No. 58 - Green Eyes, Books, and Publishing
Welcome to the Sunday Dispatch. Twice a month, I send out a quick newsletter linking to posts I’ve written throughout the week on HelloThisIsBarbara.com and other parts of the internet. I often include updates on what I’m working on, experiences I’ve had, and more.
If you’re not familiar with me: Hello. I’m B.A. Burgess, author of some children’s books, creator of a children’s book course, and a curious, complex person. For more information, consider reading the About page.
Postcard
10.24.2025
Hello friends,
Every year, my friend Annette and I take a trip together, and this year we spent a long weekend in the mountains of Tennessee.
The wonderful thing about traveling with friends is that you can make plans, but inevitably, a side quest will emerge from your itinerary. This time, our side quest was a small cryptid festival celebrating a character I'd never heard of: Ole Green Eyes.
The festival was fantastic! They had booths for local artisans, a stage for live music and spooky stories being told by real-life Park Rangers, and Green Eyes himself was there! Non-blurry, photographic evidence below:
While meeting Old Green Eyes was definitely the highlight, a close second was meeting some new friends from Walnut Street Publishing. They do fantastic work, and there's too much to say about them in this already lengthy update.
A detailed post coming soon with a book haul and some reviews.
We had such a wonderful time, and I'm definitely going to go back next year.
Festival Link - https://www.greeneyesfestival.com
Autumn Children's Book Recommendation
It is chilly in Nashville. The leaves are just beginning to turn, and I have added to my small collection of children's books.
I read a lot of nonfiction these days, so when I want to take a short break and dip into something heartwarming and whimsical, I reach for a children's picture book.
One of the children's books that I've read recently is The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt written by Riel Nason and illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler. This is such an imaginative story. I am very jealous that I didn't come up with this idea myself. This book is about a young ghost who does not look like his friends and family. Instead of being a clean white sheet, he is a patchwork quilt.
The book follows the character on Halloween night, when ghosts can observe humans without hiding. His friends and family will position themselves in trees, decorations, or hover in yards like they're part of the decor, but he can't do this because he looks so different. However, on this Halloween, things are a little different, and our quilted ghost has a Halloween adventure and, along the way, discovers what's so wonderful about being himself.
It is a magnificent story, and for what it's worth, I recommend this book to everyone who's looking for a new book this Halloween/autumn season.
To all of my children's book writers in the room, this book is an excellent example of the power of having a cohesive color palette and the importance of introducing perhaps more challenging vocabulary into children's picture books.
Until Next Time, Be Excellent To Each Other,
B.A. Burgess
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