Megan Dowd Lambert

Horn Book Cover Reveal for Book Bonding with art by Mia Saine

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Megan Dowd LambertNovember 2, 2022

Ta-DA! Isn’t the cover art by Mia Saine for my new essay collection wonderful? I’m so grateful to the Horn Book for hosting the official cover reveal on their site, and I so look forward to sharing this book with readers when it publishes on April 18, 2023. You can preorder copies at this link.

The interior art that Mia created is also wonderful, with great little chapter-start vignettes and big, vibrant scenes starting each of the four parts of the book. And, their art also pairs so nicely with the cover art Laura Vaccaro Seeger did for Reading Picture Books with Children, don’t you think?

Cover Reveal for Every Day with April & Mae!

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Megan Dowd LambertApril 18, 2022

Many thanks to the team at Diverse BookFinder for this wonderful post featuring the first four books in my new early reader series Every Day with April & Mae, illustrated by Briana Dengoue. The official publication date is October 18, and I can hardly wait to share these stories with readers.

A third family history blog post

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Megan Dowd LambertJanuary 12, 2022

I’ve written a third post in the series inspired by heirlooms and objects related to family history. This one is in honor of my paternal grandmother. My notebook is filling up with ideas for future posts, and I am feeling more certain that this will be my next book. I even have a working title Notes from a Sentimental Archivist, with thanks to my Aunt Rita for giving me the idea in a note she enclosed with some quilts she mended for me.

More New Writing at Modern Memoirs

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Megan Dowd LambertDecember 15, 2021

I recently decided that I am writing a new book focused on my family history. This is one I will publish through my company, Modern Memoirs, Inc., and it will be made up of pieces that I am first posting to our company blog as I draw inspiration from heirlooms and objects related to my family history that I keep in my office. Here’s a link to the second piece I’ve written, which has a children’s literature connection since I write about Anne of Green Gables: Evangeline and Anne, L’Acadie and Me.

Some New Writing at Modern Memoirs

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Megan Dowd LambertOctober 20, 2021

My desk at Modern Memoirs, with the eight fabric angels my aunt Rita Lavallee made from placemats and napkins stitched by my great-grandmother Anastasie “Tazzy” Raymond Lambert

While I’m guilty of neglecting this blog, my staff and I have been working to revive the blog at Modern Memoirs. Here’s a link to a post I recently wrote there, “Watching Over Angels: On Learning the Eight Surnames of One’s Great Grandparents.“ Writing it reminded me just how much I love writing, which I’ve had little time to do lately. I do have a running list of writing ideas in my notebook, and maybe I will find the time to change some of those ideas into more posts, or stories, or poems, or essays, or books. Stay tuned…

In Memory of Eric Carle

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Megan Dowd LambertMay 28, 2021

I just posted this remembrance in honor of Eric Carle in the guestbook on his site and wanted to share it here, too. May he rest in peace, and in joy and beauty, too.

I have so many good memories of Eric and Bobbie from my years working at The Carle, most of which are rooted in the great generosity they both embodied. That generosity was manifested in the very creation of the museum, intended to showcase not just his art but others’, and to be the Carles’ way of “giving back”; but I also mean that they were generous of spirit.

I saw Eric’s giving nature on display in 2001 when I led one of my very first storytimes at The Carle’s information office in Northampton while the museum was still under construction. When I was part-way through reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Eric came downstairs from his studio and sat at a desk behind the group of children and caregivers who’d gathered for storytime. I remember being nervous when I saw him, but I tried to play it cool and let myself get caught up in the children’s responses to the book as we talked about colors and shapes, layout and endpapers. Afterward, Eric came up to me and introduced himself.

“That was wonderful!” he said. “I can’t do what you do for the children,” he said.

I was taken aback. “Well, thank you, Eric Carle!” I said. “I can’t do what YOU do for the children.”

He laughed. “I’ll make the books and you read them, OK?” he said.

“OK!” I said.

It was shortly thereafter that Founding Director Nick Clark gave me the chance to lead weekly storytimes at the information office, an opportunity that led to over a decade of immensely rewarding work in the Reading Library at The Carle. Was that early storytime experience with Eric an audition of sorts? Maybe, and if it was, I’m glad I didn’t know it at the time because I’m sure my nerves would’ve gotten the best of me. I wanted so much to be a part of the beautiful museum he was creating, and I was just one of many educators, artists, writers, and others who benefitted from the generosity of spirit that led Bobbie and him to give us opportunities to give of ourselves. I’m forever grateful for my time at The Carle, and I send love and wishes for comfort and peace to Eric and Bobbie’s family and loved ones.

