Ready for a fun-filled Wednesday, everyone?

There’s no new pitch today, so we’re going to devote ourselves entirely to chocolate and pitch picks galore!

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

There are 4 Pitch Picks with a poll for each. Please read through each group of pitches (3 for Late Feb/Early March, 3 for Late March, 4 for April, and 4 for May), decide which one in each group that you think is best and most deserving of a read and comments from editor Erin Molta, and vote for it in the poll that follows that pitch group! And let’s try to get the voting done by Sunday June 13 at 9PM Eastern so it’s out of the way before next week’s new Mix ‘n’ Match challenge prompt! 😊

Late February/Early March

#1 – Deborah – The Bitter Tastebud (PB 4-8)

Amargo is a bitter tastebud who can’t stand to take another sweet, salty, or lip-puckering bite. But he is outnumbered and so is his vote on the CRAV-O-METER. Amargo must figure out how to change the vote or continue eating the food he detests.

#2 – Bru – THE STORY OF CITRONELLA (PLEASE HOLD YOUR NOSE) (PB 4-8)

In the Stinkbug Kingdom, Bee-utiful Citronella, an orphan worker bee, doesn’t smell which starts the stinky stepsister feud. She has choices; unveil who she is (Hard), go incognito lacking an invitation to meet the prince (Harder), or stay with the smelly stepsisters, Burnbetta & Rottina forever (Really?) With the stench of a wise-cracking fairy godfather, Citronella herself overcomes her fear of smelling different and learns certain odors (or lack of) do have their advantages.

#3 – Robin – But When She Opens the Door… (PB 4-8)

On an Irish March day, Katie O’Shea and her feline assistant, Shamrock, are surprised by the fickle weather shifting dramatically each time she opens the door. In rollicking read aloud rhyme, Katie keeps changing clothes until a look at the calendar reveals the perfect outfit!

Late March

#1 – Sally – Broccol-trees And Mac & Cheese (PB/Toddler Board Book 3-6)

Broccol-trees and Mac & Cheese is a rhythmic romp of playful poetry for manic and messy mealtimes! With sixteen silly scenes, it is a complete menu of mushy appetizers, flying entrees, dancing vegetables and dessert designs on tables and trays. This book serves as a reminder for parents to giggle, not grimace, when their little one gives them a chocolate pudding grin and promptly puts the bowl on his or her head.

Full of love, laughter and foodie fun, this can be read as a smorgasbord of silliness or served up a la carte to read the same delicious poem over and over again. It’s sure to please parents’ palates and tickle toddlers’ funny bones and bellies!

#2 – Diana – Wait For Cate (PB 5-8)

Cate promised her team she’d finally be on time for the championship kickball game. But when she encounters the new girl in her class, stuck in the sand on the playground in her wheelchair, she has to make a BIG decision. Should she help or hurry on by? The clock’s ticking.

#3 – Jamie – Goldilocks: A Very Tired Tale (PB 4-8)

Goldilocks is exhausted and knows deep down there is a solution, but she can’t quite put her finger on it. Mares? Pears? Stairs? Hijinks ensue as Goldilocks puts her quest for rest to the test in this fractured fairy tale.

Let’s take a break for a little Something Chocolate! Twix Cookies look like a good choice, don’t they? I mean, what could be better than a combination Twix bar and cookie?

Mmmmm-mmmmmm! Scrumptious! Perfect for dunking in coffee (hot or iced!) or a tall cold glass of milk! Please! Help yourself to as many as you like and let’s keep reading and voting!

April

#1 – Carol – Princess Lucille’s Castle (PB 3-5)

Princess Lucille gives you a tour of her castle beginning at the moat and drawbridge and takes you through each room to the exit where you can buy princesses souvenirs.

#2 – Marta – OH NO SCORPIONS!! (PB 5 – 8)

Roz and her Mom have planned the Best Most Special Mom-Daughter Holiday Ever in Mexico—until the hotel manager announces they have scorpions! Petrified, Roz is so convinced the tiny terrors could be hiding anywhere she “sees” them everywhere, from the beach to her shoes! Her shrieks of alarm leave hotel staff and guests in an uproar and the holiday close to ruin. To save it, Roz must conquer her fears, not just for herself but ultimately for her Mom.

#3 – Angela – Buddy And The Blue Crew (PB 3-8)

On Buddy’s first day at school, all he really wants to do is to just blend in.  But the problem is, he seems to be the only Blue-Footed-Booby in town!  And it doesn’t take long before the other kids start to notice.  When Buddy meets Bill – a kid with an even crazier feature – will Buddy be able to convince the other children, and ultimately himself, that there’s so much more to him than his bright, blue feet? 

#4 – Diane – Stop! Stop! (PB 4-7)

Friend’s, Sumaya Seahorse, Polly Puffer Fish and Delphin Dolphin each find themselves tangled, caught or trapped in a ghost net, a plastic ring and a sunken bottle. To escape they rely on each other and the handy help of Charlie Crab, Sally Swordfish, her seven sisters and Harriet Hag Fish. Together they must come up with a creative recycling solution to tidy their ocean home from the unwanted waste. 

May

#1 – Patricia – TY’S TREASURES (PB 4-7)

A crystal.  A marble.  A feather.  Ty growing collection of treasures is causing problems for his family.  But  where can he stash them?   Not in the toybox. Not in the closet. Not in the bed.  Mom wants them outside. In his search for a worthy spot, Ty observes birds, squirrels, even his dog hanging on to their treasures.  But a visit with his grandma helps Ty discover the difference between a treasure and a memor,y and that there is a place for both.

#2 – Katie – FRIENDS ‘ROUND THE BEND (PB 4-8)

After friends laugh at his stinky bouquet, Prairie Pup Pip faces the fact that he has a no-good nose. His journey for a cure takes him from the prairie to the forest, encountering other misfit critters. His spunky spirit inspires his new friends, but his trailblazing days may be finished when he is unable to smell his way home.

#3 – Sandy – Simon Soars (PB 7-11)

Simon, a timid turkey vulture at Aviary Academy, eats formerly living earth creatures (F.L.E.C.) to the dismay of his classmates.  When the jawing jays begin to tease and taunt, even Simon’s impeccable sense of smell and much hooted-over accomplishments won’t help.  Simon hatches a plan to teach his classmates that rank fetid funkiness isn’t something to cry foul over.  Suddenly FLEC is no longer BLECH! 

#4 – Caitlin – Lucy And The Fearful Monsters (PB 4-7)

Lucy longs to participate in the fun happening around her, but her fears keep getting in the way. She clings to the edge of the pool, holds tight to the first monkey bar, and hangs back at the petting zoo. Lucy takes to art and draws her fears as monsters. When her monsters start showing up in real life trembling with fright and begging for her help, Lucy must help them cope with the very same anxieties she faces herself.

Thank you all for reading and voting – I know that was a lot all at once! You are all wonderful and the pitchers and I appreciate you so! ❤️

All the pitch participants are looking forward to seeing how the votes come out!  I am looking forward to that too!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 😊