Nancy Churnin
Verified
National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor & Notables, #SouthAsiaBookAward @JrLibraryGuild @RedFoxLiterary "No act of kindness...is ever wasted."--Aesop
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Nancy Churnin
Mandy Patinkin: My Life Is All About Connecting
Mandy Patinkin — still connecting, still singing. | Photo: Mandy Patinkin PR By Nancy Churnin / Photos courtesy of Mandy Patinkin PR. Mandy Patinkin may be the most famous person you’ll meet who doesn’t think of himself as a celebrity. Sure, he’s a wildly successful and acclaimed Broadway, television and recording artist with Tony and Emmy awards who’ll be forever enshrined in film as Avigdor in Yentl and Inigo Montoya – “You killed my father. Prepare to die.”— from The Princess Bride.
Three New Purim Board Books from PJ Publishing
(PJ PUBLISHING) Welcome to this year’s special Purim roundup, featuring three new Purim board books that launched on February 1. All three bookswere published by PJ Publishing (scroll down for more details) and are being sent to PJ Library families. They also became available for purchase from Amazon on that date for non-PJ Library families. These delightful board books reflect PJ Library’s commitment to bringing a love of Jewish books to young children.
Three New Purim Board Books from PJ Publishing
(PJ PUBLISHING) Welcome to this year’s special Purim roundup, featuring three new Purim board books that launched on February 1. All three bookswere published by PJ Publishing (scroll down for more details) and are being sent to PJ Library families. They also became available for purchase from Amazon on that date for non-PJ Library families. These delightful board books reflect PJ Library’s commitment to bringing a love of Jewish books to young children.
‘A Tale of King Solomon’ and more
“A Teddy Bear for Emily – and President Roosevelt, Too” by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe, published by Albert Whitman & Company This is a stunning picture book, telling the story of Russian Jewish immigrant, Morris Michtom, who gave his toy elephant to a sad child as they traveled on a boat to America. Years later, that act of kindness inspired Morris’s wife and daughter to sew a “Teddy Bear” to honor President Roosevelt after he saved a bear’s life.
Children's Storytime and Meet-and-Greet with the Author of Rainbow Allies
Children's Storytime and Meet-and-Greet with the Author of Rainbow Allies Come join us for a free fun-filled storytime and a special meet-and-greet with author Nancy Churnin, who wrote the picture book Rainbow Allies. Based on real-life events, Rainbow Allies is a children's story about how a Natick, Massachusetts neighborhood rallied together around Cari and Lauri--and their dogs, Twink and Scout--to make them feel welcomed and loved again after an act of hate.
A Teddy Bear for Emily--And President Roosevelt, Too
(Author) (Illustrator) FORMAT Pre-Order Ships Mar 06, 2025 Buy new or used from an indie through our partner Biblio: Price Condition Seller Bookshop.org has the highest-rated customer service of any bookstore in the world Description Discover the fascinating true story of Jewish immigrants who played a key role in the creation of the beloved teddy bear, connecting their humble Brooklyn candy shop to the President of the United States.
Spirituality & Practice
In the town of Natick, Massachusetts, when Cari marries her wife Lauri, their neighbors welcome them and their dogs. Many friends gather to help hang the couple's rainbow flag. One of the neighbors, a boy named Brendan, feels shocked and dismayed when he's out one morning riding his bike and notices the flag and the dogs missing. He discovers the dogs curled in fright at Cari and Lauri's feet as they scrub sticky bits of yolk from the outside of their house.
Author Nancy Churnin on Telling Kid-Centric Stories -plus a GIVEWAY!
Hello world!! Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m extra excited today because I got to interview a super talent when it comes to nonfiction. This author is also very friendly and recently gave the most inspirational webinar on 12 x 12, if you happened to catch that.
A Teddy Bear for Emily-and President Roosevelt, Too|Hardcover
Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of multiple picture book biographies. The former theater critic for the Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times San Diego Edition, she's now a full-time writer and peace negotiator between her dog and cats. She lives in North Texas. Bethany Stancliffe grew up in the Rockies and studied art and illustration at Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Writing Fact Like Fiction in Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books
Stories from real life. Inspiration for a writer's life. As a longtime journalist, Nancy Churnin learned to stick to the facts. As a children's book author who specializes in nonfiction, she still sticks to the facts, but with a difference. Journalists write from the outside in, being careful to keep a distance from their subjects. As a children's book author, Nancy has learned that she has to identify with her subject in order for the story to come alive for young readers.
