Search Results

Welcome to our new writing prompt series, Inspired by Illustrations! Here at Little Thoughts Press, we want to shine a spotlight on some of the amazing artwork we have featured in our issues over the years, and celebrate the talented illustrators and artists who have shared their work with our readers. We hope that our Inspired by Illustrations series will spark new poem and stories ideas for writers of all ages and encourage you to share your drafts, brainstorms, or reactions to the featured artwork in the comments below. If you are inspired to craft a piece and wish to share it on social media, or a personal blog or website, we ask that you please include a link to our blog post and tag Little Thoughts Press and the artist whenever possible so that we can help spread the word and shout-out our talented contributors. To kick off this new series, we have an illustration by Valéry Goulet that originally appeared in our Autumnatopoeia issue . Valéry Goulet grew up in Québec. That’s where she first fell in love with illustration. Dreaming up worlds as a child turned into academic ambition as an adult. She studied at Université Laval and earned a Masters in Interaction Design. She’s worked with global brands and agencies. And her illustrations have garnered attention far and wide. When she’s not illustrating, she’s teaching. Valéry instructs for the Visual Communication Design Program at the University of Alberta. She also teaches in the Bachelor of Design program at MacEwan University. By inspiring others, she connects with the spirit of creativity that fueled her dreams as a child. Find Valéry's portfolio at https://www.valerydesignwrks.ca/ .

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's “From Trash to Treasure” Kidlit Poetry Contest! It was so fun to read the stories behind this year's entries and see everyone's creativity on display. We are thrilled to announce our WINNER... TRACIE RENEE Kale Chips and Pickled Beets   Parents aren’t supposed to lie but    tonight Mom said, This is really good!   and I can’t decide what’s worse:    Mom telling that lie...   or believing that’s the truth?!    Congratulations, Tracie! "Kale Chips and Pickled Beets" is humorous and oh so relatable! We gobbled it up! As our kid judge put it, the line This is really good! "is exactly what moms say and it's hardly ever true." Kudos to this winning poem for finding that perfect balance of kid and adult appeal! There was such an inspiring blend of humor and heart in this year's entries. It wasn't easy to choose our favorites but please join us in congratulating our two HONORABLE MENTIONS... JULIE HAUSWIRTH "Mermaids aren't REAL," Carlie said, but the river disagreed in every shade of turquoise and tossed shimmers of glittery silt into a swirling kaleidoscope of sunbeams... or was that the flick of a tail? We love the beautiful descriptions of the river that add to the sense of magic in this poem and the little mysterious twist at the end is a delight. KELLY Boogie Monster Trap    With sticks and string, bucket of water, squirt of soap, the mop, hat rack, and Dad’s overcoat, I set the trap, then went to bed— SNAP! CRASH! Surprise! Caught Mom instead. How fun to try to picture this monster trap fully constructed and to be able to see the ending coming even if Mom doesn't! My seven-year-old represented young readers by selecting his favorite. The winner of our KID CHOICE is... BABY CHICKADEE I am a baby chickadee My wings are black my body sleek and as I call, I chirp and squeak.  I store my seeds and tons of it.  Is that too much? No not a bit! Ben, on why he chose Baby Chickadee: "I love anything with animals and the ending where the chickadee says 'Is that too much? No not a bit!' is so cute and funny." Congratulations to the author of Baby Chickadee. There was no name posted with this poem, so please shout out in the comments if you wrote this one so we can update this post and properly congratulate you. Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to all of the poets who participated this year! We loved seeing the treasures you created and we hope you'll join in when we do this again next year! In the meantime, our Go Wild! issue launches on Wednesday, November 20th. Order a print copy , or check out our issues page on Wednesday for a link to a free PDF of the issue. We are also hosting a Kid-Lit Celebration on Sunday, December 1st from 2–4 pm (EST) featuring readings from our contributors, prizes & announcements for the year ahead. This event is virtual and free to attend, but registration is required.

Little Thoughts Press and the Revision Raccoon are excited to announce the return of our “From Trash to Treasure” Kidlit Poetry Contest! Rather than throw out our darlings, what if we remade them? Take a discarded darling and make something new! Send us a lyrical haiku, funny limerick, inspiring quintains, creative free verse, or whatever your imagination dreams up. What: Take a discarded-but-loved line from one of your kidlit pieces and use it as a starting point for a poem. Be it fiction or nonfiction, funny or a little dark, quirky or inspirational – whatever direction you go, the work should be appropriate for kids 12 and younger. LGTBQT+ and diverse themes are welcome. The first line of your new poem must be a line that you previously cut from a different piece. We're working on the honor system here! Please do not submit a poem that doesn't include a previously discarded line. Who: Agented, pre-agented, published, pre-published, kids of all ages— any and all kidlit creatives are welcome to enter! When: The contest submission period is from November 10th - 13th . A winner, two honorable mentions and a kid's choice winner (selected by our EIC's 7-year-old) will be announced here, on the Little Thoughts Press blog, and on our social media sites on Monday, November 18th! Selected poems will be featured on the blog and the winner will receive a free copy of their choice of one our magazine issues . Winning entries will be selected by Little Thoughts Press editors, Claire and Carrie. How to enter: Post your entry as a comment on this post anytime between November 10th and November 13th. Comments will be closed on this post except for during the contest window. Details: There is no word limit, BUT there is a maximum length of five lines per piece. 1 entry per kidlit creator. Feel free to include a sentence or two about the reason this is a “darling” and the inspiration behind the reimagining of it. Grab your copy of our Revision Raccoon participant badge and help spread the word by sharing #trashtotreasure24 on your socials! We can't wait to see how you turn your trash into shiny new treasures! Need some inspiration? Check out last year's entries and winners !

