Elizabeth Bluemle

TAP TAP BOOM BOOM is now out in paperback!! It's a thunderstorm book, where the growing storm in a city turns strangers into friends as people wait out the weather in the subway station.

This is a fun one to read not just with ages 3-6, but with babies, who love to chime in with the rhythm and sounds. Like HOW DO YOU WOKKA-WOKKA, it's fun for group read-alouds, especially with percussion instruments!

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Welcome to my website. I'm a picture book author and co-owner of The Flying Pig Bookstore in Vermont.

I'm an avid reader and love writing and reading books for kids!

One of my big passions is to live in a world that includes and celebrates and entertains ALL of our nation's children. I maintain a database of more than 1,300 diverse books for kids featuring main characters of color where race is NOT the issue or driving force of the story (meaning, they are not stories about racism, slavery, or discrimination). There are lots of databases filled with those wonderful books, but I wanted to help teachers, parents, and kids find other kinds of contemporary, mainstream and literary titles. These books are mysteries, adventures, fantasies, friendship stories, funny stories, and more.

<-------- A link to the database is over there to the left.

I love doing school visits and talking to groups of kids, parents and teachers about a whole host of topics. More about that in the "Book a Visit" section.

Links to my books and a little more about me are to the right. ---------->

That's enough for now. Who are you? And what are you reading right now?

I had a wonderful time at the gorgeous New York Society Library! My librarian hosts were warm, gracious, helpful, and lively, and the children were not only enthusiastic, but better dressed than I will ever hope to be. Thanks, NYSL! If you have never been there, it's worth a visit -- and a membership. So beautiful and a writer's haven.

Fantastic news!

Tap Tap Boom Boom has received four honors that thrill me to the core:

(1) A Charlotte Zolotow Honor for outstanding picture book text

(2) ALA Notable designation from the American Library Association

(3) Tap Tap Boom Boom was chosen to be in the New York Public Library's 100 Best Children's Books of 2014. Click on the image to see all 100 amazing books. I am particularly honored to be among such a richly diverse, rare and wonderful collection of titles for young people.

(4) The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Children's Literature Assembly named Tap Tap Boom Boom one of its 2015 Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts!

Thank you to all of the committee members who have read and appreciated TAP TAP BOOM BOOM!

A WORLD FULL OF COLOR DIVERSITY DATABASE

A lot of people have been asking for the link to my database of children's books (baby to YA) featuring main characters of color where race is not the driving force of the story. In other words, while race is of course an important part of a character's identity, in these books, the plot does not revolve around race, racism, intolerance, or political/historical events based in racial issues. The issues-based books are easy to locate; it’s harder to find lists mysteries, adventure stories, fantasies, picture books, etc., that happen to feature a nonwhite main character. So I made this one.

I have identified more than 1,000 books that meet the criteria. Feel free to share and enjoy, and let me know about titles (currently in print) that fit the bill!

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/shelftalker

© 2013 Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle, art by G. Brian Karas, published by Candlewick Press

© 2009 How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle, art by Randy Cecil, published by Candlewick Press

© 2008 Dogs on the Bed by Elizabeth Bluemle, art by Anne Wilsdorf, published by Candlewick Press

© 2006 My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle, art by Randy Cecil, published by Candlewick Press