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate
. Jul. 2024. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781506488448. COPY ISBN K-Gr 4–Right out of the headlines, this story of a neighborhood where everyone is welcome may sound too good to be true, but sometimes people are just that incredible. Everyone takes care of one another in Natick, MA, and “When Cari, one of the neighbors, married, everyone was happy to meet her wife, Lauri.
RAINBOW ALLIES | Kirkus Reviews
Adults will do better skipping the book and talking with their children. Social-equity themes are presented to children in ABC format. Terms related to intersectional inequality, such as “class,” “gender,” “privilege,” “oppression,” “race,” and “sex,” as well as other topics important to social justice such as “feminism,” “human being,” “immigration,” “justice,” “kindness,” “multicultural,” “transgender,” “understanding,” and “value” are named and explained.
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood Against Hate The conceit that makes one small Massachusetts community shine is that “everyone is welcome; everyone is celebrated; everyone helps each other.” And when neighbor Cari marries, the community is happy to meet her wife, Lauri, and dogs Twink and Scout. After the women hang a Pride flag at their door, however, an act of hate sees the flag torn down and the couple’s home egged.
Valentines for All by Nancy Churnin and Monika Róża Wiśniewska Original
VALENTINES FOR ALL Written by Nancy Churnin Illustrated by Monika Róża Wiśniewska (Albert Whitman & Co.; $18.99, Ages 4-8) In Valentines for All, award-winning author Nancy Churnin sheds light on entrepreneur Esther Howland, a woman in 19th-century Massachusetts who had the keen foresight to sense there was a market in the United States for Valentine’s Day cards. Monika Róża Wiśniewska’s art details how the delicate nature of the cards lent themselves to be custom-made and highly desirable.
Rainbow Allies: The True Story of Kids Who Stood against Hate
A true story of allyship and standing up to anti-LGBTQ hate. When a lesbian couple comes home one day to find their Pride flag stolen and their front porch egged, the sense of belonging they had felt in their community is threatened. Are they safe in their house? The support they need comes from an unexpected place--the neighborhood's children. Together, the local kids create a plan to show Cari and Lauri just how valued they are in the community.
Lila and the Jack-o’-Lantern: Halloween Comes to America
PreS-Gr 3–A delightfully written story based on how the Irish brought their Halloween traditions to America. Lila and her family leave Ireland in 1850 due to the potato famine, but Lila is worried about leaving behind her Halloween traditions. In Ireland, a sly spirit named Jack walked the streets on Halloween, playing pranks. So, the children carved turnips into jack-o’-lanterns and put them in their windows so he wouldn’t visit their house.
Mama's Year with Cancer|Hardcover
Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of multiple picture book biographies. The former theater critic for the Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times San Diego Edition , she's now a full-time writer and peace negotiator between her dog and cats. She lives in North Texas. Shayna Vincent resides in Carrollton, Texas.
Valentines for All by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Monika Róża Wiśniewska
Valentines for All: Esther Howland Captures America’s Heart by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Monika Róża Wiśniewska. Albert Whitman, 2023. 9780807567111 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4 Format: ARC (publication date 11/7/23) Genre: Biography What did you like about the book? As a little girl in Worcester, Massachusetts, Esther Howland was effusive about her feelings, and especially loved Valentine’s Day.
Mama’s Year with Cancer by Nancy Churnin and Shayna Vincent, illustrated by Wazza Pink
Mama’s Year with Cancer by Nancy Churnin and Shayna Vincent, illustrated by Wazza Pink. Albert Whitman & Company, 2023. 9780807580790 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5 Format: ARC (publication date 9/28/23) picture book What did you like about the book? This heartwarming book on a difficult subject is very well done. Charming illustrations brighten the topic. A little girl struggles with her mother’s illness and treatments.
