Blog & site of children's book author Tara Lazar
Storystorm registration will begin on this blog December 26th.
Never heard of Storystorm? Learn about it here.
But I know there’s something you need before it all begins…
…an Official Journal! It’s available for purchase via Zazzle, with proceeds to be donated. (If I ever get paid. Long story.)
Thanks to the talented Courtney Pippin-Mathur for the Storystorm design with an adorable elf!
More to come soon! A lot is going on behind the scenes!
Many of you know I am Jewish, but I wasn’t raised in the faith. My parents were actually lapsed Catholics. We never went to church and we celebrated Christmas and Easter in a secular fashion.
After my parents divorced, I suppose my mother was intent on making us appear whole. So when our local newspaper published an article about the family-friendly activity of cutting your own Christmas tree, my mother decided that the three of us (plus her boyfriend) had to bond over this new-to-us holiday tradition.
Sounds homey, right? Well, it was a comedy of errors!
She therefore took pen to paper and wrote a letter to the editor detailing our misfortunes. The paper loved it so much, they splashed it out on the front page with a byline!
Many thanks to Raji at the West Orange Public Library reference desk, who assumed I had suffered from a false memory of publishing glory, and kept flipping until she found the December 13, 1984 article on the fifth page. It is enclosed for your enjoyment. Click to enlarge it.
I apologize for the lack of my usual Gifts for Writers post (but you can read the past posts). Please remember that my books make excellent holiday gifts! (Wink, wink.)
by Sheri Dillard
At the beginning of every year, my agents, Liza and Ginger, schedule a phone call with all their clients. They call it the State of the Union, and it’s a “check-in,” of sorts. We talk about manuscripts on submission, reactions to any responses so far, and thoughts on current projects.
On one of those calls, we brainstormed story ideas. My debut picture book COWHIDE-AND-SEEK had just come out, so most of our ideas were game-inspired. The conversation was fun and lively, and I took lots of notes. But it wasn’t until Liza said, “How about tic, tac, toe?” that something clicked for me.
A story about three friends popped into my head. Three BEST friends who were always together—three in a row! But what would happen if one of those friends got left out in some way?
As a preschool teacher, I love watching young children make new friends. The kids tend to bond quickly as they explore the classroom and playground. For many, school is the first time they are around other children without their parents nearby. And sometimes, whether it’s a group of peers or a one-on-one friendship, managing new social situations can be tricky.
In my new picture book TIC, TAC, AND TOE, we see three friends having fun together. But when they find a tandem bike and it becomes clear that it won’t work with three, Tic and Tac leave Toe behind. They don’t even realize that Toe feels hurt and left out. They ride around, have fun, and sort of forget about their friend Toe. It’s only when they see something they think Toe will love that they remember him. When they find him sad and alone, they realize what they’ve done.
While reading this story, the reader might stop and say, “Oh, look at Toe. How do you think he’s feeling? Why do you think he’s feeling that way?” Asking questions while reading books can be like “practice” to help children learn how to recognize others’ feelings in real life, too. Stories about friendship, empathy, and kindness can guide kids on what it means to be a good friend.
I love how my books, so far, are connected to some of my favorite childhood games. (And I’ve got more game-inspired stories that I hope to publish someday! Maybe I’ll have my own three-in-a-row? Fingers crossed!)
What are some of your favorite childhood games? Maybe there’s a story idea in there somewhere? Good luck and have fun!
Thanks, Sheri!
TIC-TAC-TOE will be published this coming Tuesday, November 4, by Reycraft Books. But you can win a copy right here!
Leave a comment and a winner will be randomly selected next month!
Sheri Dillard is a children’s author and preschool teacher/librarian, and she hosts regular storytimes at her local indie bookstore. She is the author of several picture books, including two game-inspired ones, COWHIDE-AND-SEEK and TIC, TAC, AND TOE.
Sheri lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Mark, and has three sons who are always (mostly) happy to join her for a board game or two.
CALL ME GEBYANESH is based on the real-life experiences of a girl, Gebyanesh Addisu, who immigrated from Ethiopia to Israel with her family when she was seven-years-old.
Although Jewish, she struggled to fit in with her different skin color and very different culture. When I first met her on a trip to Israel ten years ago, she was a high school student and greatly impressed me with her fluent English, her modesty, and her love of learning. We lost touch for a while, but resumed correspondence some years later, and when I approached her to collaborate with me on her immigration story, she was enthusiastic. We met virtually about twenty times, and when she told me about her teacher giving her a new Israeli name on her very first day of third grade, I knew we had a hook. This incident sent Gebby on a roller coaster of emotions and a search for her identity until she was a young adult—when she finally had the courage to reclaim her name and her Ethiopian heritage.
