It’s been a minute, readers! I’ve had a very intense year of teaching and not a lot of time for writing, but I’m participating in Tara Lazar’s STORYSTORM again this January which has me renewing my efforts at writing. Part of my discipline as a picture book author is a focus on reading and reviewing current books. It was wonderful to spend an afternoon of this winter break with five inspiring books from the last year or so. I pulled them off the shelves fairly randomly, but as it happens, they all have a bit of a thread in common– non human/non sentient characters! From a cactus, to a chair to a broken cup, each book involves a relationship with something that’s very special to the main character, but not your standard picture book hero. Come with me and learn more!
Title: The Little Red Chair
Author: Cathy Stefanec Ogren
Illustrator: Alexandra Thompson
Publisher/Date: Sleeping Bear press (August 1, 2024)
The “gist”: A small red chair in an antique shop is thrilled when a little girl takes it home and loves it, but what about when the little girl grows up and is too big for it?
My favorite part: The personification of the chair here is really charming– the legs make it almost like a dog (think of the ottoman in “Beauty and the Beast”) and its joy when the little girl comes home from school is palpable.
My response as a reader: I love that this book was based on an actual chair and there’s a photo of it in the back matter! We all have favorite pieces of furniture and it’s great to see that honored in a book!
My “take-away” as a writer: This book has a little bit of the old school fairy tale feel in bringing an inanimate object to life. It’s a great mental exercise to think about what other “ordinary” objects in our lives might just be waiting for a picture book treatment!
Title: Nobody Hugs a Cactus
Author/Illustrator: Carter Goodrich
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster BYR (April 16, 2019)
The “gist”: Hank, the grumpy cactus, just wants all the passers-by to leave him alone…until they actually do.
My favorite part: I love when Hank gets a coffee cup stuck to his head and is unable to remove it. It’s a nice reminder that occasionally we all need help.
My response as a reader: This book reminds me a lot of Jeremy Tankard’s “Grumpy Bird” — a favorite of my boys when they were young. Being grumpy all the time is hard work, and sometimes you do need to let down your guard and be willing to give and get love.
My “take-away” as a writer: With a word count just over 500, this book accomplishes a lot in a short time and is a great mentor text for brevity and plot development– each spread has just 1-2 sentences and very clear page turn actions. I find works that are author-illustrated often do a better job at conserving words since the story can be very visual, but keeping those page-turns in mind is crucial!
Title: Broken
Author/Illustrator: X. Fang
Publisher/Date: Tundra Books (October 14, 2025)
The “gist”: When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her Ama’s favorite cup, she is so overwhelmed with guilt and fear over Ama’s reaction she hides in the closet.
My favorite part: The cat Mimi doesn’t have to say a word to serve as a “Tell Tale Heart” style catalyst for Mei Mei’s guilt. Her illustrated expressions are perfect.
My response as a reader: I think everyone can identify with Mei Mei’s fear at her Ama’s reaction. We’ve all been there. I grouped this book with the others that have inanimate charactes because for Mei Mei this cup is so treasured, it truly is another character in the book.
My “take-away” as a writer: I think most readers (adult ones, anyway) can predict the ending here, but Fang does a great job building the tension so that the progression of Mei Mei’s anxiety really works.
Title: Norman and the Smell of Adventure
Author/Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins
Publisher/Date: Disney Hyperion( July 1, 2025)
The “gist”: Norman is a porcupine, and his best friend is Mildred, a tree. They usually do a lot together, but when Norman decides he wants more, he takes off without her.
My favorite part: I love the wordplay of Norman telling the cactus Sally that she has some “good points.” Of course it’s even funnier that Norman himself is a porcupine so his befriending a cactus is pretty clever.
My response as a reader: I’m a long time fan of Ryan T. Higgins, who lives in the next town over. He is not only an amazing artist, but has a great sense of humor and character building.
My “take-away” as a writer: I’ll never be an artist like Ryan, but we can all learn something from his character creation. One aspect of this book that inspired me was his friend Mildred…who says nothing. In fact, neither does his friend the cactus, Sally. Ryan could have chosen to make both of these characters speak, but it is far more effective for their (supposed) responses to come from Norman’s interpretation.
Title: Zombie & Brain are Friends
Author: Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic
Illustrator: Laan Cham
Publisher/Date: Bloomsbury Children’s Books (September 2, 2025)
The “gist”: Zeb and his family are zombie farmers who produce brains…but then Zeb decides he wants to keep one of the adorable squishy brains as a pet.
My favorite part: I love that Zeb’s family finally accepted his love for Brian and even wanted to make him a snack.
My response as a reader: There are lots of fun brain puns and the illustrations are pretty adorable (just how did Laan Cham manage to make a squishy brain look cute, anyway??). The zombie is also adorable. How is that possible?
My “take-away” as a writer: This book has an interesting juxtaposition of two-page spreads with almost no words, and pages with one illustration and short paragraphs. It’s slightly more wordy as picture books go, but the plot holds your attention and still has plenty of room for the artist to help tell the story.
Schreibenfreude 