It's a Kirkus starred review!

And other updates (mostly fun, some scary, all hopeful)

Hi there!

Oh boy, it has been a while. You know that feeling when you were supposed to have been writing in your journal and you return to it after months and so much has happened and you don’t know whether you should just skip all that and start from scratch or try to document it all?

That’s how I feel right now.

Maybe I’ll just start with the most recent BIG thing. Then I’ll share a few highlights making sure not to digress into a “let me show you all my trip photos and bore your eyeballs out” moment. And end with some kid table vibes and inspo for you to take home.

Sound good?

Also sidenote: I’m so excited about next week’s newsletter because I’ve been working on it for a long time and now it is finally ready. Hint: We’re learning from the author-illustrator of the oldest picture that’s never gone out of print. Any guesses?

Okay, onto the BIG thing…

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I’m seeing stars!

My debut picture book HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS: THE RIGHT WAY received a Kirkus starred review! It also included the best pull quote I could have ever hoped for…

It’s a pun AND a huge compliment!

I don’t even know how to process this fully, but let’s just say the star is a huge deal and the review is incredible and I am very excited. You can read it here if you want.

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Other highlights of the past few months include…

Going to an incredible writing retreat.

Before attending, I’d been feeling a bit drained from life — like I had lost my spark. But there’s nothing like delicious food (seriously the best), nourishing conversations (both inside and outside of workshops), and great friends (the kind who give you pep talks when you most need them) to help you get your spark back. I highly recommend booking a retreat with the talented-in-every-way

Martha Brockenbrough

.

This says it all.

Cheering on a dear friend as she received a HUGE award at the American Library Association Conference.

Angela Pham Krans

and Thi Bui won the APALA Honor for their picture book FINDING PAPA. You can buy it here.

At the conference, I got to witness so many friends have milestone moments. Like

Bo Lu

ran out of books at her signing (buy it here)!

Seeing an ARC of my book for the very first time!

Anyway, I loved it all. If you want a detailed recap of the trip, you can see more photos and read the instagram caption here.

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This week AT MY DESK…

I’m still working on the art for my second book, and I’ve finally gotten to a place where I feel great about the style. I don’t have one medium or look and so it can take a while to find the right vibe for a book. But we’ve got it folks!

Also, I’m almost done finalizing a bunch of book events for HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS! I’ll share a personal invite with you all very soon — my goal is to create some moments of absurd fun all around. I’d love to have you there.

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Kid table vibes of the week

Something that made me laugh: Aaron and I are rewatching Monk and I forgot how funny Tony Shalhoub is.

Something that made me feel playful: an art day with a friend who taught me a technique called gouache resist which is super fun.

Something that made me feel scared (and also hopeful): A few weeks ago, one of our neighbor’s houses caught on fire. We woke up to flashing lights at 1:00AM and could see the flames from our upstairs window. A kind neighbor knocked on our door to make sure we were okay, and another kind neighbor helped us hose down our lawn so it wouldn’t catch from the floating sparks.

This video shows just their garage. (Listen with the sound on!)

Later we found out that the teen boy who lives there saved his entire family, including his dad who was trapped in the garage. Despite the amazing work of the firefighters (so grateful), all the family’s belongings were lost. But the family is all okay and the community rallied around them and raised double the money they needed.

It was really beautiful to see people come together and take care of each other that way. Especially right now.

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Trade-sies!

Now it’s your turn. I’m bringing back that special kid table moment when you trade your dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies for your favorite fruit snacks.

Wanna trade? Share a kid table vibe in the comments!

1. What is one thing that made you laugh?

2. What has inspired you or helped you stay playful when creating?

3. What is one moment of connection you’ve experienced this week?

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A big thank you to the sponsors of this newsletter

Thanks to Whiskey Geraldine for our podcast music and Joanna Rowland, Marietta Apollonio, Saki Tanaka, Angela Pham Krans, Nyasha Williams, Pamela A Mathy, and Martha Brockenbrough for sponsoring this newsletter. Definitely check out their amazing websites and books :)

Note: I’m pausing paid subscriptions for the next few months to catch up on all the time I was absent. Current paid subscribers will still get the regular shout-outs!

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Thanks for sitting with me AT THE KID TABLE today.

Until next time! As always I’ll save you a seat right next to me.

Your oh-my-starry-eyed-surprised friend,

Rachel