Julia Kuo’s beautiful words and art are breathtaking. The color palette is gorgeous.  In her newest picture book, Let’s Do Everything and Nothing, I find a strong emotional connection because my youngest daughter, Shannon, and I had similar mother-daughter adventures when she was a little girl. I remember our quiet moments, our joyful moments, and our curious moments like they were yesterday. I am grateful that Julia created this book so that I can share it with my all-grown-up daughter.

Julia will be presenting her book, Let’s Do Everything and Nothing, along with Joyce Hesselberth (Beatrice Was a Tree) at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 21, 2022, a our new location: Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park, 506 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, 12:15-1:05 pm in the Willa Cather Pavilion.

For those interested in Julia’s process for creating this book, I highly recommend reading about it here!

What is your writing space like? 

I write and illustrate in my office on the third floor of a townhouse in Seattle, Washington. Hanging behind me are two pinatas I’ve made – one of a bison, another of a rainbow – that I couldn’t bring myself to destroy. On the window ledge in front of me are 8 air plants that were extras wedding favors from getting married last summer. And down by my feet, in a dog bed nestled in another dog bed, is my snoring pup Carmen. 

What do libraries mean to you? 

I spent a lot of time in my local library branch as a high schooler, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I began associating libraries with new homes. I moved to Cleveland after college and fell in love with the city; while I was there, I worked with the Cleveland Public Library to create a design for their library card and even designed a summer arts space next to a library called “Literary Lots”. When I moved to Chicago, I signed up for a library card almost immediately. I still remember walking away from the beautiful Harold Washington branch and feeling like the possession of the library card had suddenly made me a true Chicagoan. 

What do you hope your readers will learn from reading your book? 

This book is really about companionship and contentment, so I hope readers will take a moment to reflect on how they find these things in their own lives – whether it’s with a child, parent, partner, sibling, or friend! 

Who is the reader you are writing for? Describe them. 

I’m writing for mothers and daughters! I want women of all ages to see themselves reflected as bold, confident adventurers who can find energy and rest in companionship. If I’m being honest, I’m also writing for myself. This book is for my past self, as a young Asian American girl, to see myself centered in a book and daring enough to attempt great adventures. It’s for my current self, to find satisfaction and contentment in my current relationships, even if we are doing nothing – and for my future self, to see motherhood as the ultimate adventure! 

What is one (or more) thing(s) that you really want your readers to know about you? 

I love spending time outdoors, whether it’s rock climbing or hiking up a mountain (mostly the smaller ones). I actually wrote this story after climbing Mt. Rainier in 2019! As a 5 foot tall Asian American woman, I know that I don’t fit the typical profile of an outdoor adventurer, but I would love to change that stereotype through my writing and illustrations.

What do you love most about the cover art and illustrations in your book? 

One of my favorite things about the book’s illustrations is that they center around the adventures of a warm skinned, dark haired mother and daughter who live in a home coded as Taiwanese American (rice cooker, wok on the stove). The story doesn’t explicitly address culture or ethnicity, but the characters can just be without having to explain themselves. 

What has surprised you most about the characters in your book? 

This book is much more poetic than it is narrative, so I expected the illustrations and characters to be quite general. But somehow, the characters in this book have still managed to unearth some of my most private thoughts on parenthood, relationships, and fulfillment. I illustrated an Asian American mother and her daughter, and I have identified with both; as a woman who wishes for a motherhood filled with adventures, and as a daughter who seeks out companionship through both the wildest adventures as well as the most peaceful of moments at home. 

What part of the publishing process has been the most meaningful to you thus far? 

I’ve been continuously blown away by the collaborative aspect of publishing. I’ve worked with really amazing editors and teams who have definitely improved my work, both in the writing and illustration. It was Bethany Strout’s idea at Little Brown to shift the color scheme from bright to monotone in The Sound of Silence, and it was Connie Hsu of Roaring Brook’s idea to make the characters’ home a Taiwanese-American one in Let’s Do Everything and Nothing! This is also true for the writers I’ve had the privilege of working with, from Katrina Goldsaito to Martha Brockenbrough and Livia Blackburne. I just don’t write the way they do, and it feels like such an honor to illustrate their books. Every person I’ve worked with from the designers to the publicists makes me feel so lucky to be in this profession.

 What are you most looking forward to at our book festival? 

This will be my first in-person event for Let’s Do Everything and Nothing, and I am so excited to see people in person and to sit in on other author talks!

