Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
Cinderella or Cinderella or Cinderella - All the Same
If a culturally rich adaptation of a classic tale is going to be on a required reading list for any MFAC program, I think it should be Yeh Shen.
ChuggaChugga ChooChoo!: Freight Train, the book
Conceptual, informative, this little book teaches object permanence (through the tunnel cut away) and prepositions like through and by, and it uses real...
You Mean Women Won Rights? News to Me.
Now here is a compelling and well-told story! Kamma never loses her narrative thread, she includes quotes and details, and she keeps the details to those that ground the story or move it forward. She, in short, finds a plot and...
Another Reason My Yard is Full of Holes: How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Second person, a how-to booklet on digging to the center of the earth and beyond. Fact meets fun. The fantasy element combined with scientific detail make this a favorite and true classic. But hey, my copy didn't come with a CD!
That aside...
On a Tightrope: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
I love Mordicai Gerstein. I have since I got his book on Noah for my children. His art, his prose, his creativity—delicious. This story...
Jesus and Baseball: Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Triumphant!
Easy to read text that can be read independently by most first/second graders and Mochizuki's is an important voice in a history that has seldom been captured. Both elements combine for an important book.
I wish I lived on Neighborhood Street! Night on Neighborhood Street by Eloise Greenfield
The illustrations feel sort of 1970s (which is odd given the pub date); makes it seem dated. The poems, however, give snapshots into life, like...
I love Snuggly picture books! Max’s Dragon Shirt by Rosemary Wells
I had a horrid time finding any Wells book I hadn’t already read 100+ times. Fish LOVED Yoko and the various Max and Ruby books. I’d have to say Yoko is probably...
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe
Any MFA in Children's Writing must have this book on it's required reading list -- such an important tale. Uniquely South African and full of stunning, authentic illustrations. This morality story...
Beautiful Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Martin brings Bentley’s love and obsession to the child on a mitten-full of snow. Imagine a book about photographing snowflakes making the reader cry. But Martin does it, gently and in a voice I’ve had the privilege to...