Would You Read It Wednesday #121 – Fee Fi Fo Flub (PB) AND Straight From The Editor AND The January Pitch Pick!

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Sorry I missed you all on Monday.

I’ve got 5 words for you:

Man cold in the house!

‘Nuff said 🙂

So!  We’ve got a doozy of a day!

Sometime in the holiday swirl, we lost track of Straight From The Editor for the November Pitch Winner.  Luckily, the people in charge around here are Extremely Alert and tend to notice such ball-dropping incidents within 2 to 3 months 🙂  So here is Straight From The Editor for November 2013 🙂

You will recall that the winner was Steve with his picture book pitch for Rashad Saves The World.  Here is his pitch:

Rashad is tired of being the youngest and the least important member of his family. When he learns at school that he can save the world, he leaps straight into action and straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. And when he accidentally demolishes the garden of his fearsome next door neighbour, his career as a Super Hero seems to have come to an abrupt end. Will he still be able to save the world? Perhaps he already has …

And here is what editor Erin Molta had to say about it:

Sounds like a cute story! But it’s a little confusing and an editor would spend too much time trying to figure out what exactly you mean. I think this sentence needs to be more clear: straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. Why would his family’s cell phones disappear? Is he trying to save them from cell phone brain damage or is he using the cell phones to create something? Ice cream into soup also needs a clarifier. Brief and then you don’t need the bit about his neighbor.

As always, I find Erin’s thoughts extremely helpful!

Now, I’m sure we’re all feeling a bit peaked after all that reading and processing, so how about a sustaining snack?

In celebration of Valentines Day which is practically here, let’s have Something Chocolate 🙂

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Isn’t that a thing of beauty?  And deliciousness? 🙂

Next item on the agenda is the December/January Pitch Pick.  We have 5 fabulous entries:

#1 Beth
Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared (MG)

Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving.Mabel’s mom thinks she should work on sitting still instead. So they make a deal: Mabel can play baseball in the spring, but only if she learns to fit in with the local Blossoms Troop first. But that isn’t easy. Mabel turns square dancing into a contact sport, saves a spider like she’s sliding into second base, and wolfs down the entire cookie sale stash. That’s three strikes and she’s out of Blossoms, but Mabel is not about to let that stop her. She sneaks to the campsite to make amends and discovers she isn’t the only intruder crashing the camp-out. With the Blossoms trapped between a smelly skunk and a sizzling fire, Mabel realizes that she’s the only one who can save the Blossoms from the stinky situation.

#2 Rena
The Witch’s Brew – (YA)

Ten years after the disappearance of sibling pair Hansel and Gretel, Gretel’s body is unearthed. All evidence points to Carmen Caramelo a.k.a. the Candy Witch. Fuelled by her own false arrest and her growing attraction to the witch’s son, sixteen-year-old Amy Faye, will stop at nothing to prove Carmen’s innocence. Unfortunately for Amy, that also means risking her reputation, her friendships and even her life, all in the name of justice. John Grisham’s The Accused meets Bill Willingham’sFables: Peter and Max.

#3 Joy
Tell Me About The Baby (MG Verse)
After the death of her parents, 13 year old Sara moves in with her older brother and his pregnant wife. With a brother who acts like her father, and a sister-in-law who resents having a teen to raise before she’s even had a baby, Sara grieves for her old life.  Used to being the baby of the family, Sara isn’t  happy with this new arrangement. Will she find a way to adjust to her new life?

#4 Kirsten
Gwynivere The Ear Finds Her Nose (PB ages 5-7)
Gwynivere the Ear, self-proclaimed superhero, can hear citizens in distress from miles away.  Unfortunately, chaos seems to follow Gwynivere closely; almost as closely as her arch nemesis, Nosy Rosy.  And, as much as Gwynivere proclaims that “superheroes don’t need help,” she will soon discover that everyone can use a helping hand (or nose) once in awhile.

#5 Stacy
Simon Wants To Help – (PB ages 4-8)
Simon’s idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. He empties the bookshelf, dusts the floor with his body, and scatters toys around his room. Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, until one turn of a lock gives him a chance to make things better.

Please vote for the pitch you feel most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday February 16 at 5 PM EST.

Many thanks!

