1. Happy February! What sweet treat do you fancy today? It may be cold and wintry outside, but Stella Park’s adorable animal pictures will warm you right up. 🙂

Based in Seoul, South Korea, Stella studied media design at Dongduk Women’s University, and then worked as a children’s art teacher before becoming a full-time freelance illustrator.

Her medium of choice is colored pencils. The slower pace of hand rather than digital drawing allows her more time to reflect and enjoy the process. She’s confident in her ability to draw subjects close to her heart and finds much fulfillment doing so. She loves sharing happiness and positivity through her art via soft fuzzy textures and heartwarming details.

Earlier in her freelance career she was mainly inspired by daily life and memorable scenes from her travels. Recently, however, she’s been depicting animal characters in cozy domestic scenes — mainly dogs and cats baking, shopping, sharing meals and playing together. She’s already published a couple of books in Korea, and I hope her work finds its way into the U.S. children’s picture book market sometime soon. Isn’t her artistic sensibility perfect for it? 🙂

For lots more, visit Stella’s Website and Instagram.

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2. New Middle Grade Verse Novel Alert: Look for Green Promises: Girls Who Loved the Earth by Jeannine Atkins (Atheneum BFYR, 2025), coming to shelves February 11:

Meet three remarkable women who followed their dreams and paved a path for women in science in this gorgeously written biographical novel in verse from acclaimed author Jeannine Atkins.

As a girl in the late 1800s, Mary Agnes Chase searched the river’s edge for wild grasses, wondering how best to capture their likeness with pencil and paper. While her formal education ended in eighth grade, her skill at drawing plants helped land her a position at the Smithsonian Institution. Agnes became a world-renowned expert in grasses she discovered in meadows and mountains.

Far away on the bank of another river, Marguerite Thomas Williams waded in to explore the rocks, wondering what secrets they might tell of long ago. Marguerite became a schoolteacher, then a teacher of teachers, but she wanted more. At last, a nearby university opened its doors to Black women, and after years of study, Marguerite became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in geology. 

Marguerite’s student Sophie Mack Lutterlough’s lifelong interest in insects led to her working her way from being an elevator operator at the Smithsonian Institution to becoming one of the first Black women researchers there in the late 1950s. 

With keen eyes and ambition, each woman followed her love of the natural world to blaze a trail for future female scientists.

So excited whenever Jeannine publishes a new book! I’m always confident that I’ll learn a lot because of her thorough research, and I know I’ll be wowed by her poetic writing. I hadn’t heard of any of the three women featured in Green Promises — so glad to know these extraordinary trailblazers are having their accomplishments acknowledged in a way that will inspire future female scientists. Added bonus: reading about Marguerite Thomas Williams and Sophie Mack Lutterlough is just the thing to help celebrate Black History Month. 🙂

Kirkus (probably the hardest nut to crack when it comes to reviews), has glowing words for Green Promises: “This story, rich in historical details, is a love letter to the power of individuals to bring about change and uplift others. Atkins deftly brings Mary Agnes Chase’s and Marguerite Thomas Williams’ environments and scientific pursuits to life through language that’s alternately poetic and direct, making the decades of history she covers both thought-provoking and accessible to young readers. An inspiring account of women who pursued scientific excellence and opened doors for others.”

Can’t wait to read it!!

Congratulations, Jeannine!

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3. Ceramics Fix: Looking for a special Valentine’s Day gift? Check out these love themed pieces by EJ of Idahomud.

This handmade heart-shaped dish is 9″ x 6″ x 1″ and has decorations embossed into the soft clay, then it’s kiln fired and hand painted with colorful glazes. So pretty!

The square Love dish measures 7″ by 7″ x 1″ :

The timeless sentiments of love from Corinthians are set into this handmade and hand-painted 13.5″ x 4″ serving bowl. While mostly given as a wedding gift, its words are a great reminder for everyone and for all occasions. Fired twice to almost 2000 degrees, and decorated with florals, hummingbirds and butterflies, this is a beautiful keepsake heirloom piece you will be excited to give to someone special. Just gorgeous!

