Instagram story viewer> @rachmakesbooks> Posts

Rachel Michelle Wilson

@rachmakesbooks

2.4K

followers

1880

following

Kidlit author-illustrator in WA
📚HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS
📚HOW TO ESCAPE A PLAYDATE
📚TO CATCH A GHOST

POSTS STORIES REELS

I can’t believe there’s only one month until HOW TO ESCAPE A PLAYDATE comes out! For the last year, I’ve been asking the schools I visit to raise their hands if they’ve ever been on a playdate they didn’t want to be on. A bunch of kids always do and THEN a bunch of adults raise their hands too. We all know why. 🤣

I remember the feeling I had as a kid when the adults around me assumed I’d be automatic friends with any other kid on the planet. But I wanted to be seen as an individual, so I made this book to honor that individual. And also the fact that despite our best efforts, not everyone becomes best friends. Still, I have hope that we can laugh through the awkwardness and find common ground, even in unexpected places. So if you want to laugh with me through the absurdities of relationships, I hope you’ll buy a copy of my book at your local independent bookstore (available to preorder now!). It will give you some good escape ideas if you ever need them (and you probably will).

@mackidsbooks @macmillanusa

P.S. I’m mailing signed “I survived a playdate” bookplates to a ton of local bookstores across the United States. If you want one, tag your independent bookstore below, and I’ll try to send some your way! by @rachmakesbooks

Oh my starry eyed surprise! Thank you so much @sljournal for the amazing starred review. I definitely hope this tale surprises and delights readers.

And a huge thank you to my agent Lindsay Auld, editor Laura Demoreuille, art director @dbuu, publicist @curlyhairbiblio, husband Aaron, and the critique partners and friends who supported me as I made this book.

Some of you might not know that I started my journey as a writer first. And when I realized this book needed to be illustrated with chalk pastel, I felt extremely inadequate. But with the support from so many lovely people, I found my courage to make a smudgy mess and now when I look at this book, I feel so proud of how far I’ve come as an illustrator as well as a writer.

One of the first spreads of the book says, “Bringing nothing to show and tell is like wearing shoes without socks. It stinks. So when all you’ve got is nothing, you need to catch yourself a something. If you’ve got gumption, that something could be a ghost.” My main character and the support around me helped me find my own gumption. And I feel so proud of the book I caught 👻 TO CATCH A GHOST will be out on July 1st, and if you preorder now, you can get an exclusive “got gumption” sticker from @libertybaybooks @island.books @brick_and_mortar_books and @invitationbookshop. And a high-quality print from the amazing @buyoly. (Swipe to see what they look like 😊)

And if the budget is tight lately, you can also request a copy from your local library!

Can’t wait to ghost hunt with readers 👻

@scholastic

#ghosthunting #picturebook #supportlocalbookstores #librarylove by @rachmakesbooks

I’m excited to share with you the official cover for my next picture book TO CATCH A GHOST — out July 1 with @scholastic! And because it’s me, I can’t announce it without a weird video.

The book is about a new girl who finds out that show and tell is coming up and she has nothing to bring, so she decides to catch a ghost. To catch one, she has to get to know one, so she can build the perfect trap. But the process of getting to know the ghost makes the moment she is ready to trap them a bit more complicated than anticipated. Sure, she can catch a ghost…but can she catch a friend?

Thanks to my editor Laura Demoreuille, art director Doan Buu, and the scholastic team for all their hard work. Also thanks to my agent Lindsay Auld, all the friends who offered critiques and advice, and my husband for making a pillowcase ghost come to life. I can’t wait for everyone to read this book!

#picturebook #funnybooks #kidlit #picturebookillustration #authorsofinstagram #kidlitcommunity #scholastic by @rachmakesbooks

Don’t miss our Halloween storytime at 11 AM tomorrow morning with @rachmakesbooks! Expect costumes, candy, fun, and @rachmakesbooks’s latest picture book, How To Escape a Playdate! 📚🎃 by @rachmakesbooks

Join us for a special Halloween storytime with local author Rachel Michelle Wilson! She is the author of the exciting new picture book How to Escape a Playdate!

Dress up in your Halloween costumes and head over to the bookstore for storytime at 11AM on October 31st! by @rachmakesbooks

there’s so many ways to escape a playdate… and you can read about them all in @rachmakesbooks’s new picture book, how to escape a playdate *the fun way! 😆

thank you so much to @rachmakesbooks for coming to bbgb for our early bird storytime this morning! it was one full of laughs!

if you weren’t able to make it to the storytime, we still have signed copies of how to escape a playdate and how to pee your pants for sale in store 📚 by @rachmakesbooks

Met some talented kidlit authors today at the Crozet Bookfest. Thank you @bluebirdbookseller for hosting, and @kriscoronadowrites for moderating our panel! by @rachmakesbooks

A HUGE thank you to @rachmakesbooks and @cassidy_dyce who visited our local schools today, bringing stories to life for some of our youngest readers!

Come see both authors (and many more!!) at our Kids & Family events at Bluebird and the Crozet Library tomorrow morning!

Crozet Book Festival fun has officially begun! 📚🥹 by @rachmakesbooks

My fifth graders saw HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS *THE RIGHT WAY no a shelf today. They begged me to read it aloud at the end of the day, so I did! So. Much. Fun. by @rachmakesbooks

The Crozet Book Festival is THIS SATURDAY! 📚💕

So many fun kids activities, author events, and books for the whole family. Swipe to the last slide for all the kids and family events, including times and locations!

Naturally, I put my own little book reviewers to work ahead of the festival, and they have THOUGHTS! 😂

📖 First up, Rowan on How to Pee Your Pants the Right Way:

“I can’t believe there’s a book about peeing your pants!”

“I’m happy there were two friends who peed their pants so they’re not alone.”

“Is he wearing a BASKETBALL as pants?!” 🏀

📖 And Hadley on The Brainstormerz - Money Talks:

“This book was hilarious and creative! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I loved how Lex wanted to help his family because I would do the same thing! I think everyone should read this book AND the next one in the series!” by @rachmakesbooks

🎙️ A Slice of Art Spotlight | Rachel Michelle Wilson, Award-Winning Author & Illustrator

Sometimes, the most memorable stories come from simply being yourself.

At the Bigfoot Kids' Book Festival, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel Michelle Wilson @rachmakesbooks, the author and illustrator behind the picture books How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way, To Catch a Ghost, and How to Escape a Playdate.

Rachel shared how she draws inspiration from personal experiences, including an embarrassing first-grade moment that eventually became the basis for her debut book, How to Pee Your Pants: The Right Way.

💛 One message from our conversation especially stayed with us: Your creative voice matters more than perfection. Trust who you are, embrace what makes you unique, and let that shine through your work.

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your experiences and reminding young creators that their own stories are worth telling!

Explore Rachel's work:
rachelmichellewilson.com

A special thank-you to @brick_and_mortar_books for helping bring the @bigfootkidsbookfest to life and connecting authors, readers, and young storytellers!

With gratitude to @expressions__arts and @sweetysaradhaarts, where A Slice of Art's story first began.

Team Credits:
🎤 Interview & Editing: Ananya Nimmagadda
📸 Media Capture: Nihanth Jayavarapu

#ASliceOfArt #RachelMichelleWilson #BigfootKidsBookFestival #BrickAndMortarBooks #HowToPeeYourPantsTheRightWay #ToCatchAGhost #HowToEscapeAPlaydate #ChildrensBooks #AuthorIllustrator #CreativeStorytelling by @rachmakesbooks