events & picture books salon

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upcoming events

The Babysitter Tree Launch Party

Molly Beth Griffin and Jennifer A. Bell, The Babysitter Tree- Storytime–

October 24
10:30 am
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105-3008

Save the date:

Launch party for Your Fantastical Fort will be Saturday, November 14 at 10:30 am at Wild Rumpus with illustrator Chris Park.

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upcoming picture book salons:

Monday, November 2nd

7:00-8:00pm (CENTRAL)
Virtual

Speakers: Bao Phi and Thi Bui

Bao Phi and Thi Bui will talk about their new picture book RIDE/Đạp Xe.

We will have several copies of RIDE to give away to attendees.

Zoom registration here

FB event page/RSVP here

Picture Book Salon is FREE and public but please register.

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Some recordings of previous Salons can be found on our Facebook group page, or on YouTube with these links:

May 2026 (Keenan Jones: CELEBRATING COMMUNITY SPACES)
April 2026 (Emiko Rainbow: NANA & ABUELA)
February 2026 (Payal Doshi: CREATING IMMERSIVE WORLDS)
December 2025 (Sun Yung Shin: REVOLUTIONS ARE MADE OF LOVE)
November 2025 (Sarah Warren: BIG FEAR)
April 2025 (Magdalena Mora: LIGHT & SHADOW)
May 2024 (Pat Zietlow Miller: CUT THE FLUFF)
March 2024 (Colleen Muske: GROWING A BOOK)
February 2024 (Joyce Sidman: WRITING THROUGH WINTER)
October 2023 (Kurtis Scaletta: GRANNY REX”: A BOOK SIX(TY MILLION) YEARS IN THE MAKING)
May 2023 (Zaynab Abdi: GREEN CARD VOICES)
April 2023 (Tasslyn Magnusson: FIGHTING BOOK BANS)
March 2023 (Laura Purdie Salas & Yvonne Pearson: CREATING AND PERFORMING LIBRARY STORYTIMES)
February 2023 (Cori Doerrfeld: “BENEATH” THE COVER)
April 2022 (Dr. Artika Tyner: WRITING FOR JUSTICE)
March 2022 (Kayla Harren: STORYTELLING WITH CHARACTER, COLOR, AND LIGHT)
November 2021 (Stephen Shaskan: GRAPHIC CHAPTER BOOKS & SERIES)
October 2021 (Phyllis Root, Liza Ketchum, Jackie Briggs Martin & Claudia McGehee: “BEGIN WITH A BEE” COLLABORATION)
April 2021 (Angela Whited & Kara Forde: BOOKSTORES & THE PANDEMIC)
November 2020 (Carol Hinz (Editor at Lerner): PICTURE BOOKS & THE PANDEMIC)
October 2020 (Dara Beevas (Wise Ink): INDIE AUTHOR REVOLUTION)

Picture Book Salon BOOK BASH event, June 2023 – Left to right: Molly Beth Griffin, Loretta Ellsworth, Yvonne Pearson, Billy Thao, Monica Rojas

Picture Book Salon with Lerner Publishing, June 2024 – Speakers left to right: Shaina Olmanson (editor), Ty Chapman (author), Karlyn Coleman (marketing)

Everything Grandma Needs Storytime

Celebrate the new picture book, Everything Grandma Needs at a storytime with author Molly Beth Griffin!

Saturday, July 18

10:30 am
Red Balloon Bookshop

more info and RSVP: redballoonbookshop.com

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