Sarah Hammond
@sarahhammond.bsky.social
Children's author | Creative writing teacher | A Brit abroad | SCBWI-IL network rep | www.sarahhammond.org
An extraordinary woman with an extraordinary legacy, not least the @dollyslibraryren.bsky.social that has gifted over 250 million books to children since its inception. RIP. You will be sorely missed. #kidlit www.theguardian.com/music/2026/a...
Dolly Parton, country star, actor and philanthropist, dies aged 80
Songwriter of I Will Always Love You, Jolene and 9 to 5 also invested millions in child literacy, Covid-19 vaccine development and other causes
theguardian.com
What a lovely way to describe colours. I love the Brimstone Butterfly green…
Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london.bsky.social · 3w agoThis beautiful dictionary of colours found in nature dates back to more than a century before Pantone. 🎨 Werner's Nomenclature of Colour was an indispensable resource for Charles Darwin, helping him describe new species. We love these natural colours - which page do you like best?
Given the temperatures this week, splooting might be the way to go… ☀️ Courtesy of @fpdwc.bsky.social
Looking forward to co-hosting this @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social event with Jamie Ericson. @authorsarafujimura.bsky.social and @zombicatures.bsky.social are a stellar team! See link for details myemail.constantcontact.com/2026-SCBWI-I...
"The CI2026 bookstore tours on 6/27 reflect the area’s vibrant, diverse, and sprawling bookselling scene... a record 22 stops total for 2 full-day and 3 half-day groups, along with a lunch stop for one group at Sourcebooks’ Naperville headquarters." #kidlit www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Children’s Institute 2026: Chicagoland Bookstores Have ‘Found Their Own Groove’
Area indies find success in building community despite metro sprawl
publishersweekly.com
"Rhythms create stability, create meaning" Shared reading is proven to be a simple yet powerful way to enhance children's speech and language. @profsamwass.bsky.social, developmental cognitive neuroscientist, explains how reading to babies helps build these skills. #BabyCommunicationWeek
Unfortunately, scams are on the rise. Here some tips to learn how to protect yourself and your art from fraud. @chicagowrites.bsky.social #kidlit chicagowrites.substack.com/p/they-said-...
They Said They Had My Manuscript—They Didn’t
Learn how to protect yourself and your art from fraud
chicagowrites.substack.com
This Wed, 7-8pm EST, editor Paula Wiseman is giving a workshop on the importance of picture books and how to sell them: "How do you write books that are relevant, interesting and that matter to readers and what do editors look for in picture books?" #kidlit www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...
R&S! Presents: Why Picture Books? (And How You Can Sell Yours...)
Join Paula Wiseman, Editor-at-Large for Simon & Schuster, for this informative talk about the importance of picture books.
eventbrite.com
All are welcome! Looking forward to hosting this month's @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social network event with Jamie Ericson at Dandelion Bookshop, Oak Park, IL. (dandelionbookshop.com/visit).
Jerry Craft, author of award-winning NEW KID and MAMA'S BOYZ, is giving this year's @chipublib.bsky.social online lecture. Just signed up! www.chipublib.org/zena-sutherl...
Zena Sutherland Lecture
The 2026 Zena Sutherland Lecture Friday, May 1, 2026, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The 2026 annual lecture to honor the legacy of Zena Sutherland…
chipublib.org
Happy Earth Day! Illustration for “Do You Want to Be My Friend?” by Eric Carle, published in 1971
Thanks to the wonderful @saraharonson.bsky.social for her inspiring, lively and informative @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social presentation, THE POWER OF THE PICTURE BOOK SPREAD last week. If you're interested in watching the recording (available until 5/9), see link: www.scbwi.org/events/scbwi...
To write an unputdownable, rereadable #picturebook, think in terms of spreads! In this interactive discussion, @saraharonson.bsky.social will offer ideas & inspiration to craft your story. Bring a manuscript and questions for a picture book party! @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social #Kidlit
We are thrilled to share that our Human Authored scheme is now live. This scheme has been designed for the benefit of SoA members, to help identify works written by humans in a market increasingly flooded by AI-generated books.
