Laura Bontje | Out now: When the Air Sang
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Laura Bontje | Out now: When the Air Sang
@laurabontje.bsky.social
1.1K followers 500 following 120 posts
Fiction Editor | Author: WAS IT A CAT I SAW? (Amicus Ink), WHEN THE AIR SANG (Annick Press), and more | she/her | Rep: James McGowan, BookEnds
https://bio.site/laurabontje
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Thank you to my agent, @jmcgowanbks.bsky.social, and my editor, Jieun Lee. Huge thanks to Dr. Gene Kritsky ("the Indiana Jones of cicadas," say some articles!), who taught me so much about cicadas. And to all the people who helped me through the 25+ drafts: I couldn't have done it without you.
Two copies of the book When the Air Sang are open to the interior. One shows the endpapers, covered in a child's sketchbook and nature art. The other shows an interior spread with Annie running alongside her grandma, and a flashback photo to her grandma running through the trees as a child.
April 8, 2025 at 4:29 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
It's release day! When the Air Sang is officially on shelves!

Five years ago, I saw my first cicada, and now ... I couldn't be prouder of how this story has come together. @anderkaya.bsky.social and Annick Press, you've outdone yourselves.
Two copies of the book When the Air Sang (by Laura Bontje and Sarah Whang) are surrounded by cicada sculptures and real cicada husks. Text says "Some things are worth the wait. Available now."
April 8, 2025 at 4:29 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Save the date! If you're in #LdnOnt, I hope you'll join @anderkaya.bsky.social and me on April 12 to celebrate our new #PictureBook, When the Air Sang! There'll be remarks & a draw at 2:45.

Sound in Motion Studio: 1570 Highbury Ave N. (Shoes are left at the door, so wear your fave socks!)
"Launch Party!" Surrounding the cover of the picture book When the Air Sang, the following text appears in colorful snippets: "Meet the author, meet the illustrator, door prizes, snacks and coloring, see a real cicada husk, support a local bookstore!" In a text box, "Saturday, April 12, 2:30-3:30 pm. Sound in Motion Studio, London, Ontario. This is a shoes-off facility. See post for info."
March 17, 2025 at 4:27 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
It's hard to believe it's been a full year since my very first book came out! Thank you to everyone who has read it over the past year; it means so much to see people enjoying it.

And many thanks to Emma Lidia Squillari, @jmcgowanbks.bsky.social, and the team at @amicuspublishing.bsky.social!
In front of a green backdrop, the picture book Was It a Cat I Saw? wears a pink birthday hat.
March 13, 2025 at 3:06 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
When you color, do you keep the colors true to the original, or do you prefer to add your own flair? My family and I had so much fun coloring our own versions of @anderkaya.bsky.social's art from When the Air Sang today!

Free coloring sheet: www.annickpress.com/Books/W/When... #AnnickPress
The picture book When the Air Sang is open to a spread showing a young girl kneeling in a garden surrounded by flowers and insects, looking at the reader through a magnifying glass. Beside the picture book are some pencil crayons and markers, and three coloring sheets featuring the scene from the book. Each sheet has been colored by someone of a different age with a different coloring style.
March 6, 2025 at 3:26 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Did you know you can book virtual and in-person visits from 🍁Canadian kidlit creators at @authorsbooking.bsky.social?

There are so many great books coming out in spring 2025, and I'm happy to include When the Air Sang among the list of stories you could learn more about through an author visit!
A graphic from Authors' Booking Service says "2025 Books to Read" with the following covers shown: Asha and Baz Meet Gladys West, My Green Style, League of Littles, Bison, When the Air Sang, Beverlee Beaz Meets Lawree Louise, the Blue Burmese, Miss Match, Ghost Queen, Hiss, and An Unbalanced Force.
February 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Looking for feedback on your picture book or middle grade novel? Consider supporting the #Kidlit4Ceasefire fundraiser: www.32auctions.com/organization... 🍉
Kidlit4Ceasefire auction: picture book critique from Laura Bontje [photo of Laura]. Kidlit4Ceasefire auction: MG query and synopsis and first chapter critique from Laura Bontje [photo of Laura].
January 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Happy new year! It's officially the release year for When the Air Sang (illustrated by @anderkaya.bsky.social), and I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling at the #OLASC on January 30 at 3:30!
A graphic from Laura Bontje books shows 2025 Plans. First: January TBD - Signed books in NYC (Where can you find Was It a Cat I Saw? in the NYC area? Stay tuned!). Second (alongside a photo of the CN Tower in Toronto), OLA Book Signing: Meet me (and illustrator Sarah Whang!) at the OLA Super Conference. Third: April 8 - release day! When the Air Sang comes out this spring! Preorder your copy today.
January 10, 2025 at 2:39 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Exciting news! I finally get to tell you all about Marian, the inquisitive, creative, geology-loving protagonist of my third picture book!