Now, finally!, today’s pitch comes to us from Pam B, whom we met before with her pitch for Flood Dogs last April (WYRI #82).  Pam says, “Professionally I was a 3rd and 6th grade teacher before becoming an instructor in Early Childhood and Adolescent Education at Bloomsburg University.  Currently I’m taking time away from teaching to focus on my family and my writing.  You can follow me on Twitter @PamBrunskill.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Fee Fi Fo Flub
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Mini’s thrilled to have a part in her school’s production of Gog and the Beanstalk, and she takes her role seriously. But frustrating dialogue, panicked practices, and a giant blunder make Mini realize that sometimes creativity and flexibility are what’s needed to carry the show.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Pam improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Pam is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Spring.  Seriously!  We’re supposed to get up to another foot of snow by tomorrow night, so pretty much all I can think of is green grass and flowers and sunshine!  I will leave you with this in hopes that it will help drive winter away for a moment or two 🙂

Have a wonderful, productive and happy Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Four Feet, Two Sandals

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So, did you all watch the Olympics last night?

I had totally planned on competing, but I was so busy with writing and whatnot that I forgot to trot out and qualify.  Lucky for Jamie Anderson and Yuna Kim and Tina Maze 🙂

You should see me on figure skates.

And skis.

And a snowboard.

Truly, it’s a sight hitherto unimagined.

There really aren’t words…

…   😀

(Although John Belushi’s Little Chocolate Donut Decathlon performance might come close :))

I think I really could put forth a World Class performance in Chocolate Consumption if they would just get serious and add that to the program, but some people refuse to recognize it as a sport…!

So, let’s have some HOT chocolate and get down to business, shall we?  Today’s Perfect Picture Book takes place where it’s warm (a concept I know I’m familiar with but can’t seem to remember!)

Four Feet, Two Sandals
Written By:  Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
Illustrated By:  Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books For Young Readers, September 2007, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 7-10
Themes/Topics:  Friendship, Sharing, Refugees, Loss, Separation

Opening:  “Lina raced barefoot to the camp entrance where relief workers threw used clothing off the back of a truck.   Everyone pushed and fought for the best clothes.  Lina squatted and reached, grabbing what she could.”

Brief Synopsis:  In a place where people have very little, two girls each get one of a pair of sandals.  They could have fought, but instead they share the sandals.  As they go about their routines, waiting and hoping for their names to appear on the list for a new home, the sandals remind them that friendship is the most important thing.  And when one girl gets the chance to live in a new land, the bond of their friendship remains.

Links To Resources:  Teacher’s Guide, Discussion Guide, author’s note at back of book adds extra information.

Why I Like This Book:  This story gives children a glimpse of a very different kind of life.  For children who are fortunate, this book may help them not to take things for granted so much.  For children who are less fortunate, this book may help them see that they are not alone.  Told gently and with hope so that it is appropriate for children, this book nonetheless opens the way to important discussions about refugees, having and not having, war and peace, loss, and separation.  But the underlying message is one of love and friendship, something all children understand and can relate to.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

I think if we all exert our mental powers at the same time, we can convince winter to leave.  Shall we plan for Saturday at noon?  Does that work for everyone? 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you and see your awesome picks for this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #120 – The STEM Girls: Rising Stars (PB) AND The Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show Winners!

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You don’t have to tell me.

The Groundhogs’ unanimous prediction that we’d have 6 more weeks of winter was a little hard to take.

As we are currently being buried under what some say will be 6-12 inches of snow (and what others are saying will be 12-15 inches, and still others are saying 30+ inches) I guess they’re right so far.  Dang and blast the little marmots!

(Uh, please don’t tell Phyllis I said that!)

This calls for Something Chocolate.  And I have the perfect thing:  Happy Cake!

Don’t you feel better just looking at it?  Doesn’t it make you believe spring will come?  Soon?

I thought so 🙂

Help yourselves! 🙂

Now then.  Before we get to today’s Would You Read It pitch, we have a small matter of business to attend to….

Ironing our socks!

Hee hee hee!  I’m just funnin’ y’all 🙂

I know the real order of business is….

Who won Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show???

