On Summer

travel, translations, and time...

Jul 29, 2026

Summer is in full swing and it’s the time of the year where my creativity comes back slowly and then all about halfway through in one big wave. It’s like my brain can start to listen again to the whispers of stories that are floating around out there. The time to think is invaluable and it feels like the rest of my mind is a lot quieter in the summer. I’m grateful for the break. It helps me balance my writer self with my teaching self. I hope you’ve been able to find some way to slow down a little bit this summer. Where do you find your creativity or what are the things that ground you?

Lately

We had the privilege of traveling to Italy this summer. When I travel, I love finding local bookstores to wander into. I found the sweetest children’s bookstore in Rome and also got to visit the oldest bookstore in Italy. Shortly after we returned, Italian translations of Whose Prints? arrived on my doorstep, which felt serendipitous. Translations are always a lovely surprise. With the board books, I love seeing how the different animal movements are translated from the English edition.

Such an adorable children’s bookstore in Rome.

I always love seeing what’s on the shelf in other countries.

Amazing to see a bookstore that was around 250 years ago. What stories have been shared here?

Summer also means I can visit libraries more easily. I’ve had some great visits around New Hampshire thus far. As a kid, I loved participating in my library’s summer reading program and it’s incredible to see what local librarians have dreamed up to help keep kids reading all summer. It’s pretty amazing the creative and engaging programs they’ve created. Have you checked out your local library’s summer programming?

Book News

Night Prints has been out for a couple of months and has been fun to add to the storytime rotation during my presentations. If you’re ever so inclined to leave a review or request a copy at your local library, it really helps this author out