Just For Kids
Just For Kids dated 2016-08-05 20:03:54
This is my nephew Trevor in his kindergarten school photo. Have you ever felt like this?
Here's a sketch of the main characters in my upcoming chapter book series: Crud and Ick. I've also included a sneak peek at one of the covers.
Here's a picture of Bodhi, a popular TV character in China, holding two of the books I wrote about him! Exploring NYC with some kid friends
Watch a clip of me and some kid friends exploring
New York City.
Just For Kids dated 2015-01-21 09:10:18
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
This book is WONDER-ful! The main character is born with a face deformity. As a result he has been home-schooled until now—the beginning of junior high. Will the kids at his new school accept a boy who looks so different?
When I was seven years old, I was in a terrible farming accident. The right side of my face was shredded. I had to go through ten years of plastic surgery to fix my face. Throughout that time, people did not respond well when they saw me. Some even screamed. One threw up! So, I could relate to the main character and how he tried to fit in at his new school.
Monsters Eat Whiny Children by Bruce Eric KaplanThere is nothing I like better than a funny picture book. And this one is hilarious! When two whiny children get stolen by a monster, their whining is the only thing that might save them from becoming the monster’s next meal.
The Odd Squad by Michael FryNerdy Nick, freakishly tall Molly, and hopelessly clueless Karl add up to a hilarious read. This is one of the funniest books I have read this year. Maybe ever!
Last Stop on Market Street
by Matt de la Peña
Now this is what a picture book should be! The beautifully-written and poignant text by Matt de la Pena and the evocative illustrations by Christian Robinson (which remind me of my great love for Ezra Jack Keats' art) capture a world few picture books enter (but should).
Just For Kids dated 2017-11-20 12:20:30
The research for my books takes me to some interesting places. Here I am at the Botanical Gardens of New York City. The very stinky and rare corpse flower blooms for only 24-36 hours and this one hasn't bloomed for decades. I feature this plant in my upcoming book NINJA PLANTS: SURVIVAL AND ADAPTATION IN THE PLANT WORLD. 
Here I am at a photo shoot for the book jacket!
And here I am at the Wolf's Lair in Poland. This was Hitler's main bunker and hideout during World War II. This is for my book called HITLER'S TASTE-TESTER, based on the true story of a girl forced to be one of Hitler's taste-testers during the war. She was the only taste-tester to survive, thanks in part to a daring escape she made when the Russians were approaching.