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Eight: Pride with a sneak peek of "Be You" by Tracie Renee. Tracie Renee is a mom, a poet, a youth services librarian, and a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly . She lives, works, and dreams (mostly of publishing a full-length book) roundabouts Chicago. Her words have been nominated for the Best of the Net and won the Grand Prize in poetry from TallGrass Writers Guild/Outrider Press three times. Find Tracie's kid-friendly poems online at The Dirigible Balloon. Little Thoughts Press: Your poem, "Be You," is a lovely, affirming piece that reminds kids that labels don’t define them. The concluding stanza includes this gem, “folks who see life as just black and white…miss the rainbow’s pot of gold.” Kids need to know not only the challenges but also the rewarding joy—that pot of gold—that comes with being themselves. What recent picture books and middle-grade books would you recommend that do a good job on this theme?   Tracie Renee: This is a hard question to answer because there are so many fantastic, new books that celebrate diversity and encourage kids to be their authentic selves. My answer is solely based on the small slice of the literary pie that I've personally read, and this list is certainly not definitive. ​That said, I've recently loved these picture books: LOVE, VIOLET by Charlotte Sullivan Wild (a gentle story of LGBTQIA+ positive grade school crushes), URSULA UPSIDE-DOWN by Corey Tabor (a sweetly funny homage to being yourself), WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU by James Catchpole (a welcoming look at limb differences); and these middle-grade novels: CRUSHING IT by Erin Becker (soccer +  LGBTQIA+ first love), THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG by Mary Averling (LGBTQIA+ representation wrapped up in a nail-biting horror fantasy), GOOD DIFFERENT by Meg Eden Kuyatt (a novel-in-verse that celebrates neurodiversity), NOT QUITE A GHOST by Anne Ursu (chronic illness representation) and SLOUCH by Christina Wyman ("your body is your own" awareness).  Little Thoughts Press: As a poet,   youth librarian, and a book reviewer with Publisher’s Weekly, you’re living the dream for a lot of us in the kidlit community! A little bird (Twitter) also told us you’ve written a middle-grade novel in verse. Do you ever need a break from books? What do you do to avoid feeling burnt out and to refill your creative battery? Tracie Renee: Yes, breaks are important for recharging! Sometimes I go through "reading slumps" where I'm just not in the mood to read anything, and sometimes I go through periods of burnout where I want to read but lack the focus to get through a printed novel. In those times, I reach for different formats—short poems or short stories that I can digest in nibbles, audiobooks and graphic novels. I've also found that balancing the "mental exercise" of reading and writing with actual physical exercise really helps me maintain creative momentum. Every day, I make time to go for a walk, a run, or a swim. (I am equally terrible at all three of those; but the older I get, the more I realize that it doesn't matter how "good" you are at something. The point is how that thing makes you feel; and for me, connecting with my body settles my mind for stories.)​ Little Thoughts Press: Issue 8: Pride is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Are they any LGBTQ+ organizations or programs that you would like to shout out, either that you work with directly, or whose work and contributions you'd like to draw more attention to? Tracie Renee: I'm fortunate to live in a community that embraces diversity, and I've volunteered with a parents' group that gives out free LGBTQIA+ books at local events. This past June, I donated ten copies of Issue 8 to hand out at a local Pride festival. In the past, I've served on my library's DEI committee. Currently, I serve on the DEI committee of a Buddhist temple that's been my spiritual home for the last couple years. These groups are small and very local, but I love how they are making safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community at the ground level. I love being part of that. Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Tracie Renee: Writing always felt like breathing to me, like something I did without really knowing why and couldn't stop doing even if I wanted to. My work as a librarian brought me to kid-lit; I drafted my first teen novel after being immersed in children's literature as both a Youth Services Librarian in a public library and a Media Center assistant in a middle school (for a long while, I worked multiple jobs at the same time to make ends meet). Unfortunately, I shelved those dreams for a full decade while I got married, bought a house, and became a mom. It wasn't until July 2023—when I got hit by an SUV while walking my dog and we both survived—that I realized that dreams don't wait, and it was time to make time to chase mine. Kid-lit is what made me a reader; what's most rewarding about writing for kids is knowing that someday my poems and stories might inspire a young person to tell their own truth. What's most challenging is the market, because I have absolutely no control over that and my middle-grade novel-in-verse is proving a hard sell due to shifting trends in the literary landscape. