The Weekly 411 (1/23/26)
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| © SJ Winkler |
Jan. 23, 2026 vol. 4
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 SJ Winkler.
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Plenty of Pancakes, by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Brianne Farley (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers) out on Jan. 27. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Topsy the opossum is preparing a “Welcome Spring!” meal for her bear friend LouAnn, who has been asleep all winter long. She’s brought milk, eggs, berries, and syrup, and soon she has five perfect pancakes, fresh from the pan. But when Topsy’s back is turned—MUNCH! MUNCH! MUNCH!—she discovers someone has eaten all of the pancakes! No problem, she’ll just make more, counting out five at a time. But then, it happens again! Who could the thief be?
Whether it’s squirrels, or crows, or someone else swiping the food, Topsy knows she doesn’t have much time left before hungry LouAnn wakes up. And it will take the help of all her animal friends to get the feast done in time. Can they make enough pancakes to feed everyone?
About the Author: Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven: A Book About Sharing; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School; Pigs Dig a Road; and Touch a Truck Day, a lift-the-flap board book. She lives in the Boston area. Visit her at www.carriefinison.com, or follow on social media @CarrieFinison.
About the Illustrator: Brianne Farley (she/her) is an author and illustrator of picture books. Her debut, Ike's Incredible Ink, was awarded the Marion Vannett Ridgway Book Award Honor for debut authors and was selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. She also illustrates the picture book series Charlotte the Scientist is Squished by Camille Andros, which was a Portland Best Book, a Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award, and was on the LITA Notable List. She received her MFA in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design before working as a designer for Random House Books for Young Readers and Schwartz & Wade Books in New York. She now lives in Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, son, and dog.
Picture Books / Mentor Programs
2026 PB Rising Stars Mentor Announcement
PB Rising Stars is thrilled to present the mentors for the fifth and FINAL year of PB Rising Stars. This FREE mentorship is available to both un-agented and agented authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators without traditional, agent-repped book deals.
PB Rising Stars pairs mentees with published mentors to improve craft and give a hand up the turbulent publishing ladder. For their FINAL year of mentorship, PB Rising Stars is announcing 40 incredible mentors for 2026! Check out the full video here:
Read more about each mentor and find wish lists here.
Applications will open on the PB Rising Stars website February 27th through March 13th. In order to help applicants, the leadership team will be hosting a virtual application prep party on Thursday, February 12th at 8:00 PM Eastern time, via zoom. Register HERE to get guidance on building the strongest application possible.
They will also be hosting a full blog week to “meet the mentors” on their website, February 1st through 8th. This will include detailed information on what each mentor is looking for. You can follow that HERE. You can also follow along on Instagram or Bluesky for individual mentor features.
Finally, be sure to subscribe to the PB Rising Stars newsletter. They will send out reminders and details each week, so you’ll never miss an opportunity. This is the LAST year of PB Rising Stars, so don’t miss your chance to apply!
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How Often to Follow Up With a Literary Agent
WOW!! Our fifth and final year! And look at those mentors!! Thank you so much for hosting our big mentor announcement again this year! We are grateful for your partnership and everything you do to support our program + kidlit creators!!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for Plenty of Pancakes! Her books are always a masterclass for me when crafting my own stories
ReplyDeleteI love the pancake book! If it weren't so cold, I'd go out for some now!
ReplyDeleteWho does absolutely wait for a plate of pancakes?
ReplyDeletePlenty of Pancakes looks adorable. Congratulations to Carrie!
ReplyDeleteSo excited for the 40 lucky mentees who will become part of the PB Rising Stars family this year. Good luck!