December 2025

Join us in celebrating our members' news!

Good News !

#Draw

This!

Regional Events

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Sanyu Ntanda Celebrates Motherhood and African Village Life in Her New Release: “Riding with Mama”

Sanyu Ntanda is happy to announce the release of her newest picture book, Riding with Mama, a story inspired by the maternal bond. From bustling markets and banana fields to the water well and Auntie’s hut, every moment is filled with color, rhythm, and love.

The book released Nov 12th and is now available on Amazon

New Picture Book Deal

We are thrilled to share that Suhasini Gupta signed a book contract for Into the Small Kitchen, a new picture book coming out in Fall 2026.

To keep up with the news, you can follow her on Instagram and X @thesusankam

God's Gift of Guardian Angels Little Golden Book Release

Katie Wray Schon's author/illustrated Little Golden Book, God's Gift of Guardian Angels, is now available for preorder! It's a sweet rhyming book full of adorable kids and angels and releases on January 6th.

@katiewrayschon

Books Between Kids

The response from our community was amazing. The Storytellers Foundation, home of The Storyteller’s Shelf Podcast and The Storytellers Summit would like to thank SCBWI Houston members for donating books this year for Books Between Kids. Together we collected a total of 404 books, four hundred and four stories, adventures, and sparks of imagination that will find their way into the hands of children who might not have had them otherwise. It was such a warm reminder of the generosity and heart of Houston.

For more information on the donations, click here.

Have News? Share It With Us!

Submit author & illustrator news for the next newsletter by the 25th of each month via this form. Event submissions for member book launches and signings can be added to our regional calendar! Please be sure to include the date, time, and location.

#DrawThis Prompt!

The December AND January's prompt is: DREAM!

Every month we develop a long list of potential #scbwiDrawThis prompts to choose one word or phrase that will challenge our illustrator members to dig deep and draw. Our goal is to find words rooted in a unique action, mood, point of view, or character theme. We also hope this practice will help you develop new art for your growing portfolios. Share your work with us! We want to see what you create!

#scbwiDrawThis

Illustrator Gallery

Adding your illustrations to your SCBWI profile is a great way to showcase your talents, build a portfolio, and connect with industry professionals.

Visit: https://www.scbwi.org/galleries to view the SCBWI illustrator gallery.

Events that look too good to miss

You can scroll through all virtual SCBWI events by clicking here

SCBWI Houston: "Critique Basics" webinar & Critique Group Connection

Premium Members:$15

This unique opportunity closes in a few days. Join to connect with fellow children’s book creators in a supportive, online-only critique group tailored to your genre, experience level, and schedule. This SCBWI-exclusive program matches 3–6 premium members for a 6 month long feedback journey, starting with a “Critique Basics” webinar and guided monthly check-ins. Whether you write picture books, middle grade, YA, nonfiction, or illustrate, you’ll find your story circle here.

📅 Timeline

Registration: Nov 15–Dec 15, 2025

Matching Period: Dec 15–Jan 15, 2026

Groups Launch: February 2026

Learn more here

SCBWI Oregon: Not Your Grandma's Nonfiction

February 21, 2026

Premium Members:$10

Today's nonfiction is bold, engaging, and innovative! Attendees will take an in-depth look at what books are (and aren't) being published. We will explore how books cover the "What?" "So What?" and/or the "Now What?" of a topic. For the sake of time, the exemplars will be picture books, but the principles explored apply to all informational books. Come ready to investigate, explore, sort, and discover with author Heather Montgomery.

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News and other information may be passed on without attribution; original artwork and writing are the property of their creators and may be reproduced only with written permission.

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