MAMA'S YEAR WITH CANCER
Informative and reassuring. A child faces big changes when Mama is diagnosed with cancer. Cancer, Mama says, is a “big sick.” But she might be better in a year if she listens to her doctor, and then she’ll get to ring a bell to celebrate her last day of chemotherapy. The young narrator relates how Mama receives chemo through a port, loses her hair, and experiences fatigue. Mama explains that cancer isn’t contagious and is nobody’s fault.
Lila and the Jack-o'-Lantern: Halloween Comes to America|Hardcover
English 0807566632 An Irish immigrant moves to America, bringing along a now-beloved Halloween tradition. When Lila and her family leave Ireland for the United States, Lila misses many things, but especially Halloween. Each year, she and her siblings look forward to tricking a sly spirit named Jack by carving turnips into jack-o'-lanterns and walking the streets of their small town in ghostly costumes.
Dear Mr. Dickens
Home Dear Mr. Dickens Shepherd is reader supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. This is how we fund the project for readers and authors. Please join our membership program to support our endeavor. Why read it? 2 authors picked Dear Mr. Dickens as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness: Stories
By – April 24, 2023 Jai Chakrabarti’s debut story collection, A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness, centers on families both lost and found. The best stories in the collection are intricately crafted, nuanced explorations of child-rearing through the lenses of class, race, and privilege. In the title story, Nikhil wishes to raise a child with his closeted lover, but such a thing is impossible in India in the 1980s.
Book Connections
Session Inactive × To help protect your privacy, you will be automatically logged out in 2 minutes if you remain inactive on the website. Continue Sign out now
NBP - Braille BookStore
by Nancy Churnin and Bethany Stancliffe $19.00 Return to Shopping
Valentines for All
facebook twitter instagram pinterest Login / Register My Cart 0 2023, March 03 Valentines for All By Nancy Churnin, Monika Róża Wiśniewska When Esther Howland first saw the fancy valentine her father brought home from England, most Americans thought Valentine’s Day was a waste of time. But through the card, Esther felt how much her father loved her. Could she help others express themselves in the same way? Hardcover e-Book Loading...
Mama's Year with Cancer
facebook twitter instagram pinterest Login / Register My Cart 0 2023, March 03 Mama’s Year with Cancer By Nancy Churnin, Shayna Vincent Illustrated by Wazza Pink This poignant story follows a child who watches her mother go through the pain and distress of hospital stays, surgery, and chemotherapy. She helps her mother by sharing jokes, crafting get-well cards, and giving hugs, and she tries to be understanding when they can’t do all the things they used to do.
Lila and the Jack-o'-Lantern
facebook twitter instagram pinterest Login / Register My Cart 0 2023, March 03 Lila and the Jack-o’-Lantern By Nancy Churnin Illustrated by Anneli Bray When Lila and her family leave Ireland for the United States, Lila misses many things, but especially Halloween. Each year, she and her siblings look forward to tricking a sly spirit named Jack by carving turnips into jack-o’-lanterns and walking the streets of their small town in ghostly costumes.
The Beauty of Jewish Board Books By Nancy Churnin
Small, but mighty. Board books, aimed at toddlers – can have a powerful effect on a child's language, social and emotional development. Jewish board books in particular can provide a valuable opportunity to provide windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors that nourish Jewish and non-Jewish children alike at that all important time in their lives when they are learning words, concepts, pride, inclusion, empathy and a sense of community. And yet, new board books can be hard to find.
Ideas for Writing
By Nancy Churnin One of the questions I get asked most frequently is: Where do you get your ideas? The truth is I find them everywhere, but there’s one place in particular that never fails me. Since I write for children, I go back to my inner child which is always asking, as kids still do, Why? Why? Why? It turns out that this is one of the best questions an author can ask. Because the best children’s book ideas often come from looking at something that seems familiar and asking Why?
Book Review: The William Hoy Story
Written by Nancy Churnin; Pictures by Jez Tuya Image Credit: Enchanted Literacy Image Credit: Enchanted Literacy Image Credit: Enchanted Literacy Image Credit: Enchanted Literacy Recommended Ages 5 - 9 years The world series is almost here. As a family, we found that even though we are not avid baseball fans, going to Yankee Stadium to watch a game is still a great experience. The music, food, engaging group mindset rooting for the home team creates an exciting atmosphere to be in.
