iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Ooo! That’s a good one. I am obsessed with Skylar Gray’s version of Addicted to Love.

Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Day 157 #365PictureBooks THE STUFFIE STAND Maddie Frost When Moose’s new stuffie shop gets a bit too popular, he refuses help. But overworked noodle arms cause him to confront his pride, the quality of his products & the possibility of a unlikely partnership. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Day 156 #365PictureBooks SUNRISE SAIL Charles Trevino & Maribel Lechuga A surprisingly simple storytelling style in this sweet tale of special moments with a boy, his grandpa & a stowaway! Warm. Action-packed. Brilliant use of language. Fun sailing info, too! #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Day 155 #365PictureBooks THE SECRET DRAGON Briony May Smith Prince Griffin gets the best birthday present from his Aunt Morgana. Too bad the Queen is allergic to magical creatures! The ultimate story of a problematic pet. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Day 154 #365PictureBooks STUBBY Sydra Mallery & John Hare An adorably expressive pencil journeys from cedar tree to trusted classroom companion. Comic-like panels share a surprising amount of information as we see Stubby’s ups & downs from his enthusiastic POV. #kidlit

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Reposted by Kathy Jo Watson

Phil Bildner @philbildner.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

A Pretty (Very) Cool Offer from @dansantat.bsky.social! To celebrate the release of book 2 in his SASHIMI middle grade graphic novel series, Caldecott Medalist and National Book Award winner Dan Santat is launching an old school, snail mail newsletter! theauthorvillage.substack.com/p/dan-santat...

theauthorvillage.substack.com

Dan Santat is Launching an Old School, Snail Mail Newsletter!

A Very Special Offer from Dan

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Day 153 #365PictureBooks TEACHERS IN THE WILD Brad Davidson & Rachel Más Davidson Consider the elusive teacher. Easy to find by day, but then roams freely & camouflages as a normal person! Hilarious approach to a perennial kid-baffling topic. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Day 152 #365PictureBooks THE SWEATER Larissa Theule & Teagan White This story is a hug in a book as forest creatures work together to help a new neighbor. Cozy kindness, cozy sweaters and beautiful images share the importance of community. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Prepping 2 queries & looking forward to our local SCBWI Connect group Tuesday night.

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Day 151 #365PictureBooks UNICORNS IN UNIFORMS Beth Ferry & A.N. Kang Think Busytown…but unicorns! They deliver mail, style hair & even fight fires in a rhyming, action-packed story where magical creatures get practical (and even fierce!) caring for their community. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Day 150 #365PictureBooks SELMA By Toni Malina. Translated by Tammi Reichel Creative, bold Selma is not like her thousands of web-spinning cousins. She wants to spin higher so everyone will see her special designs, but first faces doubts about how far a spider can go. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Started back in the query trenches with a new story. Excited to be in the mix!

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Day 149 #365PictureBooks TINY GARDEN Deborah Underwood & Jax Chow A sweet story about a determined child & the just-right place they create (no thanks to their nosey neighbors). This tiny garden buzzes with color, life & the wonder of nature at its smallest. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Day 148 #365PictureBooks UNDERWEARWOLF Gideon Sterer & Charles Santoso When a birthday boy gets an unusual pair of underwear, he discovers why they come with a warning! Hilarious first person story with full moons, wolf wedgies & more as he goes wild. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Day 147 #365PictureBooks TURTLE WITH A TOOLBOX Beth Ferry & Dudolf Grab your hammer & saw! Turtle & his friends get to work in an adorable rhyming story with lots of great construction vocab for little builders. So much detail, teamwork & joy throughout. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Day 146 #365PictureBooks SHRINKING VIOLET Laurel Snyder & LeUyen Pham Quiet Violet shrinks (literally!) when she feels frightened around the castle. Beautiful story of courage, perspective & friendship with a lovely fairy tale vibe. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

As parent of a special needs child, I love that this is 100% relatable for all kids in a pool, but also shares that unique POV. Perfect mix of fantasy & reality.

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Day 145 #365PictureBooks A FISH LIKE ME Devon Holzwarth Excited to find this book IRL in Knoxville! Lots of imagination, wonder & real life courage flow with the lyrical text sharing a child’s perspective of water physical therapy. Amazing. #kidlit 🧵

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Day 144 #365PictureBooks KINDERGARTEN GETS READY Naomi Danis & Pete Oswald Before the open house & before the first day, a teacher creates a classroom. Wonderful behind the scenes look at the hard work that goes into making kindergarten just right. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Day 143 #365PictureBooks THE DUMPED TRUCK Daniel Bernstrom & Marcelo Verdad Poor Dump Truck. He smells like wet feet & no one in Toyville appreciates the stinky work that makes him happy. Fun rhyme & collage art cuteness. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

If you find yourself in East Tennessee, highly recommend Union Avenue Books in Knoxville! We wandered in while on a road trip this week. Their picture book selection is fantastic!

