April is a time for beginning. For me, that is literally true. I have always loved hearing my brother Jon tell me how he associated my April 12 arrival with curled buds on the trees, just a breath away from unfurling into leaves. Later, as I grew, I watched those buds and wondered –wouldn’t they be safer if they stayed curled in their green armor? How do they find the courage to unfurl into leaves, open to the sun, wind, and rain of the world?
Those thoughts still weave their way through me. There is risk at every stage of growth – going to a new school, making new friends, learning and trying new things, moving to a new home, writing a new story and hoping, not knowing, if it will find its way into someone’s heart. Sometimes, before I take a step into a new unknown, I wonder: what would happen if the bud of an idea stayed as it is? Then I remember: one of the most important things we can do is encourage children and ourselves is to take chances and put a little “spring” in our step as we open our eyes to the wonder of the world and how we can help it and each other grow.
My life has been filled with many beginnings, some scary, some joyful, many both at the same time. When I began my new life as a children’s book author in 2016 with The William Hoy Story How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game, I rejoiced in my book launching at the beginning of baseball season. I learned that Deaf History Month continues through April 15. I discovered the Texas Library Association (in my current, longtime home state) hosts its annual conference in April and have attended and presented at TLA ever since. I look forward to returning this month with Mama’s Year with Cancer, co-authored with Shayna Vincent, and my 17th book, Rainbow Allies, the True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate, which launches July 9.
Both these books mark beginnings. Mama’s Year with Cancer is my first co-authored and contemporary book, told from the point of view of Shayna’s daughter as she marks the months of the year through the lens of her mother’s cancer, finding out what changes in her life, what doesn’t, how she can help, and where she can seek help. Rainbow Allies is a contemporary, true story told with the support of the subjects whose real names are in the book. It is about kids who saw a lesbian couple in their neighborhood threatened and frightened and found a way to make them feel safe and loved again.
Inertia is a powerful force. It feels safer to do the same things the same way. But as educators and kidlit creators know, it is our job to encourage children to be brave, to push their minds and hearts out into a sea of knowledge and empathy where learning and love can propel their boats to wondrous lands of possibility – a place where together we can change our world for the better.
I continue to take on new challenges. After writing many picture book biographies, I’m sharing these stories about ordinary people facing modern challenges, not knowing if you will fully embrace these missives from my heart – stories that deal with the difficult subjects of cancer and what it takes to be an ally.
I also know we need to live what we teach. If we want our kids to be brave, we must be brave. I look forward to meeting new kids in new places in person and through books as part of our KidLitForGrowingMinds effort to help children’s minds and hearts thrive. Together, may our leaves unfurl to embrace the sun.
Featured Author-Illustrator
Teresa Ho Robeson is an Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Picture Book Award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction books on science and her own culture, as exemplified by her debut QUEEN OF PHYSICS: HOW WU CHIEN SHIUNG HELPED UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE ATOM (illus. Rebecca Huang) to the upcoming CLOUDS IN SPACE: NEBULAE, STARDUST, AND US (MIT Kids/Candlewick; illus. Diana Renžina), WHO SMASHED HOLLYWOOD BARRIERS WITH GUNG FU? BRUCE LEE (Penguin Workshop; illus. Ryan Inzana), and CLEAR AND BRIGHT: THE CHING MING FESTIVAL (Astra; illus. William Low).
When not writing or teaching at The Highlights Foundation, SCBWI, and other conferences, Teresa mentors upcoming authors. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she currently lives with her family on 27 acres in southern Indiana growing, and canning, much of their own food. In her zero spare time, she also knits, sews, bakes, and does art.
Visit her at teresarobeson.com or follow her on Bluesky and Instagram.
Bookish News
Available for pre-order!
RAINBOW ALLIES, THE TRUE STORY OF KIDS WHO STOOD AGAINST HATE by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Izzy Evans, comes out July 9 and is available for pre-order through Beaming Books.
Reviews News
THE STARS ARE SHINING ON NEW KID LIT FOR GROWING MINDS BOOKS!:
★ ★ ★ Starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus and Horn Book for THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: BIAS, TRUTH, AND A MIGHTY MOOSE! (5/14) by Beth Anderson. Available for pre-order at booksellers everywhere!
★ ★ Starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly for Amy Hevron’s next book CITY OF LEAFCUTTER ANTS (6/25). Available for pre-order now!
Mini Lessons
Educator Guide for THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE is HERE!
April is poetry month, Earth Day is celebrated every April 22nd, but did you know about the Earth Month Ecochallenge? Click here for the template for this activity using NO WORLD TOO BIG, a collection of poetry about young climate change activists and think about ways we can all help to protect the planet.
April Giveaway (U.S. addresses only)
Beth Anderson is also giving away a 30-minute virtual author classroom visit (anytime during 2024).
March Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to this month’s winner, Elizabeth Suneby!
"Spring is far more than just a changing of seasons; it's a rebirth of the spirit." —Toni Sorenson
What a lot of excellent books recently published. Thanks for highlighting some of them.
Nancy, your description of a kidlit creator’s role - “…to encourage children to be brave, to push their minds and hearts out into a sea of knowledge and empathy where learning and love can propel their boats to wondrous lands of possibility – a place where together we can change our world for the better.” - is perfectly stated! Thank you for sharing your inspirations and musings. Great and timely article.