Peanuts and Crackerjacks: 10 Delicious Kids' Baseball Books
Summer is here and it’s time to read some kids’ baseball books. You don’t need to actually like or follow the sport to recognize the mood and imagery. Bright sunshine, cheery organ music, the smell of popcorn, and jovial crowds have created a shared experience around America’s national pastime, recognizable even by people who haven’t been to a single game.
La historia de William Hoy
William Ellsworth Hoy amaba el beisbol sobre todo lo demás. Cuando le dijeron que era muy pequeño para el equipo de su escuela, no dejó que nada lo detuviera, ¡ practicó hasta ser lo suficientemente bueno como para jugar en las grandes ligas! Ser sordo en las grandes ligas no fue fácil, ya que poca gente usaba el lenguaje de señas en la década de 1880. A William se le dificultaba leer los labios en el campo de juego y algunos jugadores lo intentaban confundir.
When to Co-Author a Nonfiction Book
By Nancy Churnin After publishing 10 nonfiction picture books, my first co-authored book, WHEN MAMA RINGS THE BELL, will come out in Fall 2023, co-authored with Shayna Vincent, for Albert Whitman & Company. When should you co-author a book rather than be the solo author? Often, being the solo author is the only option. My first ten books, all picture book biographies, were about people who are not alive.
20 Children's Narrative Nonfiction Books About Social Justice
Nevada Sharp has a Master of Library and Information Science degree. She has been a children's librarian for 25 years. What Is Narrative Nonfiction? When we think of nonfiction books, we most often think about books that explain facts in a format called “expository nonfiction.” These are the texts that explain concepts like the Bill of Rights or describe the planets of the solar system. They can use techniques like listing facts, analyzing causes and effects, or comparing and contrasting two things.
For Spacious Skies Book Now Available in Braille
For Spacious Skies, by Nancy Churnin, is a book about how making America more just, equal, and compassionate makes our country more beautiful. It is now available in braille through the National Braille Press. This book is the National Braille Press' (NBP) June 2022 Book of the Month Club Selection.
NBP - Braille BookStore
June 2022 Book Club Selection In contracted braille (UEB) Ages 4-9 Grade level: Preschool to Grade 3 Katharine Lee Bates first wrote the lines to "America the Beautiful" after a stirring visit to Pikes Peak in 1893. But the story behind the song begins with Katharine herself, who pushed beyond conventional expectations of women to become an acclaimed writer, scholar, suffragist, and reformer.
The Queen and the First Christmas Tree: Queen Charlotte's Gift to England
Home / Products / The Queen and the First Christmas Tree: Queen Charlotte's Gift to England Children's Books $16.99 | / By: Nancy Churnin Pictures by: Luisa Uribe When Princess Charlotte left her home in Germany to marry King George III of England, she brought her family's favorite Christmas tradition with her - decorating a yew bough with flowers and ribbons.
Review: Roundup of 6 kids' books honoring unforgettable women
In fifth grade, I would knock off one biography a night. Yes, they were short and easy to read. Back then, they were mostly about white men — presidents, inventors and generals. Only Louisa May Alcott, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale and a few first ladies broke through the bias. I especially loved reading about those women doing more than just what was all around me — stay-at-home moms, dusting the furniture and yelling at the kids. Those biographies offered a narrow opening to the greater world.
Dear Mr. Dickens
Gr 1-5–It is difficult to find children’s books that focus on the severity of anti-Semitism that aren’t about the persecution of the Jewish people during eras such as the Holocaust, pogroms, or the Inquisition. Churnin, known for her feel-good picture biographies about unlikely heroes, examines a less-familiar period in history in her newest work.
Sydney Taylor Book Award 2022 Blog Tour - Dear Mr. Dickens Q+A
Ages 4-8, Author Interview, Awards & Honors, Blog Tour, Famous Authors, Girls & Women, Judaism, Juvenile Nonfiction, London, People & Places, Religion, Sydney Taylor Book Award WELCOME TO DAY TWO OF THE STBA BLOG TOUR! FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHOR NANCY CHURNIN & ILLUSTRATOR BETHANY STANCLIFFE DISCUSSING THEIR HONOR-WINNING PICTURE BOOK DEAR MR.
