Michelle Kenner (she/her)
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mkstories.bsky.social
Michelle Kenner (she/her)
@mkstories.bsky.social
180 followers 150 following 160 posts
Making stories for newish humans and their newish caregivers. Neurodiverse family. Practicing digital illustration. Parent and usability researcher. SCBWI and 12x12
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mkstories.bsky.social
Eeee! It’s in print! I have a poem in the September issue of #highlightshighfivemagazine and it is so thrilling to see it out there, and see Sarah Rebar’s super fun art for it too!
In true #kidlit reality-check, today my 2025 submissions got declined. #justkeepwriting #preschool #highfive
Photograph of the cover of the September 2025 issue of Highlights High Five magazine, which is illustrated with cartoon-style art of an elephant and a tiger in a front-facing fire truck in front of a pale blue sky, captioned “Let’s Do This!” Photograph of the top left of the rear cover of the writer’s contributor’s copy of the magazine, which is printed with the custom message “A BIG HIGH FIVE ESPECIALLY FOR MICHELLE KENNER”
August 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Any opportunity to break out my pin press :) #hfes #humanfactors #userexperience #ux #usability
photogtaph of 1” pinback buttons on a dark brown wood table. the pins have a white background and read “Northeast HFES regional meeting April 11, 2025” in dark teal to green ombre.
April 11, 2025 at 5:15 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
This Friday 4/11/25 - #hfes regional meetings! #Philadelphia is hosting the northeast region. Join us for local speakers and a national keynote and panel. Nonmembers and members welcome. Registration here: tinyurl.com/hfes2025 #humanfactors #ergonomics #usability #UX @hfes.bsky.social
Event flyer with a QR code. Text on flyer reads: 2025 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Northeast Regional Meeting Redesigning design April 11, 2025 Ethical Society Auditorium, Rittenhouse Square Join a day of talks, panels, and provocations to build better systems, challenge assumptions, and drink coffee For students, practitioners, and changemakers in health, tech, and community Speakers from -Peloton -PhillyCHI -DesignThink -StreetBoxPHL -Penn Medicine -Boston Consulting Group -American Heart Association ...and more! Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee, Networking, Career advice $100 / $35 for students VR surgery with gaming headsets | Als in human subjects research | Augmented reality West Philadelphia vaccine initiative | "Streets are for People!" ... and more - all day long! Reserve your spot! Scan to register now https://tinyurl.com/hfes2025 SPONSORS: ideaplayground.org HUMAN FACTORS in CONTEXT DesignThink RIMKUS
April 9, 2025 at 4:02 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
BATHE THE CAT text Alice B. McGinty, illus. David Roberts #kidlit 📚👍🏼 - Every character in this book is the best. Even the fish. It was so much fun to read aloud with kids who are starting to read and can jump in and enjoy the giggle-inducing word jumbled repetitions.
Photograph of front of the picture book "Bathe the Cat" written by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts
February 5, 2025 at 1:26 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
#P2Ppit #PB #W
The longest night is ending, and a caring little boy tries sharing winter solstice joys with his cat in SOMETHING FOR SUNNY. When his thoughtfully foraged gifts make Sunny’s cat bed an icy, grimy, prickly mess (oh no!), he realizes the best gift is surprisingly simple (and snuggly).
An illustration of a cat, visible from neck up, facing a big snowflake with ears perked. The cat is facing away and the back of the cat's head is in silhouette. The cat is orangey-yellow with a black outline. The white snowflake is centered horizontally and extends below the bottom edge, and takes up most of the image. The background is a blue to purple ombre, with faint peach concentric circles from the center of the image.
January 17, 2025 at 4:25 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
#12x12challenge 2025 begins! What to work on first?
Illustration of a child with long curly brown hair and a blue headband with a bow reading a book with a delighted expression. Lined white paper traila across a green background. Text says “12x12”, “12 Picture Books 12 Months”, and “Participant”.
January 11, 2025 at 4:02 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
Recently rescued these from a basement, have yet to find a shelf for them #kidlitchat I didn’t take the time to put them in order, sorry, I know it hurts
Photo of approximately 20 paperback Nancy Drew books, spines up, not in order (sorry)
November 20, 2024 at 2:11 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
See a cat, post a cat!
#illustration #kidlitart
Black ink sketch of an unimpressed cat laying with paws crossed on the right side of the image. The cat has one eye open and tongue out. The image is otherwise empty.
November 14, 2024 at 3:15 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
Hi #kidlitchat I’m an aspiring picture book author preparing my first queries, mid-illustration for a self-pub project, and I make pins. I'm a UX researcher who gets to amplify patient and caregiver UI needs for medical product developers. I spend most of my energy advocating for my ND kid.
Photograph of a section of a child's blue denim jacket showing some collar and pocket, with three 1" pinback buttons placed across the top of the pocket flap. The buttons depict heart-shaped halloween characters, drawn by Michelle Kenner; left to right they are a black spider, a grey-faced cat with black tufts and pink nose and ears, and a happily singing ghost.