Many authors write books about living people without collaborating or co-authoring. If the subject already has a lot written about them, it may not be necessary to work directly with them to create a picture book from their story.
However, I feel extremely lucky to have been able to get Gebby’s story directly from her and to learn first-hand about her struggles and eventual triumphs. So when my editor advised naming Gebby as a co-author to give the book more authenticity, I was happy to do so. Though I did all the writing, it is Gebby’s story, and she put in many hours with me crafting it into a picture book.
P.S. Gebby is now 27 and a graduate student in Ancient History at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I am so grateful that we have become close, life-long friends.
Arlene Rosenfeld Schenker is giving away a copy of CALL ME GEBYANESH to one lucky blog reader.
Leave a comment below and good luck!
Have you ever read THE END by David LaRochelle? (illustrated by Richard Egielski)
It’s incredibly clever! Mr. LaRochelle spins a fairytale in reverse. He begins at the end and ends at the beginning. There’s all the fairytale flavor you’d expect—a princess, a knight, a dragon—plus some sweet lemonade as a bonus.
This picture book was in heavy bedtime rotation when my kids were little. And it also inspired me to revise my own work backwards, turning lemons into lemonade.
I often get stuck in my manuscripts at the middle. Maybe you do, too. Sure, it’s where the bulk of the story takes place, but it feels like it can be purposefully pedestrian, walking from point A, to point B, to ho-hum let’s-get-on-with-it C.
Yikes, I don’t want my audience to be lulled to sleep! But as a writer, I have so much more fun writing the opening and the closing. Those scenes can really pack a whack.
So sometimes when I’m stuck in the middle, I decide to work backwards. If I have a genius idea for the conclusion, I’ll write that first. Then I ask myself, how would you logically get here? What happened one step ago?
Then I write that part.
I go from C, to B, and then back farther to A. Somehow the logic of the story falls magically into place that way.
What happened right BEFORE this scene? What makes the most sense to occur PRIOR? These simple questions can really free up your work. It’s one of my revision go-tos, inspired by THE END. (Thanks, David!)
Do you want more revision tips?
I filmed a revision video of my best ideas for Karen Ferreira’s 2025 Children’s Book Mastery Summit. It begins next week, July 28. You can check it out using my link here.
Other writing experts like Charnaie Gordon, John Fox, Brooke Van Sickle, April M. Cox, Cameron Sutter (Plottr), Vicky Weber, Joe Bunting (The Write Practice), and Daniel David Wallace will also share their expertise with you during this event.
Is this the end? Nope. It’s just the beginning (or middle) of your kidlit publication journey. I hope you’ll join me!
You may be wondering…
…where’s Tara?
Or you may not be. Let’s be real, everyone has a lot going on.
But…
Well, as fine as someone with PPMS can be! I’ve had many health challenges lately, including extreme exhaustion, and I’m not looking for sympathy, just letting you know that it’s slow going over here. But I have managed to start the long-overdue daily Storystorm prizes!
Day 1 Winner: MONA PEASE
Day 2 Winners: GREENGIRLBLUEPLANET (MORGAN LAU), LYNN BALDWIN, CAROLYNSCOMBS
Day 3 Winner: JAN MILUSICH
Day 4 Winner: HELEN WATERS
Day 5 Winners: GWENDOLYN HOLBROW, JACQUELINE ADAMS, MARLENE ROHR
CONGRATULATIONS! Everyone will be contacted via email.
More winners to come this week!
Phew! It’s about time!
Today we are celebrating the author/illustrator debut of Erika Lynne Jones, ZARA IN THE MIDDLE, a multi-generational picture book about finding your voice and the strength of family. You may be familiar with her other illustrated works, such as THE LOUD LIBRARIAN or BLACK GIRLS: A Celebration of You! Now she is also be a published author.
Congratulations on your author-illustrator debut, Erika. Tell us about ZARA IN THE MIDDLE.
The story is about Zara who loves living next door to her Grandma Jane and Granny Gladys, but sometimes it’s tough being stuck in the middle of them! Both her grandmas think they know what’s best for her, and Zara is too worried she might upset them if she says what she really wants.