See EJ’s other pieces at her Etsy Shop.

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4. It’s Party Time!! Look what just came out January 21: Let’s Party!: A DIY Illustrated Guide to 10 Fantastic Birthday Parties by Melissa Iwai (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2025):

Transform any party into a fun-filled, hands-on celebration! Featuring ten birthday themes and more than 70 unique recipes and activities, this DIY guide is the perfect gift for families—and is guaranteed to make a child’s next birthday one they’ll always remember.

Make birthday memories that will last a lifetime!
 
There’s nothing quite as special as creating your very own birthday party. In this spectacular DIY birthday planner for children aged three to ten, kids can choose their favorite party theme and assist in making the crafts and recipes associated with each. They’ll learn how to bake dinosaur cakes, create robot piñatas, design superhero outfits, decorate their party setting, and so much more. Whether you’re hosting a Pirate Cove Party, a Monster Mash Bash, or a Woodland Fairy Fest, every birthday theme will inspire creativity.
 
The designed parties include a craft activity, a decor project with templates, and recipes for a meal, two snacks, and the ultimate birthday cake. Step-by-step instructions, DIY tips and tricks, and a list of materials for each birthday theme make this activity-recipe book the perfect gift that families will return to year after year!

Featuring these 10 unique birthday themes: 
– Jurassic Party
– Superheroes to the Rescue! 
– Royal Magic Kingdom Party
– Construction Site Party
– Woodland Fairy Fest 
– Hawaiian Luau
– Pirate Cove Party
– Robot Laboratory Party
– Monster Mash Bash 
– Wild-Animal Party

All I can say is WOW! As a longtime Melissa fan, I can’t wait to see this new magnum opus. Through the years, I’ve enjoyed her wonderful picture books and early reader series, as well as her cooking blog, “The Hungry Artist,” which she started when her son Jamie was little. Also interviewed her several times, most recently when she published Dumplings for Lili (2021).

Let’s Party! is a fabulous one-stop recipe and activity book for creating unforgettable celebrations, an opportunity for kids to directly participate in the planning and executing of every aspect of a themed party. With step-by-step illustrated instructions for 71 DIY projects, party planners may also choose to mix and match activities to create their own unique celebrations.

This book was 8 years (!) in the making. Can’t imagine the work and countless hours that went into creating and testing all the recipes and projects, as well as writing and illustrating the final book! For more backstory about this project, as well as an interesting interview with Melissa and her editor, Christy Ottaviano, visit Melissa’s website blog. Love how Let’s Party! incorporates so many things Melissa truly loves to do: cooking, baking, crafting, writing, and illustrating. Such a creative tour de force!

Congratulations, Melissa and Christy!!

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5. Heads up, Pencil-loving Punsters: Yes, I love novelty gifts, especially those that feature wordplay in a fun, practical way. Check out these Coloring Pencil Sets by Pun Labs, which are based on clever themes and pop culture.

You can choose from Novel Hues, Fairy Tales, Superheroes, Canines, Color Wars, etc., or more “off-color” ones like Real Housewrites, Drunk Colors, or Colorful Language. You just never know what you’ll find. In any case, they’re worth a good laugh for that hard-to-buy-for friend, and will add another dimension to his/her coloring projects. The “I Love Hues” set is a good one for Valentine’s Day. 🙂

Visit the Pun Labs Storefront to see them all. 😀

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6. Ooh-la-la, love me some Jacques Pépin: Happy to see this new title in the Little Golden Book Biography series: Jacques Pépin by Candice Ransom and Tatsiana Burgaud (Golden Books, 2024):

Dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about French chef Jacques Pépin, who taught countless fans how to cook French meals—and carve lemons into the shape of pigs. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers—as well as fans of all ages!