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Tracie Renee: Hands down, my favorite was The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, the original chapter book series from the 80s and 90s. Those girls felt like my friends and helped me learn about hard things—grief, eating disorders, autism, divorce, chronic illness—in gentle ways. Once a month, my mom would take me to the mall bookstore and I'd use my allowance to buy the newest BSC release. I loved the series so much that these books moved with me six times—and survived one house fire AND two basement floods. When I realized that my son just wasn't interested in reading them, I gave the entire giant plastic bin of books (with the exception of Logan Likes Mary Anne , because that was my favorite favorite) to a passionate young reader I met through my library work, who seemed ready to love them as much as I do. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Tracie Renee: Uh, all of them?! Specifically, Christina Wyman is doing some really brave, important work in the tween space. I tip my hat to Michael Leali, Rob Sanders, Margarita Engle, Joanne Rossmassler Fritz, Laura Cooney, and Ally Malinenko—all of them are genuinely kind people in addition to being amazingly talented​. And keep an eye out for my brilliant critique partners, Jessica Milo and Stacey Ramirez—their stories are phenomenal, and young readers are going to love them! Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Tracie Renee: In life: take good notes, because it's all part of your story. In writing: take chances (write in a different genre or format; enter that contest you don't think you'll win; sign up for the open mic that terrifies you), because you never know what these experiences will teach you—and then you'll have even more to write about.​ Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Tracie Renee: I'm rounding the corner of my first year of writing seriously, but I'm excited to share that—first and foremost—I'm still writing (even when it's hard; even when I'm "too busy;" even when my inbox is full of sad news)! AND ​my middle-grade novel-in-verse manuscript was a finalist in Authored's 2024 Rising Talent competition. This fall, I've got forthcoming work in East on Central, the Dirigible Balloon, a Poetry Pea haiku anthology, and Frazzled Lit Magazine. (I also have a giant spreadsheet of passes and rejections, because that's how publishing works!)

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Seven: Fabulous Facts with a sneak peek of "The Drive to Outer Space" by Catherine Olver. Catherine Olver is a writer and researcher with a PhD in children’s literature from the University of Cambridge. She is excited by the ways poetry can help children and adults participate in their environments with sensitivity and joy. Her poems for children have appeared in magazines like Tyger Tyger, Northern Gravy, and the Autumnatopoeia issue of Little Thoughts Press. Whether in real life or on social media, she’s always walking on the wild side in @the_wordwoods. Little Thoughts Press: We’ve all had the misery of having a “violent cold,” to borrow a phrase from Jane Austen. However, your piece “Goblin Snot” is a rollicking good time to read. What inspired this story of funky clowns versus gunky goblins? Catherine Olver: I was surprised and inspired when my girlfriend, who is doctor, mentioned that cells producing mucus (including snot) are called "goblet cells"—weird! The word "goblet" usually means a fancy ruby-studded silver cup that knights or queens drink from in fantasy stories. Once I was imagining little goblets in our bodies, I started wondering: what other fantasy characters would come with them? The similar sounds of "goblet" and "goblin" led to my gunky goblin metaphor for viruses, and the homophone of "cilia" and "sillier" opened the door to my funky clowns. Little Thoughts Press: You seem passionate about science and the serious issues that face our planet, yet you write with kid-friendly humor. Tell us a little bit about the secret behind how you make complex or challenging topics appealing and accessible to children. Catherine Olver: When kids first do creative writing, they get taught to sprinkle metaphors and similes into their poems and stories like glitter, to add sparkle. But if you read more poetry, and fantasy and science fiction stories, metaphors and similes are so much more than a bit of added glitter: metaphorical comparisons are one of the main ways writing helps readers understand complicated topics. Whether I’m reimagining and explaining the confusing science of the immune system via funny goblins in "Goblin Snot" or sadly seeing the Earth’s pollution-damaged atmosphere “like a bruised blue apple-skin” in "The Drive to Outer Space," I hope my metaphors and similes will help you understand a challenging topic mentally and emotionally. Little Thoughts Press:  In honor of Issue 7's theme, Fabulous Facts, tell us one fabulous fact about yourself. Catherine Olver: You know how lots of people are afraid of heights? I LOVE heights! They make me feel wild and windswept and happy and free. I gave some of that love to the main character in "The Drive to Outer Space"—a journey I would definitely take if I could a) fly without polluting our atmosphere, and b) manipulate gravity… Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Catherine Olver: I was always writing, as a child and a teen, for readers my age. It wasn’t until I was 21 and doing a Masters in Creative Writing, trying to find a voice as a poet “for adults”, that I realised I was more interested in keeping writing poems for children and teens. It’s challenging to write truthfully about vital topics like environmental crisis and LGBTQ+ experiences within the boundaries of what some other adults narrowly consider "hopeful enough" or "suitable" for children, but it’s very rewarding to be given permission by child readers to be as wildly imaginative as I’d like. