It’s finally here!
The day you’ve all been waiting for!
Monday!
No, seriously, I know you’ve been on pins and needles all weekend, wondering who the winner of a picture book manuscript read and comments by editor Laura Galvin of Kidsbooks was going to be.
And I fully intend to tell you, right after I recite Moby Dick.
“Moby Dick: Or The Whale, by Herman Melville. Chapter 1. Loomings.
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world….”
Hang on. This is a really long book. I think I need a drink of water.
Also, it’s really heavy.
And I’m already bored.
Now. Where was I?
Oh yes. You were wondering about who won the In Just Spring Contest.
Which reminds me that when I was little, one of my favorite things about spring was that it was finally warm enough to take my pogo stick outside and jump. I was (and still AM if I may say so) an extremely good pogo sticker. If only pogo sticking were an Olympic Sport…. Anyway, I grew up in a fourth floor apartment in New York City, and though my mom would let us do many things in the kitchen (roller skate, skate board, climb the walls in the back hall… well, okay, maybe she didn’t exactly let us, but we did it :)) she was very firm about the pogo stick. It was an outdoor toy. And our downstairs neighbors had enough trouble dealing with the sound of roller skates and skateboards, and the water damage from the bathtub flooding we perpetrated every night… but that’s another story… But anyway, technically, a pogo stick is a big spring. In a way. So you can see how relevant this story is. About springing in spring.
Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll stop fooling around 🙂
We had the best turnout of writers we’ve ever had for this contest – 42 – a record we’ll have to aim to beat next time 🙂 – and the best turnout of voters for the finalists. After 4 days of voting (which I know from the comments caused everyone trouble – all the entries were SO GOOD!) the results are in.
AND THE 1st Place WINNER IS: (DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOOOOLLL PLEASE!)
Congratulations, Teresa! Winning this contest was no mean feat! And now, in addition to the fame of winning a Pretty Much World Famous Susanna Hill Contest, you have the opportunity to send one of your picture book manuscripts to editor Laura Galvin at Kidsbooks! Please email me for details, or, if for some reason you want the alternate prize, please let me know!
2nd Place, and winner of a $25 Amazon gift certificate as well as her choice of the books listed below (unless Teresa for some reason doesn’t want the first place prize in which case they’ll swap) is:
Congratulations, Wendy! Fame for you too! 🙂 Please email me with your choice 🙂
3rd place, and winner of her choice of the craft books listed below is:
Congratulations, Jill! And there’s plenty of fame to go around 🙂 Please email me with your choice 🙂
Book choice: Writing Picture Books: A Hands On Guide From Story Creation To Publication by Ann Whitford Paul, Writing With Pictures: How To Write And Illustrate Children’s Books by Uri Shulevitz, How To Write A Children’s Book And Get It Published by Barbara Seuling, The Writer’s Guide To Crafting Stories For Children by Nancy Lamb, or 2013 Children’s Writers And Illustrators Market by Chuck Sambuchino.
Congratulations again, not only to the winners and other finalists, but to ALL the writers who worked hard, polished stories, bravely posted them for all of us to read, and provided us all with wonderful entertainment.
Thank you to all the writers who entered, all the readers who read and commented, and all the voters who agonized and chose.
The contests couldn’t happen without you all! 🙂
Sigh. So now it’s back to normal blogging life. I have such fun with the contests that I’m always sorry when they’re over. But we still have great things to look forward to: a new Would You Read It on Wednesday, new Perfect Picture Books on Friday, Easter candy… although that’s not technically limited to my blog… 🙂
So have a happy and productive Monday, everyone!
Now. I’m off to hunt down a certain small brown marmot who has some explaining to do about why it’s SNOWING! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Congratulations to the very deserving winners. Enjoy your prizes.
Congratulations to all! Great stories!
Ya know? I actually read an abridged version of Moby Dick. And I would get my unabridged version via an e-reader, so I don't break my back! 😉 Oh wait. That's irrelevant to what the post is about. Hmm… Ms. Hill, are we related? 😉
Congrats to The Winners!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Yay!!! Someone I voted for actually won.
Three cheers to the winners!! YAY!!
Congrats to all the winners!!!!
Haha!
Congrats to the lucky winners! And, Susanna, you are funny 🙂
Congrats to the winners!
I'm now in the mood to pogo stick, but my kids never had a pogo stick, so we don't have one. Oh and there's too much snow on the ground anyway. Did I just say that? It's almost April and I live in Virginia!
Congrats to one and all!
And now . . . boing . . . boing . . . boing! I'm off to POGO!
Congratulations, Teresa, Wendy and Jill!! Enjoy your prizes…I expect something good will come from them. And Susanna, you need a prize for narrowing the field. I just couldn't do it. Too many creative choices!
Congratulations to all the winners!
My parents have a pogo stick in their garage that the previous owners left behind. It's so fun getting it out and pogoing around the driveway! It's snowing right now, though, so I don't think it's a good day for pogo sticking, lol. 🙂
congratulations to the winner. And I agree – shelve Moby Dick and go talk to the marmot. I am heading out for a rather frank discussion with the woodchuck … as in: if you don't get on the stick with spring, no garden carrots for you!
I really enjoyed reading What Henry Knew and all the other entries! Congratulations to all the winners and thanks, Susanna, for giving me a fresh perspective on Spring!
Congratulations everyone! Fingers crossed for you, Teresa!