20 Picture Books for 2020

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Megan Dowd LambertJune 19, 2020

Thanks to EmbraceRace for inviting Autumn Allen, Dr. Krista Allen and the Diverse BookFinder team, and me to create this annotated picture book list, which offers context for why we highlight these picture books in this moment. It was so good to work together! Please share widely to help these brilliant, necessary books reach as many children as possible.

Video

Jones Library Author Interview Series

Many thanks to my local public library for hosting an interview with me yesterday. It was great to talk with the head of the Children’s Department, Mia Cabana. Although I did talk a little bit about my newest book, A Kid of Their Own, I also used the opportunity to highlight books I’m finding especially valuable during this time of the pandemic and amidst the protests happening after the killing of George Floyd, including the invaluable work of my friends at Embrace Race. The interview is linked below, and most of the resources and books I mention are linked in the comments. Let me know if there’s something missing.

One thing I noticed that I missed is a mention of OurShelves! I meant to say something about my work with them at the beginning when I was talking about the importance of including diverse family constellations in children’s books. I’ve since added that mention to the comments and hope people will check out their work.

Whole Book Approach Storytime Sets (newsletter March 5, 2020)

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Megan Dowd LambertMarch 6, 2020

Dear Readers,

This is a mini newsletter with some major news: my Steps To Literacy Whole Book Approach Storytime Sets are available to order!

As I look back to the start of this project, I realize I’ve essentially written 7 books about 75 picture books in 8 months. Phew! It’s been a lot of work, and I’m so grateful to everyone at Steps To Literacy and Charlesbridge for supporting this effort to bring the Whole Book Approach to an even wider audience of teachers and students.

While I was writing, I thought a lot about one of my greatest teachers, Susan P. Bloom, Associate Professor Emerita at Simmons University, who passed away just as I began curating titles for the Sets. When Steps To Literacy invited me to write a dedication for the Whole Book Approach Storytime Guide that will accompany each grade-level Set, I knew just what to say:

In memory of Susan P. Bloom, who supervised the independent study at Simmons University that led to my development of the Whole Book Approach in association with The Carle, and who was a constant source of encouragement in my life. May every student be lucky enough to have a teacher like Susan, and may every person have a friend like her in their corner.

I mention Susan in my book that introduces the Whole Book Approach, Reading Picture Books with Children, since she was also the professor who taught the Picturebook course at Simmons when I was a graduate student 20 years ago. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Whole Book Approach would not exist without her, and it does my heart glad to know that those who read my book, and now my Guide in the Storytime Sets, will be part of the ripple effect of her impact on my life and my career.

Read on for more information about the Sets’ contents, ordering links, and details about upcoming events where I will launch the Sets with Steps To Literacy. Please share this news with the educators in your life, and thanks, as always, for being in my corner.

Megan

Each Set for grades Pre-K – 5 includes a sturdy bin filled with:

10 picture books I selected by award-winning authors and illustrators

A copy of my book, Reading Picture Books With Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking about What They See (written in association with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and published by Charlesbridge)

A Whole Book Approach Storytime Guide that I wrote for each grade level, with customized storytime discussion plans, extension activities and resources for all 10 curated books, and. . .
“A Message from Megan” introducing the Whole Book Approach and offering additional Critical Literacy resources

See a Sample Guide here!

Meet author-illustrator
Yuyi Morales
at The Carle on March 13, 2020

Steps To Literacy will join me at this special event for a soft launch of our Storytime Sets. I selected two of Morales’s picture books (Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book and Dreamers, pictured above) for the Pre-K and grade 5 Sets, and I can hardly wait to hear her speak.
Register here today »

The Whole Book Approach Meets Critical Literacy

Join me and author and scholar Breanna J. McDaniel on March 14, 2020 at the Transforming Education for Social Justice conference at UMass-Amherst. McDaniel’s debut picture book, Hands Up!, is in the 2nd grade Storytime Set, and Steps To Literacy will be present with samples of the Sets for attendees to preview.
Register here today»

How BookFlow Has Helped My Multifaceted Writing (and Editing) Life

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Megan Dowd LambertFebruary 28, 2020

Here’s a post I wrote about my friend Lisa’s new online writing resource, BookFlow:

I first heard about BookFlow because I belong to a writing group with company founder, Lisa Papademetriou. Just one meeting with Lisa showed me what a genius she has for thinking about plot and structure. When I heard she was developing BookFlow as an online, cloud-based tool to help people organize and develop their writing, I was all in! Read more…

Megan

Each Set for grades Pre-K – 5 includes a sturdy bin filled with:

Meet author-illustrator Yuyi Morales at The Carle on March 13, 2020

The Whole Book Approach Meets Critical Literacy

Meet author-illustrator
Yuyi Morales
at The Carle on March 13, 2020