I can't wait to see how this evolves with Scot Ritchie and @groundwoodbooks.bsky.social ❤️🦕
Photo of the Alberta badlands with a Publishers Weekly book announcement superimposed over the sky. The announcement shows the headshots of Laura Bontje and Scot Ritchie and reads, "Samantha Dewaele at Groundwood Books has bought world rights to Marian's Marvelous Excavation by Laura Bontje, illustrated by Scot Ritchie. This picture book follows the imaginative Marian, who creates a dinosaur skeleton out of found items that she's certain must be fossils. Publication is slated for fall 2026; James McGowan at BookEnds represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented."
December 13, 2024 at 3:26 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
As I flipped through the @kidsbookcentre.bsky.social magazine, I never imagined I'd see my own book!

What a joyful surprise to spot Emma Lidia Squillari's bright yellow cover there. ❤️

🎉And very special congratulations to my editing client Michelle Wang, whose book Oma's Bag also made the list!🎉
On a blue background with gold sparkly swirls, the covers of the CCBC Best Books magazine for fall 2004 and the picture book Was It a Cat I Saw? appear alongside the text "Was It a Cat I Saw? is a CCBC Best Books pick for fall 2024!"
December 9, 2024 at 4:45 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
I've wanted a cat since I was very young. After so many years of yearning, it's hard to believe Nimbus has only been with us since March—it feels like forever. Yesterday he turned one, but he's still our little baby!
The top of the image shows a very fluffy one-year-old Siberian forest cat (a silver tabby with a long white mane) lying on a window ledge. The bottom of the image shows the same cat as a little kitten curled up sideways on a couch.
December 2, 2024 at 2:52 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Hey, #KidLit! I've got a special promo for new newsletter subscribers. If you're looking for an editor, check it out! 🔗Link in bio🔗

I work with fiction for all ages: #PB, #MG, #YA, & select adult lit (most often mystery/thriller or upmarket fiction). More info at laurabontje.com.
On a navy blue background, the logo for Laura Bontje editing appears along with text. "Promo: 10% off your next edit for new newsletter subscribers. Subscribe by end of November; editing must be booked by end of February 2025. Laura Bontje." The phrase "10% off your next edit" is stacked 5 times in different colors, each with a bright neon effect to the text.
November 25, 2024 at 2:56 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
I can't believe I'm holding @elisastoneleahy.com's second book in my hands. To go from editing Tethered to Other Stars and hoping it would be acquired to seeing its name listed as "also by" is beautifully surreal.

Congratulations, Elisa! Mallory's story is going to resonate with so many kids. 🎉
A while hand in a herringbone-pattern rain coat holds the novel Mallory In Full Color up in a book store. Laura Bontje holds the book Mallory in Full Color open to the acknowledgements page, where one line says, "Thank you to Laura Bontje and Leo Embry for reading my drafts in my various moments of panic and assuring me that it was, in fact, not hot garbage."
November 19, 2024 at 11:20 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
A first for me: readings and crafts in an 19th-century historical home! It was a (very) small turnout on a rainy Friday, but I had a fabulous time getting to know the kids who came out!

Many thanks to Backus-Page House Museum, Canada Council for the Arts, & the Writers' Union of Canada.
Cat-themed paper crafts, coloring sheets, and crayons are arranged on an old wooden table in a 19th-century kitchen. An old-fashioned wood-burning stove is in the background with a drying rack open above it.
November 19, 2024 at 2:54 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Southwestern Ontario, come say hi on Friday! I'll be at the Backus-Page House Museum for a picture book reading, coloring, and activities!

More details are available at backuspagehouse.ca.

#LondonOntario #LdnOnt #TVDSB #StThomasOntario #TheRailwayCity #KidLit #CanLit #WritingCommunity
A photo of Laura Bontje and the cover of Was It a Cat I Saw? appear on a teal background. Text boxes read: "PD day fun with palindromes! Join London author Laura Bontje for a reading and activities! Backus-Page House Museum. Wallacetown, Ontario. Friday, Nov. 15 at 11 am and 1 pm." At the bottom are logos for the Canada Council for the Arts and The Writers' Union of Canada.
November 13, 2024 at 2:57 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Today is #IReadCanadianDay! What Canadian books have you enjoyed this year?

Here are a few of my favorite 2024 #kidlit titles—and my own, of course!

