It’s an extra special Perfect Picture Book Friday today, my friends!
Today we’re celebrating a writer who, like so many of us, shows up and does the work, writing stories, practicing and perfecting her craft day after day, month after month, year after year in whatever time she can find between her work as a preschool teacher, her family, and life in general. And in the kind of happy outcome that inspires us all, her hard work and perseverance are paying off!
I first got to know Julie Abery (bio and links at end of post) when she began entering my writing contests 5 or 6 years ago with one delightful story after another, several of them featuring the Teensy-Weensy Witch 🙂 In March 2015, she took my class and I had the privilege of working with her for a month while she wrote a wonderful story about a Paper Owl. She started a blog called Little Red Story Shed (doesn’t that just make you want to go there?!) and then in September of 2017 I was thrilled to see the announcement in PW that she had sold her first two books!!!
I am so happy to share them with you today, just three days after their book birthday!
Although board books and not technically picture books, sometimes it’s fun to share books and activities for youngest readers – the early preschool crowd 🙂 So let’s dive in and have a look at these delightful little books! 🙂
Title: Little Tiger / Little Panda
Written By: Julie Abery
Illustrated By: Suzie Mason
Amicus Ink, March 12 2019, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-5
Themes/Topics: Little Tiger: baby jungle adventure, mother/child love, language fun (rhyme); Little Panda: baby snow adventure, mother/child love, language fun (rhyme)
Opening:
Little Tiger:
“Little Tiger
waking,
shaking,
in the morning sun.”
Little Panda:
“Little Panda
winking,
blinking,
spies a snowy day.”
Brief Synopsis: Both stories are “day-in-the-life” adventures in which the little one romps and plays and experiments… but mama is always close by to watch over and keep them safe.
Links To Resources: Special Resources straight from the author!!!
Hi Susanna.
Thank you so much for inviting Little Tiger and Little Panda to Blueberry Hill. We have been looking forward to visiting you on Perfect Picture Book Friday for sucha long time!
We are so happy that you and your granddaughters loved our books sooo much! How about a little painting fun to go with the books.
Little Tiger and Little Panda handprints…
They are TIGER-ific!
Fun and easy to make, just don’t forget to have a bowl of soapy water to wash those paint-covered hands.
Or, how about making bookmark corners? We discovered these origami corners on the RedTedArt website, here is the link on how to make the panda version (https://www.redtedart.com/panda-bookmark-corner/?cn-reloaded=1)
This is me learning how to fold the origami bookmark corner.
And this is what the finished article looks like.
How stu-PANDAS is that!
We hope that you enjoyed the Little Tiger and Little Panda craft time. And we are happy to announce that there will be two more books in the Little Animal Friends series publishing with Amicus Ink same time next year!
Thank you so much for taking time to stop by and share these wonderful activities with us, Julie!!!
Why I Like These Books: the stories are sweet, engaging, and accessible to youngest readers/listeners. The rhyme is fun to read aloud, with perfect rhythm and fun internal rhyme as well as end-of-line-rhyme (e.g. “Little Panda winking, blinking spies a snowy day. Little Panda stumbling, tumbling, bumbles out to play.”) Both stories let us play and explore along with baby animals, always feeling the safety of mama’s watchful eye and the warmth of her love. Lovely, gentle reads, perfect for bedtime or any time!!!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂
Julie Abery is a children’s author and Pre-K teacher. Originally from England, she has spent half of her life living in Europe, bringing up her three (now grown up) children and experiencing new languages and cultures. She now calls Switzerland home.
Julie is looking forward to welcoming; her debut board books Little Tiger and Little Panda publishing in Spring 2019 with Amicus Ink with a further two in the Amicus Little Animal Friends series publishing in Spring 2020 ; a nonfiction picture book biography entitled Yusra Swims from Creative Editions (TBA); a true story Mr. Joao and Dindim the Penguin, Kids Can Press (Fall 2020) and nonfiction picture book Sakamoto and the Sugar-Ditch Kids from Kids Can Press (Spring 2021).