And the answer is…

Did I tell you about how Princess Blue Kitty (my car, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of making her acquaintance :)) is absolutely filthy?  Seriously, I have a theory that they put more salt and sand on the roads at the first hint of snow than they ever used to… Why, when I was a mere sprat, it could snow 2 feet and nary a morsel of salt nor sand did we see!  We just had to tough our way through it, depending on the survival lessons our Maw and Paw had taught us in our upper east side apartments about how kitty litter makes for great traction…

I’m sorry.  What were we talking about?

I believe I may have gone off on a tangent.

If you would all kindly stop distracting me with ridiculous stories about your cars, I would tell you that the winner of Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show was none other than

JOSIE!!!

Congratulations, Josie!  Apparently I wasn’t the only one who loved your sweet sleepytime Phyllis in her cozy pink PJs and slippers with her lovable teddy!  Great job!

2nd Place goes to Gracie for her stunning depiction of Springtime Phyllis!  Congratulations on a gorgeous drawing, Gracie!

Interesting, isn’t it, that first and second place went to 8 year olds?!  I think it’s clear that the youngsters in this crowd are mighty talented!

3rd Place was a tie between Julie Ro-Zo with her incredible Phyllis-as-Elvis drawing, Nata with Phyllis’s Allonge, and Beth with Opera Star Phyllis.  (I told you we had a tie problem!)  Congratulations, you three!  You are exceptionally talented for people who are technically older than 8 (although we know you are young at heart :))

Josie, Gracie, Julie, Nata-ie, and Bethie, (I didn’t think we should break up the streak of -ie names :)) please email me and we’ll get those prizes sorted out!  (And in case you’ve forgotten what the prizes are, you may view them HERE, and you may all have your choice of whichever one you want, even if you all want the same thing.  Oh!  And Pat Miller kindly offered to sign a bookplate for anyone who chooses Substitute Groundhog!)

Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in the Fashion Show!  You are all SO creative and talented, and supplied all of us with SUCH enjoyment during this wintry week!  Phyllis has never felt so well dressed!!! 🙂

My, that was exciting!  But now we have something equally exciting in a different way…

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kristine who says, “I’m a stay-at-home mom who is truly living the dream: playing with my daughter by day and writing (if I don’t fall asleep first) at night.  I couldn’t be happier to have found the amazing children’s book writing community that exists online, and I look forward to the day when I can fill a bookshelf with works by authors that I also can call friends.“

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The STEM Girls: Rising Stars
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Sophia, Isabella, Madison, and Emma learn that science is not only fun, but an adventure, when their new telescope runs out of batteries, and they have to use their combined talents to save their stargazing trip. The girls are as enthusiastic about science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM subjects – as Fancy Nancy is about being a girly girl, and they even have their own STEM Girls club to prove it. They invite readers to join them on their adventure, asking “Do you have what it takes to be a STEM Girl?”

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kristine improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kristine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Friday because I have a most excellent book to share with you for PPBF, and also to not being snowed in anymore because we have done that enough times already and the novelty has worn off!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Happy Groundhog Day! Early Spring Or 6 More Weeks? AND Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show!

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It’s here!  It’s here!  It’s finally here!

GROUNDHOG DAY!!!

Here on Blueberry Hill this is cause for great excitement.  It’s the day of days!  The moment Phyllis waits for ALL YEAR!

As you may know, this winter on Blueberry Hill has been a crazy one with the weather either unusually balmy for January (you remember those 2 days when it rained and flooded the basement…) or unusually arctic with day after sub-zero day (the vast majority of this frigid January!)

As a result, Some People have spent most of the winter holed up drinking hot chocolate with not-so-mini-marshmallows attempting not to become a groundhog ice cube!

Now, at long last, it’s time to see what everybody’s favorite groundhog has to say: early spring, or 6 more weeks of winter?

And so, Punxsutawney Phyllis, Sage of Sages, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinaire did set forth from her burrow on Blueberry Hill this Sunday February 2, 2014  at 7:25 AM under sunny skies with a calm wind, 82% humidity and 28 degrees, and declare: “There’s my shadow!  6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!“

Though I am disappointed to hear that winter plans to hang around, I certainly enjoyed watching the show.  Phyllis does everything with flair 🙂  Here she is making her prediction in my Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show sample (which I totally cheated on by getting my daughter to execute my idea in photoshop because I – shockingly – have not learned how to use it since Monday!)

