Happy Children’s Book Week! Launched in 1919, it’s the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. This year’s theme, “An Ocean of Stories,” is especially fitting for my debut children’s picture book, Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galápagos Albatross. Here are some coloring pages (from talented illustrators Julie Flett and Rosie Eve) that you can download, print, and enjoy!
An Ocean of Stories coloring page designed by Julie Flett. Waverly coloring page designed by Rosie Eve.
I’ve had a great time setting up my StoryWalk at local farmers markets and schools for kids to enjoy Waverly’s journey in an interactive way. And, I’m excited to bring out my new scavenger hunt featuring animals I photographed during my 2009 trip to the Galápagos and island-inspired lyrics to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus” for next week’s Nature Everywhere storytime at Madison Public Library.
Thank you to Wildflowers Learning Center preschoolers for exploring, singing, and reading with me on their playground this week! I look forward to adapting the program indoors at Meadowridge Public Library on Nov. 12th!
Here’s where you can find me and Waverly (and many other Wisconsin authors and illustrators) over the next few weeks! I hope you can join me and/or share this with someone you know, especially since several of the events support nonprofits like Madison Reading Project.
Want to start your holiday shopping early, support local creators, and hear a story? Signed copies of Waverly ($20 cash or Venmo) and other great books will be available for purchase at these events!
- 12-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9th: SCBWI Wisconsin Children’s Book Festival at Burlington Public Library, Burlington. This event is also a Library Capital Campaign and a way to support Love Inc’s Adopt a Family Santa’s Village.
- 10:30-11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12th: Waverly Braves the Breeze Storytime at Meadowridge Public Library, Madison. In partnership with Nature Everywhere and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.
- Various times Friday, Nov. 14 - Sunday, Nov. 16th: Community Fair at Lioness Fitness, Fitchburg. A box will be available in the entrance to donate new books. Signed copies of Waverly will be for sale should you want to donate a copy to Madison Reading Project’s Community Book Drive.
- 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16th: Parent Child Happy Hour - Kids’ Book Fest at Garver Feed Mill, Madison. Meet actors from Children’s Theater of Madison, join hands-on activities at each author booth, and enjoy storytime sessions - all while supporting Madison Reading Project (tickets are $10 for kids only; adults attend free and must remain in the event space). Plus, brunch and beverages available for sale!
- 8-10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21st: Children’s Book Holiday Pop-Up Sale at Lakeside St. Coffee House, Madison.
- 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21st: Local Children’s Book Fair at Doundrins Distilling, Cottage Grove. The Village of Cottage Grove Library Board will set up a Lego play station to entertain the kids while you visit with authors and illustrators!
Want another reason to support Madison Reading Project? The local nonprofit was recently entrusted to take on the incredible mission of Pride and Less Prejudice, too. According to their website, “Founded to provide LGBTQ+-inclusive books to Pre-K through 3rd grade classrooms, Pride and Less Prejudice has helped countless students and teachers read out loud and read out proud. Their mission aligns beautifully with Madison Reading Project’s commitment to providing free books and literacy resources that both ignite a love of reading and reflect the diversity of young readers.”
If you can’t make it to these events but still want to participate in Madison Reading Project’s Community Book Drive (Nov. 10-Dec. 10, 2025), an awesome way to donate books for them to distribute is to shop their Books4Schools list and consider ordering these titles through Bookshop.org marking MRP as the bookstore so that they receive an additional 30% from your order.
Recommended titles: I Am Jazz - Federico and All of His Families - Stella Brings the Family - Love, Violet - When Aidan Became a Brother - Julián is a Mermaid. One of the coolest Little Free Libraries we've seen in Madison made from a locker!
Anyone who knows me well knows that I don’t update my wardrobe very often (as in, I *finally* donated several bags of nearly 20-year-old clothes from high school), but the money I don’t spend on new clothes often goes toward my collection of new books. I highly recommend adding one or more of these titles to your classroom, home, or Little Free Library shelf!
Recommended titles: One Can Be by Pat Zietlow Miller - Still There Was Bread by Lisl H. Detlefsen - Bud Finds Her Gift by Robin Wall Kimmerer - Forts by Katie Venit - Animals in Surprising Shades by Susan Johnston Taylor.
Are you a Wisconsin children’s author and/or illustrator? Please reach out to me so I can connect you with some outstanding meet-up groups, including the ones I host as Lakeside Co-Creator and the South West Area Rep for SCBWI. We are taking a break from meeting in November and December due to the holidays, but we’ll be restarting again in 2026 and would love to grow our groups. You don’t need to be published or even have a draft of your work — if you’re interested in learning more about creating books for kids, these groups are for you! And I highly recommend checking out the Little Story Squad offerings through my friend and Lakeside Co-Creator Alina Loux!
I love connecting with fellow children's book authors and illustrators, like Alli Dunlop (Work of Art), Alina Loux (May You Always Find Wonder, If You Were the Moon My Love, Toothbrush Circus) and Holly Anne Burns (Winnie Wonders) at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference and Lakeside Children's Book Writers and Illustrators meet-up this fall.
Samantha Cora Christian Haas is the children’s book author of Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galápagos Albatross, the creator of the organization Playful Acorns, and a freelance writer and photographer in Madison. Do you know of a daycare, school, library, or bookstore that may want to host me for an in-person or virtual event? Or do you want to purchase a signed copy of my book? Please reply to this email! Thank you for your support!
