Today on The Backstory, Shirin Shamsi joins us with her latest picture book, ZAHRA'S BLESSING: A RAMADAN STORY (Barefoot Books, 2022) with illustrations by Manal Mirza. Read on to discover all about this beautiful book that has been decades in the making and for your chance to win a copy of your own. Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behind ZAHRA’S BLESSING: A RAMADAN STORY. Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me. First o

It is my pleasure to welcome Serena Gingold Allen to share the backstory behind her forthcoming board books, MOONLIGHT PRANCE and SUNRISE DANCE (Chronicle Books, 2022) with illustrations by Teagan White. Playful rhymes and beautiful illustrations make these perfect additions to any home library. Read on to discover Serena's inspiration and for your chance to win a copy of one of her books. Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behin

It's time again for one of my favorite contests of the year, Vivian Kirkfield's #50 Precious Words. With a word limit of (you guessed it!) just 50 words, this contest is equal parts challenge and fun. The teeny-tiny word limit forces precise word choice and stretches our ability to tell a complete narrative succinctly. So without further ado, here is my 2022 entry coming in at exactly 50 words, BALLOON AND BOY. BALLOON AND BOY (50 words) By Andrew Hacket Boy was kind, but Bal