3.31.2020: Love, Sophia on the Moon

Dear Mom,

I’m running away and won’t ever come back. From now on I live on the moon. Don’t try to stop me.

Love, Sophia

Mika Song’s and my new picture book, Love, Sophia on the Moon, goes out into the world today, and while it won’t be launched in the usual ways (our book party was canceled, and I won’t be visiting it in stores or going out for a celebratory milkshake), I’m still feeling proud and so grateful.

This epistolary story about anger, imagination, unconditional love, and moonicorns comes straight from my heart—and Mika Song’s beautiful illustrations are utter (and udder) perfection. Booklist called Love, Sophia on the Moon a “lovely, funny, tender story” with “incredibly clever storytelling,” and Kirkus Reviews predicts, “Readers will love it to the moon and back.”

If you’d like to judge the book for yourself, please call your local bookstore (many are offering curbside pickup, local delivery, or shipping) or order it using one of these links: Bookshop | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Target | Indigo | Book Depository (ships worldwide) | BAM. You can also watch and share this video of me reading it. Thanks, as always, for your interest and support.

P.S. The cows say no one gets sick on the mooooooon, so please join us there for moonberry tarts and asteroid tea at half past a comet 💙

11.5.2019: Magic tricks! Mix-ups! Mayhem!

Pick a card, any card…

…and prepare to be amazed by the tricks up Anna’s sleeve in Anna, Banana, and the Magic Show Mix-Up. The eighth book in the Anna, Banana chapter-book series is *waves magic wand* *POOF!* out today in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

What’s it about? Friendship! Magic tricks! Secrets! Surprises! Rivalries! Problem-solving! Party planning! A lop-eared rabbit named Miss Fluffybutt! And, of course, Banana, the best dog ever.

Here’s a summary:

Anna and her friends are putting on a magic show!

When Justin dazzles his classmates with a mysterious, magical card trick, Anna, Sadie, and Isabel are determined to figure out how it’s done. They set out for the best place to find answers—the library!—ready to learn every trick in the book. If they can perfect their acts in time (with Banana’s help, of course), they will put on a show of their own at the neighborhood potluck party.

But the tricks aren’t as easy as they look, even with instructions. And with Anna still determined to figure out Justin’s secret as the big show approaches, things are getting more and more mixed up. Can Anna perform some magic and get the mix-ups under control before—presto—it’s showtime? 

And here’s a peek at chapter three:

I didn’t look at Justin during the science experiments, or pay him any attention during geography, either. But by the time we went outside for recess, my curiosity was so hot, I thought it might boil over. It was finally time to see the trick! 

Sadie, Isabel, and I ran to the merry-go-round. Its flat surface would be good for spreading out playing cards. “Justin! Over here!” Sadie called.

Justin walked up to us and swept one arm through the air dramatically. “Behold!” he said. “Prepare to be shocked and amazed!”

The book is full of magically adorable illustrations by Cassey Kuo. Here are some of my favorites:

If you'd like to purchase a copy (thank you!) please ask for it at your favorite local bookstore, or use one of these retailer links: B&N | Indiebound | Amazon | BAM | Apple Books | Indigo | Target | Book Depository (international) | S&S

Happy reading!

10.9.2018: Can you keep a secret?

Anna, Banana, and the Sleepover Secret is here

The seventh book in the Anna, Banana chapter-book series is out today in paperback and ebook, with the hardcover to follow soon (November 6). What’s it about? A sleepover! Secrets! Truth or Dare! Older sisters! Supersparkly nail polish! Silly surprises! A cat named Mewsic! And Anna, her two best friends, and her dog, Banana, of course.

Here’s a summary:

Anna and her friends love sleepovers...and sharing secrets! So when Anna and Sadie get invited to spend the night at Isabel's house for the first time, they know it's going to be amazing. Make your own pizzas, supersparkly nail polish, and a secret surprise from Sadie are sure to make this the most fun sleepover yet. The only way it would be better is if Anna’s dog, Banana, could come!

But sometimes secrets can go from so fun to no fun. When Isabel's sisters join the game of Truth or Dare, Anna's dare goes horribly wrong. Suddenly the girls are stuck with a huge secret they wish they didn't have to keep.

And here’s a peek at chapter three:

"Is it time for the surprise yet?" I said.

Isabel looked back and forth between us. "What surprise?" she asked. Sadie grinned.

Excitement zipped through me like two squirrels playing chase around a tree. Now I was glad Sadie hadn't told me the secret on the car ride, so I could find out about it at the same time Isabel did.

Sadie opened her backpack, reached deep inside, and took something out. We couldn't see what it was yet because she kept it hidden in her palms. Finally, she lifted one hand with a flourish to reveal the secret thing she held. "Ta-da!" she exclaimed.

This is the first Anna, Banana book featuring illustrations by Cassey Kuo, and I’m absolutely in love with the cuteness, energy, and strong sense of movement in her artwork. Here are two drawings from chapter two:

If you’d like to read the book and find out what the big secret at the sleepover is, please ask for Anna, Banana, and the Sleepover Secret at your local bookstore or library, or follow one of these order links: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | BAM | iBooks | Target | Indigo | Book Depository (international) | S&S. Thanks for your support!