A tribute to NYC’s smallest straphanging bookworms
I’ve been dealing with technical difficulties lately (wi-fi, why must you be so fickle?), but it looks like I’m back in business. Here’s a quick post to introduce you to the Underground New York Public...
View ArticleFrom library to home bookcase: the winners that broke through
I’m still pretty new to the world of kid-lit blogging (blogging in general actually). So when I came across the Share a Story – Shape a Future campaign, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me...
View ArticleI won the Share a Story grand prize, Yay!
I certainly did not start this blog with any preconceptions of making money from it. My track record for pursuing lucrative paths is not the best (I went from a career in environmental nonprofits to...
View ArticleHaving fun with book spines and wine
April is National Poetry Month. If you’ve read my previous post, you know I think all these days and months dedicated to something or another are getting out of hand. And honestly, I’m not much of a...
View ArticleA bibliophile’s April Fools
Little T woke up to find a cast of furry book lovers on the couch. Initial reaction (before his morning coffee) My parents weren’t the kind to go overboard for holidays, and they certainly didn’t pay...
View ArticlePutting the FUN into fundamental: 5 tips for reading aloud
Happy D.E.A.R Day! Yup, today is Drop Everything and Read Day, a day to remind ourselves to make reading a part of our everyday lives. It falls on April 12 in honor of Beverly Cleary’s birthday, who...
View ArticleBooks to unplug your kids during Screen-Free Week
There’s a lot of talk lately about kids growing up in front of screens. Long gone are the days of cartoons delegated to Saturday mornings—kids have a pick of not one, but several television channels...
View ArticlePicture book giveaway!
It’s Children’s Book Week, and to celebrate I’m participating in my first ever blog hop. The Kid Lit Giveaway Hop is sponsored by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews, two great...
View ArticleAnd the winners are…
Gather around people—I just cranked up my random number generator, and I’ve got some winners to announce. Ok, so it’s not as exciting as winning PowerBall, but hey, it’s a close second. Third maybe??...
View ArticleRevisiting childhood favorites
About a month ago a NY times book critic wrote an article about packing up picture books that his kids had outgrown to store in the attic for their future children. I suppose my parents weren’t the...
View ArticleHave books, will travel
Nothing instills dread in a parent like traveling with a young child. As if long lines, delays, and lost luggage weren’t enough of headache—add a whiny toddler to the mix and you’ve got yourself a...
View ArticleDiscovering why children’s books matter (with a toddler)
One of the great reasons people often cite for living in New York City is that it offers such a rich cultural landscape to play in—theater, museums, music, art… One of the sad ironies about living here...
View ArticleMaurice Sendak
New York City is home to countless talented authors and artists who create books for children. This post is the first in a series I plan to do featuring children’s book authors/illustrators who hail...
View ArticleThe Ultimate Guide to Back-to-School Books
It’s that magical time of the year when Staples sells glue sticks for a penny and a spotless, new spiral notebooks represent a fresh start. It’s Back-to-School time, my friends. Now that I have a child...
View ArticlePrevent a zombie apocalypse–Support your library!
What the hell do zombies have to do with libraries you ask? There’s a connection, (kind of) I swear. Read on… When I graduated from library school I was pretty excited to be able to say “I’m a...
View ArticleOur favorite truck picture books
You know the old adage “Write what you know”? Well, my world is full of trucks these days thanks to my two year old son. If you asked me what a backhoe loader was a year ago I probably would have given...
View ArticlePicture books–a toolbox for life
November is Picture Book Month, and it also happens to be the one year anniversary for Short Tales (yay!). I posted my very first blog post on November 15, 2012. To be honest, I didn’t know how long...
View ArticleBraving the Children’s Book Fair
This past Saturday I attended the 7th Annual Children’s Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum. Having gone last year with stroller in tow, I learned from my experience and went alone this year so I wouldn’t...
View ArticleA new holiday tradition: 8 nights of books
I’ve been seeing some great bookish advent calendars around the internet (here are a few nice ones from Reading Confetti, Sarah Jane Studios, and Delightful Children’s Books). I love holiday...
View ArticleBest of the best: Top 8 picture books of 2013
It’s time to take a look back at the bounty of picture books that came out this year and separate the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps that’s a bit harsh, there were many fabulous books that came out this...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....