Boy, oh, boy are we going to have tons of fun today!
(Which is good because we’re back in sub-zero temperatures around here and I might get cranky about that if not for all the fun! :))
First of all, it’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and what’s not to love about that?
Second of all, we have a winner of today’s book from our meet the author post on Monday! (You can see the post HERE if you missed it.)
Finally, someone around here, who clearly cannot be left unsupervised for a second!, has been hatching a hare-brained scheme, and I suppose it’s about time I let you in on it 🙂 But first – our perfect picture book!
Title: The Girl Who Heard Colors
Written By: Marie Harris
Illustrated By: Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Nancy Paulsen Books, September 2013, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-8
Themes/Topics: synesthesia, differences, acceptance, perception, five senses
Opening: “Jillian loved the world with all her five senses. She loved the tickling touch of her bunny’s whiskers on her cheek. She loved the taste of warm maple syrup on waffles.”
Brief Synopsis: When Jillian hears a dog barking, she sees red. When she rings her bike bell, she sees silver. The wind in the pines is soft gray, and the rain, light purple. Jillian has synesthesia – a way of perceiving that causes sound to have color. But when the kids at school tease her, suddenly it doesn’t feel like such a great thing to have. It takes a special teacher to help them all see it for the gift it is.
Links To Resources: The back of the book has information about synesthesia. Neuroscience For Kids has information about synesthesia as well as a test you can try. Science News For Students also has a lot of information. HERE is a test to see if you might be a synesthete. Talk about what it would be like to hear colors or taste sounds. Are there times when experiencing the world like that would be an advantage? A disadvantage?
Why I Like This Book: I always like books that encourage acceptance and tolerance. There is too much variety in the world for any one way to be the “right” way to be or believe or perceive. So I like this book for that reason. But it’s also a beautifully written story that any child who has ever felt different will relate to. The language is poetic (not surprising since it was written by a New Hampshire poet laureate :).) And synesthesia itself is absolutely fascinating. I finished this book and found myself wishing I could be a synesthete for a day, just to see how cool it would be to experience the world that way!
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
The next item on our agenda of excitement today is to let you know who won the book so generously donated by Marie. Random.org has chosen our winner and it is Tracy Campbell! Woo-hoo, Tracy! Come on down! Your prize is a signed copy of THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS! Please email me with your address (which I probably have but can’t find! :)) and I’ll get it right out to you!
And now, one last item before we all head off for the weekend….
It’s been a long winter.
We’ve had a lot of snow, and more is coming Sunday into Monday (according to the local weatherman who seriously needs to be replaced by a new weatherman with better news!)
It’s been bitterly cold, day after day, for weeks on end.
The icicles have icicles!
I think it’s time for some fun!
And it seems to me, we haven’t had a writing contest in nearly 3 months…
SO, boys and girls, hold onto your hats, because we’re taking Hare-Brained Scheme to a whole new level!
Announcing
*as in wild and wacky, not angry 🙂
Now. The really hare-brained part of all this is that it will be followed by a related Illustrator Contest in April!!! (to be announced and elaborated on later! :))
I know!!!
That kind of excitement bowls you right over, don’t it? 🙂
And with that, I wish you a lovely time perusing the rest of today’s perfect picture books! PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below.
Have a great weekend, everyone!!! (And fire up those thinking caps!)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Love your choice. I have heard of this book somewhere, not sure where though. It wasn't that long ago as I remember googling synesthesia as I had never heard of it before. I was fascinated. Oooooh the whiff of writing competitions is in the air at Susanna's place. 🙂
I hope you'll join us for this one, Diane!!! 🙂
I'm seeing this book all over the place this week! And hearing the sounds of a good story. I've got it on my want list.
Thanks, Susanna. It's hard not to be drawn into this book. Amd the illustrations are adorable. Speaking of illustrations – – – you have been sipping too much hot cocoa! Have you run an art contest before? Well count me in, 'cuz it's sure to be as much fun as your other contests (did I say FUN? I meant WORK!) And I think I've got a PiBoIdMo spark that I can turn into a writing entry. Who has time to shovel snow? . . . and congrats Tracy. So jealous!
AWESOME!!! I can't wait! *gears in head start whirring* Great PPBF choice! I really liked this book! 😀
Woo hoo! Congratulations, Tracy! So many exciting announcements today. 🙂 The contests sound so fun, Susanna!
Oh, this book looks SCENT-sational! And AmAzInG! I just love the sound of it and can't wait to get it in my hands and share it with my peacemakers.
Yay, Tracey! Congrats on your book win!
I was already intrigued by this book from Monday so will definitely check it out.
Wow….two contests in a row?! Silly rabbit (Susanna), when you learn to slow down and not give yourself so much work? On the other hand, what a fun way to celebrate spring!
Happy Friday!
Woohoo, Congratulations, Tracy! This book looks amazing and the contest sounds like so much fun, too, Sussana 😀
I really love this book and plan to check it out. Enjoyed the review and Monday's interview.
Congrats to Tracey!
Oh my, oh my, oh my! Thank you “Random.org” for choosing little old me. Susanna, as I reading your take on Marie's book, I was thinking I'm going to order that book as soon as I finish reading your post. And viola! I WON! What a hoot! And a signed copy to boot (like the rhyme?) 🙂 I'm not sure if I'll enter the fractured contest, but the illustrator contest has me salivating. It tastes like red hot (tamalies sp? that's a candy).And thank you to everyone who said “Congrats or Congratulations, Tracy!”
