Looking Forward, Looking Back

A Podcast, A Film, Book Bans, Social Media, And My Favorite Books of January

I spent much of this week laboriously deleting old Instagram posts as part of my separation from all things Meta. I wrote a detailed piece about why I decided to leave the platform for my other newsletter, which you can read here, but the practical piece is that I can’t simply delete my account because I need to prevent my handle (and blue check) from being taken over by scammers. It’s a weird thing to delete a dozen years of posts—a bit like burning your diary. There I am, celebrating new books, awards, family birthdays, adventures, and the occasional weird thing I observed on my daily walks. And then, with a press of a button, poof! Gone.

In the absence of an Instagram account, this newsletter, along with its sister one, are likely to see a little more action. Where else am I going to share the fact that it was 38 degrees this morning, and I was swimming in the very-chilly Bay when the sun came up? Who else will look at pictures of my cat doing yoga?

I am going to have a quite a bit of news to share with you soon, as I’m working on three new projects that I’m excited to tell you about, but can’t reveal . . . yet. In the meantime, here are a few exciting things I can tell you about:

1. Dangerously Ever After, the animated film based on my picture book of the same name, is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Check it out here, and if you feel moved to review it, director Alba Garcia and I would both be extraordinarily grateful.

   

   2. Librarian superstar Jennifer LaGarde had me on her podcast, “The Reader’s Heart,” and it was super fun to talk with her about Accountable and all things book-related. You can listen to the episode here.

3. The 57 Bus has been pulled from the shelves in Knox County, TN and while Trump’s Education Department has proclaimed that Book Banning is a “hoax,” I can tell you from personal experience that it is all too real. (The 57 Bus is one of the most banned books in Tennessee and has been banned or challenged in a dozen states.) After reading the Dept. of Education’s press release, I kept thinking of the famous quote from George Orwell’s 1984. “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” I was thus grateful to the Knoxville News-Sentinal for doing a long interview with me on the topic, which you can read here without encountering a paywall.

4. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! Not only is Love, Escargot available in both regular and board book format, there are also free downloadable Escargot valentines for you to bestow upon the snails or humans of your choice.

5. The Kidlit for Los Angeles auction has been extended until Tuesday, January 28 at 8 pm PT. There are many incredible items available—books, consultations, critiques, school visits, and more—including a collection of Escargot books signed by me and illustrator Sydney Hanson, along with the adorable Escargot plushie.

6. I’ll be talking about Accountable and Confronting Racism In Our Own Backyard on February 4 at 7 pm as part of the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series at Mountain View High School. Bay Area folks are warmly invited to attend. Register here.

7. My January reading has been delightful—I don’t know when I’ve had such a run of books that hit the sweet spot for me. Some favorites:

   • Audio Book: This Motherless Land by Nikki May.

     A Mansfield Park retelling set in Nigeria and England. This one gave me all the feels.

   • Fiction for Adults: On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu

     A pitch-perfect magical realist immigration story set in Afghanistan and Australia. Stunning.

   • YA: A World Without Summer by Nicholas Day

     Riveting nonfiction about an early nineteenth century climate disaster and the cascade of impacts that followed. This one isn’t out until September, but you should pre-order it—it’s incredible.

   • MG: The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Julia Sarda

     A wise, strange, and magical tale that defies categorization, with gorgeous illustrations.

   • Early Reader: Lone Wolf Goes To School and Lone Wolf Gets A Pet by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele

     A truly original character and a master class in building to a punchline.

   • Picture Book: How To Pee Your Pants (the right way) by Rachel Michelle Wilson

     Relatable, hilarious, and reassuring.

Let me know what you’re reading in the comments!

I bow to you,

Dashka