Dino-Thanksgiving and Dino-Football: Important Changes

by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

We all know that dinosaurs are extinct. They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and they most definitely don’t play football! But in the fictional picture book series Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott created, they do all of these things and more.

After the publication of Dino-Thanksgiving, we received some valuable criticism about the name of one of the football teams, which was a variation of the former name of the Washington Commanders NFL team. The name had originally been created for the book Dino-Football, which was published back in 2012. We took this feedback to heart and decided to make a number of changes both to Dino-Thanksgiving and to Dino-Football.

by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

When I was in college, I studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal, as part of a program through my university’s French department. While my French speaking and comprehension skills definitely improved, I got so many other amazing things from my three months there–including a whole new understanding of the African continent. A few of the specific highlights included living with a host family, celebrating Tabaski (also known as Eid al-Adha), taking dance lessons, studying Wolof, and enjoying the plat national, thiéboudienne.

By Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

The picture book Today Is Different is a powerful look at protest, solidarity, and social justice. Written in the aftermath of the protests that followed George Floyd’s murder, the book is also a touching portrait of a friendship between two young girls. As the book’s editor, I was so impressed by how enthusiastic and collaborative debut author Doua Moua and debut illustrator Kim Holt were throughout the book-making process. Read on to hear from both Doua and Kim about what this book means to them!

By Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Sachiko Yasui passed away on September 30, 2021. She was eighty-three years old and had been living in a nursing home since having a stroke in the fall of 2013. She touched so many people with her story of surviving the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, as a child, including all of us who helped bring her story to young people in the United States.

by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

One of the most entertaining parts of making the new picture book How to Make a Book (about My Dog) by Chris Barton, illustrated by Sarah Horne, was seeing the various ways Chris and Sarah incorporated Chris’s real-life dog, Ernie, into the text and illustrations. So when the opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass up the chance to ask Ernie for his thoughts about special his role in this book!