For context I’ll add that the three main characters are planning Zara’s birthday party, which for me adds emotion, tension and fun to the dynamic. I look forward to hearing how others relate to the story and what kinds of memories it invokes.
Is there anything in this story inspired by real life?
Yes, the story incorporates some pretty big aspects of my childhood and adult life. Zara is very much me on the inside growing up and some of those remnants remain today. I would be so concerned about everyone else being happy, and specifically happy with me, that I wouldn’t voice my truth.
While I wrap the story in humor, not feeling free to voice my opinions about things was actually quite heavy. But writing was therapeutic because I got to imagine the good that would have come out of finding my voice earlier in life. And maybe in the process, I got to leave some hints for caretakers about opportunities to stop and check in with less vocal little ones about what’s on their mind and in their hearts.
In my adult life, I’ve been blessed with one of the best moms and one of the best mother-in-laws that a person could have. When we first became a family, I noticed they expressed themselves differently, but at the same time had similar intentions to love and support us. It was fun to exaggerate aspects of their personalities to tell a heartwarming story. So yes, I had lots of real-life inspiration in this story.
Erika’s mother-in-law & mother having holiday fun
What Easter Eggs/personal touches did you add to the illustrations and text?
I had a blast infusing some of the personality traits of my mom and mother-in-law into the grandma characters. My late mother had an affinity for drinking—and recommending—prune juice and wearing pearls like Grandma Jane. Also my mother-in-law LOVES baking and makes a mean poundcake just like Granny Gladys. I thought it would be fun to have her contribute to the book, so I had her hand write one of the recipe cards in one of the spreads for me.
Did you have any “ah-ha” moments when writing?
I did actually… I was preparing for a talk I now do called “Illuminating You in the Picture Books You’re Creating”, where I encourage writers and illustrators to look at their childhood books for clues about what kinds of stories they might want to create.
While preparing for that talk, I realized I was subconsciously influenced quite a bit by books I loved reading when I was a child when creating the storyline and illustrations. For example, I loved reading Big Dog… Little Dog by P.D. Eastman. Something about the way he contrasted the characters’ traits and personalities to create tension with words and simple images enthralled me, and of course, it all worked out. I realized I did the same with Zara’s grandmothers by showing the beauty in their differences, and likewise, it all works out. Also, I found the first short story I wrote when I was five or six, and I mean it was SHORT. I found it in the back of a book called My Book About Me, which was an interactive book by Dr. Suess and Roy McKie. It just so happened to be about me having a birthday party (just like Zara). So I thought, “What synchronicity!”
What’s your favorite spread or moment in the book?
That’s tough, but I do think it’s the messy kitchen scene. I enjoyed incorporating my sense of humor into this climactic, chaotic moment. Zara’s grandmas got so carried away with their own agendas that they literally and figuratively overwhelmed her. I also had fun drawing all the little kitchen things.
One lesson I learned during the revision process was to look out for ways readers might misinterpret a book’s words and art. I tweaked the original sketch of the kitchen scene because my editors and art directors were concerned that it could be perceived that the grannies dumped flour on Zara. That was not my intention! I didn’t want the scene to pull readers from the story or take away from the story’s heart. So I revised the scene to show the family love and support, even though the grannies initially expressed it in an overwhelming way.
You can see the re-draw made for a much better flow in the spread, so ultimately the change was a win-win!
Thank you for all the behind the scenes fun, Erika!
ZARA IN THE MIDDLE releases July 8, 2025 from HarperCollins. The book is available for pre-order everywhere, but if you’d like a signed copy or other FREE Zara goodies, visit Erika’s website to learn more about her pre-order giveaway.
And we also have a giveaway right here! Comment with who you’d like to share this story with and why. A random winner will be selected to receive a signed copy of ZARA IN THE MIDDLE at the end of July!
Good luck!
When I was pregnant with my second child, I read my young daughter many “New Baby and Big Sister” books. Sing-songy books about how being a big sister is the best thing in the world! Factual books about how babies grow and are born. And more than a few books about how being a big sister is a job—complete with the responsibilities of finding Mommy clean diapers and playing quietly when the baby sleeps! (Woohoo!)
While each of these titles proved helpful in their own way, I found myself on a search for a book that emphasized the many facets of siblinghood as a lifelong bond. I wanted to read my daughter a story that recognized the unique experiences siblings share—a book filled with the kinds of moments siblings laugh about together even as adults, from squabbling and mischief-making to teaming together and resolving conflicts.
