NIGHT SHADOWS Publication 2021

Night Shadows tells the story of a lonely girl who finds an unlikely friend in her elderly neighbor. Each night kids have been creeping around and spray painting houses in Tasha’s neighborhood. Two days in a row, her neighbor Mrs. Lucy awakes to find graffiti outside her home. Tasha helps her paint over it. They discover that they are alike, except for their age, and become inseparable. This nuanced story shows young readers that honesty and respect are the most important elements for friendship. This third collaboration of Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young and and Barbara DaCosta shows the intensity with which a child experiences solitude and companionship. From Seven Stories Press/Triangle Square.

★ Kirkus Reviews: “Conversations about motivations and actions will abound as children absorb the impact of grace.”

Visit Barbara's website for further information!

Nighttime Ninja Wins Award!

Thank you, everyone! What an honor!

From Publishers Weekly:

The winners of the sixth annual Children’s Choice Book Awards were announced May 13 at a ceremony in New York City hosted by the Children’s Book Council. Book of the Year awards went to: Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta, illus. by Ed Young (kindergarten to second grade); Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel (third to fourth grade); Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess by Rachel Renée Russell (fifth to sixth grade); and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (teen). Jeff Kinney was named author of the year for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7: The Third Wheel, and Robin Preiss Glasser was named illustrator of the year for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet, written by Jane O’Connor.

Nighttime Ninja Available Soon!

Nighttime Ninja is beginning to make its presence known! And what a more splendid welcome than a starred review in Publishers Weekly:

"[Barbara] DaCosta builds her debut on the scaffolding of the suspenseful adventure that turns out to be make-believe....The depth of feeling DaCosta and [Ed] Young give to the boy’s fantasy makes this a standout."

Ed Young and I enjoyed making this book. I hope that boys and girls everywhere (and ninja-like adults) will enjoy our "children's picture book thriller!" Look for it in stores September 18.

---Barbara DaCosta

Maurice Sendak, Children's Book Genius

The word "genius" should not be bandied about too freely, but it certainly can be used to describe the immense contributions of Maurice Sendak to the world of children's literature. Sendak passed away May 8, 2012.
Born in 1928 to Polish Jewish immigrants, Sendak's childhood was shaped by the external forces of the Depression, World War II and the loss of much family in the Holocaust, and his own struggles with illness.
Sendak captured in his art and writing the knife's edge---the fears and delights that terrify and tantalize. His works are archived at the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia. Sendak can be heard interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air.

When is a Picture Book Not Just a Picture Book? Ed Young's The House Baba Built

This beautiful book captures author-illustrator Ed Young's life in Shanghai during World War II. He tells a story that will captivate young and old alike, a story that functions on many levels. Most touchingly, it is a tribute to his father, whose concern for his family led him to build the house, and whose message to his children has been carried out in Ed Young's numerous books over the past fifty-some years.
The message is basically this: Be a good person; do good work.
Ed Young can be seen in this BBC video, discussing the book, its meaning, and how it was made.