This Little Golden Book about Jacques Pépin—the beloved French chef, artist, and close friend of Julia Child—is an inspiring read-aloud for young foodies and their parents.

This book is doubly delightful for me — since Candice is one of my fave authors and I’m also a longtime fan of Chef Pépin (reviewed his cookbook with granddaughter Shorey here). He’s both a master chef and a painter, who’s led an interesting, inspiring life. As far as I know, this is the only (?) introductory biography of Pépin written for kids. Great way to get munchkins into the kitchen and interested in cooking!

Now I’m anxious to scour his many published cookbooks and try something new. 🙂

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7. Cool Nonfiction Picture Book Alert: Be sure to check out We Sing From the Heart: How the Slants®️ Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court by Mia Wenjen and Victor Bizar Gómez (Red Comet Press, 2024):

A compelling account of Simon Tam’s fight for free speech that ended with a landmark Supreme Court decision.

Music is a way to transcend cultures and divides. Simon Tam used his band’s name, The Slants®, to make a powerful statement that racist insults could no longer be hurtful to Asian Americans. But then the U.S. Trade and Patent Office tries to stop him. In his eight-year battle to win trademark protection, Simon would go all the way to the Supreme Court in a landmark case to rout out structural racism in our government systems.

Mia Wenjen takes us back to Simon’s early days and the formation of the band, to the long battle to claim the name they chose to use. We learn of his motivations and the years-long struggle that leads ultimately to the Supreme Court of the United States. Told using lyrics from the band’s hit song about their trademark fight, this compelling story will keep readers riveted until the dramatic ending. We Sing from the Heart gives background and context to the significance of Simon’s quest, not just for him and his band, but for free speech rights for us all. Newcomer to children’s books, Victor Bizar Gómez, channels the indie music world with dynamic artwork that compliments the storytelling and is sure to draw in readers with his exciting graphic approach.

I was not familiar with Simon Tam, his all Asian-American rock band The Slants®️, or their landmark case until I saw this book, which is a must-have for home as well as school libraries. What a valuable lesson about courage, resilience, combating racism, advocating for free speech, reclaiming racial slurs, and personal empowerment!

This one’s not only for budding activists, but for all young citizens who wish to learn more about their First Amendment Rights and why they are worth fighting for.

We Sing from the Heart is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and a California Eureka Nonfiction Award Honor Book. A perfect choice for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May (plan to have some spirited conversations!). Enjoy this video of The Slants®️ performing their song, “From the Heart,” which charts their trademark battle (Simon plays bass).

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8. Attention Word Nerds and Grammar Geeks: You must check out this totally awesome new poetry book: How Can I Look It Up When I Don’t Know How It’s Spelled?: Spelling Mnemonics and Grammar Tricks by Marjorie Maddox (Kelsay Books, 2024):

What would happen if a playful poet had a love child with “Schoolhouse Rock”? This book, that’s what. Marjorie Maddox’s How Can I Look It Up When I Don’t Know How It’s Spelled? romps through the spelling and grammar mnemonics you learned as a kid—but this time with delicious poetic wit. Like Richard Wilbur before her, Maddox glories in words found inside other words—’a rat’ in ‘separate,’ ‘ant’ in ‘defendant.’ She also serves up imaginative characters (who’d have guessed the word ‘it’s’ had such attitude?) and indelible turns of phrase (the above-mentioned rat’s teeth are “as pointed as before-test pencils”; “Nouns knock you out: a blast of smelling salts. / Prepositions tickle the nostrils.”). Whether you’re a bad speller or a brilliant one, a grammarphobe or a grammar god, Maddox is the ‘she’ for your bookshelf. -Melissa Balmain, editor-in-chief of Light and author of Satan Talks to His Therapist

Sometimes learning the rules can be tedious or boring — not so when you encounter the 20 poems in Maddox’s deftly written spelling and grammar “handbook” for all ages. I’m reminded of a dedicated but somewhat mischievous trained acrobat who thoroughly delights in poetic devices, wordplay, the very sound and shapes of words as she orders them for maximum effect. It’s facile and astonishing at the same time; even if you thought you’d heard it all before, you can’t help but be impressed by how this poet imparts her lessons.