All Weather Phyllis – idea by me, execution by Katie 🙂

And now, in celebration of Groundhog Day, I want to welcome you to an exclusive showing of top fashion by outstanding designers, some of them very new to the world of fashion – the very hautest in haute couture!

Prepare yourselves…

(and I mean really)

… because here comes Phyllis on the runway!

Please enjoy these fabulous, show-stopping designs, and then vote for your favorite at the end!

#1 Steampunk Phyllis by Stacy

#2 Olympic Phyllis by Katie

#3 Ain’t Nothin’ But A Groundhog by Julie

#4 Spring Phyllis by Gracie

#5 Done With Glum Phyllis by Linda

#6 Periscope Phyllis by Sue H

#7 Queen Phyllis of the Krewe of Marmotte by Keila

#8 Mariachi Phyllis by Arturo

#9 Skiing Phyllis by Sue H

#10 Birthday Suit Phyllis by Vivian

#11 Sunday Best Phyllis by Heather G

#12 Opera Star Phyllis by Beth

#13 Glow-In-The-Dark Phyllis by Catherine

#14 Divergent Phyllis by Stacy

#15 Rock Star Phyllis by Jenny

#16 Paradise Phyllis by Angie

#17 Phyllis’s Allongé by Nata

#18 Maori Phyllis by Diane

#19 Ballerina Phyllis by Anna

#20 Sleepy Phyllis by Josie

#21 Princess Phyllis Organa by Erik

#22 Gala Phyllis by Meg

#23 Square Dance Phyllis by Penny

#24 Chef Phyllis by Neighbor Girl

#25 Dragon Tail Phyllis by Sue M

#26 Fashion Phyllis Extravaganza by the Maynard Kids

Wow!  That is a lot of fashion designing talent!  You guys are amazing!  Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Tuesday February 4 at 5PM EST!  Prizes will be awarded Wednesday during Would You Read It!

Happy Groundhog Day Everyone!  And may spring be in your hearts 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Goldy Luck And The Three Pandas

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Happy New Year again everyone, because today is Chinese New Year and the first day of The Year Of The Horse!  The Year Of The Horse is said to bring health, prosperity and good luck and I wish that for all of you!

In celebration of Chinese New Year, I have the perfect picture book, hot off the presses from Natasha Yim.  She will be doing an interview here soon, which may supply even more resources for this book, so keep an eye out for that.  Meanwhile, here’s the book (which is also perfect in view of Multicultural Children’s Book Day which was Monday :)):

Title: Goldy Luck And The Three Pandas
Written By: Natasha Yim
Illustrated By: Grce Zong
Charlesbridge, January 2014, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: retelling of classic tale, holidays (Chinese New Year), taking responsibility

Opening: “When Goldy Luck was born her mother said, “Year of the Golden Dragon – very lucky year.  This child will have good luck.”
“She has a face as round as a gold coin,” said her father.  “This child will bring great wealth.”
But Goldy had neither great wealth or good luck.  In fact, she could never seem to keep money in her piggy bank, and she had a habit of breaking things.”

Brief Synopsis: Goldy Luck is sent to deliver turnip cakes to the Chan family for Chinese New Year in spite of the fact that she’s sleepy and hasn’t had breakfast yet.  When she arrives, the Chans are not home, so she samples their congee, tries out their chairs, and naps in Little Chan’s bed, leaving chaos in her wake.

Links To Resources: the back of the book includes an author’s note about traditions of Chinese New Year, a diagram and explanation of the Chinese zodiac, and a recipe for turnip cakes.

Why I Like This Book:  I love retellings of classic tales, and this is a fun one.  It takes Goldilocks and the Three Bears to China to celebrate Chinese New Year 🙂  Although the story follows the basic format of the original, it departs after the Chans (panda bears in this version :)) come home.  Goldy initially runs away (as she does in the original story) but her conscience gets the better of her and she decides to take responsibility for her actions and returns to the Chans’s home to help tidy up.  The ending makes for a big improvement over the original 🙂  And I love that so much back matter is included, making it so easy to expand on the use of the book.  The art is bright and engaging, ending with a sweet picture of Goldy and Little Chan sharing turnip cake, the rug underneath them a depiction of the Chinese zodiac 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we all take our leave for the weekend, let me take a moment to remind you of the ongoing high jinx and shenanigans around here: Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show!  There are already a number of FANTASTIC Phyllis’s up: Steampunk Phyllis, Divergent Phyllis, Opera Phyllis, Done With Glum Phyllis, Olympic Phyllis, Punxsutawney Elvis, Glow-In-The-Dark Phyllis, Mardi Gras Phyllis, and Rock Star Phyllis ready to sing with Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl!  Don’t miss all the great entries (link list HERE)  And there’s still time to enter YOUR Fashion Phyllis!  (Contest guidelines also HERE).