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Catherine Olver: As you may have guessed, I was an avid fantasy reader, so my favourite books for under-11s were by J.K. Rowling (obviously), by Diana Wynne Jones (especially The Lives of Christopher Chant), and by Philip Pullman (especially Northern Lights, though my librarian told me I was too young to read it when I was 9 so I saved up for my own copy…). Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Catherine Olver: More than I can name. Some recent favourites that can help us imagine a greener future are Greenwild: The World Beyond the Door by Pari Thomson, Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (I am a dedicated fan of all her work), Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan and The Ice Children by M.G. Leonard. You can find my eco-reviews of them here, but read these reviews after the books to get you thinking about their themes, instead of before, because they include some big spoilers. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Catherine Olver: Metaphors and similes are more than glitter. Choose each one carefully to fit in with the setting and mood of your poem/story. If it’s a mysterious poem set on the moon, "as fast as a leopard" seems random and so comes across funny, ruining the mood. You could try something like "as fast as a meteor" or "as swift as the spin of the Earth" to communicate that speed and keep your readers picturing space as seen from the mysterious moon. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Catherine Olver: I’m very excited about this summer’s PaperBound magazine on the theme of Elements, which will include an air-themed poem of mine called "when i need a calm space, i am one" and a not-at-all calm, fiery, dramatic ballad called ‘The Flame-Crossed Lovers." The magazine can be downloaded for free here: https://paperboundmag.com/issues/

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Seven: Fabulous Facts with a sneak peek of "Nature's Partnerships" by Bri Lawyer. Bri Lawyer developed her craft by being a member of SCBWI and Storyteller Academy while attending writing conferences and classes, including Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab. She has poems published in the Dirigible Balloon and Little Thoughts Press magazines. Bri is a 2024 PBParty finalist and Round Table Mentee. Her work has received recognition in numerous writing contests. She keeps an active online presence in the KidLit community through Twitter and participates in two critique groups. Before writing, Bri earned her Master of Education and taught third grade for seven years. Little Thoughts Press: Fabulous Facts is a celebration of nonfiction writing. How were you bitten by the nonfiction bug in the first place and how has exploring this genre changed your writing path? Bri Lawyer: I find it funny that I’m answering this question because not too long ago, I never considered writing nonfiction. The 2023 SunWriteFun writing competition challenged me to explore writing nonfiction, but even then, I wrote an informational fiction piece. My poem, "Nature’s Partnerships," that I submitted to Little Thoughts Press was the first nonfiction piece I ever wrote. I have since written more because I found that I love presenting facts to children in fun ways! Little Thoughts Press: What is your favorite line from a nonfiction picture book? What about it speaks to you? Bri Lawyer: To be honest, I haven’t read many nonfiction picture books. I mostly stuck to fiction before and recently ventured into informational fiction. Now that I have discovered I like writing nonfiction, this will change! So instead, for now, can I share one of my favorite informational picture book lines? In Except Antarctica, by Todd Sturgell, the narrator says, “Turtles are found on every continent except Antarctica.” The turtle responds, “Hmph, we’ll see about that.” My children and I loved learning facts while adventuring to Antarctica with this silly stubborn turtle! Little Thoughts Press:  In honor of Issue 7's theme, Fabulous Facts, tell us one fabulous fact about yourself. Bri Lawyer: I lived in Japan for three years! Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Bri Lawyer: I started writing kidlit about four years ago when I quit teaching to be a stay-at-home mom after my second child was born. Reading picture books to my children sparked my love of them. The most challenging parts are the rejections and the waiting. The most rewarding thing is the amount of friends I’ve made on this journey. Kidlit creators are the friendliest people! Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Bri Lawyer: Growing up my favorites were Goosebumps, by R.L. Stine and Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Bri Lawyer: Too many good ones to shout them all out, but Ross Burach, Jan Thomas, Mo Willems, and Ame Dyckman are definitely at the top! Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Bri Lawyer: Don’t give up. You get better with every story you write. Find great critique partners. They are invaluable. Invest in your craft. Don’t let rejections get you down. Perseverance is key! Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Bri Lawyer: I wish I had upcoming publications or great news to share, but not yet. Hopefully soon!

