The Weekly 411 (7/10/26)
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| © Hayley Lowe |
July 10, 2026 vol. 28
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 Hayley Lowe.
About the Book: Full of rhythmic read-aloud fun, this Little Golden Book provides a way for children to count their way through a world of imaginary creatures like monsters with spiky hair, dragons with shiny scales, and goblins with knobby knees. With its rhyming text, adorable illustrations packed with items to find and count, plus a surprising ending, this is truly a book that makes storytime fun for the kids being read to and the adults doing the reading.
About the Author: In addition to Counting Creatures and Their Features, Dee is the author of the upcoming Tiny the Mustard Seed and a book TBA, as well as the already published Nature's Lullaby Fills the Night, Dough Knights and Dragons, and Bizz & Buzz Make Honey Buns. She’s had 20 reproducible books published in the educational market, and more than 200 of her articles, word puzzles, poems, plays, and stories have appeared in magazines such as Highlights. She taught at the elementary level, tutored college math, and is a member of SCBWI. To learn more, please visit DeeLeone.com.
About the Illustrator: Kelly Kennedy is an artist, kid lit illustrator and writer of children's books. He is best known for illustrating the best selling Dr. Seuss book Maybe You Should Fly a Jet and is a longtime contributor to Highlights magazines. He's also worked for various Hollywood animation studios like Nickelodeon where he directed and created the award winning short "The Baseball Card Shop." A lifelong Californian, Kelly lives and works in the sleepy little town of Los Angeles. He can be reached at KellyKennedy.com.
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Mac & Cheese by Michael L. Benner, illustrated by Alison Hawkins (Orchard Books) out on July 14. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Mac was a friendly Noodle from Pastaland and rubbed elbows with everyone. But he didn’t have the one thing he wanted most: a friend. So one day, he packs up and goes on an epic journey that takes him across the Sea of Snacks, to the Isle of Candy, through the Desert of Dessert, and beyond Mount Cheddar, until he finds himself in... Quesoland.
In Quesoland, Cheese was king. And while he could be a real crowd-pleaser, he didn't have the one thing he wanted most: a friend. When a mysterious and hilarious newcomer from Pastaland arrives, Cheese wonders if Mac might be who he was looking for all this time.
Join Mac and Cheese in their search for true friendship, told through Michael Benner's hilarious, heartwarming text, and Alison Hawkins' endearing, delightful visuals! Perfect for the youngest readers, this funny and sweet read-aloud will ensure a goud-a time!
About the Author: Michael Benner finds a story in every food pair he sees (and eats)! He loves to write humorous, punny picture books that make kids and adults laugh, and maybe groan a little, too. He lives and writes in Central Texas with his wife, son, and dog (who acts like a cat).
About the Illustrator: Alison Hawkins is an illustrator based in Durham, North Carolina. She started her career as a graphic designer, and went on to work as a product designer, illustrating for apparel, toys, and greeting cards. Some of her clients include American Greetings, Universal Standard, Target, and Discover Durham.
You Have Reached the End: Things to Keep in Mind as You Write Toward the End (Erin Entrada Kelley)
July 30 8 pm ET Query Letter 202 Join agent Adria Goetz in a comprehensive deep dive into query letters. This webinar covers everything querying writers need to consider as they're crafting their query letter, and seeks to help them avoid common pitfalls. In addition to the live webinar, webinar replay, post-show notes and resources, each registrant will receive personalized feedback on their query letter.
Because of this, this is a higher price point than her usual webinars—if you're looking for a lower cost option, you can purchase the recording of Query Letter 101 on her website: www.adriagoetz.com.
Both books look super cute!
ReplyDeleteMy kids love Little Golden books, and the counting book looks like it has lots of vocabulary additions!
ReplyDeleteBoth books look like so much fun. My 2-year-old niece would love them!
ReplyDeleteLittle Golden Books are fun to read. Personified food characters are favorites after reading the Josh Funk books.
ReplyDeleteBoth books look like a lot of fun, with so much to hook kids! Looking forward to reading them!
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