Julia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American illustrator who has worked with The New York Times, Google and Science Friday. Julia has taught illustration courses at Columbia College Chicago and at her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis. She is the illustrator of “Drawing Leaves and Trees: Observing and Sketching the Natural World;” “I Dream of Popo,” written by Livia Blackburne; Katrina Goldsaito’s “The Sound of Silence;” Roni Schotter’s “Go Little Green Truck!;” Melissa Gilbert’s “Daisy and Josephine,” “20 Ways to Draw a Dress,” “20 Ways to Draw a Cat” and “Everyone Eats.” Her latest book is “Let’s Do Everything and Nothing.”

John Gallagher, creator of Max Meow, will be a featured author at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 21, 2022, at our new location: Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg.  John will be part of a graphic novel panel with John Patrick Green (Investigators: Braver & Boulder), Abby Denson (Kitty Sweet Tooth) and moderated by Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy series).  John will lead a meowsome workshop for elementary students as well.

Creating Super Cats and Vile Villains – A Kids Comics Workshop:  10:15-10:45 am

Author Presentation (followed by book signing):  12:15-1:05 pm in the Willa Cather Pavilion

What is your studio/creative space like?

I have a home studio with a diner booth! After college, I lived with multiple roommates. Needless to say, it was hard to concentrate with so many folks running around. So I would go to the local diner and draw. I became so used to the height of the diner table, that when I moved into my open studio, I got a diner booth for use as my work space.

How (or in what ways) do you hope librarians will promote your book?

My main goal is to show young readers that reading can be fun—and librarians have done a wonderful job of promoting Max Meow (and many other books) that way.

What do you hope your readers will learn from reading your book?

I often try to impart small bits of wisdom that have helped me through life, such as taking chances, it’s okay to mess up, and that being a good person (or cat) to others is an important part of being a hero or leader. But I also like to stick in little snippets of science via Max’s best buddy, Mindy.

Who is the reader you are writing for?  Describe them!

I write for the 7-10 year old I was: one part imagination, one part comedian, and maybe someone that thinks too much sometimes. But maybe also someone that might be reluctant to read, at first, but forgets that when they see a flying cat and alien wiener dog.

What is one (or more) thing(s) that you really want your readers to know about you?

I love cats AND dogs! Many kids want me to choose, or explain why Max is a cat, and I am a big fan of both. In fact, I have one cat, Millie, and a dog named Cody.

What do you love most about the cover art and illustrations in your book?   

Getting to do them! I was mesmerized by comics as a kid, they really took me to whole new worlds. So trying to do that for a new generation of readers is very exciting for me.

What has surprised you most about the characters in your book?

I often start out with certain ideas about where my characters are headed in the stories—but rarely do they stay on that path. For example, Agent M, a grumpy mouse (or is he a rat?), and the first book’s villain, has grown as a character so much over the series, that he actually reformed and became something of a hero in later books.

Which book review or award has been most meaningful to you?

Reviews by librarians have meant a lot, because they are so dedicated and discerning for their young readers. But it’s the reviews that kids share online about Max Meow that have helped me to appreciate the importance of storytelling in inspiring others.

What are you most looking forward to at our book festival?

Meeting and talking to the readers and their parents is such an invigorating experience, and really reminds me why this is the best job in the world.

Creating Super Cats and Vile Villains – A Kids Comics Workshop:  10:15-10:45 am

Author Presentation (followed by book signing):  12:15-1:05 pm in the Cather Tent

Visit the Gaithersburg Book Festival website for more information about this literary event.

Did you know?

John has a great website with interactive games for his readers, as well as coloring sheets and other activities.  Check out  Citizens of Kittyopolis and Videos, Fun & Games pages!

John Gallagher is the art director of the NWF’s “Ranger Rick” magazine, cofounder of “Kids Love Comics” (an organization that uses graphic novels to promote literacy), and leads workshops teaching kids how to create their own comics. John lives in Virginia with his wife and their three kids. 

On May 21, 2022, the talented NoNieqa Ramos will be a featured author at Gaithersburg Book Festival (1:15-2:05pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion).  Nonieqa will also lead a writing workshop entitled, Mirror, Mirror and Magnificent Me (11-11:45 am in the Children’s Workshops Pavilion.) I hope you enjoy learning about NoNieqa and that you come out to the Gaithersburg Book Festival to meet her in person.   This is our first in person event after two years of virtual GBF and we are overjoyed to see our authors and guests at our new location: Gaithersburg’s  Bohrer Park, 506 So. Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

I hope you enjoy my interview with NoNieqa Ramos!

What is your writing space like?

Thank you for inviting me to speak on Creative Librarian: Adventures in School Librarianship, Melissa!

At the opening of my office, you’ll see a homage to feminine divine energy, a goddess with a crown of candles. Step further into the soft blue light and you’ll pass my altar to my ancestors, trickling with flowers. Across from my standing desk are two old school black chalkboards with outlines for a current middle grade novel-in-progress currently titled Crescent Dances with the Stars. Occasionally a beloved bow-tied kitty warms my chair. 

Behind me on a floating shelf sits my debut young adult novel The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary beside the vinyl record, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, a pivotal song in my fifteen-year-old protagonist’s journey.  Adjacent to my young adult novels, you’ll see my picture books Your Mama illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara, Beauty Woke illustrated by Paola Escobar, and Hair Story, illustrated by Keisha Morris. As a child, I fantasized about being a museum curator. Maybe that’s part of my love for picture books; they are portable museums of art and culture!

How (or in what ways) do you hope librarians will promote your books?

There truly could not be a more volatile and difficult time in publishing or in the current state of this country to have a book called Beauty Woke published. Wokeness is so politicized and misunderstood.  In my book, wokeness refers to a marginalized child’s triumph over racism and her awakening to her beauty–inside and out. 

In my book, wokeness refers to a marginalized child’s triumph over racism and her awakening to her beauty–inside and out. 

~ NoNieqa Ramos

My young adult novel The Truth Is, in which my protagonist Verdad confronts her internalized racism and homophobia as she embraces her queer identity, was on Senator Matt Kraus’ banned book list and was also targeted for banning at school board meetings in my hometown in Virginia. 

It’s been exhausting, but I gain strength from educators and librarians at the front lines of #FReadom. I hope librarians continue to support me by promoting my picture books with all ages.

How about including Your Mama in a poetry celebration? Middle graders can use Your Mama to  study free-verse poetry. High schoolers can study the misogynistic past of Your Mama jokes and how my book confronts sexism with tenderness, affirmation, and celebration.

How about having a cultural pride parade after a reading of Beauty Woke with Littles? Every child can make a flag representing their own cultures. Middle graders and high schoolers can study the history of Puerto Rico and the importance of the Puerto Rican flag depicted in the book in various forms. On June 10th, 1948 Law 53 was approved in Puerto Rico. The Gag Law or La Ley de la Mordaza made it illegal to display or own a Puerto Rican flag, even in one’s own home. Police and national guardsmen could enter anyone’s home without a warrant and search and seize all property, regardless of probable cause. What an opportunity to research, discuss, and debate!

I would love to see more front-and-center book displays with unique themes. I recently enjoyed a gorgeous display of Beauty Woke, which was included in an Encanto-themed collection focusing on magic and family.  I especially need librarians to share my picture books in social media postings on Twitter and Instagram and to recommend my books to educators.

How about inviting me over! I am currently working with the New York Public Library to do Caregiver Literacy Workshops! Mil gracias to every librarian who has shared my work to their readers!

What do you hope your readers will learn from reading your book?

Children start to learn about race and culture the minute they are born. And tragically, racism doesn’t “start” when you are an adult or when you are educated and prepared to deal with it. Racism blindsides you. Children witness racism against their parents, families, and friends. They see it on social media and hear about it in the car on the news on the way to school. 

All marginalized children are going to be exposed to racism whether it’s through personal experiences or whether they are witnesses to it. I hope that Beauty Woke is an opportunity to recognize and validate children’s experiences, and to provide them the sacred space of a picture book and a caregiver to heal, explore, and embrace their cultural roots and seek refuge and love from their families and communities. Like Beauty in the book, I hope they experience triumph in knowing who they are and where they come from is beautiful. 

Want to read more about NoNieqa and Beauty Woke?

Las Musas:  Happy Book Birthday to NoNieqa Ramos’ Beauty Woke!

Kathy Temean: BEAUTY WOKE by NoNieqa Ramos

Lorena Germán, cofounder of the groups #disrupttexts and Multicultural Classroom and author of The Anti-Racist Teacher: Reading Instruction Workbook and Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices, writes: “This gorgeous book is about more than hair. Hair becomes the vehicle for a conversation about identity, beauty standards, bias, relationships, self-love, and more. Ramos has created a picture book that touches upon identity as it is intertwined with other elements of life, all by celebrating hair types and styles.”

