Oct. 24, 2025 vol. 44
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 Nancy So Miller.
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Tic, Tac, and Toe, by Sheri Dillard, illustrated by Charlie Alder (Reycraft Books), out on Nov. 4. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Tic, Tac, and Toe are always three in a row. Whether climbing a tree or sipping tea, they are the best of friends until one day when they find a bike made for two. What will this trio do?About the Author: Sheri Dillard is a children’s author and preschool teacher/librarian, and she hosts regular storytimes at her local indie bookstore. She is the author of several picture books, including another game-inspired one, Cowhide-and-Seek. Sheri lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Mark, and has three sons who are always (mostly) happy to join her for a board game or two.
About the Illustrator: Charlie Alder has written and illustrated many books for children, including Daredevil Duck and Chicken Break! She lives in Devon, England, with her husband and son. When not drawing chickens, Charlie can be found in her studio drinking coffee, arranging her crayons, and inventing more accidental animal heroes.
Tic, Tac, and Toe giveaway
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, The Zombees, by Justin Colón, illustrated by Kaly Quarles (Simon & Schuster BFYR). Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: A swarm of zombie bees invades an unsuspecting town on Halloween night in this delightfully spooky picture book from the author of The Quacken—perfect for fans of Creepy Carrots and Los Gatos Black on Halloween. What’s that creepy buzzing sound coming from the graveyard ground ZOMBEES! When these undead insects invade, they send everyone fleeing in fright. Are they hunting for a snack? Do they like the taste of veins? Have they come to eat your brains?! Find out in this rhyming Halloween tale with an unexpected twist!
About the Author: Justin Colón is a NY-based children's book author. His debut picture book, The Quacken, was a Kid's Indie Next Pick and has been nominated for state and international lists in British Colombia, Canada, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah. His other picture books include Impossible Possums, Impossible Possum for Mayor, The Zombees, and Vampurr (2026). In his other life, Justin is a professional on-camera/voice actor with SAG-AFTRA, classical pianist-in-training, and backyard beekeeper. Though his bees sometimes frighten the neighbors, they’ve never tried to eat their brains—something Justin takes great pride in. He lives in New York, but you can visit him at JustinColonBooks.com.
About the Illustrator: Kaly Quarles studied interior design and worked in architecture before landing in illustration. Her love for historic shopfronts, Victoriana, and vintage ephemera runs deep. When Kaly isn’t drawing with a cat in her lap, she’s hunting for obscure antiques, watching or reading historical fiction, or hosting one-woman pastry-eating contests.
The Zombees giveaway
Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET Ya Got To Have Heart . . . in Picture Books (with Julie Hedlund) It’s not the plot, the setting, the subject, or even the character(s). Its heart: the deepest layer that creates connection, meaning, and transformation for both child and adult readers. In this advanced craft webinar, we’ll explore the four dimensions of heart (character, relationship, universal, and reader) that editors and agents expect in today’s picture book market. Using recent picture books as examples, we’ll break down precisely how to incorporate heart in every part of your manuscript.
Dec. 5, 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Writing and Revising: Exercises to Unlock Creativity and Push Through Creative Blocks Do you get stuck at the beginning of a project (too many ideas, loss of focus, fear of the blank page) or in the middle and end (procrastination, plot wanders in the muddy middle, spinning wheels)? Join middle grade author Sylvia Liu as she shares practical exercises and tips to unlock creativity at the start of a project and push through blocks during the writing and revision process.
Tic, Tac, Toe could not be cuter! Storytime winner!
ReplyDeleteSorry - I am NOT anonymous!
DeleteBoth of these sound like amazing reads!
ReplyDeleteThe books look great!
ReplyDeleteSo excited about Zombees!! I've heard some really awesome things about this book!
ReplyDelete