[Featured and on BlueSky: @anderkaya.bsky.social, @mypbjam.bsky.social, @writeahn.bsky.social, @dannyr.bsky.social, @caseylyall.bsky.social]
Between red borders are images of the picture books Was It a Cat I Saw? and When the Air Sang. Text reads, "I Read Canadian Day. Look for Canadian kidlit? Learn more about my books at laurabontje.com" "2024 KidLit recommendations. I Read Canadian Day. @LauraBontjeBooks." Book covers appear in circles above and below the title text. Images are The Keeper of Stars (picture book), Why We Dance (picture book), Julia on the Go: Swimming into Trouble (chapter book), Salma Joins the Team (chapter book), and Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities (middle grade).
November 6, 2024 at 7:08 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Autumn in Ontario: pretty leaves and crispy, crunchy piles for leaping in.
A white hand holds a bright greenish-yellow leaf up in front of a large pile of brown leaves raked into a heap.
October 29, 2024 at 4:26 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Sneak peek: the opening spread from When the Air Sang! (Written by me; illustrated by the amazing @anderkaya.bsky.social)

I love how she's shown Annie as if she's inspecting the reader, inviting us into her world of curiosity. I can't wait to share more of Annie's cicada discovery! #Kidlit #CanLit
"Meet Annie! Insect explorer, soon-to-be big sister, always on the go. @LauraBontjeBooks." Text is accompanied by an illustration from the book When the Air Sang, showing a young girl with short black hair, a T-shirt, and overalls kneeling in a garden and looking at the reader through a magnifying glass. "Coming April 8, 2025. Preorder wherever books are sold." Image of the book cover of When the Air Sang, by Laura Bontje and Sarah Whang.
October 16, 2024 at 1:49 AM
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It's #giveaway time! Do you like picture books? How about glow-in-the-dark cats? Then enter the draw in my newsletter! Future editions will also bring you #WritingTips, behind-the-scenes book news, and more giveaways.

Sign up here: dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/110829... #Kidlit #AmEditing
"Giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter and you could win... a copy of my book signed by me! [photos of a silver tabby cat with the book Was It a Cat I Saw? and of Laura Bontje signing a copy of the book]. A handmade cat with glowing stripes! [photos of two little crocheted cats in different styles and the same cats in the dark with their stripes glowing.] www.laurabontje.com"
September 28, 2024 at 2:47 AM
laurabontje.bsky.social
Want to learn about editing #kidlit? Whether you're an editor who's interested in expanding your services or an author looking for some behind-the-scenes revision tips, I hope to see you at my webinar!

Register here: webinars.editors.ca/upcoming_web...
Wednesday, October 2, 1 pm ET. Editors Canada webinar: Beyond Once Upon a Time: Intro to Editing Picture Books. Tips for new and aspiring editors in this engaging and challenging kidlit niche. Icons show a megaphone, laptop with the Editors Canada logo, and open notebook.
September 25, 2024 at 7:08 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
My second book is available for preorder! WHEN THE AIR SANG (Annick Press; illus. @anderkaya.bsky.social) is the story of Annie, who yearns to discover the magic of cicadas with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother ... but who must first find the beauty in waiting.

Coming April 2025.
The cover of the picture book "When the Air Sang" (showing a young girl jubilantly running past flowers alongside a periodical cicada) appears on a green background with ants marching through the background.
July 26, 2024 at 9:09 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
I haven't been active on here, but perhaps I should mention that my debut picture book came out this spring! If you love palindromes, wordplay, cats, and friendship, look for Was It a Cat I Saw? at your favorite bookstore, online, or at your local library!
#Kidlit #CanLit #Watercolor #PictureBooks
A hand holds the picture book Was It a Cat I Saw? up in front of a modern, brick-and-glass library building. The picture book Was It a Cat I Saw? (with a "signed by author" sticker) sits on a display shelf in a Cole's Bookstore alongside Jellycat stuffed animals and other children's books.
June 21, 2024 at 5:40 PM
laurabontje.bsky.social
WOW and YAY are palindromes—and how I feel about sharing the cover of my debut picture book! With beautiful art by Emma Lidia Squillari, #WasItACatISaw is the story of a lost cat, a found friend, and a girl who speaks only in palindromes.

And it's available for preorder now! #AmicusInk #kidlit
The cover of the picture book "Was It a Cat I Saw?" (by Laura Bontje and Emma Lidia Squillari) appears as if on a polaroid photo with the text "March 12, 2024" below. The book cover is painted in watercolor with a yellow background, a white tree down the middle, and a girl peeking out from behind the tree to look at a cat.
October 20, 2023 at 3:33 AM