She is represented by Essie White of Storm Literary Agency.
Website: https://littleredstoryshed.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @juliedawnabery
Facebook: @julieabery
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Adorable! Congratulations Julie! My wish list rowa longer!
Love the crafts, too. I’ll have to show these to my grandkids – maybe my origami – loving granddaughter will whip up a few bookmarks 😀 Can always use a few bookmarks!
They are super simple to make, and so cute!
They ARE cute!! 🙂
You are going to LOVE these, Rene! They are SO cute!!! 🙂
I’m probably one of Julie’s biggest fans!!! And I totally LOVE these board books…I’ll actually be connecting in person with Julie in Switzerland in less than a week…and will get to join her in a storytime event at an International School – she’ll be reading LITTLE TIGER and LITTLE PANDA…and I’ll be reading one of my debut pbs…what fun!!!
It will be fun! I thought we might make these art projects too, Vivian! 😘
Susanna, so glad you featured Julie’s adorable debut books. I love your activities! Those hand print animals are adorable.
We made hand print pandas on Tuesday, so simple and effective! And you can make almost any animal using this method.
Oh my gosh what fun art projects! Congratulations again Julie!
The school kids this week LOVED both the art projects! 💛🐯🐼💛
Love these board books Julie. Congrats and know you will enjoy the time with Vivian when she arrives.
Thanks so much, Diane! We will send lots of photos your way.
Hooray! Thank you so much, Susanna! Tiger and Panda loved their visit to Blueberry Hill! 💛🐯🐼💛
What lovely books! Congratulations on getting them into the world!
Thanks you, Andrea. 💛🐯🐼💛
This pair of animal board books are so adorable! I love all of the crafts you’ve created to go with them. Congratulations on these book birthdays!
Thanks, Patricia! 💛🐯🐼💛
Those crafts are real keepsakes! Have fun with Vivian!! Such a great pick this week, Susanna. 🙂
Thanks, Wendy! I am sure Vivian and I will have great fun 😊
The stories sound so sweet and adorable. And it’s always wonderful to see the fruits of labor rewarded 🙂
So kind, Angela. 💛🐯🐼💛
These stories sound so wonderful! My little panda lover will flip out over Little Panda. Congratulations on these beautiful books, and the start of a sweet whole series!
Thank you, Savannah! 💛🐯🐼💛
Those little corner markers are the cutest, and these stories look amazing. Thank you for scouting out such strong titles and for always posting our PPBFs. What a gift!
The book corners are such fun to make! The kids loved them. 💛🐯🐼💛
These books are SO cute. And I love your origami book mark… and handprint animals. Thanks for sharing Tiger, Panda, and Julie today!
Thanks, Sue! 💛🐯🐼💛
I just had to say “awwww” when I saw these. Who can resist? And books with perfect rhyme are such a joy to read. No exhausted parents stumbling and bumbling over the words. The crafts are terrific, too! Thanks for that video. I’m not very good at following written instructions for origami, and prefer videos, instead. Happy PPBF!
Suzie Mason did a fabulous job on the art…💛🐯🐼💛
Such a cute pair of books!
Aww thanks, Julie. 💛🐯🐼💛
What sweet stories written in rhyme. I like that they are board books and perfect for little hands. Beautiful illustrations!
Agreed! The illustrations make me smile every time I look at them. 💛🐯🐼💛
Sweet! Plus I wonder what those hand-painted critters would look like if we start with a paw instead of a hand… Maybe Little Turtle!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
We should try! 😉 💛🐯🐼💛
These books are adorable! I’ve already been lucky enough to read them! 😊
Congratulations, Julie on these wonderful books.
So very adorable! Love the books and the fun crafts! Congratulations!
Congratulations! Both books sound wonderful!!
Congratulations on your success Julie! These books look adorable. I always enjoy reading your contest entries.