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Seven: Fabulous Facts with a sneak peek of Brian U. Garrison's literary limericks. When Brian U. Garrison is not writing limericks, you can find him in Portland, Oregon, wishing he were writing limericks. When he is writing limericks, don’t bother him, okay? Sheesh. More online at www.bugthewriter.com. Little Thoughts Press: To quote you about you: “I have poetry, true stories, made-up stories, nonsense stories, rhyming stories, animal stories, human stories, and a bunch of ideas that are still hazy around the edges.” That is quite the range! Have you seen any common thread(s) in your work? Brian U. Garrison: Imaginative writing is where I thrive. The genres of science fiction and fantasy call to me the most. I like to be playful with what's possible, whether that's making up new words, meeting fantastic characters, or working with unbelievable technology. Of course, I also like to anchor in reality and nonfiction with my writing. Sometimes people say that science fiction is escapist. It is seen as a way to ignore the real world, but I see science nonfiction and science fiction as two perspectives that help us see the boundary between real and unreal. As I try to gain some understanding of the question, "What is life?" I think it's important to explore many angles and ideas. So maybe one of the common threads in my work is curiosity. Little Thoughts Press: Can you describe the particular kids you hope to reach with your stories? Brian U. Garrison: I am interested in a wide range of topics, so I hope my stories make it to kids who are interested in learning more. I hope each reader can walk away with something new whether it's their first time reading about Ann and Jane Taylor or whether they have written a book about Ann and Jane Taylor! I don't need everyone to love the same topics I do, but perhaps when I write about poets, dwarf planets, brains, music, ecology, or societal expectations, I hope my work inspires them to read more. Reading deeply on a topic provides expertise. Reading widely provides perspective. I hope my readers can then take knowledge and do something exciting with it out in the world. Little Thoughts Press: You recently published a collection of micropoetry, Micropoetry for Microplanets, and your poems featured in Fabulous Facts are all short limericks. What draws you to these bite-size poems and what do you think poets gain from working within the constraints of form and brevity? Brian U. Garrison: Time is precious. Why use 11 words when 10 will do? I like the challenge of saying something meaningful without squishing the reader with my steamroller of words. Writing short poetry is to accept that each reader will arrive with thoughts of their own, and each reader will take my words somewhere different. I have to accept that I don't have every answer. Little Thoughts Press:  In honor of Issue 7's theme, Fabulous Facts, tell us one fabulous fact about yourself. Brian U. Garrison: One year my friend and I created our high school's unofficial chess club. This mostly meant he and I would spend lunch in the English teacher's classroom. The Turkish exchange student joined a few times. I usually lost. Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Brian U. Garrison: I branched into kid-lit writing while spending time in a Head Start classroom. I took an AmeriCorps job where I got to hang out and build literacy and pre-literacy skills. That's a long-winded way to say I read picture books to preschoolers. One of my favorite things about kid-lit is the artistic collaboration. Children's writing really encourages the interaction between words and visual art. To create something amazing, I am dependent on the expertise of other people. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Brian U. Garrison: I still have the tattered Shel Silverstein poetry books that my siblings and I read over and over when we were younger. The songs from Bread and Jam for Frances still echo in my mind. I think we wore out the cassette tape of A Pocket for Corduroy. I remember my first time seeing the fold-outs of Papa Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. There's an alternate universe out there where I'm entirely obsessed with pop-up books because of that. Unfortunately, this is not that universe. But I do have a love for artistic collaborations and unique creations. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Brian U. Garrison: My knee-jerk reaction continues to be Amy Krouse Rosenthal. I love her books and the unique approach each one takes. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Brian U. Garrison: Enjoy school. Try to have some fun even with the things you have to do for class.

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Seven: Fabulous Facts with a sneak peek of the poem, "Supernova," by Julie Hauswirth. Julie Hauswirth lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and two sons. A former educator, she earned a BA in English from the University of Central Florida and a MEd in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She writes picture books and poetry. Her poems have been published in The Dirigible Balloon, The Toy Press, and the Cape Cod Times. When she’s not writing, Julie can be found singing karaoke, cheering from the soccer field sidelines, or playing outside with her boys. Julie is represented by CoCo Freeman of the Linda Chester Literary Agency. Little Thoughts Press: We received a lot of astronomy-related pieces for this issue. The planets and stars seem to be having a moment, especially in children’s nonfiction. Your poem “Supernova” uses first-person and second-person points of view to create a poignant connection between an inanimate object billions of miles away and the reader. Were those choices a conscious decision? Tell us a little bit about that. Julie Hauswirth: When I began writing the poem, I knew I wanted to personify the supernova to help children connect with the idea that a star has a life cycle. Early versions of the poem only included the first-person point of view, and I added the “you” to strengthen the connection and really pull the reader into the event. As a child, I was fascinated with the big-ness of space and our place within it. I enjoyed using these two perspectives to create some distance and intimacy at the same time. Little Thoughts Press: Why do you think there is such interest in connecting kids with the science of exploring our Universe right now? Julie Hauswirth: The Universe has always united us all through the idea that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Kids today are witnessing many great advancements in space exploration, and I think there’s a renewed interest because of how accessible the science of exploration is becoming. Information is readily available with the click of a button and space tourism is becoming a reality. Much of the unknown is starting to come into focus, and we’re able to share that with children in ways that were just unavailable in the past. Little Thoughts Press: Your piece “The Ghost Story Contest” is the biography of a famous book’s birth. Despite the initial challenge of writing a ghost story and the book's Gothic tones, many credit Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as the first science fiction