Tag: Literature: Children’s

Family memories and Johnny’s Pheasant: Two questions with Cheryl Minnema, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

February 20, 2020

Earlier this month, author Cheryl Minnema (Johnny’s Pheasant) was awarded the 2020 Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. This annual award is given by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Minnema’s book, which features illustrations by Julie Flett, has … More Family memories and Johnny’s Pheasant: Two questions with Cheryl Minnema, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

Jack Zipes: "Fairy tales evolve and spread in strange ways."

August 3, 2018

BY JACK ZIPESUniversity of Minnesota I first came across Pyotr Yershov’s fairy-tale poem, The Little Humpbacked Horse, when I was preparing my fairy-tale postcards for publication in my book Tales of Wonder. Among the Russian postcards in my collection, I kept finding cards illustrating The Little Humpbacked Horse by different gifted artists, often with short texts … More Jack Zipes: "Fairy tales evolve and spread in strange ways."

Wildflower Series #3: A day full of prairie

June 15, 2018

Butterfly weed, like other milkweeds, is a host plant for monarch butterflylarvae, who eat the leaves. Unlike other milkweeds, this one has clear sapand flowers that range from pale yellow-orange to vivid orange to deep red. BY PHYLLIS ROOT AND KELLY POVO We’ve been to the big woods to see the springtime flowers, we’ve been … More Wildflower Series #3: A day full of prairie

Spring abloom: Scouting for wildflowers in Minnesota’s great outdoors (Wildflowers Series #1)

May 22, 2018

If you’re scoping out Minnesota’s woods, chances are good you’ll run intoDutchman’s breeches this time of year. The flower gets its name because theblossoms look like tiny breeches drying upside down on a line. Our new book, Searching for Minnesota’s Native Wildflowers, is officially out this month—and we’ve already begun this year’s searching in the bursting … More Spring abloom: Scouting for wildflowers in Minnesota’s great outdoors (Wildflowers Series #1)

Discovering Fairy-Tale Postcards: The Adventures of a Scholarly Scavenger

October 4, 2017

BY JACK ZIPESUniversity of Minnesota Once upon a time, when the famous scientist Albert Einstein was teaching at Princeton University, a tiny old woman approached him as he was walking home after a class he had just taught. She was schlepping a skinny young boy of about six who was dragging his feet. “Mr. Einstein,” … More Discovering Fairy-Tale Postcards: The Adventures of a Scholarly Scavenger

Sky Blue Water writers’ seasonal traditions and Minnesota food experiences. (Part 2 of 2)

December 1, 2016

Sky Blue Water: Great Stories for Young Readers is a one-of-a-kind collection of short stories that celebrate Minnesota’s vibrant storytelling tradition. A rich and often under-appreciated part of this tradition is youth storytelling. This collection celebrates young adult and intermediate fiction from some of Minnesota’s most beloved authors, emerging talents, and many more. In this … More Sky Blue Water writers’ seasonal traditions and Minnesota food experiences. (Part 2 of 2)

Sky Blue Water writers’ favorite places to read, write (or not write), and get inspired. (Part 1 of 2)

December 1, 2016

Sky Blue Water: Great Stories for Young Readers is a one-of-a-kind collection of short stories that celebrate Minnesota’s vibrant storytelling tradition. A rich and often under-appreciated part of this tradition is youth storytelling. This collection celebrates young adult and intermediate fiction from some of Minnesota’s most beloved authors, emerging talents, and many more. In this … More Sky Blue Water writers’ favorite places to read, write (or not write), and get inspired. (Part 1 of 2)