We all know there is no shortage of Christmas picture books out there. But for a book to make it onto my kids’ Christmas stack or onto a Read Aloud Revival Christmas Book List, it has to be excellent. And the books we choose for Christmas School? Those are the ones that go above and beyond excellent and are some of our most treasured, tippy-top favorite Christmas read-alouds. Today, I have the author-illustrator of one of my all-time favorite Christmas picture books, Red and Lulu, with me. You might recognize Matt Tavares from his beloved books Zachary's Ball, Becoming Babe Ruth, or Growing Up Pedro or from his delightful Christmas books in the Dasher series. He’s here to tell us all about his writing and illustrating process, why he loves writing Christmas picture books, and how he created the enchanting journey of Red and Lulu. In this episode, you’ll hear: How he sets the mood for creating snowy, winter scenes even in the middle of summer What Matt always keeps in mind about his audience when writing picture books The inspiration behind the tale of Red and Lulu and their journey to New York City Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/matt-tavares