novel of the modern age. It’s amazing how popular the story remains to this day with people of all ages. How old were you when you first read it? What about that story appeals to kids? Julie Hauswirth: I’d been familiar with the character of Frankenstein’s monster long before I read the novel. Frankenstein is practically synonymous with Halloween! The basic idea of the story checks all the boxes for kids—dark and stormy night vibes, spooky monster, mad scientist—and mainstream versions of the monster are pretty kid-friendly. But I think children, like adults, are fascinated with the idea of the monster being a creation of human experimentation… the very same concept that haunted Mary Shelley on that dark and stormy night so many years ago. I remember feeling disappointed as a child when I realized the original story was beyond my comprehension level at the time. I didn’t actually read the text until my senior year of high school, and I read it again in college when I studied Gothic literature. When I learned about the circumstances surrounding the novel’s creation, Mary Shelley became a literary hero of mine. Little Thoughts Press: What are your favorite recent sci-fi picture books or middle-grade novels? Julie Hauswirth: My favorites growing up were The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer and The Giver by Lois Lowry… but more recent titles I love include The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers and the Catstronauts series by Drew Brockington. Little Thoughts Press:  In honor of Issue 7's theme, Fabulous Facts, tell us one fabulous fact about yourself. Julie Hauswirth: I am a classically trained singer! Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Julie Hauswirth: I majored in creative writing in college, but I always focused on writing for an adult audience. It wasn’t until my youngest son was born and I left teaching to take care of him full-time that I started writing kid-lit. I would write little poems and stories for fun, and eventually, I entered Susanna Hill’s Valentiny contest and won 2nd place. After that, I found a critique group and my kid-lit journey took off. What I find most challenging is working through creative dry spells. There are times when I feel like I have zero inspiration to write anything new and all my brainstorming tricks leave me empty-handed. It’s frustrating because once I have an idea, I enjoy playing with it and seeing it take shape. So I’ve had to learn patience and fill that downtime with mentor texts, webinars, revisions, and wait for the creative well to fill back up. The most rewarding part is the community. Kid-lit creators are some of the most generous, kind, and encouraging people there are. There’s no shortage of helping hands or shoulders to cry on, and some of the people I’ve met in my writing journey have become close friends and trusted mentors. The kid-lit community is remarkable and I’ve never seen anything like it. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Julie Hauswirth: I loved books by Kevin Henkes, especially Julius, the Baby of the World. Some other favorites were The Sign of the Seahorse by Graeme Base, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, and any and all Amelia Bedelia books. As I got older, I devoured The Baby-Sitter’s Club,  Goosebumps, and pretty much anything by Roald Dahl. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Julie Hauswirth: There are so, so many. I’m a huge fan of Ame Dyckman, Jordan Scott, Valerie Bolling, Chana Stiefel, and Jack Wong. Some recent family favorites are BOOP! By Bea Birdsong and Linzie Hunter, You Go First by Ariel Bernstein and Marc Rosenthal, and A River of Dust by Jilanne Hoffmann and Eugenia Mello. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Julie Hauswirth: Find other people who can walk alongside you in your writing journey. Whether a small critique group or a large community like 12x12, surrounding yourself with other writers you can lean on and learn from is essential. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Julie Hauswirth: I have some exciting things in the works, but I can’t talk about them just yet (wink, wink). I’ll share an update on my website soon!

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Seven: Fabulous Facts with a sneak peek of the poem, "Mighty Mosses," by Jess Burbank. Jess Burbank is a picture book author/illustrator, working primarily with traditional media every day from her art studio in Bellevue, Washington. Named a 2023 PB Party Finalist and a 2023 PB Rising Star Runner-up, Jess is a member of Storyteller Academy and SCBWI where she continues to hone both her writing and illustration skills. She enjoys nature walks admiring the many mosses of the Pacific Northwest with her corgi, playing board games with her husband, and traveling as much as possible. Find more of her work at www.jessburbank.com. Little Thoughts Press: Mighty Mosses” creates a vibrant picture of mosses and their small-but-significant lives on the forest floor, which perfectly marries with your watercolor illustration “Shadow Dwellers.” As the first art and literature that most kids encounter, picture books are kind of like mosses in the literary ecosystem, aren’t they?  What is it about picture books that call to you as a creator? What kind of stories do you hope to “plant” in kids’ minds and hearts? Jess Burbank: Picture books are definitely the mosses of the literary ecosystem! I love that analogy. Mosses prepare and nourish the ground, creating a healthy, stable ecosystem. Picture books do the same. They prepare young hearts, minds, and imaginations for full literary lives ahead. When picture books are read out loud to a child or a group of children, so many senses are activated. A memory is made that is physical, visual, audible, and can even have a particular taste or smell associated with it, depending on when or where it was read.  I love the marriage of rhythmic text that is enjoyable to read out loud with the excitement of a page turn that reveals a breathtaking full-spread image. I love that picture books become treasured objects, mementos, security blankets, conversation-starters, empathy-formers, and world-expanders. I love that picture books can be about so many subjects, feature all sorts of weird, wacky, wonderful characters, and explore so many different ideas—fact or fiction. I like to try my hand at writing and illustrating a wide range of stories, but I especially want to create stories that help children appreciate this world’s wonders. I want kids to feel small and full of awe as well as mighty and empowered to help make the world an even more wonderful place to be. Little Thoughts Press: Both writing and art allow us to transform our personal experiences and observations of the world into shared stories. As an author/illustrator, what is your advice for balancing these two forms of expression when constructing a picture book? What kinds of observations and story elements do you think are best communicated through writing, and which ones are better conveyed through artwork? Jess Burbank: I think that balance between the writing and art in a picture book is what makes them so wonderful, but is also perhaps the biggest challenge when creating them. I tend to think in words first…LOTS of words. Then I start to chisel