Lunar New Year books for children and teens. 📚👍🏼 schoolreadinglist.co.uk/genres/lunar... #kidlit Lunar New Year books for children and teens with titles by Grace Lin, Malinda Lo, Geraldine McCaughrean, Gene Luen Yang, Sue Lynn Tan, Adeline Yen Mah...
Lunar New Year books for children and teens
Luna New Year books for children and teens with titles by Grace Lin, Malinda Lo, Gene Luen Yang, Eric Huang & Kevin Tsang.
schoolreadinglist.co.uk
Competition for children's attention is real. Yet "kids still love stories. Text may have jumped from page to screen where it explodes like eye-candy glitter bombs, but children are still engaging with words and stories." #kidlit @booktrust.org.uk www.booktrust.org.uk/resources/fi...
How books can win children’s attention
Author-illustrator Neil Coslett argues that children still love stories.
booktrust.org.uk
"Editors are drawn to lyrical picture books — and why read-aloud appeal can make the difference between a manuscript that’s “nice” and one that’s memorable and marketable." (CBI) Join the Rhyme Doctors for a workshop on Feb 24th. writeforkids.lpages.co/mastering-th...
NEW WORKSHOP: Mastering the Flow - Writing Picture Books Rich in Rhythm & Read-Aloud Charm
Discover how to write picture books that truly sing — and learn practical, proven techniques to add rhythm, flow, and read-aloud magic to your stories in this live 90-minute workshop with award-winnin...
writeforkids.lpages.co
"If you don’t read, you’re missing out on one of the best things human beings have ever created." I'll be curious to try out this new podcast next week… #Kidlit #WritingCommunity #BookSky #bookrecommendations www.independent.co.uk/voices/domin...
Bookworms must stave off our becoming a ‘post-literate generation’
Having converted the UK into history buffs, ‘The Rest is History’ co-host Dominic Sandbrook is hoping his new podcast project will do the same for our enjoyment of reading
independent.co.uk
What a great event last night! Dandelion Bookshop was packed for our @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social network presentation, How To Make An Agent Fall In Love With You, by @jennaschmenna.bsky.social. Engaging entertaining & informative! A recording will be available soon via: www.scbwi.org/regions/illi...
Looking forward to co-hosting this @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social network event with agent/author @jennaschmenna.bsky.social. All are welcome! #kidlit
As a Brit, adjusting to Midwest winters can be something of a challenge. This year, I'm trying to re-vision what winter means, inspired by the Scandinavian outlook. These artists capture the essence of this reframing beautifully. www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
Six Nordic paintings that can help us rethink winter
Winter isn't all bad – these "sublime" landscapes of the frozen North from the turn of the 20th Century offer us a way into resilience – and an "acceptance of the seasonality of life".
bbc.com
Monetisation The advert said MONETISE YOUR FOLLOWERS so he thought he would respond by painting them in the changing light, like waterlilies in a pond.
“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.” Emily Dickinson, #BornOnThisDay in 1830 📚❤️
Take advantage of this prize, celebrating the best work from members of diverse and underrepresented communities within our own. Application opens February 1, free to all Illinois members! More info on our website: www.scbwi.org/regions/illi...
Thrilled to celebrate #kidlit today at the ALA Youth Media Awards 2026 with @lisakatzenberger.bsky.social @jeanreidy.bsky.social & @sarashacter.bsky.social. Congratulations to the winners and nominees! 👏🎉📚 See: americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-sc...
I've had several discussions of late about how to nurture creative processes in the new year. There's some wonderful inspiration in this @artinstitutechi.bsky.social blog about artists & designers who used scrapbooks as visual diaries to catalog their unique practices. www.artic.edu/articles/123...
Scrapbooks as Visual Diaries | The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute Archives possesses a trove of unique materials that offer rare insight into the minds and lives of artists and designers.
artic.edu
Looking forward to co-hosting this FREE #kidlit @scbwi-illinois.bsky.social event at Dandelion Bookshop! All are welcome. dandelionbookshop.com
Looking forward to co-hosting this #kidlit event. All welcome!
@scbwi-illinois.bsky.social · 8mo agoJump-start your creative goals for the New Year! Join us as we develop practices to support your goals and discuss tools to inspire you, keep you focused, and reset when things don't go to plan. We’ll check on our progress at our June meeting. Bring a pen and paper to record your personalized plan.