Author’s Notebook | Two New Picture Books Written by Nancy Churnin
Churnin, Nancy. Dear Mr. Dickens. Illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe. Chicago: Albert Whitman, 2021. Churnin, Nancy. A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah. Illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg. Creston Books, 2021. Nancy Churnin The Whole Megillah (TWM): Where do your ideas for books come from? Nancy Churnin (NC): I have always been fascinated by the legend of the Lamed-Vav–the righteous people in the world who sustain the world in each generation.
#LoneStarLit Bloggers' Choice Awards Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020 LSBBT BLOGGERS’ CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS & FINALISTS! Because it’s better late than never! ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ TOP CLICK TO JUMP TO AWARDS THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR BEST COVER BEST SERIES BEST NONFICTION BEST ROMANCE BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BEST HUMOR BEST WESTERN BEST LITERARY FICTION BEST TEXAS BOOK THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD (click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page) These eleven of the sixty-five titles...
2020 Bloggers' Choice Awards
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020 LSBBT BLOGGERS' CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS & FINALISTS! Because it's better late than never! ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ CLICK TO JUMP TO AWARDS THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR BEST COVER BEST SERIES BEST NONFICTION BEST ROMANCE BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BEST HUMOR BEST WESTERN BEST LITERARY NONFICTION & FICTION BEST TEXAS BOOK (click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page) These eleven of the sixty-five titles reviewed by Lone...
Lone Star Listens: Nancy Churnin on churning out the new stories
A journalist-turned-author, Nancy Churnin brought back a baseball hero for the ages in her debut book The William Hoy Story, launching a career telling true stories of inspiration for young readers. By day Churnin is the theater critic for the Dallas Morning News. She spoke with us via email for Lone Star Listens. LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE: From a native Texan to a native New Yorker, welcome to the Lone Star State, Nancy. What brought you to our fair state?
Seasonal Ideas
By Nancy Churnin Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of the season, stop and smell the ideas. My book, The Queen and the First Christmas Tree, Queen Charlotte’s Gift To England (illustrated by Luisa Uribe, Albert Whitman) was kicked off by a question: how and when did the Christmas tree became popular? The book is the true story of kind Queen Charlotte, who introduced the tradition at a party for 100 children at Windsor Castle in 1800.
A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah
K-Gr 4–This biography of the founder of the Jewish women’s charity Hadassah effectively introduces a lesser-known, influential woman to a wider audience. The text goes through Henrietta Szold’s life, from her childhood in Baltimore, to becoming a teacher who started the first ESL school for a wave of Jewish immigrants, to being the first editor of the Jewish publication society.
MILA BOOKSIT: A Queen to the Rescue
By: Mila Vincent and Johanna Luza | Photo by Shayna Vincent ~ What better way to celebrate Henrietta Szold’s birthday on Dec. 21, 1860, than with the first picture book about this great woman who founded the charity Hadassah and saved thousands of children from the Holocaust? Mila Vincent, our six-year-old theater and book critic, says A Queen to the Rescue is a perfect choice for Hanukkah or Christmas. She is wearing her Hanukkah shirt for her review because that is the holiday she celebrates.
The best books empowering youth to speak up against hatred, bigotry, and injustice
Who am I? I am an educator, cook, lover of rooftops, and nature. In 2017, a series of extraordinary events brought me to Oswego, New York to speak about my debut YA novel, Hello?. With time to spare, I scrolled through Facebook and saw, “Homework? NY Students Debate Exterminating Jews.” Where was the assignment given? Oswego! And surprise, at my book signing, I met one of the two brave teens who protested the debate. These experiences spurred The Assignment’s journey.
How a Young Girl Stood up to Charles Dickens for His Treatment of Jews
The cover of Dear Mr. Dickens. Photo: provided. Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Chumin, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe. (Albert Whitman & Company, 2021). Writing Dear Mr. Dickens has been an intensely personal labor of love for me.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Nancy
Contact Nancy, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack