I’m so glad you’re here! Click any of the pages to learn more about me and my work.
My Writing
HUCK AND LOONA
Huck and Loona, my fourth picture book, was published by Beaming Books in Fall 2024. It is now available wherever books are sold!
Huck and Loona love spending time together in the Great Northwoods. From cloud-watching to fishing, the two want to do everything together. When they realize they sometimes want to do different things or that there are some activities the other simply cannot do, they worry that their friendship is over.
With themes of friendship, individuality, compromise, and grace, Huck and Loona equips children to embrace their uniqueness and communicate with others for healthy relationships that help them grow and thrive.
The iheards
The Iheards, my third picture book, was published by Little Bee in Fall 2022. It is now available for purchase anywhere books are sold. From Publisher’s Weekly:
Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to The Iheards by The Whatifs’ author Emily Kilgore (l.), illustrated by Zoe Persico, a picture book about Mason and his Iheards: little creatures that whisper secrets and rumors in his ear until he learns to shift from spreading gossip to sharing positive thoughts. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
I am so excited for you all to read this companion story to The Whatifs. It’s a perfect SEL book for helping readers navigate the impact our words have on others.
The christmas book flood
My second picture book, The Christmas Book Flood, was published by FSG (Macmillan) in Fall 2022 and quickly became an Indie Bestseller! It is now available for purchase anywhere books are sold.From Publisher’s Weekly:
Melissa Warten at FSG has acquired world rights to The Christmas Book Flood, the next picture book by Emily Kilgore (l.) (The Whatifs), illustrated by Kitty Moss (Where Bone?), about the search for the perfect books to give loved ones on Christmas Eve—based on a real Icelandic tradition. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management negotiated the deal.
Check out the cover reveal from Mr. Schu’s blog!
THE WHATIFS
My debut picture book, The Whatifs, is about Cora and her Whatifs: little creatures that weigh her down with fear and worry-filled thoughts until she learns to shift her fears into positive, wonder-filled questions.
The Whatifs was released on August 25, 2020 and is now available for purchase anywhere books are sold.
I TEACH CHILDREN TO READ. BUT CAN I LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE MYSELF?
In this essay published by Education Week, I reflected on what it was like to teach myself a new language while living in Sweden and how that relates to teaching children to read.
WANT YOUNG STUDENTS TO LOVE WRITING? LET THEM PLAY WITH IT
This Education Week piece focuses on the importance of play in Writer’s Workshop.