I knew the Beverly Cleary quote, “If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.”
Chock-full of hormones and fueled by ample adorable new baby + sibling moments, it was a joy to write BECAUSE OF YOU, I’M A SISTER.
Here’s the amazing cover featuring art by the incredibly talented illustrator, Lisa Chow:
Like me, Lisa is a sister and a mother of two girls. Her style is quirky. Her humor is dry. She gets excited about ideas and runs with them in a flurry of color and swirl. I’d really like to get coffee with her. And I’d also like for you to hear from her in this cover reveal post!
Thanks Jen! I would love a coffee! Anytime!
When this manuscript came across my desk, I knew it was meant to be. As a big sister and now mother of sisters, I could immediately picture all the silly and sweet and downright annoying moments I wanted to capture in this book.
For example, I definitely got my start in art by practicing on my childhood home’s living room walls. And as a big sister to two little brothers, I had to learn how to split desserts into thirds. Thirds! Do you know how hard that is?!
But my most favorite illustration in the book is a four-act story of misunderstanding and betrayal over cupcakes. You’ll have to read the book to find it!
We cannot express how lucky we feel that this story resonated with Frances Gilbert and Elizabeth Tardiff at Doubleday Books for Young Readers. They took the humor and heart in the story and amplified it, literally making dreams come true. They made Because of You, I’m a Sister an ideal gift for baby showers, new big sisters, and even grown-up siblings.
We hope you love the final product as much as we do!
BECAUSE OF YOU, I’M A SISTER is available for pre-order now for a February 10, 2026 release.
Jen Fier Jasinski
is giving away either a 30-minute AMA virtual session or a copy of the book (winner’s choice) to TWO blog readers!
Please leave a comment to enter and two winners will be randomly chosen at the end of July!
Good luck!
We’ve got THREE Grand Prizes this year!
Before I announce who they are, here’s what everyone should do with all their story ideas on a regular basis:
Firstly, please gather your ideas.
Then, sort them.
Once you have ideas that you like, start fleshing them out. If you’re a Grand Prize winner, you’ll have the opportunity to share your BEST FIVE IDEAS with a kidlit agent (or Tara). They’ll respond with feedback recommending which ideas may be best to pursue as manuscripts. (Saves time writing stories that won’t be marketable!) To present your ideas in the best light, I recommend writing them out like jacket flap…you know, that marketing copy on the inside cover of a picture book. Here’s jacket flap for my June 2025 release, FLAT CAT, THE CLASS PET:
Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn’t squashed under the lunch lady’s rolling pin. He wasn’t smushed by an avalanche of library books. He was just flat. And most of the time, Flat Cat liked it just like that.
Until one day, when Flat Cat, in the mood for a change of scenery, slips into his friend Willow’s backpack and accompanies her to school, where he gets folded into a paper airplane, passed as a secret note, and used as a bathroom pass. Will Flat Cat be able to escape the chaos? Or will he realize he is keen to be loved and adored?
Go to your local library (which may be in your own house) and read as many jacket flaps as you can to get a feel for them. You can also read jacket flap marketing text online at book retailers.
Then start writing your own for your upcoming masterpieces! If you’re a GRAND PRIZE winner, five of these pitches are what you’ll present to receive feedback.
Without further ado, here are the three winners!
Melissa Morgenlander (paired with Liza Royce Agency)
Shuba Mohan (paired with Stephen Fraser)
ET Charles [bethsbiblio] (paired with Tara Lazar)
I will be emailing you this week to arrange your prizes. Then I will be announcing the daily prizes.
I’ve been dealing with various health issues this year, so I appreciate your patience!
Can you believe I’m still fighting off infections? Yeah, and I also had my latest immune-suppressant infusion. So it’s beat it back, let it in, beat it back, let it in again over here.
Whilst you still await Storystorm prize distribution, here’s another Flash Fiction piece that my mentee and soon-to-be-debut-author Arlene Shenker requested. Remember, this is for adults, not children. Please enjoy!
The Puppet
©2020-2025 by Tara Lazar
Rory and Jane met on the set of a cough syrup commercial, performing as cold germ puppets. Ironically, Jane got sick immediately after the wrap. Rory brought her homemade chicken and dumplings, his grandma’s recipe. Of course, Jane couldn’t let a man who could cook and skillfully wield a rhinovirus marionette slip past.