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Day 142 #365PictureBooks ON A SUMMER NIGHT Deborah Hopkinson & Kenard Pak What is waking the world on a summer night? Quiet, cumulative story introduces a nighttime scene where a child, cat, bunny and others stir & subtle mood-setting art gives the answer. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Day 141 #365PictureBooks I WILL NOT WALK TO SCHOOL Naseem Hrab & Kelly Collier Monster is not having it. That walk to school is the worst, even if there are pizza pancakes at the other end. School is great, but (parents!) getting there is where all the action happens. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Day 140 #365PictureBooks DAD Christian Robinson A not sappy, just right book capturing dadhood in sweet, honest & some funny moments. Simple text plus paint & collage illustrations convey so much. Thanks, Dads! #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Day 139 #365PictureBooks HERE IS A BOOK Elisha Cooper Creativity meets logistics! ❤️ this story exploring the people, places & processes involved in creating a book. So much detail to explore in the text & beautiful watercolor/pencil art. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Day 138 #365PictureBooks VAN GOGH’S DOG Georgia Larson & Grace Helmer Vincent & a playful pup chase through sites of his famous works creating a fictional art origin story. Colorful & fun with great back matter about the art. #kidlit

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Reposted by Kathy Jo Watson

P.S. Literary Agency @psliterary.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

"Art stands on the shoulders of craft, which means that to get to the art, you must master the craft. If you want to write, practice writing." —Ann Patchett

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Day 137 #365PictureBooks POPO THE XOLO Paloma Angelina Lopez & Abraham Matias Beautiful in every way! Precious Popo, a loving family & Nana’s fascinating journey provide a glimpse into worlds familiar & ancient in this story of life & loss. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Day 136 #365PictureBooks Jen Anyong & Kaly Quarles THE GHOST WHO SAVED HALLOWEEN Halloween threatens to be a real mid-night dreary when a ghost with no candy & rusty spooking skills forgets to prepare for the holiday. Very fun intro to Poe! #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Day 135 #365PictureBooks RARE BIRD Elisha Cooper A family cat imagines life as a bird in this wonder-filled story. Clever narration is 3rd person but sounds like the cat describing its bold adventures. Will definitely make you wonder what your pets dream about! #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Day 134 #365PictureBooks MY SISTER, GOOSE Alyssa Satin Capucilli & Hyewon Yum Lighthearted, traditional PB highlights a super helpful older sister with lots of love & patience for her creative & spunky little sis. Sweet family story. Fun colored pencil illustrations. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Day 133 #365PictureBooks THE MUDDY MAJESTY OF MUCK Beatrice Alemagna A child’s anger at her brother leads to a dark, muddy world in this imaginative & thought-provoking story. Clever personification of emotions & self-doubt as she works her way out of the muck. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Day 132 #365PictureBooks HEDGEHOGS DON’T WEAR UNDERWEAR Marissa Valdez Jacques has a big secret, but decides to be brave & tell his friends. (Gasp!Giggle!) Funny, first-person/hedgehog story about the awesomeness of underwear & sharing what makes us unique. #kidlit

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Reposted by Kathy Jo Watson

Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

While at the Fred Rogers Institute, was not prepared for the feelings of seeing the last cardigan the mom of Mister Fred Rogers ever knit for him 🥹🩶✨

Notes and song sheets from Mister Fred Rogers. They’re in a case also holding his gray cardigan, which according to his note is “the last cardigan his mom ever knit him” 🩶

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Day 131 #365PictureBooks TINY T. REX TRIES SOCCER Jonathan Stutzman & Jay Fleck I ❤️ Tiny T Rex. So brave. So enthusiastic. So relatable for every little one growing into our big world. And awesome for any tiny World Cup fans! #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Yeah. Nothing better than learning in THIRD GRADE that you live in a city guaranteed to get hit first in a nuclear strike. 🤦‍♀️ Cold War kids…we knew too much.

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Favorite part: brainstorming sessions with my critique partners & that feeling when you figure out a plot puzzle. Least favorite: revising when I’m not feeling it.

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Day 130 #365PictureBooks FIREFLY SEASON Cynthia Leviticus Smith & Kate Gardiner An only child experiences joy & heartache in this story of friends, family & life’s transitions. Beautifully balances importance of family heritage with openness to new experiences. #kidlit

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Reposted by Kathy Jo Watson

Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

ME: and make mine a double WAITER: your...your tater tots? ME: you heard me

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Day 129 #365PictureBooks BORED Felicita Sala Perfect book for a long, oh-so boring stretch of summer. This kid’s mood comes through in every hilariously droopy scene as she painfully ponders boring things & bored people & accidentally finds something to do. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy July 4th! Nothing better for #365PictureBooks than to celebrate this masterpiece again! #Caldecott 🎉 Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend with lots of 🎆 and 📚!

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The annual sharing of my favorite kitchen towels. Their moment in the spotlight is short but impactful. Happy 250, USA! 🇺🇸

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Sarah’s penguin is speaking to me today! 🐧 🥵

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Reposted by Kathy Jo Watson

U.S. Soccer Men's National Team @usmnt.ussoccer.com · 02/07/2026

WE WILL SEE YOU FOR THE 1⃣6⃣ IN SEATTLE!

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Day 128 #365PictureBooks NO BRAIN THE SAME So many kids (and adults) will find themselves in these pages mixing poetry and non-fiction. Every page highlights a neurodiverse young person using their talents to make a difference. #kidlit

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Kathy Jo Watson @kathywatson.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Day 127 #365PictureBooks MAKING ART by Diana Ejaita From murals to music to messy art in your own room, the joy of creating is celebrated in this visually bold & vibrant book. Struck me as a modern, kid-friendly twist on Henri Matisse paper cut-out masterpieces. #kidlit

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