Charlotte Offsay, author of The Big Beach Clean Up said, “This truth is carried in NoNieqa’s words and Keisha’s art. It’s a beautiful ode to Black and brown children, celebrating their hair and their identity and encouraging “young readers to embrace themselves just the way they are.”

As Preciosa and Rudine embrace their natural hair, readers are invited to do the same.

Las Musas An Interview with NoNieqa Ramos, author of Hair Story! 

Who is the reader you are writing for?  Describe them!

I am writing for the parents and caregivers. Just like many of them, I did not see representation of Latine and marginalized groups growing up, and by reading these books to our children, we heal ourselves and society.

I am writing for Latine children. For queer children. For Black, indigenous, and children of color. For white children. For she and hes and theys. For abled and disabled children. For children who like to climb trees, children who climb the walls, children who knock down walls like dominoes every day they wake up and smile and start fresh. All children.

What is one (or more) thing(s) that you really want your readers to know about you?

I need picture books just as much as they do! Picture books are for all ages. 0-1000.  Todos.  

What do you love most about the cover art and illustrations in your book?   

Paola Escobar created the stunning illustrations in Beauty Woke.  Kirkus phrased it perfectly when they said, “Escobar’s powerful panorama of diversity is a blazing exclamation point to Beauty’s triumphant journey.”  Paola brilliantly exemplifies the power of family and community.

Keisha Morris created the joyful illustrations in Hair Story.  I  especially love the ‘FRO-MENTS IN TIME’ page where famous icons in history and their hair stories are displayed and the back matter where Keisha and I share our own hair stories.

Which book review or award has been most meaningful to you?

I appreciate every single reader who has taken the time to review my work, and I absolutely adore every reader who has reached out to me personally through my website, Twitter, and Instagram. I take screenshots of these messages so I can remind myself why I am writing and who I am writing for.

Receiving an NCTE Notable Poetry award lit me up because of my experience teaching language arts and drama for 15 years!

What are you most looking forward to at our book festival?

This will be one of the first times since the Pandemic that I am able to interact and build community IN-PERSON with educators, librarians, families, and readers! In addition to my author presentation, I’m looking forward to leading an Affirmation workshop with Littles!!

NoNieqa Ramos (they/them) is an educator and writer of picture books and young adult literature. They wrote The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary, a 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. Their debut picture book Your Mama illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara was selected by The Virginia Center for the Book as Virginia’s GREAT READ for 2021. Your Mama was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, a School Library Journal Best Picture Book of 2021, a Kirkus Best Picture Book of the 2021, a Nerdy Book Award winner, and a National Council of English Books Notable Poetry Book.  Their picture book Beauty Woke illustrated by Paola Escobar has earned Booklist and Kirkus starred reviews.  NoNieqa is a proud member of Las Musas Books collective, the Soaring 20s PB debut group, and Pb Tales 2022 group. You can learn more about them and the school visits and workshops they offer at www.nonieqaramos.com! 

For Valentine’s Day classroom celebrations this year, our principal asked the staff to focus on friendship. Here in the library, I often have lessons that incorporate social emotional themes, so I decided to take the week prior to, and the week of, Valentine’s Day to share lots of information about what being a friend looks like and sounds like.

Using print books, ebooks, videos, and databases (and a super cute STEAM activity), I created lessons that I believe my readers truly connected with during those two weeks.

The first week, my lesson was entitled, “What is Friendship?” and the big question was, “What does it mean to be a good friend?” In the lesson I used the wonderful PebbleGo article, Making New Friends, and the books  My New Friend is So Fun! by Mo Willems and Snail and Worm Again by Tina Kügler.  My students and I had insightful discussions about friendship and specific ways in which the characters were good friends to each other.  We also had a great time creating snail art!

PreK-Gr2 What is Friendship

The second week, my lesson was entitled “Be a Fantastic Friend” and we continued exploring what it means to be a friend. Scholastic Watch & Learn has two wonderful friendship videos:  Fantastic Friend Countdown and Can You Be a Good Friend?  which gave my young students some concrete examples of things that they could do in the classroom and at recess.  The books I incorporated were again by author/illustrators Mo Willems (The Big Guy Took My Ball!) and Tina Kügler (Snail and Worm).  I love that my young learners appreciated the humor in each of these books and laughed out loud at the characters’ silliness, while also understanding the message of friendship in each.

K-Gr2: Be a Fantastic Friend