Category Giles Laroche

Jul 8 2025

Book signing today

Hi everyone,

Today from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. I’ll sit on the porch at Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida and sign books for those who stop by. Two titles in particular will be Wild Brunch, Poems About How Creatures Eat and A Tree is A Community. They are both illustrated by master artists, the former by GILES LAROCHE and the latter by KATE COSGROVE. I love working with both of them. It’s my third partnership with each. Here are the books and samples.

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Hippopotamus

He eats at night
along the bank—
filling his giant needs
with lips that pull up
reeds and grass.
Enormous mouth
stretches wide,
shows teeth like spikes.

No one ever called
a hippo sweet.
Truth is
	he’s ill-tempered.
And consider this:
unless you run faster
than nineteen miles per hour,
don’t provoke him.
He’ll cross a river
side to side
before you have a chance
to say “I’m sorry.”

(c) 2024 David L. Harrison, published by Charlesbridge Publishing, all rights reserved
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In spring,
the rain, she
ROARS!
GUSHES!
POURS
down through that
rich, 
dark
dirt.

The rain, she
SHOUTS,
“Wake up you lazy roots!”
And the roots,
they wake up
and say, “Oh yes!
Give us a nice long drink
of your good water!”

(c) 2024 David L. Harrison, published by Holiday House, all rights reserved

Both titles have been well received by reviewers and readers. Wild Brunch was selected by School Library Journal for its list of Best Books of Poetry for Young People, 2024 and it’s on the North Carolina Children’s Book Award program, 1 of 12 contenders for the 2026 NC Junior Book Award.

A Tree is a Community received a Kirkus star review and was on a Betsy Bird list of Newbery-worthy titles for 2025. It’s currently being translated into Portuguese for an edition in Brazil.

Jun 2 2025

Good news for Wild Brunch

Hi everyone,

I’ve learned that my most recent book with Charlesbridge — Wild Brunch, Poems About How Creatures Eat — is one of 12 junior books selected for The North Carolina Children’s Book Award program for this coming school year. The program is sponsored by school and public librarians across the state. Children in North Carolina nominate their favorite books and a committee chooses the final twelve from that list. Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, students across the state will be voting on the field of twelve.

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Wild Brunch was illustrated by GILES LAROCHE and was named by School Library Journal among the Best Books of Poetry for Young People, 2024. It’s our third book together to form a trio. Now You See Them Now You Don’t was named a Notable Poetry Book by NCTE and chosen by Society of Midland Authors as the best children’s nonfiction book published in 2016.

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A Place to Start a Family was selected for NSTA’s 2019 list of Outstanding Science Trade Books, Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards Program Master List, 2019 – 2020, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year List, 2019.

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Dec 2 2024

Wild Brunch on SLJ Best Poetry list

Hi Everyone,

School Library Journal just published their “Best” lists for 2024 and I’m delighted that Wild Brunch, Poems About How Creatures Eat, is one of their eleven favorite books of poetry for children.

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This book features thirteen different creatures and their eating habits in the form of free verse and ABAB poetry. It could be enjoyed by young readers wanting to learn more about the animal kingdom in a digestible picture book format, or by older readers who can dive into the poetic way this information is presented. Beautiful spreads with large and colorful depictions of each animal, from turkey vultures to aardvarks, make this also a very visually entertaining read as well.

I’m especially glad to see this book recognized because I chose to write most of the poems in free verse and it’s harder to catch and hold young readers’ attention with free verse than with poems that rhyme and have meter. When I was publishing my first books of poetry for children, I wrote several collections in verse before I felt brave enough to try one in free verse.

Wild Brunch is published by Charlesbridge Publishing and illustrated by my friend and colleague, GILES LAROCHE. It’s our third collaboration following Now You See Them Now You Don’t and A Place to Start a Family. Way to go, Giles! Now You See Them Now You Don’t was also on the SCL Best Poetry List and was chosen by Society of Midland Authors as best children’s nonfiction book published in 2016 That one is in verse.

NCTE Notable Poetry Book

Sep 18 2024

Wild Brunch

Hi everyone,

We just got our first review of Wild Brunch and it’s a good one. School Library Journal says, that it will be good for “young readers wanting to learn more about the animal kingdom in a digestible picture book format, or by older readers who can dive into the poetic way this information is presented. Beautiful spreads with large and colorful depictions of each animal, from turkey vultures to aardvarks, make this a very visually entertaining read as well… An excellent purchase for elementary nonfiction ­collections where animal facts and poetry can enhance readers’ experiences when they’re engaged with both.”

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Getting a new book off the ground is always challenging. Since the Pandemic, fewer books are being reviewed by the traditional organizations and agencies and that hurts. A couple of kind souls have already posted their personal reviews, and of course I love and appreciate those efforts. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet but plan to, now would be a good time. Thanks to all for sharing news of the new title.

Wild Brunch is wonderfully illustrated by GILES LAROCHE, edited by KAREN BOSS, and published by CHARLESBRIDGE PUBLISHING. It’s a companion piece for Now You See Them Now You Don’t and A Place to Start a Family. Those who enjoyed the first two titles should like this one too.

Sep 9 2024

Wild Brunch out today

Hi everyone,

My new book with Charlesbridge, Wild Brunch, Poems About What Creatures Eat, comes out today. I’m delighted to add it to Now You See Them Now You Don’t and A Place to Start a Family to make a mini-series about ways in which animals hide, protect their young, and eat.

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All three titles were illustrated by GILES LAROCHE, edited by KAREN BOSS, and published by CHARLESBRIDGE PUBLISHING. What a great team to make books. Today I am celebrating my good fortune.