Happy book birthday to BOXER BABY BATTLES BEDTIME!
Plus cover reveals, new book deals, and events across the country
Welcome to the world, Boxer Baby!:
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! is a brand-new picture book by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Kai Gietzen.
From the publisher: “Mom is counting on Dad to get Boxer Baby down for her nap, but Boxer Baby is the G.O.A.T. of sleep avoidance. This hilarious face-off mimics a three-round boxing match, as Boxer Baby is no lightweight when it comes to staying awake.
Dad has a few tricks up his sleeve, but will it be enough in this epic battle against nap time?
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! uses figurative language to show how many common idioms have boxing origins.” Buy it here.
(When you buy these books through our Bookshop, we receive a small commission on each sale.)
Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,
where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.
(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)
This month’s question:
How do you ensure your books have that special “It Factor?”
“I don’t presume that my books have an ‘It Factor’ but one thing I hope to accomplish in my stories is the exploration of more than one thematic element. My storylines may seem simple but underneath the simplicity, a deeper meaning can be extracted and discussed. For example, SOURGRASS is about finding a way to live in hope after a difficult time of parting with a friend. At the same time, it uses spring as the context for return and renewal, while demonstrating the beauty of keeping promises and the importance of trust in relationships.”
– Hope Lim, author of Sourgrass illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani (Beach Lane Books, 2024)
Read more from our authors and illustrators here.
New Book Deals
Mark your calendars...
Note: All events are in person unless otherwise indicated.
California
Jun 9 @ 11 a.m. Join Vicky Fang for an AVA LIN launch party at Linden Tree Books in Los Altos, CA! She’ll be in conversation with Christine Evans, plus there will be live drawing, treats, and stickers! RSVP here.
Jun 20 @ 6 p.m. Join Vicky Fang in conversation with Jarrett Lerner at Newtonville Books. Learn more here.
Connecticut
Jun 1st 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.: Storytime with Valerie Bolling at the Trumbull Library, Trumbull, CT.
Jun 1st 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Valerie Bolling’s I SEE COLOR Book Launch at Possible Futures Bookstore, New Haven, CT.
Jun 6th 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Valerie Bolling’s Fairfield County (CT) Bookstore Tour: Athena Books, Old Greenwich; Barrett Bookstore, Darien; Books on the Common, Ridgefield; Byrd’s Books, Bethel. Contact stores for details.
Jun 8th 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Storytime with Valerie Bolling at Darien Library, Darien, CT
Jun 15th 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Storytime with Valerie Bolling at Kindred Thoughts Bookstore, Bridgeport, CT.
Jun 18th 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Storytime with Valerie Bolling at Weston Library, Weston, CT.
Illinois
July 25-26: Join Vicky Fang for Litapalooza in Naperville, IL. Get tickets here.
New York
Jun 13th 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Valerie Bolling’s Putnam and Westchester County (NY) Bookstore Tour: Scattered Books, Chappaqua; Sleepy Hollow Bookshop, Sleepy Hollow; Split Rock Books, Cold Spring. Contact stores for details.
Utah
June 26: Lindsay Metcalf will appear at the National Ag in the Classroom Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, giving a workshop and hosting an Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm book signing.
Washington
on view through July 15: See Kjersten Hayes’s artwork at the Seattle Convention Center as part of the SCBWI Illustrator Showcase (ARCH Second Level)
Virtual
Aug 14 5:00- 6:15 p.m. UTC"Talking About Takeaways in Nonfiction" with Kirsten Larson (Available to Inked Voices members only). Learn more here.