Kathy Jo Watson
@kathywatson.bsky.social
Kid Lit Writer. Music and theater fanatic. Space Nerd. Author of MY CITY IS A FORT and featured in BOY MOMS. #SCBWI #365PictureBooks
Day 142 #365PictureBooks ON A SUMMER NIGHT Deborah Hopkinson & Kenard Pak What is waking the world on a summer night? Quiet, cumulative story introduces a nighttime scene where a child, cat, bunny and others stir & subtle mood-setting art gives the answer. #kidlit
Day 141 #365PictureBooks I WILL NOT WALK TO SCHOOL Naseem Hrab & Kelly Collier Monster is not having it. That walk to school is the worst, even if there are pizza pancakes at the other end. School is great, but (parents!) getting there is where all the action happens. #kidlit
Day 140 #365PictureBooks DAD Christian Robinson A not sappy, just right book capturing dadhood in sweet, honest & some funny moments. Simple text plus paint & collage illustrations convey so much. Thanks, Dads! #kidlit
Day 139 #365PictureBooks HERE IS A BOOK Elisha Cooper Creativity meets logistics! ❤️ this story exploring the people, places & processes involved in creating a book. So much detail to explore in the text & beautiful watercolor/pencil art. #kidlit
Day 138 #365PictureBooks VAN GOGH’S DOG Georgia Larson & Grace Helmer Vincent & a playful pup chase through sites of his famous works creating a fictional art origin story. Colorful & fun with great back matter about the art. #kidlit
"Art stands on the shoulders of craft, which means that to get to the art, you must master the craft. If you want to write, practice writing." —Ann Patchett
Day 137 #365PictureBooks POPO THE XOLO Paloma Angelina Lopez & Abraham Matias Beautiful in every way! Precious Popo, a loving family & Nana’s fascinating journey provide a glimpse into worlds familiar & ancient in this story of life & loss. #kidlit
Day 136 #365PictureBooks Jen Anyong & Kaly Quarles THE GHOST WHO SAVED HALLOWEEN Halloween threatens to be a real mid-night dreary when a ghost with no candy & rusty spooking skills forgets to prepare for the holiday. Very fun intro to Poe! #kidlit
Day 135 #365PictureBooks RARE BIRD Elisha Cooper A family cat imagines life as a bird in this wonder-filled story. Clever narration is 3rd person but sounds like the cat describing its bold adventures. Will definitely make you wonder what your pets dream about! #kidlit
Day 134 #365PictureBooks MY SISTER, GOOSE Alyssa Satin Capucilli & Hyewon Yum Lighthearted, traditional PB highlights a super helpful older sister with lots of love & patience for her creative & spunky little sis. Sweet family story. Fun colored pencil illustrations. #kidlit
Day 133 #365PictureBooks THE MUDDY MAJESTY OF MUCK Beatrice Alemagna A child’s anger at her brother leads to a dark, muddy world in this imaginative & thought-provoking story. Clever personification of emotions & self-doubt as she works her way out of the muck. #kidlit
Day 132 #365PictureBooks HEDGEHOGS DON’T WEAR UNDERWEAR Marissa Valdez Jacques has a big secret, but decides to be brave & tell his friends. (Gasp!Giggle!) Funny, first-person/hedgehog story about the awesomeness of underwear & sharing what makes us unique. #kidlit
While at the Fred Rogers Institute, was not prepared for the feelings of seeing the last cardigan the mom of Mister Fred Rogers ever knit for him 🥹🩶✨
Day 131 #365PictureBooks TINY T. REX TRIES SOCCER Jonathan Stutzman & Jay Fleck I ❤️ Tiny T Rex. So brave. So enthusiastic. So relatable for every little one growing into our big world. And awesome for any tiny World Cup fans! #kidlit
Day 130 #365PictureBooks FIREFLY SEASON Cynthia Leviticus Smith & Kate Gardiner An only child experiences joy & heartache in this story of friends, family & life’s transitions. Beautifully balances importance of family heritage with openness to new experiences. #kidlit
ME: and make mine a double WAITER: your...your tater tots? ME: you heard me
Day 129 #365PictureBooks BORED Felicita Sala Perfect book for a long, oh-so boring stretch of summer. This kid’s mood comes through in every hilariously droopy scene as she painfully ponders boring things & bored people & accidentally finds something to do. #kidlit
Happy July 4th! Nothing better for #365PictureBooks than to celebrate this masterpiece again! #Caldecott 🎉 Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend with lots of 🎆 and 📚!
Kathy Jo Watson@kathywatson.bsky.social · 6mo agoDay 44 #365PictureBooks FIREWORKS! @matthewburgessj.bsky.social & #CátiaChien Finally got a copy and oh my goodness it is lovely! So immersive in the heat, sights and sounds of the city in July. And have to agree with #TheYarnPodcast it has the world’s greatest page fold. ❤️ #kidlit
The annual sharing of my favorite kitchen towels. Their moment in the spotlight is short but impactful. Happy 250, USA! 🇺🇸
WE WILL SEE YOU FOR THE 1⃣6⃣ IN SEATTLE!
Day 128 #365PictureBooks NO BRAIN THE SAME So many kids (and adults) will find themselves in these pages mixing poetry and non-fiction. Every page highlights a neurodiverse young person using their talents to make a difference. #kidlit
Day 127 #365PictureBooks MAKING ART by Diana Ejaita From murals to music to messy art in your own room, the joy of creating is celebrated in this visually bold & vibrant book. Struck me as a modern, kid-friendly twist on Henri Matisse paper cut-out masterpieces. #kidlit
Day 126 #365PictureBooks MOUSESTACHE MOOSESTACHE by Rowboat Watkins A ridiculous rhyming romp with illustrations both silly & sophisticated. Bottom line: there is a mouse & a moose & mustaches everywhere! Lots of fun. #kidlit
Day 125 #365PictureBooks WE CAN HELP! Vivian French & Anna Simeone Is there a doctor in the house? Info fiction loaded with First Aid as kids relate imaginative play to basic medical situations. Helpful when a dinosaur crashes into a train…or you have a nosebleed. #kidlit
Day 124 #365PictureBooks SOCKFLEA Laura Dockrill & Eva Byrne An energetic little elephant bravely decides to leave his stuffies home on his first camping trip. All is well until the sun goes down. Love the first person (first elephant?) POV and creative kid logic. #kidlit
Day 1-2-3 #365PictureBooks MEI MEI THE BUNNY Lautey & Lauren O’Hara It’s the perfect day for a waltz & a lovely book about music! Talented Mei Mei prepares for her first H’Opera House performance in this sweet story with great musical vocabulary. 🎶
Day 122 #365PictureBooks NOW YOU KNOW YOUR ABCs Caspar Salmon & Matt Hunt Do you really know your ABCs? This imaginative romp through the alphabet turns into quite a busy Wednesday (in France!) as the reader tries to avoid a trouble-making wolf. Clever and funny! #kidlit
