TOWED BY TOAD joins Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!

Plus Mabel's busy month

I’m proud to announce that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has selected Towed by Toad to be part of its 2025 program!

For 30 years, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been changing lives—one book, one child, one dream at a time. What started as a small-town promise in Tennessee has grown into a worldwide gift of literacy, inspiring a love of reading in over 270 million children in 5 countries.

Dolly’s vision was simple but powerful: every child deserves the joy of books, no matter where they come from. Today, because of her heart and generosity, and with the help of local program partners across the globe, millions of children have turned their first pages, discovered new worlds, and built brighter futures—one book at a time.

Towed by Toad is about being a helper and Dolly Parton is a helper, for sure—she does so much good in this world!

Thank you, Dolly!

Another starred review for MABEL

Book List gave Mabel a starred review!

This makes 5 starred reviews for Every Monday Mabel—thank you, Book List, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, Book Page, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books!

Amazon Editors Pick MABEL

Every Monday Mabel is one of this month’s Amazon Editors Picks for picture books. Check out this line-up they put together! I can’t wait to read all of these books.

MABEL on TV and Radio

Big thanks to Kit Ballenger and Melissa LaSalle for shouting out Every Monday Mabel in the media!

A week before the book hit the shelves, Kit shared Mabel on The Absolutely Mindy Show on Sirius XM’s Kids Place Channel!

Melissa was on WUSA Channel 9’s Great Day Washington¹ sharing book recommendations for Read Across America Week. Mabel was one of her three picks!

Thank you both so much!!

MABEL Events

I bookended Read Across America Week with readings of Every Monday Mabel at Cover to Cover in Columbus and Barnes & Noble in Akron.

At the B&N reading, a young audience member got so into the spirit of things that when the garbage truck appeared in the story, he yelled, “YAY!” and leapt onto the stage.

Upcoming events include:

• Ohioana Festival, May 3, 10am-5pm

• Columbus Book Fair, July 12, 11am (book signing at Cover to Cover’s booth)

• Cuyahoga Falls Public Library, July 14, 6pm

Meet the Author

From BookPage (March 2025 issue):

You can pick up BookPage every month from your local library or bookseller.

Bonus answer

drawing of Proginoskes inspired by paperback cover of “A Wind in the Door”

I wanted to include Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet among the books I enjoyed as a child, but this cherubim seraph I didn’t sit well next to Gorky and Mr. Tumnus.

Quick Links

• My favorite Groucho quote is getting the tote bag treatment, courtesy of NYPL!

• Mac Barnett writes about Gianni Rodari for NYT

• Susan Sontag on the importance of reading fiction

• 4 ways authors can super charge their school visits

• New album from The Men

WHEW! What a month.

Thanks for reading!

-JQA

1. I grew up outside of Washington, DC, so this was my local CBS station!