away at them like a sculptor as I revise and try to discover what that big block of words wants to become. I also start to sketch ideas and scene. That’s when you can really start to chop words as you realize what can be shown in the images rather than in the text. Because picture book text is so spare, the illustrations need to communicate so much…and they can! You can spend a paragraph talking about how your main character feels or you can simply show their face and body and the reader immediately knows. If you aim to write only what can’t be communicated in an illustration, you end up with a successful balance. I truly admire when art not only beautifully illustrates the text, but when it reveals something new, maybe humorous, or illuminates a deeper meaning that you wouldn’t experience or know at all by just reading the text…and vice versa! Little Thoughts Press:  In honor of Issue 7's theme, Fabulous Facts, tell us one fabulous fact about yourself. Jess Burbank: A long time ago, my best friend and I decided we wanted to learn how to make gelato (Italian ice cream), so we went to Frozen Dessert University. Then, we opened a gelato shop, creating many fun flavors like avocado and mixed citrus. It was a much more delicious job than making picture books, but I don’t miss washing dishes, and picture books don’t melt in the Florida sunshine like gelato did. Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids? Jess Burbank: I started writing kid-lit as a kid attending the Young Author’s Conference in Southwest Florida every year. I loved holding my handwritten, illustrated, and bound books in my hands and meeting authors like Verna Aardema. I continued writing throughout my childhood and into college. Words always came easily for me, but art didn’t. The ability to draw felt illusive. I started taking painting classes in college and continued trying to paint throughout my adulthood. Right before the pandemic, a friend of mine sent me a book in the mail called You Are an Artist. I took that as a sign, and from that day on I decided to do some form of artmaking every day. I enrolled in a drawing and watercolor academy and worked hard every day. I also homeschooled my kids for nine years, using picture books as the basis for our curriculum, so I always loved picture books and had read hundreds of them through the years. I then used picture books as a major component of a nature journaling class I taught in California. After a couple of years of learning to draw and paint things like pears, people, and palm trees, I decided I wanted my art to do more. I wanted my art to tell a story. I combined my love of watercolor painting, writing, and books and decided to pursue making picture books. I joined SCBWI and Storyteller Academy. I took as many classes as I could, and I’m continuing to work towards my goal of being a traditionally published author/illustrator. As you can probably tell from these answers, I tend to be wordy, so writing for children can be challenging as I try to simplify and pare down my dense text. Writing a picture book that has beautiful, rhythmic, spare text that tells a story that is kid-relatable and meaningful without being preachy and then illustrating in a consistent style with a high level of technical proficiency is no easy feat! But I don’t think there’s anything more rewarding than writing books for children. What a gift to get to turn thoughts and images that live in my mind into books that can then become a tangible object that helps a child learn something new, make a child laugh, help a child fall asleep at night, or create characters that come to life for a child like a new friend. There’s nothing better! Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Jess Burbank: I was fortunate to grow up in a book-loving family. My mom was a sucker for those door-to-door book subscription sales programs, so new picture books were often arriving in our mailbox. I was also allowed to get a big stack from the library every week. I especially loved Danny and the Dinosaur, Blueberries for Sal, Are You My Mother, Put Me in the Zoo, Mister Dog: the Dog Who Belonged to Himself, and anything by P.D. Eastman, especially Go Dog, Go! Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Jess Burbank: Today, I have so many favorite kid-lit writers. I especially admire and will shout out Julie Falatko, Jim Averbeck, Julie Fogliano, Laura Hughes, Cindy Derby, Jilanne Hoffmann, Jessica Stremer, and Catherine Rayner. I absolutely love the book Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Jess Burbank: Write a little something every day. Try several different types of writing styles and genres…you might surprise yourself! Be an observer and appreciator of the world and of people. Notice the unnoticed. Use the strongest emotions and moments from your past in your work. Read a lot. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Jess Burbank: I am hard at work on an expanded full moss-themed picture book that I hope will someday be a book I can hold in my hands. I’m also working on manuscripts about vernal pools, the solstices, and manatees, so I’m busy learning many, many more fabulous facts. Thank you for asking these wonderful questions and for providing us authors and illustrators a place to see our work in print.

Many days ago, I met a crow. When he caws at daybreak, he wakes us all up. However, when I am late to give him food, his calls are often harsh. Crows are of 20 different types or kinds. I think the crow that sits on my window sill every morning is a domestic crow. He resembles ravens, which are his close relatives. Jays and Magpies are also linked to him. I wish I could keep a Jay bird as my friend. Magpies are thieves, I read in a book. My friend crow is 16 inches in length. He is black in colour. So black that one day I took a picture of him against the dark cloudy sky, and it was difficult to make out where he was. When I gave him pistachios one day, I thought he would eat the seed but no. He is so smart that he knows it was a seed and he shouldn’t eat it. With his strong beak, he cracked the seed open and was able to eat. Sometimes when I give him little worms to eat, he doesn’t agree and calls for veggies. He is now my best friend and I wait for him to come to my window sill every morning. Saket Pattnaik is nine years old. He loves to travel, play with toy cars, and watch TV. Sakets's writing has previously appeared on the Little Thoughts Press blog, including the following stories: Trip to the Nature Adventure to Space What is your favorite topic to study in school? My favorite topic to study in school is Maths. What is the most interesting thing you recently learned? The most interesting thing I recently learned is that 0 is not represented in Roman numbers. What book are you currently reading or read most recently? Would you recommend this book to other readers? I read Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones (Random House) most recently. Yes, I would recommend this book to other readers. What is one fabulous fact about you? One fabulous fact about me is that I won a medal in a Mathematics competition in 2022 where I solved 50 sums in only 5 minutes. What do you like most about writing? I love writing because I can explore different places and adventures through my stories.