Sunday (GROUNDHOG DAY!) we will have a special post with a line up of all the Fashion Show Phyllises so you can see them all and vote for your favorite… and also find out what Phyllis’s prediction will be: 6 more weeks of winter or early spring?

PPBF bloggers, please be sure to leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come see what you picked this week!

Looking forward to seeing everyone Sunday!!!  Happy Weekend, y’all! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #119 – Simon Wants To Be A Helper (PB)

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I hope you are all keeping up with Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show which began with Monday’s post and will continue through Groundhog Day.  (And if you’d care to join in the hilarity haute couture, hop on over and see the instructions HERE.  I hope you will because there are prizes, and also because it is more fun with more people :))

So far we have two – count ’em, 2! – fabulous entries!

Done With Glum Phyllis was brought to you by Linda, and Steampunk Phyllis was decked out by Stacy.  Yes, that’s right!  The very same Stacy whose pitch we will get to in two shakes of a groundhog’s tail!

But first, you know what time it is 🙂

Since Groundhog Day is almost here, I thought we should celebrate with Something Chocolate that groundhogs AND chocolate-lovers would appreciate 🙂  Isn’t this amazing?  It is actual cake!  And the fur is all piped on buttercream frosting (and no I did not make it!)

From Cake Central

It ALMOST looks too good to eat…  🙂

Alrighty, then.  Now that we all have our mouths full of cake, today’s pitch comes to us from Stacy who says, I write {picture books and memoir}. I design {websites}. I eat {chocolate}.


Stacy can be found online at her website http://stacysjensen.com on Twitter @StacySJensen on Facebook   http://facebook.com/StacySJensen  and lurking around Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/stacysjensen/.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Simon Wants To Be A Helper
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: When Simon wakes up he decides to help his mother around the house, but his idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. Just when Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, one turn of a knob gives him a chance to make things better.  

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Stacy improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Stacy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing more Phyllis models in stylish and creative outfits!!!  I am pretty interested to see what I’ll dress her in, since so far I haven’t the foggiest notion what it will be or how I will do it!  That is almost definitely because I am up to my eyebrows in inventing new, fun, doable crafts for my 2 library visits this weekend and not because I am totally unprepared 🙂

Ooh!  And this just in!  A new entry for the fashion show!

Olympic Phyllis by Katie Hill!

She looks totally ready, doesn’t she?  Foam finger and everything! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Time For Some Fun!!!

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So, here we are.

It’s still January.

It’s dark.

It’s really, really, really COLD.

And Spring seems like an impossible dream.

We could wallow in the doldrums…

…but I say, LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!!! 🙂

(Yep.  You know what that means.  Time for another Hare Brained Scheme! :))

As some of you may realize, GROUNDHOG DAY is nearly upon us.  (And in case you DON’T realize, someone at my house who gets VERY excited about it is here to remind you!)

This whole thing is her idea.  She was worried you might not even REMEMBER Groundhog Day (quel horreur!), what with all the hiding out indoors under piles of blankets due to that pesky polar vortex, and that would be UNTHINKABLE!

Therefore, in celebration…

ARE YOU READY…?

..we are going to have Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show!!!

It will be easy and fun and everyone can join in, and there will be prizes!!!

Here’s what to do:

Think up something you think Phyllis would look dazzling in.  An evening gown?  A loin cloth?  An Eskimo parka and mukluks?  A polka-dot bikini?  A sari?  A sundress?  A kimono?  A burlap sack?  Jeans and a t-shirt?  A pineapple?  A Broncos sweatshirt?  Or a Seahawks sweatshirt?  Whatever you like!  Let your inner fashion goddess/god run wild! 🙂

Then dress her up!

