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Red Galaxy (chalk pastels) by Ahaana Gangwal, 8; published in Stone Soup February 2023 A note from Emma Wood Hello! Since having my daughter in 2020, life has seemed to be in constant flux—partly because of the kids (just as soon as we discover the perfect routine, their needs seem to change!), partly because of the circumstances—we’ve moved twice with another one on the horizon—and partly because of changes at work—that is, here, at Stone Soup. Many of those changes won’t be immediately visible to you all, but there is one that will be: beginning with the May issue, we will revert to publishing on a bimonthly schedule. This means we will publish six longer issues a year instead of the eleven shorter magazines you are used to receiving. We have been considering all of our options to ensure that Stone Soup remains viable long into the future. Producing, printing, and mailing the magazine is Stone Soup’s main expense, and for 45 of its 50 years, we were a bimonthly publication. Returning to that model (but with longer issues—each one will now be like a small book!) allows us to print the same amount of content, just less frequently. This not only helps us cut back on costs, but also gives staff more breathing room—which in turn will free up some of our time to invest in other areas of Stone Soup. Since each issue will be longer and since there are other perks to being a subscriber (free submissions along with digital access to our magazine archives, our blogs, and our writing activities), we won’t be changing our subscription price at this time. I know this may come as a disappointment to some readers and subscribers. If you have any questions or concerns, please write to us at subscriptions@stonesoup.com. I also want to share that our GoFundMe campaign is halfway to its goal!! Thank you to all who have joined us so far; we are so grateful for your support. We ask once again that you consider contributing to our campaign and share our page with anyone who might also be interested in supporting our mission. Finally, through GoFundMe, it is also possible to become a fundraiser for us. If you or the young Stone Soup reader in your life is interested in starting a drive for Stone Soup in your local community, please let us know! We would be happy to support them, and believe this would be a valuable learning experience for any young person. My best, Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.  

Grand View (pencil) by Analise Braddock, 11; published in Stone Soup February 2023 A note from Emma Wood Hello, Tomorrow, my son Sawyer will turn one! In addition to being the “baby” of our family, he has felt like a baby much longer than his sister did—slow to crawl, slow to talk, and he’s still not walking or waving!—so it’s hard to believe that, by tomorrow, his age will no longer be measurable solely in months. The rational side of me knew that of course, he would grow up, but the irrational side didn’t really believe this—part of me believed he would always be a baby. Our baby! I’ve been thinking a lot in the past couple of weeks about how drastically different my experience of the first year of Sawyer’s life was from the first year of my daughter’s life, and the role that writing played in that. I loved Margot fiercely but my depression and anxiety prevented me from really enjoying her. During her first year, I wasn’t writing at all—and in fact, it wasn’t until I began writing again that the mental fog began to lift. But during this past year, Sawyer’s first year of life, I never stopped writing—even if the writing was sometimes only notes dashed on my phone while I nursed him or rocked him at 2 a.m. And that made all the difference. This in turn has hammered home just how important writing and art-making are to mental health—and consequently how valuable and vital Stone Soup is. Writing is not just a way to… beget more writing. It is not “just” a means to develop creativity or critical thinking or to get better grades. It is a way to improve mental health, to nourish the mind and soul. Research has long shown that expressive writing has a major impact on mental health in both adults and children—it reduces stress, helps process trauma, improves self-confidence, and helps instill a sense of agency. Encouraging kids to develop a regular writing practice is one way to help combat the mental health crisis we are currently facing. My dream is to bring Stone Soup to as many kids in the country as we can—to get them reading and writing creatively, to change the world one writer at a time. A little over a week ago, we launched a GoFundMe to help realize this vision. As many of you know, like all print publications, Stone Soup has been in transition as digital media continues to change the publishing landscape. Now under new leadership for the first time in its history (that would be me!), we are poised to re-launch for the next generation. But you need your help to do so. We hope you will consider joining our GoFundMe campaign and help us continue to build the future we all want for our children and grandchildren. And for those of you have already contributed—my deepest thank you. Sending you warm wishes from Connecticut where we are experiencing record-low temperatures! Youth Advisory Board If you are under the age of 18, have ideas about how Stone Soup can grow or improve, and are interested in learning more about how nonprofits operate, please fill out this interest form. Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.