Who?
Scholar of children’s literature and comics. Best-known for work on radical and anti-racist children’s literature, Crockett Johnson, and Dr. Seuss – especially Was the Cat in the Hat Black?
Crockett Johnson
Learn about the creator of Barnaby and Harold and the Purple Crayon via my (archived) Crockett Johnson Homepage and other writings.
Nine Kinds of Pie
Recent Posts
- Mo Willems, W. Kamau Bell, and Random Ants
W. Kamau Bell is the rare non-children’s book person (creator, librarian, teacher, scholar) who takes children’s books seriously. He admires the craft. And his chat with Mo Willems — and then both Mo and Cher Willems — is a joy and a delight. And Mo is dropping so many pearls of creative wisdom that early in the - Comic-Con 2026: My Top 10
I was last at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017. For that and for previous visits, I covered the con like a journalist. I think I was trying to be of use to others, since relatively few people get to attend. In 2026, I don’t have the energy for that — indeed, I’m only getting this post - So Long, and Thanks for All the Panels!
It is always a slightly strange feeling to be a nominee. Sitting in the hotel ballroom, as your category approaches and then arrives, there is a rise in nervous energy. If your book wins, you will need to take the stage, deep-breath your nerves down, remember to thank all the people you want to thank.