...because it's PICTURE BOOK MONTH!
Picture Book Month (PBM) was started by these wonderful children's book authors and illustrators, and this nifty graphic (above, created by Joyce Wan) can be found on their site.
Consider becoming an ambassador of Picture Book Month, like I just did!
Look who else recognizes this Month of Months:
Teachers
What I love about Picture Book Month is more than just the obvious: the unabashed joy of indulging in one of the greatest art forms ever created.
What I love most about Picture Book Month is that it validates picture books as one of the greatest art forms ever created...and celebrates it!
If you write, or illustrate, or work to craft, market, print, or sell picture books, you'll recognize this conversation:
"What do you do for a living?" says some person at a party.
"I write/edit/sell children's books," you respond.
"Oh, how cute."
<<side eye>>
Yep, it's real cute. But it's also challenging, and fulfilling, and artistic, and full of unicorns, puppies, bunnies, kids riding school buses...um, I guess I'm contradicting my original point.
Making picture books is cute AND important! And those are the reasons I pursued a career in kidlit. How cool that we've got a whole month to celebrate them, and all year long to enjoy them.
Happy Picture Book Month!
(This post in no way seeks to diminish the importance of the other events that take place annually in November: Election day, Veteran's Day, World Kindness Day (although, wouldn't you say it's related to PBM?), my wedding anniversary, my son's birthday, my sister's birthday, my mom's birthday, and Thanksgiving. And sometimes Hanukkah.)