By Meizhen Dang I first heard the name Cathy Jackson in 2018 when she mailed in a pile of her little handmade books. Impressed as I was by their thoroughness, creativity, and completeness, we soon had our first meeting on publishing her reading program – Best Reading Phonics. Since that day, we worked on publishing the books
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It’s that time of year—hot cocoa, presents under the tree, carolers in the snow, and Santa Claus making his way down the chimney. So what better way to celebrate the season than sitting down with your kids to read My Little Santa Claus by Belgian author-illustrator Gabrielle Vincent (1928–2000)? Originally published in French in 1994,
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If you were a big, hungry wolf and found a fluffy bunny in the forest at night, would you eat it? This is the decision that plagues the protagonist of What’s for Dinner? by Larysa Maliush, author-illustrator from Belarus now living in Berlin. The story begins on the endpapers with a bunny following a frog
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Have you heard of a phoenix? What about a tarand, a qilin, or a kukulkan? Cornelia Funke, well-known German author, engages in a discussion with her readers about famed magical creatures from around the world in her new book, Fabulous Creatures, translated to English by her daughter Anna Schmitt Funke. From the great barong of
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Have you ever thought that a single balloon could bring joy to many, many people? In Claudia Colonna’s picture book, a magical balloon guides a little girl through her city, making small but meaningful changes to the lives of those around her. From a veteran with a broken wheelchair wheel to a little boy with
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By Glenn A. Johnson We are living through the loneliest era in human history—and many of us seem to prefer it that way. Journalist Derek Thompson points to a striking reality: Americans now spend 20 percent less time socializing in person than they did just two decades ago. But this is not simply a matter
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