And feel free to accessorize!  Hats, handbags, scarves, jewelry, shoes/boots, spurs, parrots, hair ribbons, walking stick, gloves, pony, canoe…maybe a football in honor of the fact that this year Groundhog Day and Super Bowl Sunday are one and the same! 🙂

High-Tech Option:  You can do it by photoshop or MS Paint if you’re handy like that.  (Feel free to help yourself to the Phyllis heads or Phyllis figure below so at least that part is done for you, or use the Phyllis action figure HERE.)

Mid-Tech Option:  You can use Face In Hole.com or similar

Low-Tech Option:  You can print out one of the Phyllis heads or the whole Phyllis figure supplied below and draw, paint, sew, or make paper clothes to stick on.  Or cut something out of a magazine.  Or make her an outfit out of feathers 🙂  Or raisins 🙂  Or whatever 🙂 (Or again, use the Phyllis action figure HERE.)

(And if the ones I post below don’t work properly, just email me and I’ll send you the files!)

Then post a photo (or your photo shop version) of your dressed up Phyllis on your blog along with your prediction: 6 more weeks of winter, or early spring???  (Or email it to me and I’ll post it here if you don’t have a blog but would like to join the fun.)

The outfit does not have to match your prediction.  After all, if Phyllis decides there will be 6 more weeks of winter, she might hightail it for sunny Cancun in a polka-dot bikini 🙂

(If you would like to also help Phyllis in her quest to stay in print, she would be most appreciative of a link to her page at your local indie, Amazon, B&N, or wherever you feel like.)

Anyhoo, post your Phyllis Fashionista on your blog (or email it to me for posting here) anytime between now and Saturday February 1 at 5 PM EST and add your post-specific link to the link list below so we can all come see how gorgeous she looks!  Feel free to post more than one if you’re having fun 🙂

On Sunday February 2 – GROUNDHOG DAY! – I will post all the photos here in a special post – the complete fashion show! – and we’ll let everyone vote for winners 🙂

Doesn’t that sound like fun???  I totally can’t wait to see what we all come up with!!! 🙂  I think we’re going to be taking the cat walk to hitherto unprecedented levels.  Look out, Gisele, Tyra, Heidi!  You’ve got nothing on Phyllis!  Short, stout, furry, and dressed to the nines, you’re about to see how a groundhog struts her stuff 🙂

Here are the heads and figure for your convenience: (with many thanks to my daughter who did this on photoshop since I am clueless!)

you can color this one in if you like…

or there’s this one that’s already colored…

you can cover what she’s wearing here with whatever you choose for her 🙂

And prizes.  Hmm… prizes…

If we get 12 or fewer entries, 1 prize shall be awarded and it shall be the winner’s choice of a signed hard cover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis (if by some chance you don’t already have one :)) or an unsigned (but still free!) hard cover copy of Gretchen Groundhog It’s Your Day, or your choice of two of the following because they’re all only available in paperback: Go To Sleep, Groundhog by Judy Cox, Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller or Mr. Groundhog Wants The Day Off by Pat Vojta or Ten Grouchy Groundhogs by Kathryn Heling, any of which shall be purchased from Merritt Bookstore.  If you should happen to want something besides Groundhog Day picture books (which Phyllis is unable to fathom, but no accounting for taste :)) you may alternatively select any book of your choice up to a price of $17.95 to be shipped to you from Merritt.

If we get more than 12 entries, we will award 1st – 3rd and all winners can pick from the choices listed above.

Golly!  I’m excited!

Phyllis is jumping up and down!

We are having so much fun we’ve forgotten the dark and the cold and the still faraway whisper of spring!

So come join us!!!

Have a marvelous (and warm!) Monday everyone! 🙂

And whenever you have a Phyllis Fashionista, add your post-specific link to the list below!

And LOOK!  Here’s our first one from Linda who says EARLY SPRING!!!

by Linda Boyden

And here is our next one!

Olympic Phyllis by Katie Hill

And another!!

Spring Phyllis by Grace age 8!

And two from Sue!

Phyllis makes a prediction (after looking at the world’s upside) by Sue Heavenrich

Phyllis modeling her 6 more weeks of Ski Season togs by Sue Heavenrich
Sunday Best Phyllis by Heather Greene

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Willow Finds A Way

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So.

Whose idea was this polar vortex thing?

I have to say, I am not in favor.  (Not that I recall getting a vote!)

