A Walk with Charles Darwin
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Neal Porter Books
(Holiday House Publishing)
(pub. 1.13.2026)
32 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Nicholas Day
Illustrator: Hadley Hooper
Character: Wilma Dykeman
Overview:
" How do you work through a complicated idea, solve a tricky problem, or make a big discovery? Charles Darwin had a lot of ways to do it. He paced in circles and hit rocks with a stick. He studied the bones of his dinner. He even rode around the world on a boat called The Beagle.
These methods may sound unorthodox, but they led him to some pretty great thoughts—and discoveries about the origins of life as we know it."
Tantalizing taste:
"On these walks, Charles Darwin’s mind roamed.
That’s what the mind does on a walk. It finds its way around the normal routes. It finds it way past the usual barriers.
It finds its way to the hard thoughts.
When Darwin had a problem he measured it in terms of walking. Ordinary problems were one-rock problems. More difficult problems were two-rocks, three-rocks, even four-rocks.
And then there was the problem it took years of walking to solve...
Darwin walked his way to the idea of natural selection."
And something more: Nicholas Day writes at the end of the book: "I've just come back from a walk myself. It was not an extraordinary walk... And then I thought about coming home and writing these sentences, not because they are extraordinary, but because they are ordinary artifacts of an ordinary walk... Like Charles Darwin, we end up somewhere different from where we began. Like Charles Darwin, we end up somewhere no one else has ever been."
Discovering the Stuff of Stars
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
(pub. 1.27.2026)
56 pages
Ages 7 -12
Author: Laura Alary
Illustrator: Yas Imamura
Character: Cecilia Payne
Overview:
" Cecilia Payne loved learning to see nature’s wonders, even things other people called impossible. While studying at Cambridge, she dreamed of becoming a great astronomer like the ones she read about in the library. But too many people thought women didn’t belong among stars or atoms.
So, Cecilia packed her bags for Harvard, where she could surround herself with women who also loved astronomy and physics. These 'Harvard Computers' shared their treasures with her―thousands of photographs of starlight. Cecilia found a way to read the patterns in these photos and started asking big questions. Could these photos show her what stars are made of? What if they showed Cecilia something all the great astronomers called impossible?"
Tantalizing taste:
"Other children looked up at the stars and imagined fantastic things: celestial campfires, twinkling diamonds, holes snipped in the velvet dome of heaven. But Cecilia saw a mystery to be solved. She wanted to know what the stars really were."
And something more: The author, Laura Alaray, shared in the Author's Note: "Cecilia's resourcefulness was one aspect of the unique kind of self-confidence she possessed... Cecilia was confident because she worked hard and knew how to do thorough and careful research. When she was sure she was right about sometihng, she stuck to her position because she trusted herself ...
Of course you don't have to be a girl to be inspired by Cecilia Payne. Maybe you just feel different. Out of place. Maybe you know what you want to be and do, but there seem to be too many obstacles blocking your way. Maybe you will think of Cecilia and take heart. I hope so."
I’m honored to be invited to be a speaker for the third year at the amazing Sonoma Valley Authors Festival! 🌟
I am a speaker for the Festival sponsored Students Day for Young Readers Program. Last year I spoke to more than 600 students at five local elementary schools and the festival gave away more than 1000 copies of my books!! WOO HOO! 📚
This year I'll be sharing THE GLASS PYRAMID: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M Pei illustrated by Khoa Le (pub. by Athenenum/Simon & Schuster).
The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival returns May 1–3, 2026 — a weekend of ideas, inspiration, and connection in the heart of wine country.
While I'm off speaking at elementary schools, the Festival participants will hear from an incredible lineup of speakers (see the Festival website for the full list -- ever growing!) at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Learn more at svauthorsfest.org
