This month authors celebrate big wins surrounded by friends; spot their debut on shelves; appear at “top secret” panels; and bring an old protagonist to a new series.
A Win Among Friends
On January 30, Doug Salati gathered with friends and studiomates in Brooklyn to watch the Youth Media Awards, where it was announced he had won the 2023 Caldecott Medal for his picture book Hot Dog (Knopf). (From l.) Salati, Sophie Blackall, Ruth Chan, Sergio Ruzzier, Brian Floca, Cecilia Ruiz, and Rowboat Watkins.
Debut Shelfie
Debut YA author Jumata Emill spotted his book The Black Queen (Delacorte) at his local Barnes & Noble for the first time. The Black Queen follows the murder of Nova Albright, her school’s first Black homecoming queen, and the fallout in a Mississippi community. It’s up to Duchess, Nova’s best friend, and Tinsley, the prime suspect, to uncover the truth. See our Q&A with the author here.
This Panel Is Top Secret
On February 2, Queen Anne Book Co. in Seattle hosted a virtual panel hosted by (clockwise, from l.) bookseller Tegan Tigani, and featuring children’s authors James Ponti, Steve Sheinkin, Rebecca E.F. Barone, and Stuart Gibbs. The authors discussed all things spies and secrets in their books.
Say Hello to An Old Friend!
Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures hosted Natasha Anastasia Tarpley at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall for an event on February 2 about her picture book Keyana Loves Her Family (Little, Brown). Illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, the picture book series features the protagonist from Tarpley’s picture book I Love My Hair!