My thermometer has forgotten how to go above 1.  I have been forced to waste gas to get Princess Blue Kitty’s engine properly warmed before driving (which I’m sure is contributing to the environmental circumstances responsible for this weather!)  Worst of all, I’m afraid Punxsutawney Phyllis isn’t even going to emerge on February 2 if it doesn’t get a little warmer, never mind make a prediction!  She is a fan of all weather, but even she has her limits!  Plus, I heard a rumor that her long underwear is missing…

In protest, since I’m feeling bullied by the weather, I’ve decided to do a Perfect Picture Book about one way to deal with bullies!

Title: Willow Finds A Way
Written By: Lana Button
Illustrated By: Tania Howells
Kids Can Press, March 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: bullying, problem solving, friendship, self-confidence

Opening: “In Willow’s class, Kristabelle was the boss.  Willow wished for words that would say, “no,” when Kristabelle told her where to sit, and what to play, and who to play with.  But when Kristabelle spoke, everyone did as they were told.  Even Willow.“

Brief Synopsis: Kristabelle, the class boss, is having a fabulous birthday party, and Willow really wants to go.  But when Kristabelle un-invites some of the other kids, Willow has to decide which is more important: the party, or doing what’s right.

Links To Resources: This book is a good one for opening discussions about friendship, bullying, and self-confidence.  What makes a good friend?  How does bullying make people feel?  Anti-Bullying Tips and Conflict Mediation Tips which you can read and then discuss with kids.  Read Enemy Pie and talk about how Derek and Willow’s approaches are different.  Which one do you think would work better?

Why I Like This Book: This is a charming story in which Willow models one way of dealing with a classmate who is a bully/has a controlling personality.  Her response is a refusal to take part in the exclusion.  She doesn’t get mad or yell or carry on.  She thinks.  And she comes to a decision about what is right for her.  By taking the action she does, she shows the other children that they have a choice and encourages them to embrace it.  She makes her point by disengaging, which is something a lot of kids could have success with in similar situations.

(Willow’s Whispers was reviewed for PPBF a couple weeks ago by Pat Tilton and would make a nice companion read.)

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Following Willow’s example of disengagement, I’ve decided to disengage from winter and go where it is not negative-something degrees!  If you need me, I’ll be here 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links on the list below so we can all come visit you (if we can thaw enough to move :))

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

(Oh, and P.S. – I’m hoping to have an interview with Lana Button, the author of Willow’s Whispers and Willow Finds A Way, sometime in the not-too-distant future, so keep a weather eye! :))

Would You Read It Wednesday #118 – Gwynivere The Ear Finds Her Nose (PB)

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Yee-haw!  It’s Wednesday!

Time to ride out on the open range and rope ourselves some steers!

On second thought, it’s 9 below zero by the thermometer this morning!! (just about the coldest it’s ever been here) – and goodness knows how cold with the windchill!!  Definitely too cold to take the cow ponies out of the barn.  Also, I don’t know how to rope steers.

Let’s have Something Chocolate and play Would You Read It instead 🙂

I vote for molten chocolate cake since it’s so cold 🙂

Stonewall Kitchen Recipe HERE

(I hope all you health nuts will note that I put a raspberry on it so it counts as a healthy breakfast :))

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kirsten who is an aspiring author, a reading teacher, a mom of three, and a lover of all things sweet! You can find her on FB at https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.bock

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Gwynivere The Ear Finds Her Nose
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-7)
The Pitch: Gwynivere the Ear, self-proclaimed superhero, can hear citizens in distress from miles away.  Unfortunately, chaos seems to follow Gwynivere closely; almost as closely as her arch nemesis, Nosy Rosy.  And, as much as Gwynivere proclaims that “superheroes don’t need help,” she will soon discover that everyone can use a helping hand (or nose) once in awhile.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kirsten improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kirsten is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to riding the open range and roping some steers when we get out of double negative digits!

And before we go, I want to sincerely thank everyone who donated to Scott’s campaign on Monday, or who purchased books from his store, or who still might be thinking of doing one or the other.  It means so much to me and to him, and I really can’t thank you enough!  (And in case you missed it, you can read about it HERE.)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  Happy reading, writing, teaching, parenting, steer roping, or whatever is on your agenda for today!

A Little Help From His Friends

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Today’s post is a special one.  I have a story to share.  Please forgive me if it’s a little long, and read to the end if you can – it’s important!

