Press) out now. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
About the Book: Cybil Preston needs a dog to help her with her work. Cybil is a beehive inspector who works to ensure the health of commercial beehives in Maryland. Hundreds of hives are shipped across the country as farmers need bees to pollinate their crops. But the bees must be healthy to be shipped, and there's a deadly disease, foulbrood, that is highly contagious. If even one infected hive left the state, entire bee populations could be wiped out. Dogs, with their ultrasensitive sense of smell, can sniff out even the tiniest scent of foulbrood in a hive. When Cybil meets Mack, an unruly and lonely dog, she wonders if she has found her canine colleague. Can rambunctious Mack be trained to meet this important challenge?
About the Author: Stephanie Gibeault has loved dogs and nature all her life, so it’s no wonder she’s fascinated by a dog who saves bees. As a certified professional dog trainer and former biologist with a master’s degree in animal behavior, Stephanie has been covered by fur and drool, swarmed by monkeys, and grumbled at by gorillas. Now she writes books for children about animals and science and lives just outside of Toronto, Canada. Learn more at stephaniegibeault.com.
About the Illustrator: David Hohn has an affectionate but respectful relationship with bees. He enjoys a variety of fruits, vegetables, and the sweet taste of honey, but he also vividly remembers a childhood bee sting. David is the illustrator of The River That Wolves Moved: A True Tale from Yellowstone and Headstrong Hallie! The Story of Hallie Morse Daggett, the First Female “Fire Guard.” Learn more about David at davidhohn.com.
Writer's Toolbox: Reading Like a Writer (part 1/2 with Maggie Stiefvater)
How and When to Use Art Notes in Picture Book Manuscripts
Marketing & Creating a Platform
10 Things Your Publicist Wants You to Know
Submission Tracking: The Key to Managing Your Submissions
Demystifying the Submission Process
Tío Ricky is a great book! I love that readers can see that bilingualism is a super power. 💗Feliz_reading
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