by Jon Scieszka Designed by Molly Leach [original print version] Design is an essential part of any picture book. It is the first aspect of a book that a reader judges. It is the framework for the text and illustration. It is the subtle weave of...

The voice flew across the room and nailed me to the back of my seat.“What’s so funny, Mr. Scieszka?”The voice belonged to Sister Margaret Ann. And it had just flown across our fifth-grade religion class at St. Luke’s Elementary School to find me in what I had thought was the...

(A new, and possibly never-to-be-seen-again, feature in the Horn Book where writers respond instantly to requests from readers) Dear Horn Book,As a teacher-librarian I read to children and talk with them about books, authors, and illustrators. Sometimes I am not sure I am pronouncing writers’ names correctly. Tomie dePaola is an...