November 13, 2024 at 3:42 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
Sam and the Samhain Scare by Kathleen Converse illus. Hanna Sultanova: In this sweet and gentle #wheeloftheyear #picturebook Sam and his friends greet the new year with a harvest feast, honoring ancestors, and spreading love not fear. Woven in are a calming technique and spell activities. #kidlit📚👍🏻
Cover of picture book SAM AND THE SAMHAIN SCARE by Kathleen Converse illus. Hanna Sultanova
October 31, 2024 at 7:10 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
And the seasonally-appropriate classic Bears in the Night by Stan and Jan Berenstain #kidlitchat - I was just telling my 3rd grader about the joy of prepositions, and I think this book may have been more formative for me than I realized 😆
A spread from the picture book "Bears in the Night" by Stan and Jan Berenstain which depicts adventurous cub-kids sneaking out of their window at night and exploring through many obstacles A spread from the picture book "Bears in the Night" by Stan and Jan Berenstain which depicts adventurous cub-kids retreating from the top of Spook Hill through many obstacles back to their home
October 30, 2024 at 2:06 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
A treat I have yet to try is a timeline map of chaos. My kids love tracing the journey with their fingertips. One example is the trip to the bus stop in Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman. Another is Kevin continuing on his way in It's Not All Rainbows by Jessika von Innerebner 📚👍 #kidlitchat
October 30, 2024 at 1:58 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
This beautiful nonfiction picture book is a great read-aloud. The playful voice builds on the excitement of the search for the strangest thing. The repetition keeps the energy gathered and the excitement primed. The fold-outs have fun reveals and neat details. #kidlit 📚👍
Photo of the front cover of the book THE STRANGEST THING IN THE SEA by Rachel Poliquin, illus. Byron Eggenschwiler
October 9, 2024 at 12:18 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
Artober, day 2
Mirror

#scbwiartober2024 #scbwi #kidlitart
#illustration
Illustration showing on the right half a sunlit tree trunk and branch with red leaves above reaching arms holding a book and an iced foam-topped beverage. The left half is a 180° rotation of the right half, shifted to moonlit and with the hands holding a flashlight and treasure map.
October 2, 2024 at 3:39 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Artober, day 1
Whispers

#scbwiartober2024 #scbwi #kidlitart
#illustration
illustration of a person on a moonlit night path, hearing wind blow through branches; mildly spooky
October 1, 2024 at 2:49 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Don’t Ask Cat! by Maryann Cocca-Leffler is a sweet and generous take on manners and honesty in communication. It has great examples of unintentional rudeness presented in an understanding and benevolent way, and a single excellent skill demonstrated across all the examples. 📚👍🏻 #kidlit
Photo of the front of picture book “Don’t Ask Cat!” that is laying on a tan carpet. The cover depicts an outdoor path with sky, tree branches, grass, bushes, flowers, and a dirt path. A cat standing on back legs and wearing a striped shirt and blue pants is shrugging and looking at a shrugging blue and white bird who is perched on a tree branch.
August 16, 2024 at 1:22 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
If you see a dinosaur, post a dinosaur! #dinosaur #kidlitart #kidlit
A kid wearing a dinosaur costume is holding a black chess piece and looking at a chess board on a blue table in front of an abstract background of white, red, grey, and yellow rectangles.
July 24, 2024 at 6:16 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Welcome to our public library, new books! A reminder that you can probably suggest purchases to your local libraries. Most of my suggestions have been approved (middle grade and picture books) and a few declined (youth comic format series beyond book 1). #kidlit #libraries
Four picture books displayed covers-up on a brown wood surface. The books are Where are my Books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, I Love Harriet Kippley by Jenny Lynn Pease illus. Alessia Girasole, How Are You, Verity? by Meghan Wilson Duff illus. Taylor Barron, and Don’t Ask Cat by Maryann Cocca-Leffler.
July 24, 2024 at 12:07 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Library book sale haul! We seem to collect cat picture books. Looking forward to revisiting Half Magic decades later. Scored many mystery chapter books 🔎 #kidlit #library #picturebooks
A basket and a tote bag sitting on a tiled floor. Both are filled with children’s books.
July 13, 2024 at 8:47 PM
mkstories.bsky.social
Being Autistic is here! 📚👍🏻 And it is as supportive and respectful and explanatory as I could have hoped! It is absolutely the right level and tone for the elementary-age set. I will hand this over to my 8 year old tomorrow.
by @niamhgarvey.bsky.social
illus by @theorah.bsky.social
#autism
Photo of the cover of the book Being Autistic (and what that actually means) by Niamh Garvey, illustrated by Rebecca Burgess. The book is held by a left hand in front of pale yellow striped wallpaper.
July 8, 2024 at 1:06 AM
mkstories.bsky.social
Has it been that long / only been that long? 20 year old merch in the wild:
A red tote bag printed with “Porter Square Books” hangs off a black dining chair.
April 28, 2024 at 1:20 AM