Byron Garnett is 5 years old and started Kindergarten last fall. He loves to draw, play with Numberblocks, and do puzzles and legos. Byron's favorite food is ice cream and his favorite holiday is Halloween. Byron wants to go to New Zealand and Australia again to visit his cousins. What is your favorite topic to study in school? Math- I love numbers. Oh! And Art! What is the most interesting thing you recently learned? Counting by 106! What book are you currently reading or read most recently? The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey. Would you recommend this book to other readers? Yes! The wolf is so silly. What is one fabulous fact about you? I'm half Australian, and half American. I have visited family in New Zealand and Australia!

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Six: Fantastical Fall with a sneak peek of the poem, "Potions, Five Cents," by Christine Hennigan. Christine Hennigan loves to make people laugh, even if it gets her into trouble. She has worked with kids of all ages as a teacher and mental health counselor. When she grows up, Christine wants to be a famous chef and open a cat sanctuary. She lives in Monmouth County, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, and kitty. Little Thoughts Press: You have worked with kids as a teacher and a mental health counselor. In what ways have these roles informed and influenced your writing for kids? From the standpoint of both a writer and a counselor, what recommendations would you offer to kid-lit writers who want to tell stories about mental health? Christine Hennigan: Counseling children taught me the power of characterization. When I was working with younger clients, we'd often use toys, stuffed animals, or our own invented avatars to navigate their personal stories. It can be a lot easier for children to understand themselves through relatable characters. We'd then use these alter egos as a springboard for exploring problems they are facing at home, school, or in their communities. I applaud anyone who wants to tackle mental health in their writing. There are different ways to approach it. Personally, I like to use characters as a means of modeling healthy actions. A few examples are asking for help, being good listeners, setting boundaries, allowing oneself to feel emotions, seeking safe adults, and practicing compassionate self-talk. Writing doesn't have to be about mental health to encourage mental health. I highly encourage collaborating with a mental health professional for heavier topics, particularly ones relating to specific diagnoses or trauma, and to help with inclusive language. Little Thoughts Press: Issue 6: Fantastical Fall is all about imagination and adventure, things that children more naturally and easily gravitate toward than adults often do. What techniques do you use to tap into your imagination and maintain a childlike sense of wonder and exploration when writing for a young audience? Christine Hennigan: I've been writing kidlit for just about a year now, and I haven't always been in a place where I can tap into that playful side of me. I've had to do a lot of personal work on vulnerability. Decades of it, honestly. I'm a recovering perfectionist, and perfectionism and creativity aren't the best of friends. In fact, I'd say they are frenemies. On the surface, they seem to support each other, but perfectionism loves to sabotage creativity. I'm at home full time with my 2-year-old daughter, so I'm immersed in the world of children. We take music, art, and dance classes throughout the week. These are a wonderful source of inspiration for me. I've always been a visual artist too, and recently I've been exploring the interplay of story and illustration. Collage is my primary medium, but I also paint and draw with traditional media. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Christine Hennigan: I am such a geek, and I love learning AND teaching. So I find it tricky to strike the right balance between being an entertainer and being an educator through my writing.  I use the term educator loosely (this is the School of Life I'm talking about). As much as I say I just want to write funny kids poems, I know deep down I want my readers to leave with something more than laughs. The reward is huge though. Nothing feels better than a big grin from a child. And if a caregiver and child can laugh together, what a wonderful way to bond. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Christine Hennigan: Growing up, I loved the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry. The Baby-Sitters Club was also a favorite of mine, by Ann M. Martin. I have always been a fan of young female protagonists who are resourceful, independent, and outspoken. I was the quiet kid who had her hands folded (until I had the right answer, in which case my hand immediately shot up). I admired and lived vicariously through characters who had a bit more spunk. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Christine Hennigan: I recently discovered the work of Gail Carson Levine, and I wish I had read her when I was younger. I distinctly remember seeing Ella Enchanted as a new release when I was in the fifth grade, and since I was never a fan of princesses, I didn't pay much attention. Among many others, she has a poetry collection of false apologies by various famous characters, which I think is genius. I also like Marilyn Singer, especially Have You Heard About Ladybird?  Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein too. Humorous poetry is my favorite. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Christine Hennigan: Start forming a healthy relationship with criticism early on. It's an unavoidable part of our profession, and as much as it stings, it can make you a better writer if you allow it to. There's outside criticism from the people who critique your work, and there's inside criticism from yourself. Both types can be detrimental to our art, if we give them the power. But first and foremost, give yourself plenty of time for downtime and play. Our minds are surprisingly creative when we let them rest. This may look like riding your bike, walking your dog, napping with your cat, chopping vegetables, doodling, or taking a bath. Ideas come to us when we let ourselves slow down.