One week away! 💙🐳💙 On Sunday, August 9th, join me and Kathryn Durst at Type Books Junction (2887 Dundas St. West, Toronto) for a Whale, That was Unexpected storytime followed by some extra fun! I'll also have lots of swag to hand out! Hope to see you there!

Whale, That was Unexpected is #9 on the CBC Books bestselling Canadian kids books list for the second week in a row! That's three weeks on the list in total! Pretty amazing all around! www.cbc.ca/books/cory-d...

So awesome to see Whale, That was Unexpected back on the CBC Books list of bestselling Canadian kidlit this week! And we moved up to #9! Amazing!!! 💙🐳

Thank you to Take Cover Books for hosting Kathryn Durst and I for an amazing Whale, That was Unexpected storytime event! If you weren't able to make it, there are still signed copies of the book at the store that you pick up along with some fun swag! More photos here: tinyurl.com/42yz3zvn

Thank you, @slj.com for this wonderful review of Whale, That was Unexpected! "In this exuberantly wacky adventure at sea, a fisherwoman's misfortune becomes a gleeful send-up of the art of storytelling itself. VERDICT: A hilarious metafictional romp, recommended for all humor collections."

This Sunday, July 19th come and hang out with me and Kathryn Durst at Take Cover Books from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM! There will be music, a rousing reading of Whale, That was Unexpected, and some fun activities! Hope to see you there! takecoverbooks.ca/events/54596...

Whale, That was Unexpected (ill. by Kathryn Durst and pub. by Tundra Books) I Used to Be a Dinosaur (ill. by Laurie Keller and pub. by Greenwillow Books) Vampire Jam Sandwich (ill. by Nici Gregory and pub. by Tundra Books) A Spoonful of Frogs (ill. by Vera Brosgol and pub. by Greenwillow Books)

Calling all storytime practitioners! 📣 Are you a Canadian library or bookstore that plans to read one of my books for storytime? Pls reach out! I'd love to send you swag to share with your audience for some extra storytime magic. I have packs w/ stickers and tattoos for each of the following books:

Thank you to Booklist for the kind words about Whale, That was Unexpected! "A silly whale of a tale and a truly seaworthy selection for any read-aloud setting."

Whale, That was Unexpected is #8 on The Vancouver Sun's list of new releases! Awesome news to cap off the week! vancouversun.com/entertainmen...

Extremely cool news alert! Whale, That was Unexpected is one of the top ten bestselling Canadian children's books! [via the CBC Books weekly list] It's awesome to see this book find its readers - thank you to everyone who has picked it up! We appreciate you! www.cbc.ca/books/canada...

It's been a little bit bonkers (in the best way) having three books out in June and the extra upside is that I get to have one big launch party! This Sunday, if you're in the Strathroy area, please feel free to stop by and join in on the fun! Link to the event page: www.facebook.com/events/14765...

Bust out your party hats! Light up the sandwiches! Time to celebrate because... Whale, That was Unexpected is out TODAY! You can pick up your copy anywhere books are sold!

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books gave Whale, That was Unexpected a starred review! 🐳⭐ Thank you so much to the BCCB! Read the full review here: muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl... Whale, That was Unexpected hit shelves TOMORROW!

The Band of Bigs is out today! The Band of Bigs defends and protects the interests of big siblings around the globe—no matter what mischief their little siblings get up to. This hilarious, action-packed sequel to the graphic novel The League of Littles takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

A huge thank you to Maryland Library Association Youth Services Division for naming The League of Littles as one of the 2026 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award Honor Books in the Transitional Fiction Category! This was such a delightful surprise! Full list here: sites.google.com/view/mla-csd...

Thank you to @kidsbookcentre.bsky.social for including Vampire Jam Sandwich in their Spring 2026 list of Best Books for Kids & Teens! It's an honour to be in such excellent company! Check out the full list here: bookcentre.ca/collections/...

So thrilled to see that Vampire Jam Sandwich was listed as one of the Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year for 2025! Truly an honour to make this list. Thank you, Bank Street College of Education! Check out the full list here: www.bankstreet.edu/library/cent...

We've got some WHALE-y big news!!! Whale, That was Unexpected is a July/August 2026 Kids' Indie Next List pick! Thank you @americanbookseller.bsky.social! Check out the full list here: www.bookweb.org/news/julyaug... #IndieNextList #WhaleThatWasUnexpected #CaseyLyall #KathrynDurst #TundraBooks

Today's the day! I Used to Be a Dinosaur is roaring its way onto a bookshelf near you! I'm so excited to finally be able to share this one with everyone! "A hilarious, surprisingly informative standout." - SLJ, ⭐'d review Visit your local bookstore to pick up a copy today!

A great new review for I Used to Be a Dinosaur from Booklist! Thank you for the kind words. "Absurd exaggerations of her supposed past as a T. rex are paired with playful wordplay, including an Old MacDonald twist (“E.I. E.I. no”), adding to the humor and child appeal." (cont'd)

The Horn Book said lovely things about Whale, That was Unexpected! "Art and text work delightfully together, each expanding the other, to create a sea story with attitude well suited for a lively read-aloud." Thank you, @thehornbook.bsky.social!

Dino-sized news! @slj.com gave I USED TO BE A DINOSAUR a ⭐! "While the main text utilizes a bouncy, rhythmic rhyme, Lyall expertly uses prose breaks for comedic timing, particularly as the hen laments the 'teeny-tiny arms' she inherited from her T.rex ancestors." (cont'd)

They also said it has "...plethora of potential to become a story-time favorite." 🥰 Thank you for the amazing review! The countdown is on, friends! Whale, That was Unexpected arrives on June 30th at a bookstore near you! Click here to read the full review: www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?i...

Shelf Awareness gave Whale, That was Unexpected a ⭐! "Lyall's matter-of-fact presentation of the farewell party solidly grounds the story in comical territory, and the accumulation of characters is a treat. Maude's and Claude's outsize personalities are magnified by Durst's descriptive art."

A lovely review from Publishers Weekly for I Used to Be a Dinosaur! "Clean rhyming verse bounces consistently along, while well-strutted mixed-media illustrations evoke crayon, collage, and other crafty textures that lend a homespun dimensionality to scenes focused on both eras." (Continued...)

School Library Journal said lovely things about The Band of Bigs, book 2 in The League of Littles series: “The second book in this series comes out swinging...brings humor for all ages. Kids will be able to find themselves in the characters, as they not only range in age, but also race and gender.”

If you live in the Middlesex County area (of Ontario) and you're interested in writing, check out this program that I'm running at the Strathroy Public Library on Saturday, April 11th from 10 am to 1:30 pm. More info below, but here's the link to register: middlesex.libnet.info/event/15937686

It's my birthday! A preorder makes a lovely gift! I'm just saying! 😂❤️

Rounding out the trio of June books - the Kirkus review for THE BAND OF BIGS is here! Thanks, Kirkus! "A lighthearted caper with a dash of familial intrigue." - Kirkus Reviews THE BAND OF BIGS (illustrated by @sarafaber.bsky.social, and published by Greenwillow Books) arrives on June 23rd!