Picture Book & Early Reader Presenters
These presenters will be in area schools on Friday of the Festival and general sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Picture books readings are scheduled for Saturday, September 28th starting at 9:00 a.m in the Harbor Springs Public Library and do not require registration. See the 2024 schedule for the day and times of their other Festival sessions.
Lucy Ruth Cummins
Photo Credit: Jonathan Dorfman
Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, illustrator, and art director of children’s books. She was happily paired with Jean Reidy for both Truman, which was named a New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019, and Sylvie. She is also the author-illustrator of Stumpkin, Vampenguin, Dalmartian: A Mars Rover’s Story, Our Pool, and A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals.
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From the bestselling creator of Stumpkin and Vampenguin comes a whimsical picture book about the unexpected friendship that blooms between a boy and a dog of intergalactic origins.
A visitor from outer space comes to Stephen’s yard one night. It may look like a Dalmatian, but it certainly doesn’t act like one. At first, Stephen and the visitor get off on the wrong paw. They quibble over kibble, debate sleeping arrangements, and must abandon earth dogs’ approach to bathroom breaks altogether to keep the peace. Is a shared love of bacon a strong enough foundation for this ordinary earth boy and extraordinary out-of-this-world canine to learn to live in harmony?
Jess Hannigan
Jess Hannigan is a writer and illustrator making picture books, editorial artwork, and more in Hamilton, Ontario. She is a lover of bold, graphic illustration and an appreciator of silly nonsense. Spider in the Well is her first picture book.
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This cheeky picture book debut from author-illustrator Jess Hannigan tells the darkly dry and utterly hilarious tale of fibs, cons, and JUSTICE! Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen, Ryan Higgins, and stylized cinema—from Orson Welles to Wes Anderson.
Breaking News: Wishing Well Broken!
The townspeople of Bad Göodsburg are up in arms. With their beloved well busted, none of their important, generous, kindhearted wishes are coming true! Time to send that good-for-nothing Newsboy to investigate. . . .
Bee Johnson
Photo Credit: Craig Bonheur
Bee Johnson is a freelance illustrator. Her work appears internationally in magazines, newspapers, mobile apps, advertisements, and children’s books. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, she now lives in Queens, New York with her husband and two daughters. What Can a Mess Make? is her first picture book.
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In this gorgeously illustrated rhyming picture book, two sisters spend their day playing at home and leaving joyful, cozy messes in their wake.
Kitchen clatter.
Milk and juice.
Syrup splatter.
Chocolate mousse.
Bowl of berries—
Red and blue.
A mess can make a meal for two.
From breakfast to bedtime, from pillow fort to pillow fight, these sisters make all kinds of messes.
Imaginative, playful, forgiving, delicious messes.
And their messes make a day full of possibilities.
With bouncy rhyming language and warm illustrations, What Can A Mess Make? inspires readers to embrace their imaginations, linger in the beautiful messes on every page, and make some messes themselves.
Kenneth Kraegel
Kenneth Kraegel is the creator of the picture books King Arthur’s Very Great Grandson, Green Pants, Wild Honey from the Moon, and Mushroom Lullaby, as well as the board book This Is a Book of Shapes. He is a self-taught artist with a unique style and a wonderfully fresh perspective. Kenneth Kraegel lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where, in addition to creating books, he also tutors children with reading challenges, such as dyslexia.
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Explore the secret colors of a mermaid’s world in a lulling and lyrical story from the creator of the celebrated Mushroom Lullaby.
Today is a good day.
A good day for exploring.
A good day for exploring the colors of this world.
Enter the colorful realm of three mermaid friends and follow them through their enchanting day. Wake to the surprise of a red sunrise, explore a verdant underwater garden, and dive through waves of startling blue. In this delightfully dazzling story, one-of-a-kind creator Kenneth Kraegel nurtures young children’s minds and imaginations by merging a fresh color-concepts story with a soothing lullaby, gently ushering little listeners toward sleep and sweet dreams.
The rich, jewel-toned illustrations are appealing and provide a welcome opportunity for discussion about the different colors of the rainbow. Sparkling wordplay and inspired use of alliteration (“Blooming bright skies surprise our eyes,” “a swimming school of jewels down under”) make for a lovely read, perfect for a bedtime tale or a storytime read-aloud. - Kirkus Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection.
Stephen Shaskan
Stephen Shaskan has written and illustrated over a dozen children's books, including the Pizza and Taco series of graphic chapter books. His picture book, A Dog Is a Dog, was a New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection and a CCBC Choices Book. He holds a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, and worked with kids for twenty years as an early childhood educator and after-school and summer art teacher. He loves performing at musical storytimes, presenting at schools, conferences, and festivals, and teaches comic classes to kids. Stephen lives with—and often collaborates with—his wife, author Trisha Speed Shaskan, in Minneapolis. Visit him at stephenshaskan.com.
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Get ready to rumble with Pizza and Taco in this hilarious graphic novel chapter book! These foodie besties need to find a sport they’ll both be awesome at! Baseball? No. Soccer? Nah. Football? Maybe. Wrestling? YAAAS! These two are ready to throw down! Or at least they think they are!
Pizza’s and Taco’s moms want them to join a sports team! But nothing seems to be cutting the mustard. That is, until they spot the wrestling sign up sheet at school! Once they choose their wrestling names and create signature moves—they’re ready to become wrestling pros! Or will the exercise involved send them to the showers?
This hilarious young graphic novel—with chapters—will tickle the funny bones of kids ages 5-8 and bolster their reading confidence. It’s the perfect stepping stone for those who are transitioning to longer chapter books and graphic novels.
Readers will also love the first six books in the series:
Who’s the Best?
Best Party Ever!
Super-Awesome Comic!
Too Cool for School
Rock Out!
Dare to be Scared!
Ruth Whiting
Ruth Whiting is an artist and maker with a diverse body of work. For Lonely Bird, she created elaborate stage sets that she photographed and rendered as oil paintings. Born in England to Australian parents, her travels and history are reflected in her art: the house Lonely Bird lives in is an echo of her childhood lived across three continents, and the striped patch used to mend the character Wigglet is made from a French electrical tape the illustrator became attached to when she lived in Paris as a child. Ruth Whiting and her husband, the artist and kite designer Tim Elverston, now live in Florida with their son.
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Longing to fly, a near-wingless paper bird puts her creativity to work in this visually stunning follow-up to Lonely Bird.
One night, Lonely Bird has a dream.
She wakes with the memory of riding the wind.
There must be a way.
If Lonely Bird is a bird, why doesn’t she have feathers and wings like the birds she sees through the windows of her home? Why can’t she fly? A curious and inventive soul, Lonely Bird studies drawings of old-fashioned flying machines, conducts delicate experiments with feathers, and constructs her own little marvels as she pursues her elusive goal. Will the inevitable bumps and perils along the way ground her for good, or will she rise up to try again? In Lonely Bird’s second adventure, author-illustrator Ruth Whiting launches her artistic heroine on a tenacious exploration of identity, set in an enchanting miniature world that may just exist on the edge of our own.