Their common circle of friends, a small, insular puppetry group, marveled at how they had somehow missed meeting for years. Rory exited an off-Broadway production right before Jane landed the lead role. Jane apprenticed in Los Angeles at the same time Rory worked in Studio City. When Jane zigged, Rory had zagged. Finally, they smacked into each other and stuck like Velcro.
After moving into their new apartment, though, Rory panicked.
“Have you seen Mr. Fuhgeddaboudit?” he asked, rummaging through boxes and bubble wrap.
Rory loved that puppet and performed with it at every opportunity. He brought it to Jane’s nephew’s birthday party. He wrote an autobiographical one-man show featuring Mr. Fuhgeddaboudit. Rory even proposed to Jane with the help of his signature character.
“He wasn’t with the others?” Jane pointed to the collective of puppets sitting upon the couch.
“No, I kept him separate! His own box. And I marked it up like crazy!” Rory had moved past upset to frantic, his voice rising an octave.
“Okay, Honey, calm down. I’m sure he’s here.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! He’s the first puppet I ever made. I was nine!”
“I know, I know. We’ll find him.”
“He’s the entire reason I became a puppeteer. He’s the entire reason we met!”
Jane had never seen this side of Rory, manic and unhinged. Normally he acted as a steady presence in stressful situations, defusing irate directors. He could reassure a cast before opening curtain, calming stage fright. Demanding producers took a step back to reevaluate after hearing Rory’s logical solutions.
But now he was tearing the apartment apart, slamming cupboards, ripping boxes open in eruptions of packing peanuts. Every soothing word Jane offered was met with contempt and rage.
“Why aren’t you looking?” Rory yelled. “Don’t sit there! Look! Help me look!”
“Honey, there’s only two rooms. We’ve gone through it all.”
Suddenly Rory stopped and turned to her in slow motion, red-faced.
“I knew it!” he said, pointing at Jane.
“You knew what?”
“It was you!”
“Me? What are you talking about?”
“You never liked Mr. Fuhgeddaboudit!” Rory exclaimed. “So you took him. You stole him from me. Where did you put him? Where, Jane? Tell me where!”
Jane stood up, ramrod straight, blindsided by Rory’s accusation.
“Honey!” she said. “You’re upset. You’re not thinking straight.”
“Or you sold him! Oh my God, you sold him to that hack Jimmy MacEnery!”
“Jimmy who?”
“Or a pawn shop! That seedy little performer’s pawnshop off The Strip.”
“Las Vegas?”
“Do you know another ‘Strip’?”
“No, but Honey, I haven’t been to Vegas in years.”
“Aha!” Rory yelled. “So you know the pawnshop I’m talking about!”
Jane sunk to the floor. This is why people live together before getting married. This sh*t, right here. Except it hadn’t even been 24 hours.
Rory marched to the contingent on the couch, lifted each puppet, looked underneath, peered inside, then tossed them into a pile. But these weren’t a toddler’s playthings, these were custom, professional puppets, worth thousands of dollars each.
“Honey, don’t be so flip with the puppets!” Jane gathered each one and propped them back into sitting position. They stared at her with wide eyes, as if they, too, couldn’t believe the unraveling of Rory.
He grabbed his coat and shoved his arms in.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to get out of here!”
“I’ll come with you,” Jane said.
Rory pulled on a wool beanie, thrust his hands into his jeans, closed his eyes and sighed. His rough face softened ever so slightly, enough for Jane to feel assured pulling on her jacket and following him out.
By the time they reached the street, down five flights of stairs, Rory had cooled and Jane was able to slip her arm around his waist. They turned west and walked in silence for several blocks, matching each other’s rhythm.
“I don’t know what happened up there,” Rory confessed. It was true. He felt driven by some imaginary force, a sudden and gripping fear that robbed him of all control.
“It’s okay, Honey.” Jane looked at him but Rory stared straight ahead. “I know how much that puppet means to you.”
“I know you do,” he said. “But you mean more.”
That was all they said. Rory and Jane maintained a companionable silence back to their new building. Although the apartment was a fifth-floor walkup, it was halfway between the theatre district and the television studios where they did the bulk of their work. They loved the large windows, the recently remodeled stainless steel and concrete kitchen, and Jane was in awe of the garbage chute and incinerator. First thing that morning she had shoved Mr. Fuhgeddaboudit down, relieved she’d never have to see that stupid f***ing puppet ever again.
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FLAT CAT is the winner of multiple state book awards, selected by kids!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 