Once upon a time, there was a teacher who loved books.  He loved people and the stories they had to tell, and he loved his community.

Me and Scott in a photo that is not at all posed 🙂

Wanting to share his love of books and reading and enrich his community, Scott Meyer started his bookstore by accident.  (He says if he’d ever had any business classes, he never would have done it since he’s done all the things they tell you not to do!)

He started out with two tables, borrowed from a local school on Friday nights.  He set up his books on a street corner at the main intersection in Millbrook, NY, and sold them on weekends, returning the borrowed tables to the school on Sundays at dark.

In 1983 Scott got an actual storefront, and sold his first book there in 1984.  He didn’t have enough stock, so he went to the local library each week, borrowed books for his window display, and put up a sign telling people that if they wanted to read the books they could get them from the library after he returned them, and if they wanted to own the books, he could order them.  It gave him a window full of books, helped his fledgling business off the ground, and promoted the local library.

The bookstore moved four times, but has been located here for many years:

Merritt Bookstore, Millbrook, NY, owned and run by Scott Meyer

Scott is involved with the local schools and library, he serves on the Millbrook Business Association, he supports local businesses, offers his store space to display the work of local artists, supports girl scouts and 4H, and runs events to encourage reading while also bringing business to Millbrook.  For a Harry Potter event, he once had 72 high school students sleep over in the store.

As the book business has grown more difficult, Scott has been forced to look for out-of-town events, like the New York State Readers Association Conference in Saratoga Springs, events he does in addition to all the local ones.

It is a tremendous challenge to stay solvent.  Scott hasn’t made money in a while.  But he believes his community deserves a bookstore.

And it is a fortunate community that has his bookstore.

Merritt is well stocked…

…cozy and inviting…
…a place to browse and enjoy!

To Scott, everyone who comes through his door is famous.  Everyone has a talent or a skill.  Everyone has stories to tell.  Everyone is important.  He converses daily with stone masons, dancers, historians, cloud-catchers, teachers, authors, stay-at-home moms, doctors, and people of every kind and he enjoys them all.

His is a writer’s bookstore – he loves authors and is excited for their books and the work they do.  Witness the lovely display of local author Susanna Leonard Hill 🙂

He knows his customers.  When he hears of a new book he thinks, oh! so-and-so would love that, and makes a point to let them know.

7th graders shadow Scott to learn about the book business
Scott thought the struggle was about keeping his bookstore.
Now, Scott has cancer – melanoma, which is a tough one to defeat.  He has been battling it for over a year, and his medical bills are mounting astronomically.   He has had multiple surgeries, chemo, and radiation, and will be starting a new drug trial next month because things are not working as well as everyone hoped and the cancer has spread.

And yet through all this, he has shown up at his bookstore every day he can.  He remains optimistic, positive, cheerful, and uncomplaining.  He jokes about the things he’s had to endure, and feels worse for his family than he does for himself.  And he is still there for his community in spite of everything.  He is brave, and admirable, and a role model to all for how to handle a bad situation with grace.

So, even though you may not know him, I’d like to ask you to consider helping him out.  He has helped and supported me my entire career as an author, and I would be no kind of friend if I couldn’t do the same for him when he needs it.

If you’ve been thinking of buying a book or two for yourself or someone you know, if you would consider ordering it from Merritt this time (Merritt Bookstore) instead of your usual online choice, that would be a wonderful support of his store.  An increase in sales would help him so much.  He is well stocked and has lots of books that have been signed by authors.  In fact, if you’re interested in picture books, there are a number local authors who would likely be willing to sign their books for you if you order from Scott’s store including Iza Trapani (see Iza’s books), Michael Garland (see Michael’s books), Karen Orloff (see Karen’s books), and myself (see my books).  And if you want to go above and beyond (because I know at least a few of my readers live in this area and know Scott personally, or maybe you just want to help a fellow book lover in need) you can contribute to his fund (link below) to help make sure he can meet his medical bills, take care of his family, and ensure that his sons get to go to college.  Any amount, even $5, will be deeply appreciated.

My most heartfelt thanks for your time and patience in reading this, and for any help you can give my friend.

BuildWidget(‘txs3’); Bring Your Fundraising Ideas to Life

Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!