My next book, Something Good, will arrive February 11, 2025. It is a bad-day-turned-good kind of a book. I loved the final sentence of the Publisher's Weekly's review: Feather-light messages about sharing joys and not assuming the worst accompany this swiftly paced, effervescent comedy with Peanuts vibes. That is such an inviting sentence, I hope readers experience the book that way.

This was the first book I have illustrated using dip pens and a brush for inking and, despite the learning curve, I really loved using them.  It was a nice Bic pen that started me drawing - it was given to me as a gift and I just sat down and began drawing with it. Somehow the pleasure of using that pen gave me the idea that line art was something I could do. Later on, when I was starting to take art more seriously I saw a jar of Sakura Microns by the cash register of an art store and bought a couple. I have been using those ever since. They are great pens, but the tips wear out quickly  on watercolor paper and the colors are limited. I went on a quest to find a pen that worked better for what I was doing and what I eventually arrived at, dip pens, now seems obvious. It was from comic artists (as well as calligraphers) that I learned about the virtues of dip pens, so it is fitting that the above review mentions the Peanuts. For the artists: my favorite nibs are the Blue Pumpkin, the Nikko G, the Brause Rose and the Brause 51 and the fast drying, waterproof Ziller inks made the shift from Microns easy.

Also in the news: Mermaid Lullaby was one of the picture books from 2024 to be featured in the Society of Illustrators original art exhibit. If you are in NYC, you can see the "orange" illustration there. Of course it feels great to have my work  included with so many great illustrators, but it is extra sweet because the founder of the annual show, Dilys Evans, was someone who offered kind words and encouragement very early in my career, so it feels quite significant that a piece of mine is now in her show!

And speaking of artwork that hangs on walls: I have a found a local printer capable of making very high quality fine art prints. I hope to get an online store set up for some of my prints, but in the meantime, if there is an illustration you are interested in, let me know!

I am looking forward to participating in the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book this September 27th-29th, in Harbor Springs Michigan. Covid prevented me from being there in person to talk about Wild Honey from the Moon, so I am delighted I get to return, this time with Mermaid Lullaby. Northern Michigan in late September, sounds perfect!

I'll be speaking at schools, leading a workshop on detail and texture in illustration, and one or two other things as well (I'll amend this post when the details are finalized).

I was so proud to be claimed by my home state when This is a Book of Shapes appeared on the shortlist of the biennial Indiana Authors Awards and I feel the same way to see Mushroom Lullaby on it this time around. Indiana is the place that shaped me so it is gratifying to know that they still consider me a Hoosier.

On May 18th at 6:30 we'll be having a great pajama party to launch Mermaid Lullaby. The good times will begin before bedtime at Schuler Books on 28th Street in Grand Rapids. Kids can come in PJs and I'll read both Mushroom and Mermaid Lullaby, to get everyone ready for bed. I'll also give a short talk and sign books. We'll have a good calming-down time.

Kirkus wrote a nice review of the book: The rich, jewel-toned illustrations are appealing and provide a welcome opportunity for discussion about the different colors of the rainbow. Sparkling wordplay and inspired use of alliteration (“Blooming bright skies surprise our eyes,” “a swimming school of jewels down under”) make for a lovely read, perfect for a bedtime tale or a storytime read-aloud. You can read the full review here.

It seems a premature to announce this book when its pub date isn't until May 7, 2024, but it has been on all the bookseller websites for a couple of months now, so I decided to make it official.

Mermaid Lullaby is the second in the Lullaby series which started with Mushroom Lullaby. These are  slowing-down-getting-ready-for-bed books, a genre of book that I love. Here is the description from the publisher, Candlewick Press:

Enter the colorful realm of three mermaid friends and follow them through their enchanting day. Wake to the surprise of a red sunrise, explore a verdant underwater garden, and dive through waves of startling blue. In this delightfully dazzling story, one-of-a-kind creator Kenneth Kraegel nurtures young children’s minds and imaginations by merging a fresh color-concepts story with a soothing lullaby, gently ushering little listeners toward sleep and sweet dreams.

Preorder at your local bookstore or at: Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart, Books-A-Million, Hudson Booksellers

I have recently begun meeting with a few other fellow author/illustrators. It is great to have some people to discuss the pro and cons of cold-press versus hot-press and a hundred other things. Dan-ah Kim is part of that group and she has a new book coming out soon! The cover looks beautiful, I can't wait to see it all! Get it here.

Here are a few upcoming events that I'll be a part of:
On May 6, I'll be speaking at the inaugural Dunes Lit Fest in Valparaiso, Indiana.
On June 12, I'll be presenting at the Sparta Library, in Sparta Michigan.
July 15-16 I'll be speaking at the Columbus Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio.

I am close to wrapping up another lullaby book, it will be the same size and structure of Mushroom Lullaby, but will not share the setting or characters. It is due out in the Spring of 2024. The square here is a little hint of what is to come.

There is one more lullaby book in the works, hopefully arriving in Spring of 2025, but there will be a non-lullaby book that comes out before #3.

Here are a few small things that could make your student's or artist's work go a little more smoothly. They are three items that I use in my studio and also with the students that I tutor. Kids do a lot of erasing and those pink erasers that dry out, ripping and marring the paper are so annoying! When I was kid my handwriting was terrible, so I was always erasing and rewriting - as I got more and more frustrated, the eraser would only contribute to the mess! Also, students sometimes avoid sharpening a pencil even when it would help their work, so having a dependable sharpener nearby can be a big help.

You can find these items in lots of places and quantities, the links below are for smaller quantities at Amazon.

Here are a few mushrooms, studies for an illustration in Mushroom Lullaby. The release date for Mushroom Lullaby is coming up: it arrives on the shelves on October 11, 2022.  The launch party will be held at Schuler Books on 28th Street at 11:00 on October 22. I'd love to see you there!

Speaking of Mushroom Lullaby, so far it has been reviewed twice, first from Kirkus who in a starred review called it "A mycological charmer."

Then it was reviewed in Publisher's Weekly, who also gave it a star and said, among other things, that "mushrooms provide an unconventional and earthy through line for this cozy bedtime book."

In other news, This is a Book of Shapes was on the shortlist for the Indiana Author Awards! As a native Hoosier, I was honored to be considered for this award.

I'll be giving a presentation to second and third graders at 12:30 at Jackson Reads! I am looking forward to meeting some readers in-person and also to seeing the Ella Sharp Museum, which includes an historical farmhouse, log school house and a beautiful planetarium. It will be fun!

Also, Mushroom Lullaby has been named a Junior Library Guild selection!

Here comes another book! This one is written with bedtime in mind - one of my favorite times to read a picture book. It is meant to quiet the room down while getting the young ones ready for sleep. It arrives October 11, from Candlewick Press.

Here is the blurb:
In gentle rhyme, this spare and whimsical picture book introduces little readers to all sorts of wonderful mushrooms: ones that grow up high and ones that never stay dry, ones that grow in a park and ones that glow in the dark, and even one made just for them! Who can resist climbing up the soft mushroom stair, curling up in a plush mushroom chair, and preparing to dream sweet mushroom dreams? The lulling narration and warm illustrations of this charmingly quirky book will have drowsy young ones settling into their own comfy beds, ready to drift off to sleep.

If you would like to pre-order it, you can do so at one of these sites:
IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, Target, or Amazon.