It took forever to get here…but we did it. Between personal moves, professional setbacks and a whole slew of other things, Tim and I have finally let the world know our books are coming!
More Books in the Mail!
Hard cover copies of Junior Monster Scouts: The Show Must Go On! and paperbacks of The Letter Setters in BOP! just arrived! Love getting stacks of books so I can give them out to kids!
Voice Recording for BEEP BOP BOOP!
Just had the time of my life recording the voices and sound effects for the audio version of Beep Bop Boop!, my Early Reader illustrated by Victor Davila. Not sure when the final will be done, but I will post a snippet when it arrives!
Happy 1st Book Birthday!
The Letter Setters in BOP! was published one year ago today!
What a fun series for young readers—mostly visual, with a playful thread of words that change just one letter to become entirely new words, scenes, and surprises.
There are three more books in the series, with two already available and one currently in production.
Happy book birthday to BOP! Enjoy!
New Business Cards!
It was about time I ordered some new ones. The logo looks great!
My Review of MAKE BELIEVE by Mac Barnett
Heather and I attended Day 2 of the Zig Zag Festival (Thru the Bologna Book Fair ) The highly respected Mac Barnett and the incredible Felicita Sala (Bored and so many other fantastic books) discussed storytelling, creativity, and their long-standing friendship. It was an inspiring reminder of why we do what we do.
As for Mac and his book Make Believe—which I've been asked about almost daily for the past month or two—he and editor Sally Kim discussed it on stage.
My takeaways were pretty simple:
Mac Barnett is deeply passionate about storytelling.
He's incredibly smart.
He genuinely cares about the industry that has given him a career.
But my biggest takeaway was this:
He's just trying to make the world a better place and he has the platform to make that happen.
Mac has a young son. I remember reading to my own kids when they were little and thinking, "I could write that book." Most of us have had that thought at some point. What I heard from Mac was a parent who wants better books, better stories, and a better world for his child—and for all children. If we accomplish that, the world becomes a better place for everyone.
As for the "crud" he talks about in the children's book industry? He's right. Is 94.7% accurate? Hard to say without some deep research, right?
But I, as an author/illustrator have worked on projects that needed more time. I've put out underdeveloped designs. I've written stories that could have been stronger. I've created illustrations that could have been tighter, more meaningful, or more impactful.
What I believe he's asking of us—as creators, as an industry and as humans—is to be more thoughtful. Slow down. Push beyond the expected. Take creative risks. Give kids more surprises. Give them more wonder. Give them more time to simply be kids.
That was my takeaway.
If you get the chance to read the book (it's only 100 pages and a quick read) and engage critically with its ideas—or better yet, hear Mac speak in person—I highly recommend it.
A Denver Book Sighting!
The Croaky Pokey was just seen in Denver, Colorado! Thanks, friends!
Another Book Sighting!
My daughter Katherine and her friend Breezy spotted these at Book Bird in Avondale Estates, Georgia! Love seeing these books (and these faces) out in the world! 😀
Ethan on EPIC!
Check out my podcast interview on Author Chats with Epic! Thanks to Daniel Rezac and Cherish Mims for making it great!
Episode Description
With over 135 books to his name, Ethan Long is one of children's publishing's most prolific — and refreshingly honest — creative voices. Based in Queens, New York, Ethan is the creator of the beloved Scribbles and Ink series, seen on Epic and PBS Kids, where two artistic rivals learn that making mistakes is just part of the masterpiece.
In this episode Daniel and Cherish sit down with Ethan for Silly Cat Trivia, a deep dive into his creative journey, and some genuinely surprising stories about rejection, perfectionism, and what it really takes to build a career making art for kids.
Ethan gets real about not finding his storytelling voice until his 30s, why he stopped betting the farm on any single project, and why he believes artists are ultimately in the morale business. Plus he teases several new projects — including one top-secret collaboration he'll only reveal when it sells.
Find all Scribbles and Ink books on Epic: go.getepic.com/scribbles
Get Epic for your classroom: getepic.com/educators
Author Chats with Epic is brought to you by Epic — the leading digital reading platform for kids, trusted by over 50 million young readers and 2 million teachers worldwide.
JMS Paperbacks just arrived!
This little beauties just came in the mail! Available for purchase on July 14th, 2026!
Podcast Interview!
I just completed a podcast interview with Author Chats with epic!, the digital reading platform for kids ages 12 and under. Once they’ve edited it and have it available for consumption, I’ll make sure to post it here. It was a fun time!
Book sightings!
Friends, readers, and colleagues spot my books out in the wild and send along photos.
Here are a few recent sightings!
Will Chamelia ever get made?
The dream is to see this in lights: Chamelia: The Animated Series! My partner, Steven Wendland (formerly of Technicolor) has been diligent in his pursuit of a producer, and I still hold belief that it will find a home somewhere. He has some serious leads and I look forward to hearing an update from him soon. Go, Steven and Chamelia!
Current status: Still in search of a production partner.