Congrats, Tracy…what a lovely book to win! Thanks for always putting up great choices on PPBF, Susanna…this one is very special.
Hurray for writing contests…and a fractured fairy tale is something it is about time I tried my hand at. Sounds like great fun…you can count me in.:)
That book sound amazing! Congrats to Tracy
and double woo hoo for you doing two contests. They both sound fab. Nobody can round people up like you can. You are like our shepherdess lol.
So glad you reviewed the book after the super interview. WOW, another fab contest… let's see if I can write something between my homework assignments!
I am fascinated by this book and can't wait to check it out. Another contest! You do keep busy. Thanks for a fun post.
KNock-my-socks-off greatness, you say?
I am in.
YAY! Any contest you're in promises to be FUN!!! 🙂
Well, I figured it had been 3 months… it was about time… 🙂 I hope you'll join the fun!
You can, Joanna! I know you can! You've got 3 whole weeks! 🙂 If it helps, I'm going to have to figure out how and when to write a sample in that time… Wait. Whose idea was this, anyway? 🙂
Hahaha! A shepherdess, eh? We'll see about that! I'm still trying to get all the details figure out. Now that you are both author and illustrator, you can enter twice! 🙂
Yay! I can't wait to read what you come up with, Vivian! And there are so many fairy tales to choose from! It's hard to pick one!
I'm so glad you won! As soon as I wade through all my email and find your address I'll send it out. And I'm excited that you're excited about the illustrator contest! This is a first for me, so I'm figuring it out as I go, but I think it will be FUN!
Thanks, Pat 🙂
I hope you'll join us, Kim! We generally have romping good time! 🙂
Well, the contests will be different from each other, and I am not judging the illustration contest (I'm seriously not qualified!) only hosting it. I'm still working out details, but I think it will be fun. And you can enter both! 🙂
I think you will love it, Barbara! It's really nicely done, and so interesting!
Thanks, Cheryl! I hope you'll be able to enter! And maybe your daughter will want to try her hand at the illustration contest… 🙂
Glad you approve of my choice, Erik! And I will look forward to your entry… let me see… maybe Sleeping Chewbacca? or Skywalker and the Beanstalk? 🙂
I've been working on my first fractured fairy tale picture book story. Pressure is on to come up with a new one! Hope the snow this weekend skips your neighborhood.
I have not run an illustration contest before, Joanne, this is a first. But I really wanted to do something for the illustrators in our midst because there are so many, and they are so talented (and also I think it will be tons of FUN!) Rest assured, I will not be judging the illustration contest, only hosting it 🙂
I wonder if dogs experience the world like this all the time? They might, and we wouldn't even know!
Yay! Now I just have to get all the parameters for the illustration contest sorted out – this is a first for me! 🙂
🙂
Oh Susanna! 😉 I couldn't resist 😉 lol I have a story already written. I need to revise it badly as it's just a first draft. Can I use it, or do I start from scratch?
Oh I love the contest idea. For once my gears have already started turning.
Yay! I was hoping this would be one people could get on board with easily- there are so many fairy tales! 🙂
You can use it if you like, Denise… as long as it fits the word count 🙂
I hope the illustrator contest requirements won't be too difficult, and I'll have months to work on it. Just kidding on that part. Can't wait! 🙂 And again I'm excited about the book. 🙂
Well, as we all know, I am not an illustrator, so I con't know exactly what constitutes difficult. But I don't think it will be difficult – just fun 🙂 Alas, you will not have months! 🙂
Congratulations, Tracy! You won! 😀 I will have to get my hands on *The Girl Who Heard Colors* – it sounds amazing. Susanna, I have always wanted to try my hand at writing a fractured fairy tale…I think you just decided my March project. 🙂 Thanks for keeping us moving. As for this weekend's forecast (we have the same forecast, I think), all I can say is to everyone is click your heels together and thinkspringthinkspringthinkspringthinkspringthinkspring… Ahhhh…that should do it! 😉
Any hints as to when in April, so I can mentally prepare and make time?
thanks susanna 🙂 It's high now, but I'll chop and chop 🙂
I was thinking immediately after the writing contest ends… so the first couple weeks? But I'm open to a little input from illustrators as to how much time they think they'd need to do one illustration…
You've got three whole weeks to chop 🙂
I could not agree with you more about The Girl Who Heard Colors! A stunning book in every possible way.
What an interesting book – I've never heard of synesthesia! Thanks for putting it in front of me. And congrats to Tracy on winning a copy!
Now to see if I can coax a fractured fairy tale out of this old brain…
This all sounds so great, Susanna! I am deep into memoir city and it will be nye on impossible to enter this contest but 🙂 'You never know!” I love contests and my memoir is getting me down. Mainly because I was down then. My life hasn't always been fun fun fun. I wonder if anyone will want to read my memoir of Pain pain pain! ha ha.
Woo hoo! A new contest! And I just put The Girl Who Heard Colors on hold at my library. Thanks for the recommendation.
I'll look forward to your entry, Debbie 🙂 And I hope you like the book!
A little break to write a fractured fairy tale might be just what the doctor ordered, Clar 🙂