As an alphabet freak, I love how she personifies letters and words. Of course they’re alive and have their own personalities (I’ve always thought so!). All the more effective and memorable.

Here’s her Preface from the book:

“Welcome to this book for the grammar-obsessed and the spelling- challenged, for those who adore the rules of language and those who flee in terror. How Can I Look It Up When I Don’t Know How It’s Spelled? is here to help with mnemonics, that magician’s memory bag of tricks. Here are poetic riffs on the familiar, the humorous, and the sometimes unexpected sayings that guide English spelling—“I Before E Except After C,” “There Is a Rat in the Middle of Separate,” “There Is a Double Ass in Assassin”—as well as such grammatical guidelines as when to use I or me, whoever or whomever, it’s or its.

Watch what happens when two vowels go walking, when a loose goose breakdances in Brooklyn, and when the resistance takes a stance. Coupled with lively illustrations, these witty reflections on orthography and basic language principles encourage newcomers and experts alike to consider when to devour dessert in the desert or how to determine if, truly, “the principal is your pal.” Read, enjoy, share, remember!”

And here’s one of my favorite poems with art by Karen Elias (exquisitely delicious!):

I Take My Coffee with Two Es

two Fs and no artificial sweetener;
my sherbet, please (so low-fat), with an extra r, my filet mignon with its g and n
tenderly underdone.

Ah vichyssoise à la Ritz,
bouillabaisse, asparagus vinaigrette, salmon dipped and smoked.
Ah, Grand Marnier soufflés, peppermint-chocolate mousse—why wait

for the weight of words
to ingest each letter
by letter? Such sweet
seasoning to the palate,
basted sound and roasted syllable. Ah, Messieurs et Mesdames,
the delicacy, the delight,
the culinary delectableness of language skillfully marinated, prepared,
and presented by that master
Webster.

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9. Toys for Tough Times: Feeling a little low lately? In despair about the current political climate? Or maybe you just need a cuddly buddy or two to keep you company. 🙂

Reach for a set of Emotional Support Pals!

Yes, these adorable plushies are just the thing to bring a smile to your face when nothing else will. They come in sets of five with their own carrying baskets. Though there are chickies and kitties and bunnies, I like the foodie ones best (no surprise).

Emotional Support Ice Cream, Donuts, Pickles, Pizza, French Fries, even Dumplings — make great gifts for kids ages 2-4 or special friends of any age who enjoy fun things. Each piece has its own name and personality too. Talk about cozy comfort!

See the complete collection here.

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With Valentine’s Day coming up, thought we’d share a love song from the wayback machine. “Love Me Tender” was my dad’s favorite Elvis song, and also the title tune from the 1956 movie. “Love Me Tender” is actually an adaptation of an old Civil War song, “Aura Lea,” written by George R. Poulton and W.W. Fosdick, published in 1861.

Ken Darby (a former Munchkin from the “Wizard of Oz”), adapted the melody and wrote the new lyrics for “Love for Me Tender” especially for the film.

Elvis first performed “Love Me Tender” on the Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956, shortly before it was released, and about a month before the movie premiered. As a result, the song received more than a million advance orders, making it a gold record before its official release date.

Here’s his iconic performance, definitely swoon-worthy (so handsome!):

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HAPPY TUESDAY

HAPPY WEEK

WATCH OUT FOR CUPID’S ARROWS

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY

REMEMBER YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENTS

EAT CHOCOLATE

DO SOMETHING HEARTWARMING

READ A LOVE STORY

WRITE A LOVE POEM

BELIEVE IN BLUE

BE TRUE

BE MINE

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**Copyright © 2025 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.