How to Be Brave: A Frog & Toad Story

Learning from (and leaning on) Arnold Lobel

Feb 6 • Taylor Sterling

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December 2025

The Ultimate Picture Book Reading List

There are many ways to evaluate a picture book, but what matters most to me is the pleasure of a shared experience.

Dec 23, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

113

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Why I Write

Can Joan Didion help me answer this question?

Dec 5, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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November 2025

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed: A Symphony of Words and Pictures

Can you judge a picture book's read-aloud experience without the pictures?

Nov 22, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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What Even Is Children's Literature Criticism & Why Is It Important?

A brief history, some definitions, and why I do this crazy work!

Nov 8, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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October 2025

5 Books That Shaped X. Fang

We cover: picture books, Picasso, Calvin and Hobbes, comedy, copying, cool berets and more! (Bonus podcast episode!)

Oct 16, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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5 Books That Feel Like Fall

But are not about fall

Oct 11, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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September 2025

The Most Stylish Children's Book Characters

Fall fashion from your favorite frogs, a funny fox, a little fur family, and more!

Sep 19, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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Margaret Wise Brown's Advice On Writing For Very Young Children

"The thing is to dare to be simple enough."

Sep 5, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

57

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August 2025

Sometimes Doing Nothing Is Not a Dumb Thing

Thoughts on reading, writing, and not writing

Aug 11, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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July 2025

5 Books To Help You Think Carefully About Children's Books

And Elizabeth Hardwick on literary criticism: "Without it, works of art would appear in a vacuum."

Jul 25, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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How to Beat Summer Boredom: Read Picture Books

And the Bay Area city with two of the best independent bookstores

Jul 11, 2025 • Taylor Sterling

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