Mondays with Mira brings back her review of Barbara Bottner's Bootsie Barker Bites

Oh goodness. I've been having so much fun in my excitement creating new content and feeling honored about co-teaching with Barbara Bottner and having Mandy with us for the Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books that I decided to have another look at this video that I made years ago of one Barbara's 41 books, Bootsie Barker Bites. Well Bootsie Barker Bites is one of my all time favorite books and is also how I got to know Barbara a little after she saw this review. It also turns out it is still in print, which is awesome because this book, like many of her books, truly is a classic.

Then yesterday I went to the bookstore and bought Barbara's latest 2014 book (#41) Miss Brooks' Story Nook (where tales are told and ogres are welcome) that is both a meta narrative (meaning an overarching story within a story about writing books) and a story of imagination and bullying, similar but also very different from this one. Barbara's writing covers a wide gamut of emotions from tender (Flower Girl) to raucously funny (An Annoying ABC). Miss Brooks' Story Nook is also one of Amazon's best books of the month for August if you want to check it out here.

I'm very much looking forward to reviewing Miss Brooks and more of Barbara's books, learning from her and the students in this new course that I'm hoping some of you will take the leap of faith and join us in. Here are some of the newer materials that we'll be talking about and teaching that this book embodies - quirky characters and plots, the power of no, and page turning pacing. So anyway, here's the video. I hope you enjoy it and maybe even leave a comment. Oh and look for the rule of 3s that appears a few times. :)

Yours in children's book creativity ~ Mira

Mira Reisberg is the founder of the Children's Book Academy. She has a Ph.D. in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children's literature. She is also a former university professor who has taught children's literature survey courses, art education, and writing and illustrating courses to future teachers and now successful authors and illustrators. Like Barbara, over the years, Mira has mentored many now very successful students. Watch for her in the upcoming Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books interactive e-Course starting September 8th, which she will be co-teaching with Barbara Bottner,  assisted by the wonderful Mandy Yates, and in the free webinar this Friday the 22nd right here where she'll be talking lots more about getting quirky.