Our Story: Women’s Activism through Art

So proud to show them at the Our Story street fair on Clement Street in SF and at Park Life. Thank you Jamie & Derek for making space for my Yellow Girl paintings in your shop.

LA Times Festival of Books

Reading, drawing and signing at the Festival of Books was a wonderfully inspiring and exhausting experience. I was not prepared for the delightful and daunting enormity of the event. As a debut author/illustrator it was a complete shock and honor to be invited...not only did I get to read my book on a very BIG stage, but I was actually given a mic. Which I never need to hear my voice that loud again.

Was of the best things, besides the green room was watching and meeting some of my favorite authors. (Jon Klassen, Mac Barnett, Salina Yoon, Jon Agee, David Shannon...)

So I would be completely remiss if I didn't thank Bloomsbury, Courtney (PR maven) and of course my beloved entourage (daughter & husband) for with support, encouragement and chocolate IV, that was needed to get up on that stage! And most of all thanks to all of those readers and almost readers for coming out, listening and interrupting with gleeful outbursts.

Mr Jones

This is Mr Jones. Mr. Jones is a french bulldog. Guess what he loves about himself?

Next week meet Asa, the rocker chipmunk.

Happy Read Across America week! I have the distinct honor and pleasure of being my daughter's school's guest author. I will be spending the day with over 400 students reading WDYLAY, doing crafts and talking about my limited authorial/illustrative experience.

More love is always better!

To know that kids and adults are connecting with WDYLAY makes me happier than I can describe. I have had the great pleasure to read it at independent book stores, at huge box book stores, at my local library, I will even be spending the day reading at my daughter public elementary school; but to know that people who I will never meet decided to pick up my book and read it to their child brings me to near tears. I am so thankful and truly grateful to everyone who has enjoyed it.

Thank you bloggers

Thank you Domesticando Books (https://domesticandolibros.com). Last night I found my book on this beautiful blog and nowhere else has anyone written about WDYLAY so perfectly.

Domesticando Books writes  "With February come the demonstrations of affection and declarations of love to our friends, family, and life partners. Karen Lechelt provides us with a perfect way to teach our children about self-love. Many of us often ask tirelessly about their love for each other. Why not teach them to love themselves? "

This blog was created for the most beautiful reason to "make known those authors who with their lines and their works have left the world a little better than how they found it." To highlight  "authors who instruct us to cultivate in our children their own identity, promoting the free development of their unique and incomparable personality." To share books which "inspire us to continue to strive always to expand their horizons, to eliminate prejudices, to promote and respect diversity, to stimulate debate, to stimulate creativity, to imbue them with their rights but also with their duties."

I am completely honored (and honestly cried) to have What Do You Love About You? included in this blog's list of books. 

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Thank you Book Nerd Mommy (http://www.booknerdmommy.com/books-about-love/) for including me in your list of Picture Books About Love. Clarissa kindly writes "This is a sweet book that gets children thinking about what they love about themselves.  It celebrates our unique characteristics and the things that make us special." I couldn't have said any better. 

Love in New Jersey

Thank you to all the big and little kids who came to Barnes and Noble in Edison. I felt the love and had so much fun.

You can't take the Jersey out of the girl.

Come join me at Menlo Park Mall in Edison NJ (my home town!) on December 29th at 11am!  I'm gonna read my book What Do You Love About You?, bring some goodies and share lots of smiles. 

Diversity in Picture Books ALA Annual

It makes me so proud that the ALSC Blog includes WDYLAY? in a list of great new diverse picture books.