events & picture books salon
upcoming events
Family Day at MIA: Elemental
Storytime and crafting for
Rings of Heartwood and Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
Rings of Heartwood and Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
Sunday, August 10, 10 am – 2 pm
(storytimes at 10:30, 11:30, & 12:30)
(storytimes at 10:30, 11:30, & 12:30)
more info: new.artsmia.org
Book talk for Rings of Heartwood at Anderson Center's Children's Book Festival, Red Wing MN
Saturday, September 13, 11 am-4 pm
(my talk time TBA)
(my talk time TBA)
more info: andersoncenter.org
STEM bookfair signing at the Bakken Museum with The Thinking Spot bookstore
Sunday, October 12, time TBA
more info: thethinkingspot.us
Rings of Heartwood Storytime and Meet & Greet at Drury Lane in Grand Marais
Saturday, August 23, 11am
more info: drurylanebooks.com
Far, Far Away storytime at Content bookstore in Northfield, MN
Sunday, September 21, 2 pm
more info: contentbookstore.com
Just Us signing at MSP airport, See18 Gallery with Picture Book Parade
Thursday, October 16, time TBA
more info: picturebookparade.com/msp
more info: picturebookparade.com/msp
upcoming picture book salons:
–
AUGUST 2025 SALON – IN PERSON ONLY
–
Speakers: David LaRochelle & Colleen Muske
Topic: HOW TO DRAW A TREE
Date: Monday, August 11th
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville, 2520 Dale St N
–
At our August Salon, author David LaRochelle and illustrator Colleen Muske will share the process behind their new picture book HOW TO DRAW A TREE and lead us on a writing and sketching walk.
We will meet IN PERSON at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville. Exciting new location for us! There will be drinks and snacks (no alcohol allowed at this venue), and I’ll have 8 copies of HOW TO DRAW A TREE to give away to attendees!
Please note that this Salon is on a ***second-Monday*** due to travel schedules and we will begin at ***6:30pm*** to catch as much daylight as possible. There will be no virtual option for this event, please join us in person. Carpooling is encouraged!!!
FB event: facebook.com/events/4003986863224386/
—
Picture Book Salon is FREE and public, and generally meets on the first Monday of the month. RSVP on the FB page or via contact link.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Some recordings of previous Salons can be found on our Facebook group page, or on YouTube with these links:
-
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)
upcoming events
Family Day at MIA: Elemental
Storytime and crafting for
Rings of Heartwood and Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
Rings of Heartwood and Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
Sunday, August 10, 10 am – 2 pm
(storytimes at 10:30, 11:30, & 12:30)
(storytimes at 10:30, 11:30, & 12:30)
more info: new.artsmia.org
Rings of Heartwood Storytime and Meet & Greet at Drury Lane in Grand Marais
Saturday, August 23, 11am
more info: drurylanebooks.com
Book talk for Rings of Heartwood at Anderson Center's Children's Book Festival, Red Wing MN
Saturday, September 13, 11 am-4 pm
(my talk time TBA)
(my talk time TBA)
more info: andersoncenter.org
Far, Far Away storytime at Content bookstore in Northfield, MN
Sunday, September 21, 2 pm
more info: contentbookstore.com
STEM bookfair signing at the Bakken Museum with The Thinking Spot bookstore
Sunday, October 12, time TBA
more info: thethinkingspot.us
Just Us signing at MSP airport, See18 Gallery with Picture Book Parade
Thursday, October 16, time TBA
more info: picturebookparade.com/msp
more info: picturebookparade.com/msp
upcoming picture book salons:
–
AUGUST 2025 SALON – IN PERSON ONLY
–
Speakers: David LaRochelle & Colleen Muske
Topic: HOW TO DRAW A TREE
Date: Monday, August 11th
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville, 2520 Dale St N
–
At our August Salon, author David LaRochelle and illustrator Colleen Muske will share the process behind their new picture book HOW TO DRAW A TREE and lead us on a writing and sketching walk.
We will meet IN PERSON at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville. Exciting new location for us! There will be drinks and snacks (no alcohol allowed at this venue), and I’ll have 8 copies of HOW TO DRAW A TREE to give away to attendees!
Please note that this Salon is on a ***second-Monday*** due to travel schedules and we will begin at ***6:30pm*** to catch as much daylight as possible. There will be no virtual option for this event, please join us in person. Carpooling is encouraged!!!
FB event: facebook.com/events/4003986863224386/
—
Picture Book Salon is FREE and public, and generally meets on the first Monday of the month. RSVP on the FB page or via contact link.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Some recordings of previous Salons can be found on our Facebook group page, or on YouTube with these links:
- 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)
readings & signings
Yes, I am available for story times! Please contact me for rates and details.
Photos from Star of the North nomination event at Mackin, Children’s Book Week readings at New Brighton and North St. Paul libraries, events which served over 70 children plus their adults and Screen-free Week readings at Kinderberry Hill Child Development centers, Eden Prairie and Edina.