Congratulations to all of the winners. What wonderful prizes! Teresa…goo luck 🙂
too funny, Mr. E!
My hearty congratulations to all the winning writers! And Susanna my what a job you had. I am still reeling just thinking about what it took to narrow down all those amazing entries, but you did it. You rock, girl friend!
Congratulations to the winners and thank you for the lovely stories! They were a joy to read. Thank you Susanna for making this all possible!
Huzzah to the winners! And a huzzah to everyone else, too! This was a fine crop of stories, to say the least!
Awesome contest, Susanna…thanks so much for organizing it and arranging the super prizes! I loved ALL the stories…and got to visit so many new blogs and meet so many new writers/illustrators. Special congratulations to Teresa, Wendy and Jill…don't rest on your laurels…these stories need to be SUBMITTED and PUBLISHED.:) 🙂
This was such a great contest. Congrats to all participants – so happy to have been a part of it and to get to read all these terrific stories. Thanks to Susanna and all her helpers, I really appreciate your efforts! Yay fro Treresa, Wendy and Jill!
I am so excited to be a winner! Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement that was spread around (and continues to be). I was a solitary writer until I stumbled into this community. You're all so awesome! And congratulations to Teresa and Wendy! Yahoo! And thank you too, SUSANNA!!
Wow! Thank you so much everyone for your votes and also for your wonderful comments!! And thank you Susannah for hosting such fun things! Congrats to everyone and it was so much fun reading your stories!
Congratulations Teresa, Wendy and Jill! All three stories were very good. Great contest and thank you to Susanna and all of her helpers.
Oh noes! Did my iPhone comment disappear again? D'oh.
I think I mentioned how I woke my kids up this morning by leaping into their bedroom and telling them I won this contest…and they yawned. LOL!
You are so hilarious, Susanna…keeping us in suspense like that! Did you really have a pogo stick? You must have been so coordinated to use that. I would have cracked my skull.
Thank you, everyone, for your good wishes! And thank you, Susanna, running amazing contests!! I am humbled to be included among the winners because there were so many terrific entries in the running. Congratulations to Wendy and Jill too!
Super congratulations to the winners! I read a lot of the stories, and I'm here to tell ya, it was a TOUGH contest to win. Good job!
Congratulations!
Thanks so much for reading and voting, Genevieve! 🙂
So glad you enjoy my twisted humor, Teresa! And congratulations again on a great story! Yes, I did have a pogo stick, and we still have one kicking around for my kids and their cousins, and whenever they are so foolish as to dare me I can't still do it, I hope right on and prove that I haven't lost it! 🙂
Thanks for reading and voting, Stacy! 🙂
Thank YOU for your wonderful entry, Pat, and for reading and voting. The contests couldn't happen without everyone's involvement! 🙂
I'm so glad you enjoyed the contest, Wendy! We certainly enjoyed your story! Congratulations again 🙂
You deserve it, Jill – you wrote a great story! 🙂 I'm so glad you wandered into my blog community and 12×12 – it's so much nicer to be among friends than to be a solitary writer 🙂
Thank YOU, Julie, for your delightful Mr. Poppenfuss story, and for reading and voting! The contests only work because everyone is so willing to participate 🙂
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They were all really good stories, but a big congratulations to Teresa for winning top spot.
Glad you enjoyed the stories. Thanks so much for reading 🙂
Thank you, Vivian. I'm so glad you enjoyed the contest. I certainly loved your story! I love the contests – as you say, we get to meet new people, visit new blogs, and read so many great stories! Maybe I won't be able to wait until July for the next one…. 🙂
That's high praise coming from you, Mike! The contestants should all feel very honored! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and voting. I'm already looking forward to the next one 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful story, Heather, and for reading and voting. I'm so glad you came to participate, and I'm really looking forward to whatever you write for the next contest! 🙂
Well, there's no saying I did it right, Pam. I often find myself second-guessing things because there are rarely any entries that I think have no redeeming qualities whatsoever 🙂 But thank you so much for reading and voting and cheering everyone on! I hope you'll have time to enter the next one. I'll warn you in advance it will probably be early July 🙂
I know – I keep thinking wouldn't it be so awesome if Laura loved her ms? And then we could all feel so great that a Pretty Much World Famous Contest boosted someone's career? Fingers crossed! 🙂
Congratulations to you, too, Wendy, for a wonderful story! 🙂
Thanks for your wonderful story, Andrea, and for reading and voting! It was fun, wasn't it? And very uplifting to have all those thoughts of spring when it doesn't seem to be quite here yet! 🙂
Ah! taking the blackmail/bribery route, eh? That might actually work. Perhaps I'll give it a try as well 🙂
You are right! Pogoing in snow is dangerous – very slippery – I have tried! 🙂
It's very hard to do, Jarm. I always want to pick everyone because there's always at least something I like about every story. And who's to say I picked right? Someone else might have chosen differently. But it's still tons of fun! 🙂 I love the contests – reading everyone's creative entries – and I'm always sorry when they're over! 🙂
Ah! A fellow pogoing enthusiast! boing…. boing…. boing…. I shall join you! 🙂
Wow! This is like 3 pogoers in a row! We will have to have a pogoing contest next 🙂 And yes, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark when there is snow in Virginia at this time of year!
Thanks, Iza! And as George Thoroughgood would say, “You funny too!”